‘We would love to recruit younger donors and start them on a lifetime of blood donation'
Go-Ahead Ireland, Giveblood.ie and the Irish Blood Transfusion Service have teamed up to encourage bus passengers to become donors.
They are hoping the campaign – called 'Kill Time' – will 'recruit more new younger donors and start them on a lifetime of blood donation'.
The campaign will enable passengers to take a short three-minute donation eligibility survey online while on their journey.
If they are eligible to give blood, they could make a meaningful difference to someone in need of a blood transfusion and potentially save a life.
The 'Kill Time' awareness campaign will be rolled out across the Go Ahead Ireland fleet in the Greater Dublin Area and surrounding environs.
When passengers board a Go Ahead bus, they will be invited to use their smartphone to scan, click, and learn about how they can become part of Ireland's life-saving blood donation community.
Participants will be notified immediately after doing the quiz of their likely eligibility to give blood and become a blood donor.
'It's often more difficult to reach potential donors in larger cities, so we are delighted to link up with Go-Ahead Ireland and promote the message of blood donation to its many passengers,' Paul McKinney, Director Donor Service & Logistics, Irish Blood Transfusion Service, said.
'In particular, we would love to recruit more new younger donors, and we are hoping this campaign piques their interest and starts them on a lifetime of blood donation.'
Dervla McKay, Managing Director, Go-Ahead Ireland, added: 'We are immensely proud to have the opportunity to support the Irish Blood Transfusion Service in encouraging and facilitating the public to donate blood.
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'Every month, over a million passengers use our services, so we are well positioned to not only communicate the need for blood donations, but also to encourage the communities we serve to support the vital work undertaken by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service.'
In Ireland, one in four people will need a blood transfusion in their lifetime, and a single donation can save up to three lives.
Each blood donation only lasts 35 days, meaning the need for blood donors is constant, which is further emphasised by the fact that the IBTS needs over 3,000 donations every week to maintain a healthy supply.
You can take the blood donation eligibility quiz here.
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