UPF-IDEC and UPF Barcelona School of Management organized a blood donation campaign on 11 December 2014. For this initiative, the Foundation became one of the 500 organizations that each year set up donation campaigns.
Many of these companies and universities include blood donation campaigns in their corporate social responsibility projects, voluntary work projects or periodic solidarity projects.
Some 20,000 donations
In 2014, over 628 collections were organized, at universities and public administrations. In large organizations with most staff up to four visits can be made per year. These totalled nearly 20,000 blood donations, 8% of all donations made last year.
Gal•la Cortel, responsible for promotion of the Blood Bank, reminds us that lack of time is the main reason why people do not donate blood. “Donation within companies allows us to be very close to donors and make giving blood easier for them”, she explains.
Organizing a campaign is very easy. The Blood Bank takes care of all the logistics involved. The company only needs to make a space available in which to set up the donations. Cortel feels very positive about it: “in order for a campaign to work, the key is that we provide all the facilities to the company and the staff”.
Over five hundred people gave blood at the campaign which was organized a few weeks ago on RACC’s premises. Gemma Trullols is one of the donors who made use of a free moment half way through the morning to roll up her sleeve and relax on the donation bed: “I always wait until the Blood Bank comes to our offices twice per year because when you have children, it makes it more complicated to go to the hospital to give blood. And giving blood together with your friends creates a very enriching experience of involvement and commitment among us all”.
Donating at universities
Donations in universities work in a similar way to those in companies. The Blood Bank takes care of the logistics, although very often seeks cooperation from student associations or PAS so that they can help promote the campaign.
Each year, 2,500 young people give blood for the first time in one of the 200 donation campaigns organized in Catalan universities.
How to organize a campaign
On the website www.donarsang.gencat.cat/empresa.html there is information about how to organize a blood donation campaign at a company or organization.
For further information, email: atencioaldonant@bst.cat or call 93 557 35 00.
Photos:
In Catalonia, every day 1,000 donations are needed to cater for the needs of the sick. In general, any healthy person may give blood, including the elderly and those who weigh under 50 kilos https://www.flickr.com/photos/bancsang/12012303563/sizes/l
Donation campaigns in companies encourage social commitment among staff.
A blood donation only takes about 15 to 20 minutes
