Embarrassingly this was the first time I've given blood in a couple of years. Since moving to Glasgow last year I've been meaning to do it. After seeing on Facebook that they were running low on my blood type (a good thing to keep an eye on) I thought I'd look up when they were open. Turns out you can make an appointment after work on Wednesday and Thursday. They are open until 7 these nights, which is great! No excuse for 9-5 people ;) All the members of staff were brilliant, I go there at 6.05 and had left by 6.50. It probably would have been quicker, but because it had been over two years I had to see a senior consultant. The lady giving out juice and bicutes afterwards was lovely, and really made sure you were feeling fine before letting you leave. All in all this place is a great resource, well run and spotlessly clean. It's in such a convenient location if you're in town as well. I need to make an effort to give blood more often! read more

Glasgow Blood Donor Centre - Brilliant service from the staff at the donation centre today. Love a good teacake - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

Any excuse to visit Nelson Mandela place is welcome. I am so unbelievably proud that the city I call home renamed the place where the South African Consulate was located in 1986. South Africa was still apartheid and Nelson Mandela was still imprisoned. So any excuse to visit is welcome even if it involves giving up some of my blood. The centre is located in a beautiful building and is as you would expect spotlessly clean. All the staff here are lovely and I can imagine that if you were in the least bit nervous would be amazingly good at talking you down and getting your blood. As far as I am concerned the absolute best bit about donating blood is that you are forced to have a snack and a drink before they let you leave! Obviously with me there has never been any need to use anymore force than "tea, coffee or juice?" and I'm always going to choose a tunnocks tea cake. read more

The staff in here are great. From the moment you walk in until you leave about 30-45 minutes later, every single member of staff is awesome. You start at the checkin and confirm who you are and fill out your details. You then get taken to a little booth to go through your medical history. If it's all okay you have a tiny blood sample taken, via your finger to check your iron levels. If that's all good, a little wait and then you get asked which arm you prefer to give with. I've given with both and don't find much difference. You get asked again who you are and after the needle is in, you are giving your pint. Don't worry if you don't give a full pint; after fifteen minutes the machine stops. The staff talk to you the whole time and the radio is always playing great tunes. Then the best bit. Some diluting juice or tea and all the chocolate your heart desires. Tunnocks tea cake and a caramel wafer, without guilt. Oh go on then. Don't be afraid to take more than one, the staff all bit encourage you. If you are able to donate, I couldn't think of a nicer place. The location is great for city workers. If you've donated before and are returning, remember your donor card. read more

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I've been giving blood for years, although apparently not as often as I thought when I saw the actual number of donations on my sheet here... I'm sure they must have missed some off! The whole process is much more efficient nowadays, and you can book your appointment online and fill in the obligatory health questionnaire before you arrive, which saves a lot of time. OK, nobody could describe the experience of having a needle stuck in your arm as pleasant, but the staff here are tremendously friendly and make you feel very comfortable with the process. There's always a bit of banter going on to bring a smile to your face, and who can resist a wee sit down and the free tea and biscuits afterwards? read more

I've been giving blood in this particular centre since I was 17 and able, which technically means that I started in their previous location, but all the lovely staff moved along with the centre! They're so good that even when I lived in Edinburgh, I'd only give blood here every 12 weeks. It literally couldn't be easier to give blood here. You can even book ahead so that you don't have any waiting time! With this service, it shouldn't take more than 20 minutes out of your day to make sure Glasgow's blood bank has ample supply to help those who need it. The staff are fantastic, always making sure that your well-being comes first. You are in the safest of hands, and if you feel a wee bit wobbly afterwards, you will be taken care of. If you have children in tow, there's a place for them to colour and draw by the tea bay, and the ladies there are always happy to entertain them while you're off doing your good deed. Believe me; the kids will love having free reign over the chocolate biccies in your absence! If the kids want to watch you donate, the staff are happy to get them a teeny stool to sit by you. I used to do that all the time when my dad took me along with him. I found it fascinating - I was a strange child. Scotland is really hurting for blood donors at the moment. Take a bit of time out of your day and give these lovely people a visit. You also get to have a wee Tunnock's Tea Cake as a reward - NOM! ^^ read more

