Appointments open for Australian Red Cross Lifeblood pop-up centre in Busselton set for October

Busselton residents are encouraged to put their hands up to donate blood as bookings open for the city’s first pop-up centre. Australian Red Cross Lifeblood opened appointments earlier this week for its visit to the Busselton Youth and Community Centre Activities Building on Foreshore Parade, where the pop-up centre will operate between October 7 and 11. Donor relations director Steve Eldridge said regional communities were excited about the pop-up centre trial, which is occurring in various locations in the State. “We want this trial to be successful and while we’re confident there are enough potential donors in these locations, we need community support to fill 40 appointments for each day we’re in town,” he said. Mr Eldridge said a dedicated pop-up centre team had been working for eight months to get the trial up and running as soon as possible. “This has involved conducting extensive research and analysis to identify suitable locations and working through operational logistics and licensing for each of the eight sites,” he said. The trial provides a new option for Busselton residents, who currently have to travel to Bunbury to donate blood. Locations for the pop-up sites are based on factors including population size, suitability of venues and the estimated donation rate.Trial will run across the State for 12 months, including sites in Mandurah, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton. Australian Red Cross Lifeblood will review how well appointments have been filled at the end of the trial before a decision on the pop-up clinics’ future is made.