Case study

Liverpool City Region Blood Donation Awareness Project

ClientNHS Blood and Transplant

  • Health
  • Community & Voluntary

Project period: September 2024 – September 2026

GraceHola led a two-year, NHS Blood and Transplant-funded programme raising blood donation awareness across the Liverpool City Region, registering more than 450 new donors from diverse communities.

Outreach stall at an outdoor event: a team member and two visitors talk at a table of leaflets, with 'Give the gift of blood' banners behind

450+

new blood donors registered

Context

The Challenge

The Liverpool City Region Blood Donation Awareness Project was a two-year community engagement programme funded by NHS Blood and Transplant and led by GraceHola Ltd in partnership with five organisations across the Liverpool City Region.

It was delivered between September 2024 and September 2026 with the aim of increasing awareness of blood donation and the importance of registering new blood donors from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse communities. The project sought to improve representation within the donor pool and support better health outcomes for patients who depend on regular blood transfusions, including those living with sickle cell disorder.

Increasing blood donation rates within ethnically diverse communities requires sustained community engagement, trusted relationships and culturally appropriate information. The project was developed to help address challenges including:

  • Low awareness of the importance of blood donation and the need for greater ethnic diversity within the donor register.
  • Misconceptions, concerns and barriers that discourage people from becoming blood donors.
  • Limited access to culturally appropriate information and resources.
  • The need to engage communities that have traditionally been underrepresented in blood donation campaigns.
  • The need to build trust through community-led approaches and partnership working.

We encountered and overcame the following challenges:

  • Engaging diverse communities across all six Liverpool City Region boroughs.
  • Delivering consistent awareness messages across multiple community settings and stakeholder groups.
  • Addressing myths and misconceptions surrounding blood donation.
  • Developing resources that could effectively reach people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
  • Coordinating a multi-partner programme over a two-year period while maintaining delivery quality and impact.

GraceHola

Our Role

GraceHola led and coordinated the six-organisation partnership, working closely with NHS Blood and Transplant and all project partners to agree objectives, delivery plans, monitoring arrangements and expected outcomes.

Our role covered programme management and partnership coordination, stakeholder engagement, performance monitoring and quarterly monitoring returns to NHS Blood and Transplant, and the management of risks, issues and opportunities, while maintaining delivery quality and impact over the two years.

Delivery

How We Delivered

  1. Programme management and partnership coordination

    We led and coordinated the six-organisation partnership, agreeing objectives, delivery plans, monitoring arrangements and expected outcomes with NHS Blood and Transplant and all partners.

    We kept communication and partnership working effective throughout, monitored performance and submitted quarterly monitoring returns to NHS Blood and Transplant, and managed risks, issues and opportunities.

  2. Awareness and registration events

    The partnership delivered a wide range of awareness and registration activities across community organisations, faith groups, universities and colleges, healthcare settings, festivals and cultural events, workplaces, and public health and community events.

    Activities were designed to provide accessible information, answer questions, challenge misconceptions and encourage eligible people to register as blood donors.

  3. Stakeholder and partner engagement

    The project brought together organisations from the health, community, voluntary, academic and faith sectors to maximise reach and impact.

    Partnership working let the project engage communities across all six Liverpool City Region boroughs, extend awareness activities into trusted community settings, reach people who may not previously have engaged with blood donation campaigns, and promote positive conversations about blood donation and community health.

  4. Inclusive, culturally responsive delivery

    Blood donation awareness resources were developed and distributed in 11 languages.

    Community champions and trusted partners helped tailor engagement to local communities, and activities were designed to be culturally sensitive and responsive to community needs.

In pictures

Project Gallery

Five team members in matching navy T-shirts stand together on a sunny park field at a community event
Four people in conversation at an indoor community event, beside a GraceHola banner and a 'Give the gift of blood' banner
Two smiling women taking a close-up photo together in front of a 'Give the gift of blood' banner and a GraceHola banner
Four women standing behind a blue GraceHola table at an indoor event, with banners on either side and leaflets on the table
A smiling volunteer holds up a campaign leaflet at a stall table covered with leaflets, pens and other materials

Results

Key Outcomes

  • 450+

    new blood donors registered

    From diverse communities.

  • 6

    boroughs reached

    Blood donation awareness and registration activities were delivered across all six Liverpool City Region boroughs.

  • 11

    languages

    Blood donation information developed and distributed.

Wider impact

  • Many thousands of people were engaged and reached throughout the two-year programme.
  • The programme supported hundreds of conversations that challenged misconceptions and encouraged people to consider becoming blood donors.
  • Strong partnerships were built between healthcare organisations, community groups, universities, faith organisations and voluntary sector partners.
  • Awareness grew of the importance of blood donation and the need for greater representation of ethnically diverse donors.

Impact

Project Legacy

The project has left a strong legacy of increased awareness, strengthened community partnerships and a larger pool of registered blood donors.

It has shown how trusted community engagement can support improved health outcomes and help reduce inequalities in access to life-saving blood donations for diverse communities.

This success reflects the shared commitment, expertise and dedication of all partners, and provides a strong foundation for future community-led health improvement initiatives.

Collaboration

Partners

  • Grace Wellness CIC
  • PathLab Support CIC
  • One Wirral CIC
  • Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  • Liverpool Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Support Group

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