The newest New Zealand Blood Donor Centre opened today in Hamilton.
The newest New Zealand Blood Donor Centre opened today in Hamilton.
Today marks the opening of the new Hamilton Blood Donor Centre, now located on the corner of Anglesea and London streets.
The state-of-the-art donor centre has been purpose-built for the New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) by Hamilton-based Stark Property to help meet future demand for blood and blood plasma, and better suit the needs of the Waikato donor community.
The NZBS is a not-for-profit Crown entity responsible for the collection, processing, testing and storage and distribution of all blood and blood products in New Zealand.
NZBS CEO Sam Cliffe says an enhanced donor experience was integral when designing the $4.5 million centre.
“The previous Hamilton Donor Centre on the Waikato Hospital grounds has been an amazing home for NZBS over the past 30 years, but it was time to move into a more contemporary, future-proofed facility,” Sam says.
“The biggest change is the newly-expanded donor floor, which now encompasses 950 square metres. We’ve doubled the number of beds from 12 to 24, which will allow us to increase our collection capacity in the future. This is crucial given the ever-increasing need for blood and plasma products across New Zealand.”
Waikato currently has an active donor panel of just under 25,000, but to keep pace with the demand for blood and blood products, the NZBS needs to increase its whānau of donors in the region by 20 per cent.
It’s hoped that the opening of the new, centrally-located donor centre will encourage more Hamiltonians to roll up their sleeves.
Every week more than 800 donations are needed in Hamilton.
“We’ve tried to make it as easy as possible for new donors to access the centre,” Sam says. “There are also now 30 on-site underground car parks and our newly central location is easier to access as it’s within walking distance of the Hamilton CBD and Transport Centre.”
The donor centre, developed in collaboration with Stark Property, incorporates several sustainable design features including low-energy LED lighting, EV chargers in the carpark, and low-flow water fittings. A solar power array on the rooftop generates 20-25 per cent of the building’s annual electricity demand and stormwater retention tanks will help reduce pressure on council infrastructure during heavy rainfall events.
The opening ceremony included a mihi whakatau led by Te Haa o te Whenua o Kirikiriroa, and a speech by Sam.
Prolific donors Tom Davies of Te Awamutu (from left), Jan Gilby, Sam Cliffe (CEO of NZBS), Koro Ami and Justin Vodone.
Special guests included some of Waikato’s most prolific donors, who have collectively donated more than 1900 times. Tom Davies of Te Awamutu, with his remarkable 500 donations, was joined by other high-profile donors Mervyn Balloch (358 donations), Koro Amai (294 donations), Jan Gilby (263 donations), Justin Vodane (258 donations), and Paul Barnett (230 donations).
“NZBS relies on the generosity of its donors to help save lives, so it’s only fitting that we celebrate the opening of our new home in Hamilton with some of our longest-serving donors in the region for whom giving blood or plasma has been a lifelong commitment,” says Sam.
In addition to the enhanced donor areas, the new site will also have a logistics area (including a service yard), and offices for national office and support staff.
