If you’re aged between 16 – 30 and in good health, you can sign up to the Anthony Nolan register (you’ll stay on it until you turn 61).

We’ll send you a swab pack in the post so that you can do a cheek swab and send it back to us! There may be some delays to sending packs out due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Whenever a patient with blood cancer or a blood disorder needs a lifesaving stem cell transplant, we search the register, looking for someone who’s a genetic match for that patient.

If you’re a match, we’ll be in touch, and we’ll ask you to donate if you’re still healthy and happy to do so. It's really important that you keep your details up to date so we can always contact you - you can update your information easily online.

9 out of 10 people donate their stem cells through the bloodstream in a straightforward process called peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collection.

1 in 10 donors will have their stem cells collected via the bone marrow itself, while under general anaesthetic.

If you’re on the register, you need to be happy to donate your stem cells via either method.

Want to know more? Check out our helpful video:

We’ve spoken to countless donors who only have positive things to say. Your G-CSF injections might cause you to experience flu-like symptoms and aching, but they're usually mild and will only last a couple of days. You can find out more about how it feels to donate stem cells or bone marrow by reading our donor blog.

No. You only need to be on one register as every time a patient needs a transplant, their hospital will contact Anthony Nolan and we will search all the potential donors in the UK and around the world to find a match.

If you’re not eligible to join the register, don’t worry – there are plenty of other amazing ways you can support our work and help save lives. You could run a marathon, go skydiving, volunteer with us, or even lobby your local MP on behalf of people with blood cancer and blood disorders. Find out more about how you can get involved.