Students across three college and university campuses will learn about their lifesaving potential this week (Monday 29 January – Friday 2 February) as Luton Swab Week kicks off.
Luton Swab Week, supported by Luton Council, will encourage students to step up and save lives by joining the squad of potential stem cell donors at pop up events at Barnfield College, Luton Sixth Form College and The University of Bedfordshire.
A squad of student ambassadors, trained by representatives from stem cell transplant charity Anthony Nolan, will be on site across the week. They will educate their peers about stem cells, their role in transplant, and the significance of stem cell donation.
Lavenda Amonu Danso, Health & Social Care student said:
“Anthony Nolan is a charity that makes lifesaving connections between patients in needs and incredible strangers ready to donate their stem cells. Participating with Anthony Nolan will help in saving lives, create awareness on the uses of the stem cell found in the bone marrow and placenta of a healthy individual. By volunteering I will learn new things about the work they do and I can add something totally unique to my CV and personal statement.
I believe that everyone deserves a chance at life and I can make a real difference in the lives of people who are battling life-threatening illnesses.”
Luton Swab Week comes as Anthony Nolan continues its work to inspire 16–24-year-olds to join the stem cell register, a vital resource in helping to save the lives of people living with blood cancer or blood disorders. This young demographic is so important to the charity’s work as they are most likely to be chosen to donate to a patient in need of a lifesaving stem cell transplant. It’s also simple to do – joining the stem cell register takes less time than the shortest 10-minute break between lessons or lectures.
Luton is a focus for Anthony Nolan because of its diverse population. People from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds are more likely to have a rare tissue type than someone from a white, northern European background. So, patients with these ethnicities are less likely to find a perfect matching donor on the stem cell register.
The Luton Swab Week campaign aims to address this inequity by delivering over 1,000 talks to students across the week. By educating them about stem cell donation, event organisers hope that a significant proportion of them will be inspired to sign up.
Alice Hirst, Recruitment Senior Manager at Anthony Nolan says:
"In less time than it takes to walk across campus, students could sign up to the stem cell register. With our campus events we want to show young people how 10 minutes of their day could lead to life-saving results.
The more potential lifesavers we can add to the stem cell register – from as many different backgrounds as possible – the better chance everyone has of finding a lifesaving match."
Cath Gunn, Principal at Barnfield College said:
"As a proud participant in Luton Swab Week, Barnfield College is honoured to support this crucial initiative. I’m proud to see students stepping up as ambassadors to make a difference on campus and in the lives of those in need. Anthony Nolan's work is vital, and by enabling eligible students to join the stem cell register, we have the power to collectively save lives. We believe in the strength of our community and are delighted to welcome Anthony Nolan to Barnfield College to support their important work."
Founded in 1974 by Shirley Nolan, Anthony Nolan was the world’s first stem cell register. Over the last 50 years the Anthony Nolan register has matched potential stem cell donors to blood cancer and blood disorder patients in need of stem cell transplants. To date the charity has facilitated 25,000 transplants worldwide.
Luton Swab Week pop ups are for students at Barnfield College, Luton Sixth Form College and The University of Bedfordshire. People aged 16-30, who are in good general health can find out more about stem cell donation and sign up to the Anthony Nolan register here: