The award-winning Unions for Transfusions campaign, aimed at lifting the number of NSW people regularly donating blood, was so successful in its first year it will be extended for at least another 12 months and possibly indefinitely, the NSWNMA said today.
Unions for Transfusions, which launched in Sydney in April last year and was originally intended to finish at Easter of this year, has been such a success that the NSWNMA and Unions NSW have decided to keep it going.
The popular statewide campaign won a major ACTU national campaign/media award, and unions in other states and territories are now considering similar campaigns. It is run by Unions NSW in conjunction with the NSWNMA, with First State Super providing campaign sponsorship.
By Easter 2013 (last weekend) 1570 people had pledged to become blood donors, during the 25 workplace visits conducted since Easter 2012. The full list, by region, is as follows:
| Workplace | Dates | Pledges |
| Campaign launch | 2 April 2012 | 7 |
| Nepean Hospital | 9 May, 12 July 2012 | 454 |
| Tweed Heads Hospital and Tweed aged care facilities | 25 June 2012 | 18 |
| Lismore Hospital | 25 June 2012 | 17 |
| Coffs Harbour Hospital | 26 June 2012 | 28 |
| Grafton Hospital | 26 June 2012 | 6 |
| Port Macquarie Hospital | 27 June 2012 | 66 |
| Industrial Galvanisers Kemblawarra | 31 October 2012 | 12 |
| Tweed Heads Domain Aged Care | 11 October 2012 | 10 |
| Murwillumbah Hospital | 11 October 2012 | 21 |
| Murwillumbah Aged Care | 11 October 2012 | 4 |
| Byron Bay Hospital | 10 October 2012 | 6 |
| Bankstown Hospital | 23 October 2012 | 73 |
| Goulburn Hospital | 25 October 2012 | 50 |
| Wollongong Hospital | 31 October 2012 | 37 |
| Blue Mountains | 2 November 2012 | 37 |
| Gosford Hospital | 6 December 2012 | 153 |
| Wyong Hospital | 24 January 2013 | 34 |
| John Hunter Hospital | 25 January 2013 | 167 |
| Belmont Hospital | 7 February 2013 | 42 |
| Maitland Hospital | 18 February 2013 | 50 |
| Albury Hospital | 27 March 2013 | 50 |
| Wagga Wagga Hospital | 28 March 2013 | 83 |
| NSWNMA + Other Unions + Miscellaneous | Over the year | 73 |
| Total | 25 events | 1570 |
NSWNMA assistant secretary, Judith Kiejda, said the Unions for Transfusions campaign has clearly assisted the great work the Red Cross Blood Service already does.
“It has been great to work with the Red Cross and many local communities over the last 12 months to try and lift the number of regular blood donors around the State. This objective has clearly been achieved and I am pleased to confirm that this campaign will continue for at least another 12 months and possibly indefinitely.
“In fact, the campaign’s second year kicks off this week with a workplace visit to Ryde Hospital on Friday, 12 April.
“I thank and congratulate everyone involved with this campaign. That includes the staff at the Red Cross Blood Service, who have been so supportive and provided valuable feedback on how the blood donation system works. This great result would not have happened without the strong support and enthusiasm, the campaign received, from managers and union delegates at the workplaces visited. They have done a great job for their communities and all those in need of a blood transfusion.
“The staff at Unions NSW and the NSWNMA who make these visits happen deserve special mention. They are vital to the implementation of this important community activity, which saves lives and builds greater community engagement in our society.
“Hopefully, we can turn this initial 1570 NSW pledges into many more in the second year of this Unions for Transfusions campaign – because, there are more than 600,000 union members in NSW and nearly two million across the country. Many are already blood donors and, as a result of our campaign’s first year, many more have become blood donors. However, there is still no doubt many more are not or, at least, are not regular blood donors. This is still a massive network that can be tapped into and that is what we will continue trying to do throughout 2013-14.
“After all, it only takes an hour of your time, yet one donation can save up to three lives. I am confident union members around the State will continue to respond to this campaign and commit to donating a bit of their much-needed blood.
“Make 2013 the year you become a blood donor,” Ms Kiejda said.
Contact details
Judith Kiejda
Ph: 02 85951234
