We kick off World Cup campaign by asking for new donors

New donors are needed to ensure Scotland’s most vulnerable patients have the blood they need during the World Cup.

We have kicked off our FIFA World Cup campaign early. The number of people keeping their blood donation appointment fell by over 20% following the triumphant evening Scotland qualified for the World Cup so we are planning ahead to ensure Scotland has sufficient blood supplies this summer.

We need new donors to act now and give their first donation this spring which will allow them to become regular donors during the critical World Cup period. Regular donors are able to support Scotland’s most vulnerable patients (such as premature babies) and have the additional advantage of knowing their blood group – meaning they will be ready to help should supplies of one or more blood groups drop.

We want to welcome new donors now. If you give your first donation during spring, you will be eligible to donate again during the critical summer period, as you must leave a minimum of 12 weeks in between donations.

Fiona Gaskell, Head of Nursing, SNBTS, explains, “Asking people to donate three months before the tournament may feel counter-intuitive, but is actually very important. Less than 2% of the population are actively giving blood, which means we have a shortage of blood donors in Scotland. This presents a challenge during a major event such as the World Cup.

We want to welcome new donors now. If you give your first donation during spring, you will be eligible to donate again during the critical summer period, as you must leave a minimum of 12 weeks in between donations. This also means you will be a regular donor – with your donation available for Scotland’s most vulnerable patients such as premature babies during the World Cup period. We will also know your blood group – and be able to count on you if one of the eight major blood groups fall below desired levels during the World Cup period.

Fiona continues, “The evening that Scotland qualified against Denmark, the number of donors coming forward to keep their appointments fell by over 20%. This was because people are busy watching the game, which is understandable, but the need for blood does not take a rest.

“We are delighted to have baby Alexandria, who was born prematurely and needed several blood transfusions, as our mascot for the campaign and we’re asking everyone to support Scotland twice. Help us prevent any disruption to the blood supply, by signing up now. I am urging both new and returning donors to come forward to help ensure lifesaving blood is always available.”

Dunfermline mummy Nicolle Hollick explains, “We are so happy our beautiful little girl Alexandria is mascot for such an important campaign. She was born prematurely in January 2025 and received four blood transfusions to help her survive. I hope people love seeing our precious girl in her first ever Scotland strip and the donors of Scotland are proud they made this possible. She is our absolute world, and we simply cannot thank donors enough. I’d ask everyone to consider helping premature babies like Alexandria by signing up to give blood now – it means you can make the most important difference to families like ours.”

• If you want to support Scotland's patients please register to become a blood donor and book an appointment to give blood.
• Please check your eligibility
• You can also contact us at nss.snbtsenquiry@nhs.scot or by calling 0345 90 90 999 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm).