To mark National Blood Week (9–15 June), Caribbean street food company Port Royal Patties has teamed up with NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) to distribute 180,000 patties across the capital — each carrying a wrapper with the message “Blood Saves Lives” and a QR code encouraging people to register as blood donors.
The aim is simple: to inspire more people, particularly from Black Caribbean and Black African communities, to sign up to give blood — and to make it as easy as possible to do so.
Why this matters now
NHS Blood and Transplant urgently needs more donors from Black heritage backgrounds to meet the rising demand for Ro blood, a rare blood subtype predominantly found in people of Black heritage. Ro blood is critical for treating people with sickle cell disorder, the UK’s fastest-growing inherited blood condition. Most patients need regular blood transfusions — sometimes every month — and these transfusions can only work effectively if the blood closely matches their own.
That’s why this initiative is so vital. It brings the message to high streets, food stalls, and local supermarkets — everyday places where people gather — and makes the act of registering feel easy, familiar and accessible.
Reaching new people through food
Port Royal’s QR-coded wrappers take diners directly to the NHSBT blood donation sign-up page. It’s a clever and community-focused campaign, offering a moment to reflect over a lunchtime snack.
With blood stocks currently low and hospitals under pressure, especially in London, NHSBT is hoping this campaign will help bring in thousands of new donors — particularly those with Ro blood.
Making a difference in London
Black heritage donors are ten times more likely than white donors to have the Ro subtype, yet make up only a small portion of the donor pool. London hospitals are the biggest users of Ro blood, treating a large and growing number of patients with sickle cell. Right now, around 1,300 Black heritage donors a month are needed to keep up with the demand for transfusions.
Encouragingly, NHSBT data shows that nearly half of all the country’s 20,000 Black heritage donors are now based in London (8,757), with numbers increasing every month since June 2024. But the need is rising faster than the supply, and an additional 16,000 Black heritage donors are needed across the UK this year to meet the demand.
A message from NHSBT
NHSBT assistant director Iroro Agba said:
“We don’t have enough donors with the Ro blood type to meet the needs of the growing numbers of sickle cell patients in London and across the country.
London’s Black heritage communities have risen to the challenge and are donating in record numbers, but as demand increases, so too does the need to recruit more donors.
We’re constantly developing partnerships with community groups and businesses, such as Port Royal Patties, to find ever more innovative ways to get the message out that registering to give blood is quick and easy and saves lives.
My message to London’s Black heritage communities is that if you have the Ro blood type, it’s likely your siblings, children or parents do too. So please bring a relative or even a friend to donate with you.
To those who haven’t yet donated, there are six blood donor centres across London, so register now to give blood – it’s quick and easy and takes about an hour to make a lifesaving difference.”
A life saved by donations
One of the many people directly affected by the generosity of blood donors is Jeannine Joseph, a 28-year-old sickle cell patient from Catford.
“I’m on a regular blood transfusion programme, meaning I receive eight units of blood every five-and-a-half weeks.
In May I was hospitalised for almost three weeks. My doctors struggled to get my crisis under control with pain medications. It wasn’t until I received a blood transfusion that I instantly felt better and was able to go home.
If regular blood transfusions weren’t an option for people with sickle cell, our lives would be unbearable.”
Jeannine’s story is not unique — thousands of people across the UK rely on regular transfusions to manage sickle cell, and the quality of their care depends on having enough matched blood available.
A local business with heart
For Port Royal Patties, this campaign is not just a one-off. It reflects a deeper commitment to supporting and uplifting the community it serves.
Edward Johnston, Managing Director of Port Royal, explained:
“We are a London company with Jamaican heritage that feels it is vital we support initiatives that help the community thrive and grow.
A few years ago, I came across an NHSBT Blood drive and learned about the urgent need for Black heritage donors and I was so moved I signed up to give blood.
That day I was educated about the importance of our people giving blood and decided that Port Royal Patties would do everything to help the cause.
I’m proud that we are a part of the drive to encourage more Black people to give blood. I encourage other businesses in London and across the country to do all they can to support NHSBT with their lifesaving work.”
Looking ahead
Campaigns like this show how creative partnerships between public services and local businesses can have real impact. By embedding the message in places that feel familiar, trusted, and cultural, it becomes easier to reach people who might never have thought about giving blood — or might not have known they were urgently needed.
The hope is that thousands of new donors will register this week, and that they’ll not only give once, but make blood donation a regular part of their lives.
To sign up to give blood, call 0300 123 23 23 or visit www.blood.co.uk
It takes about an hour — but that hour could save someone’s life.