Alright so I can't promise you'll have an amazing time here or come away with a really nice gift for a loved one or really much else apart from a tender arm. Though, this is somewhere were we should all make a point of going to. I'm not the biggest fan of injections or needles and this is the only blood donor centre I've been to...Yet, I've always had a good experience here. Firstly, it's really handy. So if you're planning on doing a bit of shopping; meeting a friend for lunch or even popping out on your lunch break it shouldn't be too much out of your way. Secondly, it's rarely busy - surprise, surprise. So you'll be noticed, seen to and discharged (is that really the correct term in this case??) fairly quickly. Hence, able to go back to your day without too much inconvenience. Though, be warned it does get much busier at Christmas time with shoppers and their bags. But, even in their busiest times you shouldn't be in here longer than 50 minutes to an hour. Thirdly, the staff are very grateful for you to just turn up so they'll be really friendly, chatty and just all round nice. There's many a time when I've witnessed them sitting chatting to and comforting someone who's looking rather pale. So, if you have a spare hour in your week this is a worth while place to show up. For your trouble you'll get a good natter, a drink and as many biscuits as you can demolish in your fifteen minutes recovery time. read more

It's not exactly a super-funtime giving blood, but my belief is that I don't need all of mine and other people do so I feel it's a bit of a civic duty to give if you can. The staff are friendly and professional and can easily banter with you while also going through the various procedures and the place has a calm and pleasant atmosphere to it. You can book a slot online which is great as it means you don't have to sit about - I give regularly so the service also sends out the medical checklist for me to fill in at home, saving more time. I gave yesterday at 5:20pm and was home within the hour (I live in Cowcaddens so not far!). My favourite bit of the process is feeling justified in having some diluting juice and a Tunnock's teacake afterwards and this place does not fail to deliver a sugary treat! :-) read more

I have been giving blood for years and nearly always turn up on the due date. The staff are real nice and and always remember me. A very worth while cause. read more

What a fantastic idea to have a blood donor centre right in the centre of the shopping bit, only thing is I am not sure too many people know where it is regardless of the blood donor sign they used to sit outside. I have not seen it there in a while though. So let me tell you, the beauty of the blood donor centre appart from the fact that you are saving lives. Wow! but there is a greaqt range of biscuits, diluting juice and rolls. The rolls are certainly not good rolls but grated cheese or ham rolls nonetheless. The biscuit variety ranges far and wide, and you won't find any unbranded supermarket owns here, it is all the old classics, like tunnocks, penguins, taxis, ..you know where I'm going with this. The blood giving itself is easy peasy you just sit in a chair while you give some, while nice ladies chit chat with you. read more

I've had this nagging guilt eating away at me for the past couple of years. It increased every time I passed the Pizza Hut on Nelson Mandela Place. Today, it went away. It's been a little under 3 years since I was last here (I thought it had been less time, bad me) so, as I walked by the guilt level started increasing and I piped up my usual mantra "yeah yeah, I know I should, but not today, maybe tomorrow". Then the sensible part of my brain, and it does exist, asked, "why not today Wiggles? Why not?" I couldn't answer. I had no excuse. So in I went, and that's part of the beauty of this place, you can just drop in, bleed some, cup o'tea and biscuit and you're back on your merry way in little under 40 mins, including the interview. It takes about half that time if you're a regular attendee. Granted I was in for about 50 minutes due to an uncooperative vein, but I have two arms right? Also, I got my bronze donor badge today for today was my 10th donation, and yeah, that feels good. I was just about to hit the 'Save Now' button and I thought, how poignant. read more

The first time I gave blood was in my school hall when I was 17, my school chums and I revelled in the fact the nurse sent us away to have more to eat before donating, a slap up feast consisting of rolls with bacon and potato scone washed done with lashings of Irn-Bru ensued. Later I had to sit in the drafty hall, after a teacher had skipped me in the queue and watch as the bag below the bed slowly filled with someone else's blood, then it was my turn. This facility in the centre of Glasgow is completely different to those old uncomfortable beds you had to lie on, after a brief wait and health questionnaire, including stabbing your thumb for a sample, you sit back as the nurse tends to you and then you just lie there until you have pumped out your pint, this can take anything from 10 minutes to an hour. You are then shown over to the recovery area, soft-seated area where you can regain your strength through chocolate biscuity goodness. read more

