Muslim Aid hosts first blood donation drive

Muslim Aid hosts first-ever blood drive with ACMA and Camford Medicals to support people living with sickle cell disease.

The charity’s first blood donation drive, held during Black History Month at Westfield Shepherd’s Bush, brought together faith and community organisations to raise awareness of sickle cell disease and address the urgent need for ethnically matched blood donors.

Muslim Aid hosted its first-ever blood donation drive on Saturday 31 October, joining forces with the African Caribbean Muslim Association (ACMA) and Camford Medicals for a Black History Month initiative at Westfield Shepherd’s Bush. The event highlighted the urgent need for more ethnically matched blood donors to support people living with sickle cell disease.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Many people living with the condition rely on regular blood transfusions to manage their symptoms and complications. However, finding suitably matched blood can be challenging. People from Black African and Caribbean backgrounds are more likely to have the blood types and tissue characteristics needed by many patients with sickle cell disease, making greater diversity among blood donors particularly important.

Despite this greater need, people from Black communities remain underrepresented among blood donors. Historical and ongoing mistrust of healthcare institutions, alongside a lack of awareness and misconceptions, can present barriers to donation. However, it is also important to have honest conversations within our communities about the role we can play in addressing this gap. Through education, open dialogue and community-led initiatives, we can build trust, challenge misconceptions and encourage more people to become regular donors.

Rakin Fetuga, Director of ACMA, said:
“There is a recognised challenge within parts of the Black community regarding blood donation, often rooted in historical and ongoing mistrust of healthcare institutions and medical services. It is important that we address these concerns through greater awareness, education and open dialogue.

“At the same time, we must recognise that our communities are among those with the greatest need for ethnically matched blood, yet we remain underrepresented among donors. We need to have honest conversations about this and encourage more people within our communities to take action. We must work collectively to build trust, challenge misconceptions and inspire greater participation in blood donation. It plays a vital role in saving lives, and greater participation is particularly important in ensuring that patients from Black backgrounds have access to compatible blood when needed.”

Amina Shaaban, Country Programmes Manager at Muslim Aid, said:
“I attended the blood donation drive because I wanted to do my part in giving back and potentially saving lives. Having read about the health inequalities faced by Black communities, particularly the challenges in finding suitable blood donors, I felt even more encouraged to contribute.

“For me, this initiative reflects what Muslim Aid stands for: serving humanity, showing compassion and making a positive difference wherever we can. Our commitment to helping others shouldn’t stop at our international programmes; it extends to the communities around us. Partnering with initiatives like this helps raise awareness, encourages collective action and reminds us that even the simplest acts of kindness can save lives. It was a truly rewarding experience and one I’m proud to have been part of.”

Muslim Aid’s first-ever blood donation drive marks an important step in extending the charity’s community engagement and humanitarian work to address health inequalities in the UK. Through its partnership with ACMA and Camford Medicals, the initiative highlights how faith and community organisations can work together to encourage greater participation in blood donation and support people living with sickle cell disease.