MORE than 2,200 people from Cambridgeshire have signed up to give blood for the first time following the launch of an NHS campaign to recruit 100,000 new donors in 100 days.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) launched the initiative following a dramatic decline in the number of younger donors signing up in 2012.

The campaign has been so successful that the 100 day target was achieved two weeks early.

A total of 2,293 people from Cambridgeshire have pledged to give blood, joining the 119,907 who have signed up across England and North Wales.

The new sign ups will help to ensure future blood stocks are protected.

Jon Latham, of NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported the 100,000 new donors in 100 days campaign.

“It is fantastic that we exceeded the target and people signed up with such enthusiasm and hopefully any new registrants who haven’t got around to donating will do so soon.

“This campaign has helped to tackle the drop in new young donors from the summer and now we are looking ahead.

“We rely on new blood donors to keep coming forward as we need more than 1,000 new registrations every day to replace those donors who can no longer donate.”

Young people are vital to the blood service, with 17-24 year-olds accounting for about 40 per cent of new donors each year.

Anyone aged between 17-65, weighing more than 50 kg (7 stone 12lbs) and in general good health can become blood donors.

There is no upper age limit for donors who have donated in the last two years.

To find out if you are eligible to become a blood donor and make a date to donate, visit www.blood.co.uk or call the NHSBT on 0300 123 23 23.