Chris Hayes MP, Federal Member for Werriwa, today rolled up his sleeve to show how easy it is to make a difference by donating blood.

Mr Hayes visited the Liverpool Blood Donor Centre, the only Australian Red Cross Blood Service collection centre in South West Sydney, in answer to a call for help from centre manager Heather Armstrong.

“When I heard the centre was short on blood and donors, I was more than happy to give up politics for an afternoon to donate blood, as I am a regular donor,” he said.

“The idea of donating blood can be a scary one for some people but the reality is it’s simple and painless. By donating blood, people can give back to their community and know that what they are doing really does help their fellow Australians in a very, very practical way.”

In 2010-2011, the Liverpool Blood Donor Centre has a target of 9250 whole blood, 3900 plasma and 657 platelet collections.

In order to achieve this, each day the centre needs approximately 40 whole blood donors, 20 plasma donors and 6 platelet donors.

Mr Hayes said: “Giving blood is a rewarding experience, and I would encourage the wider community to also give blood. After all, who knows when we may be relying on someone’s blood donation to help those we love.”

Mrs Armstrong said that as winter sets in, blood supplies are low. She encouraged local residents to follow the example of Mr Hayes and donate blood because donors really do save lives.

The Liverpool Blood Donor Centre is located at 50 Macquarie Street, Liverpool. The centre can be contacted on 9612 4000.