Eleven MPs showed their support for the Anthony Nolan ‘Register and Be A Lifesaver’ (R&Be) education programme at an information session for MPs in Parliament last week.
Hosted by Seema Malhotra MP, the event was an opportunity for MPs to meet R&Be volunteers who deliver inspiring presentations to 16-18 year old students about the importance of bone marrow, blood, and organ donation.
Register and Be a Lifesaver has reached over 100,000 students since it was established in 2009. Over 4,600 young people have joined the Anthony Nolan bone marrow register as a result, and so far three people recruited through R&Be have donated lifesaving stem cells.
The R&Be programme also works with NHS Blood and Transplant to recruit to the blood and organ donor registers. Over 7,400 people have joined the blood donor register and nearly 2,400 have signed up as organ donors.
Enfield North MP Nick de Bois, who attended the session, said, ‘It is wonderful to hear that such a programme exists to dispel the myths about donation and inspire young people to join the bone marrow, blood and organ donation registers. I will be writing to schools and colleges in my constituency to encourage them to book an R&Be education session.’
