Following the recent successful partnership between ACLT (African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust) and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to register officers onto the UK stem cell register, the MPS is showing continued support to ACLT whilst the charity registers revellers attending Europe’s biggest street festival – the Notting Hill Carnival.

Across the two days ACLT will register people of all ethnicities aged 17-55 years old who are in good health onto the stem cell register and will be giving 100’s of MPS operational staff the opportunity to register via the Delete Blood Cancer UK registration process at their feeding station. It is simple to join the register. Registrants will be required to complete a short form and provide a cheek swab and then be on their merry way!

The process which takes less than 10 minutes to complete, will enable the ACLT to find more potential lifesaving donors; thus helping to change the lives of people living with blood cancer, or a life threatening condition where a stem cell transplant is required to save the life of someone in need. Personal information collected by ACLT including DNA cheek swabs, personal, medical and contact details will be submitted to the UK Stem Cell Registry and utilised confidentially for the purpose of searching for lifesaving donors. 

Orin Lewis OBE, ACLT CEO & co-founder says:

“Hosting registration donor drives at Notting Hill Carnival has always been a highlight in our yearly calendar of events due to the huge party feel, steel bands, Calypso music and natural uplifting vibe carnival itself brings. During these 10 years ACLT has received a fantastically positive response from the crowd; such revellers make the commitment to not only enjoy the carnival atmosphere, BUT to also make an informed decision, to help save the life of someone living with blood cancer, sickle cell disease or another life threatening disorder where a stem cell transplant is needed.”

“The best stem cell (bone marrow) matches are when the patient and donor are from the same ethnicity; however there are still not enough Black, Mixed Race and Minority Ethnic donors on the stem cell register.   We’re grateful for the support and assistance the Metropolitan Police Service has provided for us at this year’s carnival; with some officer’s signposting those attending to visit our stand on the corner of Ladbroke Grove and Lancaster Road.”

“Our message to all carnival attendees is, as you dance your way through the carnival route reviewing the sea of colour, amazing floats and costumed performers, approach our stand and stop off with your friends and family to learn about our lifesaving work by one of our dedicated volunteers decked out in an ACLT t-shirt.  Then, make the decision to do something amazing and join the register to help save a life!”

Celebrities who have shown their support to spread awareness on the forthcoming donor drive at carnival this weekend include British rapper Wretch 32 who did a short video which was shared by ACLT across social media. Additionally many other celebrities have been sharing posts across Twitter and Instagram, including; ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ judge Alesha Dixon, British actor Adrian Lester and star of BBC’s drama series ‘Hustle’, British actor and new addition to US hit show ‘Arrow’ Jimmy Akingbola, James Bond star and ACLT Patron Colin Salmon and many more.