19/06/2025
Alliance Champion Blood Donation At Belfast City Hall
Alliance Belfast Councillor Tara Brooks is today, Thursday, 19 June, leading by example at Belfast City Hall by donating blood, in an effort to promote the vital act and encourage more people to become donors.
The initiative coincides with Alliance bringing a motion before Belfast City Council, underscoring the critical importance of blood donation. Councillor Brooks revealed her personal motivation for the motion, which stems from her family's experience.
"This motion highlights how important giving blood is," Councillor Brooks stated. "My dad was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2009, a rare blood cancer, but thanks to the kindness of strangers, he was able to live for another nine years following diagnosis, contrary to what we all expected."
She further explained the profound impact blood transfusions had on her father's quality of life during his treatment. "During his treatment, he received multiple blood infusions which helped manage the cancer and improve his quality of life. At the time, and ever since, I have felt indebted to those people who donated the blood that kept my dad alive."
Councillor Brooks passionately urged the public to consider donating. "That's why I'm encouraging more people to step forward and become blood donors. It's so simple to do and makes an immeasurable difference to people's lives."
She expressed hope that today's event would contribute to increasing donor numbers and extended gratitude to the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service for their work in saving countless lives since its establishment.
The initiative coincides with Alliance bringing a motion before Belfast City Council, underscoring the critical importance of blood donation. Councillor Brooks revealed her personal motivation for the motion, which stems from her family's experience.
"This motion highlights how important giving blood is," Councillor Brooks stated. "My dad was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2009, a rare blood cancer, but thanks to the kindness of strangers, he was able to live for another nine years following diagnosis, contrary to what we all expected."
Councillor Brooks passionately urged the public to consider donating. "That's why I'm encouraging more people to step forward and become blood donors. It's so simple to do and makes an immeasurable difference to people's lives."
She expressed hope that today's event would contribute to increasing donor numbers and extended gratitude to the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service for their work in saving countless lives since its establishment.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A sunny but frosty start for many. However cloud increases by midday with a few showers reaching the north coast, these mostly light but spreading inland this afternoon. Chilly. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A rather cloudy evening with scattered showers. Becoming drier through the night with some good clear spells developing and a patchy frost away from coasts. Minimum temperature 0 °C.