Londoners urged to give blood with help from a classic Jamaican dish

With urgent calls for more Black heritage blood donors – a new initiative hopes to get more Londoners donating, one patty at a time

While a Jamaican patty might not seem like a lifesaving tool, for thousands of Londoners, it could be the very reason they finally roll up their sleeves to donate blood.

As part of a new campaign for National Blood Week, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has teamed up with Jamaican food brand Port Royal Patties. With demand for blood donations rising, the two have come up with a powerful way to spotlight the issue by printing QR codes on 180,000 patty wrappers.

The ‘food for thought’ initiative aims to encourage more Londoners, especially those from Black Caribbean and Black African heritage, to donate blood.

For many, blood isn’t just needed – it’s a lifeline. Jeannine Joseph, 28, knows this first hand. Diagnosed with sickle cell before birth, she receives eight units of blood every five and a half weeks to stay alive.

“If regular blood transfusions weren’t an option for people with sickle cell, our lives would be unbearable,” she said. “In May I was hospitalised for almost three weeks. My doctors couldn’t get my crisis under control with pain meds. It wasn’t until I had a blood transfusion that I instantly felt better and was able to go home.”

That need is exactly what moved Port Royal’s MD, Edward Johnston, to act. After stumbling across an NHSBT blood drive years ago, he learned about the urgent need for Black heritage donors and signed up himself.

“We’re a London company with Jamaican heritage, and we believe it’s vital to support initiatives that help the community thrive,” he said. “I’m proud we’re part of the drive to encourage more Black people to give blood. I hope other businesses follow our lead and support NHSBT’s lifesaving work.”

Black heritage donors are ten times more likely to have the Ro blood type – the one most needed to treat sickle cell patients and reduce the risk of complications. But despite this, they still only make up 2% of UK blood donors. Almost half of the country’s 20,000 Black heritage donors are based in London, and numbers have been steadily rising since June 2024. But NHSBT still needs to recruit an extra 16,000 Black donors this year alone to keep up with demand.

“London’s Black communities have stepped up in a big way,” said Iroro Agba, Assistant Director at NHSBT. “But with sickle cell cases rising, we urgently need more people to come forward, especially those with the Ro blood type. If we can keep building partnerships and showing up in our communities, I’m confident we’ll get there.”

Wembley-based Port Royal’s patties now carry NHSBT’s ‘Blood Saves Lives’ message and a scannable QR code that links straight to the blood donation sign-up page – making it as easy as possible to get involved.

Many people still hold back from donating whether it’s down to fear of needles, not knowing they’re eligible, or simply not realising how urgent the need really is. But NHSBT is working hard to challenge those misconceptions and make giving blood part of everyday community culture.

And this campaign is far from a one-off. NHSBT continues to build a culture of blood donation through events, outreach, and partnerships that challenge misconceptions and raise awareness of health conditions that disproportionately impact the Black community.

“If you’ve got the Ro type, chances are your sibling or parent does too,” Iroro added. “So why not go together? Bring a friend or family member – it takes just an hour and can truly change someone’s life.”

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