I am a faithful blood donor. My parents taught by example, unintentionally, that blood donation was…read morethe second duty of citizenship after voting. Plus, I am O- so errbody out for my blood. This is all to say that I go here lots. The staff are super quick to process you and get you into those lazy boy chairs in the back. I love the nurses who are so sweet and attentive when I say my blood drains quickly and the needle needs to be taken out promptly. And, the snacks are the best I've ever had at any Red Cross. I purposefully book morning appointments so I can have cinnamon raisin toast with butter and grape juice after my donation: perfect elevensies. So donate blood. Vampires and babies with cancer need you!

If you've been a blood donor before, you'll know that you occasionally get those short appealing…read moremessages from Red Cross urging you to make your next appointment. If you're not the type to get squeamish when it comes to needles and are a valid donor, it really is a good opportunity to help out. I started donating with my high school at the Red Cross Donor Centre on Elizabeth Street and have been pleased with how quickly it all works. Although a new centre has just opened up in Town Hall which is much closer to me, I don't see any reason to change just yet. The staff are all polite and efficient at what they do, and as long as you follow the golden rule of drinking plenty of fluids and consuming your regular meals, you should have no problems when it's your turn to donate. On busy days I definitely recommend you make an appointment (easily done online or over the phone) because walk-ins take longer to process and I'm sure they would like to get as many people through as possible. Usually a trip here will take about twenty minutes to half an hour, which is not so much given you can only pop in every three months for a whole blood donation. Apart from saving three lives with your donation, the Red Cross volunteers will gladly help bring your blood sugar up with a flavoured milkshake of your choice or a snack pack to take with you on the go.

I've been to this location a couple of times to give blood, and have always found the staff try to…read moremake your visit as easy as possible. If you want to donate, you'll need to book an appointment first as they don't take walk-ins. Once your paperwork is processed, you are taken through to the medical area where you can sit back on a reclining chair while your nurse works away on you. A word of warning: avoid looking at the motorised table that swishes the bag of extracted blood back and forth to avoid coagulation, it is seriously nauseating. Once you're finished, the nurse will ease you back to a sitting position before taking you through to the cafeteria section, full of primary school-style juice poppers and boiled frankfurters for those with low blood sugar. If you are planning on coming in during your lunch break, be aware that you might end up staying for a while depending on how fast your blood can be taken and because you might get faint if you try to jump out of your chair too quickly