Marrow

The students saving lives

Marrow is our amazing network of student volunteers who are saving the lives of people with blood cancer.

Up and down the UK, hundreds of volunteers and nearly 50 Marrow groups are busy recruiting new donors to the Anthony Nolan stem cell register and raising lifesaving funds. Every year, our Marrow volunteers aim to:

Volunteering with Marrow is not only lifesaving, it can be life changing too. But don’t just take our word for it - our volunteers, donors and blood cancer patients are here to tell you more…

Sign up to volunteer with Marrow and you can learn new skills, make new friends, boost your CV and save lives!

What does volunteering with Marrow involve?

There are three key parts to Marrow’s mission that you can help with:

• Raising awareness – by posting on social media, holding events and running talks around campus, Marrow volunteers help raise awareness of blood cancer, stem cell transplants and Anthony Nolan.
• Signing up new stem cell donors – volunteers are trained to run recruitment events across their campuses (and beyond!) to give every student the opportunity to join the Anthony Nolan stem cell register. Research has shown that the younger a donor is, the better chance of survival a patient has – so signing up students is key!
• Fundraising – Marrow groups hold fantastic fundraising events, from bake sales to bucket shakes, sponsored runs to sparkling balls, they raise thousands of pounds to support Anthony Nolan’s vital work.

All of this amazing work helps to give more and more patients with blood cancer or a blood disorder a second chance of life.

‘Being a part of Marrow was without a doubt the best thing I did at university. I ended up volunteering for three years and I was president of the group in my final year. I remember doing my first event, signing people up to the register and coming away feeling ecstatic!

‘To have received a transplant, and then been involved with Marrow, is something I’m hugely grateful for.’ Andy, Marrow Volunteer

What you get for volunteering with Marrow:

• Training and support: all our volunteers are trained in how to recruit someone to the stem cell register. You’ll also get bucket loads of support and ideas for campaigns from dedicated members of Anthony Nolan staff.
• Attending conferences and events: our annual Marrow National Conference and regional events are a brilliant opportunity to meet your fellow lifesavers, hear the latest Anthony Nolan news, and watch inspiring patient and donor speakers.
• