NHS Blood and Transplant is asking men in Poole to make an appointment to donate for the first time at the donor centre in The Dolphin Shopping Centre.

The service says it needs 440 new male donors at the donor centre over the next year.

Donors of every gender are welcome, and blood types are not gender specific. However there are two factors which make a strong number of male donors essential for a safe and efficient supply of blood to hospitals.

Men generally have higher iron levels than women, so they are more likely to be able to donate on any given day.

Men also do not make new antibodies, which are part of the body’s defence system, during pregnancy. That makes it easier to match their blood to patients, and also easier to use their blood in products such as plasma and platelets, which are used for patients with cancer, major blood loss, burns injuries, and more.

NHS Blood and Transplant,director of blood donation Mike Shredder said: "We need more new male donors in Bournemouth and Poole to address the decline in men becoming blood donors. Blood donation saves lives.

"Men are more likely to be able to donate, and able to help more patients with each donation, so we need a new generation of young male donors, to ensure our donor base is strong enough to keep supplying lifesaving blood to hospitals.

"We can assure men out there that blood donation is an amazing experience that you can feel proud of. Giving blood at Poole Donor Centre is quick and easy – we aim to have you in and out within an hour but the actual donation itself should only take around ten minutes.

"We need men to start their own blood story.”

n There will be a ‘What’s Your Blood Type’ event at the Dolphin Shopping Centre, Poole, 10am to 3pm, Wednesday, June 12, near Waterstone.

Medical staff can carry out a quick test to determine your likely blood type and help if you want to register as a donor.