A NEW youth ambassador programme is teaching the younger generation on the importance of organ donation in the South Asian community.

One Voice Blackburn, a community organisation is starting the new group to highlight the issue of a lack of BAME organ donors, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

The group will receive training from a specialist nurse in organ donation at NHS Blood and Transplant as well as speaking to those both receiving and donating organs.

Speaking on the issue, Zaf Khan, CEO of One Voice, said: “A member of our staff is the recipient of a transplant and it has saved her life.

“As an organisation, we are passionate about this issue and this project can literally save lives.

“As members of the South Asian heritage community if we ever needed a transplant we would have to wait twice as long for a suitable match due to the low number of donors, that is a sobering thought.”

Now, those waiting for transplants have seen a reduction in operations taking place due to the increased risk of infection.

According to NHS Blood and Transplant, only 99 operations took place in April as opposed to 244 in March.

The youth ambassadors for One Voice aim to educate people in the South Asian community in Blackburn by speaking to younger people, who in turn can teach their parents and older relatives.

They hope to get rid of any negative stigma attached to organ donation.

Mr Khan said: “We believe that by working with young people, this is a generation that will adopt an unbiased view focused on the health benefits to individuals supported by organ donation and are best placed to influence significant change in attitudes and behaviours.

“We know this approach works and have already seen a fantastic difference as the result of the work of our existing group of 4 youth organ donation ambassadors in Blackburn with Darwen and want to build on this to create a wider network across the whole of East Lancashire.”

To make the initiative possible, One Voice are asking for donations to train the youth members and get them out to schools and other youth groups for PHSE lessons.

To donate go to https://www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk/fit-for-life-1