Staff from construction company Morgan Sindall helped save 18 lives after attending a blood donor session in Garforth, Leeds.

The firm is working with the National Blood Service (NBS) – part of the NHS Blood and Transplant – on a campaign to Save 1,000 Lives by encouraging as many members of staff as possible to donate blood. The company aims to recruit 330 blood donors across the UK. Each donation is split into three component parts: red cells, platelets and plasma – which can potentially save up to three lives. This could be newborn babies, people having operations or people suffering from medical conditions.

As part of the campaign a team of employees from Morgan Sindall’s Garforth office, based in Green Lane, signed up to the campaign during a special “blood day”.

“It costs nothing to give blood but the gift of life is the most precious thing we can offer and we are extremely proud to lead the way in helping the NBS to boost blood stocks,” says Chris Brown, Morgan Sindall area director. “We carry out a lot of complex schemes in the health sector and in the heart of local communities. These people are our lifeblood and it’s extremely rewarding to give something back to them.”

Andrew Calvert, senior donor relations manager for the National Blood Service, says: “We are very grateful to Morgan Sindall for their support. Their pledge to help save 1,000 lives by encouraging staff to donate, demonstrates their commitment to patients in need of vital blood transfusions. The need for blood is constant and it's important that blood donors continue to come forward. The process of donating takes only around one hour, while the actual donation takes less than ten minutes.”

Those who have now signed up to the campaign will be given time during the working day to donate at a local blood donor session.