Richard Collier, from Midsomer Norton and Jeff Hughes, from Paulton, were among several blood donors across the South West recognised at a special event held in Congresbury recently, where both were celebrated for donating 100 pints of lifesaving blood.

The pair were presented with their awards by young trampolinist, Rosie Gibbs, who had to put her training on hold after having an accident, aged fourteen, that could have cost her both her legs, were it not for four whole blood transfusions, which were only possible thanks to donations from members of the public.

Richard said: “I started donating in 1968 during my shipwright apprenticeship at the Naval Dockyard in Plymouth. Over the years, I have donated at various venues around the country, as well as locally.”

Jeff made his first donation at seventeen after learning to drive. He said: “It was a good way to help others when you couldn’t afford to donate money.”

He has donated in Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Peasedown, Timsbury,

London, Leeds, Nottingham and even while on holiday in Ilfracombe.

He said: “After a few donations, the foreman at work was taken to hospital and needed a blood transfusion. When he came back to work, he thanked me for saving his life because he knew I was a blood donor. I would have kept donating if he hadn’t said anything, but it gave me a reason to keep going back. The foreman probably wouldn’t have been able to come back to work and Rosie, who presented our awards, wouldn’t be where she is now without blood donors.”

To find out times and dates of blood donation sessions locally and to find more

information about the blood donation process, visit: https://my.blood.co.uk/