They couldn't make giving blood easier with this place. You can just drop in and do it and then, it is perfect for someone with not a lot of time as you can go on your lunch break or a spare 20-30 mins. It is easy to find in the centre of town and the staff are rally nice making it an easy experience. It is staffed by NHS nurses so it is just like being in a hospital with the beds but it is just a large office space. A nurse usually takes you through the whole things filling out a form with you about your health and sit with you when you are giving the blood. Afterwards there is a seating area where they encourage you to have a drink and biscuit. Everyone is really friendly so don't be scared to just pop in, it doesn't take long and its not as scary as it sounds at all. read more

I had been meaning to donate blood for YEARS but due to various factors (mostly a combination of me not being good at giving even tiny blood samples to having always recently had a tattoo or piercing) I never made it down to actually donate some of my precious life juice. I didn't know you could book a slot online which is brilliant if you're not a fan of turn-up-and-wait kinda places. I booked mine as I said this year I would donate blood NO MATTER WHAT! Ha ha! I stuck to my (internal) promise & made the appointment so there was no going back. This particular blood donor centre is right slap bang in the middle of Glasgow town centre so super handy for most people, it is also a mere hop, skip & shimmy away from Buchanan Street subway & Queen Street station. I booked an after work appointment (they are open until 7pm Wednesday & Thursdays)and I was surprised it wasn't busier...it is a lovely building and the main entrance is very grand indeed. As soon as I walked in (to the right on the ground floor) I was greeted by the receptionist who I told I had an appointment and she asked me if I had donated blood before (shamefully, no) & then got me to fill out a form for my details. I sat down to fill this out but within about 2 minutes I was greeted by a nurse & asked to come for a seat in one of their pre-donation booths (I could finish filling the form out there) once here I was asked to go through a few of the questions on the form & clarify a few details, all was peachy so then I was given a finger prick blood test to check my haemoglobin levels ~ if they were too low and I was possibly in any way anaemic I wouldn't have been able to donate so they have to check this before they go ahead and take your red stuff. My levels were fine & she popped a plaster on my finger & took me to another seated area to wait my turn. Whilst sat I was asked if I would like a drink (water or orange squash) and all the healthcare professionals/staff were super friendly & lovely ~ they kept saying 'Won't be much longer now' but I was in no rush so I wasn't bothered, plus I had a lovely view outside the window so I was happy. After about 10 minutes (not even actually) I was shown to my blood donor chair/machine...the whole actual sooky-blood donating process takes roughly 10 minutes which I was surprised as I always imagined it took longer. The nurse here was super nice & kept asking if I felt okay & chatted away until one of the other healthcare professionals there came over & asked me again a few medical-related questions & also explained the whole procedure thoroughly. Then they put my chair back slightly and asked me to rest my arm on the arm rest and they put what seemed to be a blood pressure-type cuff around my arm (I am guessing this was some kind of tourniquet of sorts?) and then said I would feel a small scratch of the needle going in and that was it! I was officially a blood donor! Yay! Nae bother...I was worried I might feel strange or faint but everyone was brilliant at distracting me and talking to me (telling me to keep wiggling my toes to help the circulation & help everything stay 'funky' haha!) & I felt absolutely fine. About half-way through they gave me a small rubber ball to squeeze to help with the blood flow and then before I knew it that was it! They said it only took me 9 minutes which I was pure chuffed with (turns out that's pretty average though) and they said I done really well - they were probably thinking 'Thank you for not fainting or having a whitey on us!' Ha ha! I was sticky plastered up and then after lying for a wee while I was taken to the post-donation area where I was told to help myself to chocolate biscuits & a drink (I had the orange squash) and I sat for about 5 or so minutes, making sure I didn't feel faint & also to make sure I wasn't still bleeding. I was super fine so I put my coat back on & off I toddled, a proud blood donor! I was told in a few weeks time I would receive my blood donor card through the post & on that would be my blood type and if ever I was to return to give blood I would just show it to the staff so they would know I had donated previously. You can donate blood every 12 weeks for men & 16 weeks for women. If I haven't gone & got a new tattoo before then I shall most definitely be back. Donating blood is such a small thing we can do that can make such a BIG difference. So what are you waiting for?! Dae it! read more

Hi just a wee note to say I attend here every 4 weeks to donate platelets and the staff are very attentive and friendly also you get refreshments during and tea/coffee/orange juice after your blood giving...totally worthwhile cause get urself doon there.Robert read more