THERE will be a Welsh Blood Service drive at Bridges Centre next Wednesday (17th May).

Appointments are available between 2pm and 6.30pm. Those attending are urged to book to avoid disappointment, however some walk-in spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

There are also collection days in Chepstow town centre this Friday, (12th May) Usk on 2nd June, and Tesco in Chepstow on 19th June.

Visit www.welshblood.org.uk or call 0800252266 to make an appointment.

To meet the needs of hospitals across Wales, Welsh Blood Service needs to collect more than 450 donations of blood everyday.

Anyone aged between 17 and 66, who weighs more than 7st 12lbs (50kg), who is healthy and not subject to certain medical exclusions can volunteer to become a blood donor.

The blood collected is not just used for emergency operations or accident victims. So many patients could not survive without blood transfusions, such as anyone having a kidney, liver or an organ transplant; leukaemia and cancer patients; patients having cardiac operations and many premature babies just cannot survive without blood transfusions.