Peter Davies, from Camerton, has recently been celebrated at an awards meal for reaching his 100th blood donation milestone.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Peter was first drawn to donating blood during his time as an apprentice, at seventeen-years-old. He told The Journal: “We used to get given an hour off work so that we could give blood and have a cup of tea with a biscuit.”

He would regularly attend donor stations whilst travelling and remembered how they used to receive a half pint of Guinness afterwards.

Now, onto his 104th donation at the age of eighty, Peter is hoping to encourage more people to involve themselves in donating blood as he continues to donate every four months.

Mike Stredder, Director of Blood Donation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “We thank Peter for his incredible dedication and commitment. He is part of a very special club that saves and improves lives.

“Out of all the people who give blood, just one in a hundred will reach their 100th donation.”

NHS Blood and Transplant needs to collect 1.4 million units of blood each year in order to meet the needs of patients across England. There are four main blood groups, O, A, B and AB, so regular donations are needed from all of them, especially O negative and B negative, which are the most vulnerable to shortfalls.

Mike added: “We always need new donors to replace those people who can no longer donate for reasons such as age, ill health and pregnancy. We especially need younger donors, male donors, and black donors.”

The NHS need approximately 135,000 new blood donors each year to replace those who stop donating. Mike: “Giving blood is amazing – and you will save so many lives.”

To become a blood donor, register and book an appointment by calling: 0300 123 23 23 or visiting: blood.co.uk