I am delighted to be here this evening for this special occasion during which we mark the forthcoming World Blood Donor Day, and honour some remarkable citizens who have achieved the impressive milestone of one hundred blood or platelet donations.  

Worryingly, while an estimated one in four of us will require a blood transfusion at some stage in our lives, just three per cent of our eligible population volunteer to donate blood.  Events such as this evening’s award ceremony are a…