Harness played the
role of assistant editor of The Independent brilliantly and was considered one
of the best loved figures in the history of the newspaper, a true hero in the
world of journalism. Sadly, he died of an inoperable brain tumour in 2008.
The competition to mark the anniversary of Harness' tragic passing has been
running for 4 years now and is a fantastic opportunity for young journalists to
discuss a part of British society which they care about, but which rarely makes
the headlines.
Unfortunately I wasn't lucky enough to win but there's always next year and I'll definitely keep trying! And so my article doesn't go to waste I thought I would share it on here and let you all read it. Hope you enjoy :)
My Article
I am not the most moral human being on the planet. I have
not raised enormous amounts of money for charity. I have never taken
part in any type of volunteering without the potential of gaining something for
myself, only too happy to help out at the local nursery for work experience
during school hours because it meant missing my P.E. lessons on Wednesdays for
6 weeks. I very rarely go to Church. I swear, I sometimes talk
about people behind their backs and I have lied on countless occasions.
Hardly the criteria for a virtuous lifestyle.
But I have been a blood donor for 3 years, and in truth I think that offers a certain level of redemption. It is my opportunity to help others who depend so heavily on the kindness of strangers to provide them with the support they need to continue with their unique battle. Donating blood saves lives, and only the cruellest of the cruel would deny any person their right to survive.
NHS Blood Donation has been in service for over 60 years, receiving approximately 2.1 million donations every year. And yet, even with numerous promotion campaigns broadcasted over television and radio, and printed upon leaflets and in newspapers, the number of registrants stands at a mere 4% of the UK population. Blood stocks are regularly peaking at dangerously low levels, as the current situation shows a significant dip in the stocks of blood types B- and O-. 17-24 year olds account for 40% of new donors each year, but statistics reveal that the number of young people registering contrasted to 2011 has dropped by 50%. Evidently, solutions need to be sought after now to prevent further risks of shortages in not just the short-term, but the long-term future.
I therefore put this question to Jeremy Hunt, the UK Secretary of State for Health: by how much will the percentage of registrants have to fall before it finally dawns upon the Department of Health that this is a matter which deserves deliberation, discussion and action? Naturally the health and well-being of the population is the top priority of the DH, but it has become manifest that much more support is needed to aid this government organisation, which is clearly struggling to recruit the 250,000 new donors needed every year to replace those who can no longer give blood.
Promotion is the key, but government funded campaigns are futile without any consideration for the target audience. Advertisements must be age specific - they must be clear-cut, cool and clever to engage and encourage the younger generation to get involved. Blood donation could and should be talked about in secondary schools, college and at Universities. After all, where better than in an educational setting, when pupils and students are in the perfect mind-set to listen, understand and properly consider the prospect of donating if they can? NHSBT television and radio adverts are scarce and barely seen or heard, but a sufficient amount of funding can enable the creation of not only more, but also better adverts which are enthralling to their audience as well as effective.
We have seen government spending decrease and the cuts in force, but if any organisation were to deserve a financial boost, no matter how slight, it would be NHS Blood Donation. With more funding comes more promotion, with more promotion comes more donors, and more donors means more lives saved. If a little more time, effort and money went into raising the awareness of this crucial yet undervalued piece of British society, public interest could soar to new heights and our potential to save lives could grow to become stronger than it ever has been before.
