St Neots Town Football Club and NHS Blood and Transport have united to encourage people in the community to donate blood.

A director of St Neots Town Football Club has spoken of her pride at Rowley Park playing host to regular blood donation sessions, as part of a wider campaign to engage with the local community.

When NHS Blood and Transport approached the club about the possibility of running its groups from the stadium, events director, Louise Spark, said the club “jumped at the chance” and was fully-committed to assisting in any way it could.

She said: “It’s the perfect location for NHS Blood and Transport, as there is plenty of parking, which is free of charge, and there is space in abundance for lots of people to make their donation. Usually, we hold up to three sessions-a-month from 10am to 9pm.

“A lot of supporters, as well as members of the club’s board, have donated so far and I’m led to believe that sessions are always fully-booked; however, I would encourage those who want to donate blood to keep trying and I’m sure they’ll find a space.”

The football club have held and continue to host other charity fundraising events; from gala balls and donating Christmas hampers to football matches and ‘pay on the gate’ initiatives, it’s testament to the connection between club and community.

Louise said: “We hold ‘pay on the gate’ matches; whereby, supporters can pay what they want at the turnstiles and the money raised is given to charity. We also encourage the local primary schools to use our 3G astro pitch, to promote active and healthy lifestyles – we may also find the next start of St Neots Town in the process.”

“Last year, we donated more than 80 Christmas hampers to families who, otherwise, wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the usual fun and festivities of a Christmas Day lunch – we were proud with that, as it meant we were able to put a smile on the faces of dozens of families that have suffered and deserve a bit of happiness.”

To find out more information about donating blood or simply book an appointment at your nearest centre, visit my.blood.co.uk.