NZ Blood ServiceFriday 12 October 2012, 1:04PM
Media release from NZ Blood Service
Westpac staff around the country will soon be rolling up their
sleeves to make life-saving deposits through blood donation.
The New Zealand Blood Service is pleased to announce that Westpac
has joined Partners for Life, a new group programme which provides
an easy and flexible support system for companies and organisations
of all sizes to help their staff donate blood regularly as a
team.
Westpac is the first nation-wide corporate to sign up to Partners
for Life, bringing more than 5,000 potential donors on board.
A win-win for both parties, the partnership will enable Westpac
staff to help others in their communities through blood donations,
and will assist NZBS in its mission to grow the number of regular
donors so that more people are available when needed. There is no
financial contribution; the focus is regular blood donations to
help save Kiwi lives.
"We are very pleased to have a highly respected national business
like Westpac join our Partners for Life programme. This partnership
sets a new standard for corporate social responsibility and
provides a great example for other companies to follow," says NZBS
Chief Executive Fiona Ritsma.
"This is a community-good that organisations of all shapes and
sizes should consider."
The partnership launched today with a blood drive at the Westpac
headquarters in downtown Auckland, which will be packed to capacity
with more than 100 donor appointments including CEO, Peter Clare.
Together, the team will have contributed to saving the lives of up
to 300 people*.
Mr Clare says he's thrilled to see the number of employees signed
up to donate.
"Westpac has a long history of caring for New Zealanders and our
community and this partnership is a real and tangible way for us to
keep doing this - by donating blood we can literally save people's
lives," he says. "Our hope is to continue to help add to the number
of people already giving blood on a regular basis and make a real
difference".
"I enjoy the sense of community that I get every time I donate. And
to think that each time I do, I can help save three lives - there
are few things quite as directly important that I can do!"
The Partners for Life group donation programme caters for big and
small organisations with group coordinators who work with NZBS
Donor Recruiters to make a commitment to regularly donate blood as
a team. It includes flexible options such as using Donor Shuttles
for groups or organising on-site blood donation collections.
Organisations who want more information about the NZBS Partners for
Life programme can contact their local NZBS donor centre or go to
http://www.nzblood.co.nz/Give-blood/Partners-for-Life