Joondalup residents urged to roll up their sleeves for blood drive
Residents of the city of Joondalup are being encouraged to roll up their sleeves and take part in a nationwide blood donation drive; as the city aims to retain its title as WA’s best-performing local government in terms of participation.
The initiative, known as Local Government Blood Drive, is currently underway and will run until June 30.
The nationwide campaign has a strong local impact, supporting hospitals, emergency departments and families across WA.
The City of Joondalup has topped WA attendance for the last four years.
Mayor Daniel Kingston held the first blood drive on January 1 this year, calling it “the right way to start the year and do something meaningful for others” and said the city was proud to once again participate in the campaign.
“Donating blood has always been on my mind,” Mr Kingston said. “I’ve heard the statistics: One in three Australians will need blood in their lifetime, but only one in 30 donors.
“But what pushed me to make my first appointment was our deputy mayor, John Raftis. I walked into a meeting, saw the bandage on his arm, and thought I might as well get on with it.”
Council Member John Raftis said it was rewarding to know you inspired someone else to start their own giving journey.
“I made my first donation in 1987, but I have been donating much more regularly for the last 10 years and now I have reached over 150 donations,” he said.
“I was inspired by my father. He’s approaching the incredible milestone of 500 donations.”
Figures from Lifeblood show Joondalup residents donate more frequently than the national average; 3.09 donations per year compared to 2.84 nationally.
Edgewater Donor Center broke a national record for the most new donor appointments in July 2022, following the removal of restrictions on people who spent more than six months in the UK between 1980 and 1996.
2025 was a record-breaking year for Lifeblood Australia; 580,324 people donated a total of 1,069,721 liters of blood or plasma.
With a donation needed every 18 seconds in Australia and each donation could save three lives, Mr Kingston encouraged all residents who can donate to get involved.
“Whether you are a long-time donor or considering donating for the first time, every contribution matters to our community goal,” he said.
“Join our Joondalup City Resident Lifesaving Team today and let’s roll up our sleeves to show how strong Joondalup stands together.”
