Sleeves rolled up as doors open at Lifeblood’s pop-up blood donation centre in Kalgoorlie-Boulder

Kalgoorlie-Boulder residents rolled up their sleeves at a local blood donation clinic for the first time in more than a decade as a first-of-its-kind pop-up centre opened in the Goldfields city this week.

The first to roll up her sleeve at the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood’s pop-up donor centre on Monday afternoon was long-time local Royal Flying Doctor Service nurse and midwife Louise Miller.

Ms Miller knows first-hand how important donated blood can be to those who need it.

“I’ve had friends who’ve had leukaemia who required blood transfusions; being a nurse and a midwife, unfortunately I have had to use blood several times throughout my career,” she said.

“This is just a way of me giving back and it’s just a small bit that can hopefully save somebody’s life.

“I think the centre is really exciting and it’s so good to see everyone turn up and that they are fully booked for the whole time that they’re here.”

While for some it was their first time donating blood, seasoned donor Joseph Di Bello marked his 120th blood donation at the pop-up clinic.

Mr Di Bello said after hearing about a blood bank shortage over the radio in the 1960s, he and his workmates started to donate regularly at Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s blood donation facility until it closed its doors 11 years ago.

“(The donation centre) has been missed in Kalgoorlie because a lot of people used to do it,” he said.

“All my mates at work, we all used to do it and the miners used to come and give blood, the police, fire brigade people used to come in, the brewery when that was going.”

Mr Di Bello, who spent some time working at a hospital, said he had seen how important it was to donate blood.

“If you’ve got no blood, you can’t survive, can you?” he said.

“If you can help bring some poor bugger that needs it, let them have it.”

Kalgoorlie-Boulder is the first regional location to have a pop-up donor centre in a year-long trial at eight sites across the State.

The pop-up centre follows years of pressure from community members eager to give locals a chance to donate, including Labor MP Ali Kent, who has advocated for Lifeblood to reinstate a blood donation location locally.

“We’ve heard so much about how much blood is needed and this blood will go across the country, so Kalgoorlie-Boulder is finally able to do its bit to contribute to those shortages and that’s what it’s been all about,” she said.

“We knew there was enough blood to satisfy the community, but it was about the community’s need to be able to give back to the rest of the country.”

A petition to reinstate a local donor centre gathered 2400 signatories after being promoted by Ms Kent, along with locals Nick Fardell and Doug Daws.

Lifeblood executive director of donor experience Cath Stone said the centre had been well received.

“The community has certainly shown a great desire to be back donating ... we’re really excited about the centre, we’re fully booked, so we’re hoping it will stay that way,” she said.

“We’ve been a bit overwhelmed with just the joy to have the centre back, certainly a very warm reception from Kal.”

This week’s clinic is currently fully booked with back-to-back donors, but Ms Stone encouraged those who might have missed out to come in anyway.

“If you haven’t checked that you’re eligible and have booked an appointment, do make sure you check online before you come in and cancel your appointment if you’re not eligible,” she said.

“The second thing is, if you missed out and you’ve got some time to pop on in — the team will try and get you in.

“You have to be between 18 and 75 and feeling fit and well; that’s the most important thing.”

Registrations are open for Kalgoorlie-Boulder locals to book in at the next local pop-up clinic in January.