The Halls Donor Challenge

ResLife Ollie

Posted 2 days ago

Sun 11 Oct, 2026 12:10 AM

Which hall will sign up the most donors?

We've teamed up with Bath Marrow for a friendly competition between our first-year halls. The challenge is simple: which hall can sign up the most potential stem cell donors?

Bath Marrow is a student volunteering society at the University of Bath. It works in partnership with the charity Anthony Nolan to raise awareness of stem cell donation and recruit new donors to the stem cell register.

Why it matters

For many people with blood cancer and blood disorders, a stem cell transplant is their best chance of survival. But finding a matching donor can be difficult, particularly for people from minority ethnic backgrounds, who are more likely to have less common tissue types.

The more people who join the register, the better the chance that every patient finds their match.

Who can join?

If you're aged 16-30, you can apply to join the register. Once you're on it, you stay on it until you turn 61.

Most people on the register are never asked to donate. Anthony Nolan says you have a 1 in 800 chance of being asked in the next five years.

What's involved?

Signing up takes a short form and a quick cheek swab. Bath Marrow volunteers will be there to talk you through it and answer your questions.

If you're ever matched with a patient, 90% of people donate through their bloodstream, in a process called peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collection. The other 10% donate through their bone marrow.

Where is it?

Thursday 15th October, 11am-1pm at the University of Bath library.

Tell the volunteers which hall you live in, so your sign-up counts towards your hall's total.

Can't make it?

You can still apply to join the stem cell register online through Anthony Nolan. If you have questions about whether you can join, take a look at Anthony Nolan's FAQs.