New ‘Marrow Group’ hosting stem cell register recruitment drive
Date 7.11.2018
Staff and students can sign-up to a life-saving registration event next week and help people with blood cancer and other blood disorders.
The stem cell register recruitment drive will take place during the Changemaker Volunteer Fair, in the Learning Hub foyer between 11 and 3pm on Wednesday 14 November. Members of the public can also come along and register.
Blood stem cell and bone marrow donations are urgently needed to save lives and ‘Marrow Recruitment Drives’ are being held to recruit new, potential donors to join the UK’s national register, managed by the charity the Anthony Nolan Trust.
Members of University of Northampton’s ‘Marrow Group’ (or ‘Marrowers’) who work in association with Trust, will be on hand to talk to students about the important work the Trust undertakes in the fight against blood conditions.
The ‘Marrowers’ will then explain what happens if the sample taken from them on the day, with a simple self-administered cheek swab that takes no more than 30 seconds.
After filling in a registration and consent form, the application is complete are and will be contacted by Anthony Nolan Trust within six weeks with confirmation they are fully registered as potential donors.
Abdul Rahmaan, Secretary of the Marrow Group commented: “Bone Marrow registration is a bit of a mystery for some people, so our ‘Marrowers’ will be out in force during the Volunteer Fair on 14 November to explain all. Rest assured, the process is relaxed, informative…and painless!
“This is the first stage for someone to save another’s life, turning donor registrants into potential heroes, so we’re really looking forward to seeing them next week.”
The Anthony Nolan Trust was created in 1974 by Shirley Nolan, whose three-year-old son Anthony was in urgent need of a bone marrow transplant. Shortly after this, she set up the world’s first register to match donors with people in need.
For further information, see either the Anthony Nolan Trust’s website or watch these videos that help to further explain the process:
For members of the public who are interested in signing up on the day, please email the Marrow Team.
The full constitution of the Marrow Group, University of Northampton is:
Abdul Rahmaan – Secretary
Poula Chaitika and Amal Abdulkadir – Donor Recruitment Coordinator/Social Media and Publicity Officers
Kitty Luck – Events Coordinator
Kyria Smith – Fundraising Coordinator
Leanne Jones, Sophie Lawlor, Amber Gray-Hammond – volunteers.