Carnival wants more black donors

Just 2.6% of registered donors are from the black community

A recruitment drive during this year's Notting Hill Carnival hopes to boost the numbers of black people becoming bone marrow donors.

The carnival has sponsored the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT) as its charity of the year.

It hopes to attract more people of African, African Caribbean or mixed race parentage.

African Caribbeans have a 1-in-100,000 chance of finding a compatible donor, for white people the odds are 1-in-5.

Although there are about 750,000 people registered as donors in Britain, only about 22,000 are of African, African Caribbean or mixed race origin, according to the ACLT.

Saving lives

Professor Mullard, Chairman of London Notting Hill Carnival Limited said: "We are delighted to be working with the ACLT, and we hope that Carnival-goers will take the time to think seriously about registering to be a potential bone marrow donor."

He added: "It's a big commitment, but one that could save the live of another."

Throughout the August Bank Holiday weekend the ACLT will hold recruitment sessions at the Tabernacle Arts Centre in Powis Square, Ladbroke Grove.

Revellers are encouraged to register as potential donors first before they start join the carnival.