A new scheme has been launched to address the shortage of organ, blood and stem cell donors from black, Asian and mixed ethnic backgrounds.
The Community Grants scheme was set up to address barriers, normalise blood and organ donation and change behaviour - with an aim to address the shortage of organs for those waiting for a transplant from all BAME backgrounds by encouraging donors.
Minister for Primary Care and Public Health, Neil O’Brien, praised the £700,000 funding being given to the scheme. He said: “Blood, organ and stem cell donations save lives – and this funding will ensure projects that aim to encourage donation and increase education are led by, and tailored for, the communities we hope to see increased donations from.
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“I encourage trusted community organisations to apply so we can continue tackling health inequalities and work to ensure people have access to vital blood, organ and stem cell donations when they need them, regardless of their ethnic background.”
The Community Grants Scheme is part of a Government-funded campaign led by NHS Blood and Transplant with support from the National BAME Transplant Alliance (NBTA) to address the urgent need for donors from black, Asian and mixed ethnic backgrounds.
It also aims to inform people about the urgent need for more black blood donors to treat blood disorders like sickle cell.
NHS Blood and Transplant will also once again be working in partnership with blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan to raise awareness of stem cell donation. In the scheme’s fifth year, NHS Blood and Transplant is now looking for applications and there is a total of £700,000 available to community-based projects across England and Wales.
Umar Malik, NHS Blood and Transplant’s Community Funding Manager, said:“We are asking more people from black, Asian and mixed ethnic backgrounds to help us to address the health inequalities that many people from these backgrounds may face. By giving your support you can help save lives.”
Many families from BAME backgrounds find it difficult because organ donation is not something they have discussed with their relatives. Others still have concerns about whether organ donation can go ahead in line with their religious beliefs.
The Manchester Evening News reported how Maham Majeed, who died suddenly aged just 21 in May, 2021, was posthumously awarded the Order of St John Award for Organ Donation - one of 35 honours given out to organ donors from across Greater Manchester at a recent ceremony in Manchester. Her family did not know she was a donor until she died.
Projects funded by the Community Grants Programme will be able to encourage more people to discuss organ donation within their families and communities, whilst also dispelling any myths.
Henny Braund MBE, Chief Executive of Anthony Nolan says: “In the UK just 72 per cent of transplant patients receive the best possible match from an unrelated stem cell donor; this drops dramatically to around 37% of patients from minority ethnic backgrounds.
“This scheme enables Anthony Nolan to continue to do vital work with different communities, encourage more young people to become potential donors and further diversify the stem cell register.
“The more people from minority ethnic backgrounds there are on the register, the less chance there is that someone will have to hear a match cannot be found for them, simply because of their heritage.
“If you're aged 16-30, in good general health and from a minority ethnic background, you could give blood cancer and blood disorder second chance of life. Joining the register couldn’t be easier – simply visit www.anthonynolan.org.”
More information about the Community Grants Programme and details of how to apply can be found https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/communitygrants or by contacting: community.funding@nhsbt.nhs.uk.
People can join an online launch workshop to find out more about the fund and how to apply on Thursday, December, 8 from 5pm to 6pm by registering here. Applications should be submitted by midnight on January 8, 2023.
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