Highland Hockey Club steps up for lifesaving blood donation
A city sporting squad turned out in force for a lifesaving fixture recently - donating blood en masse to boost vital supplies for those in need.
Members of Highland Hockey Club were inspired to do their bit after member - and dedicated donor - Kevin Cummings made an appeal for others to join him for what would be his 64th donation.
‘If you’re one of those people who finds life keeps on getting in the way of giving blood, my advice is to just make it happen,” he said.
“Get yourself online now or give the team a call to get your slot booked.”
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Inverness Blood Donor Centre is open weekly on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays but will also open for a special additional donation session this Sunday.
Kevin added: “Booking your appointment online is an absolute dawdle and the whole process of donating is so rewarding.
“I was at home, booking an appointment for myself a few months back, and thought I’d pop out a message on our club WhatsApp group to see if anyone was interested in coming along.
“I was pleasantly surprised at the positive response I got from my teammates - it was clear that as a team we really wanted to give something back to our community.”
Kevin and the team found the whole process so straightforward that immediately after their first group donation they booked in to do it all over again just a few months later, making their second group visit last Monday.
As blood can be separated into three separate parts (blood, platelets and plasma) the team have collectively saved or improved the lives of up to 72 patients across Scotland so far.
Kevin, who works as a charity finance officer for Down Syndrome Scotland, said: “Growing up, my mum had more surgeries than I care to remember. As a transplant patient, she relied on the kindness of blood donors to support her through several of her surgeries.
“Later in life, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service were visiting my workplace for a donation session, and I thought I’d go along and give it a try.
“It was such an easy thing to do and knowing my donation had made a massive difference to someone else out there was more than enough motivation to ensure I’ve continued to donate regularly ever since.
‘Giving blood has always been a positive experience for me. The biscuits are plentiful and the banter with the donor team is always great too!
“That combined with the feel-good factor you get from knowing that you’ve helped someone else out there who’s less fortunate than you at that time is all part of the donation experience.”
“I’m super proud of my teammates. This has been a great team-building exercise and something for us all to do together outwith the club. We’re already looking forward to our next visit to the Donor Centre.”
A spokesperson for the Inverness Blood Centre, based at Raigmore Hospital, said: “We can’t thank all the club members from Highland Hockey Club enough for taking time out of the calendar to donate.
“We look forward to welcoming the team back for their next donation soon.”
The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service would love to invite more groups and organisations to get involved and help organise lifesaving group donation sessions.
They can be contacted online or by calling 0345 90 90 999 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) to book an appointment or find out more.
