Teenager Sarah Cross knows only too well the importance of people giving blood.

She has had more than 800 transfusions since she was 11.

The National Blood Service needs 10,000 pints a day for life-saving treatment. But in Oxford, only 5.8 per cent of those who could give blood do so, and one venue is under threat of closure.

Organisers need to look critically at how they put their message across.

Is their advertising imaginative and punchy enough? Can more be done to target potential donors?

The timing of blood donor clinics is also important. Many are held during the day, when most people are at work.

Would more evening sessions help? And what about weekends?

Opening times should be arranged to suit the donors, not the staff.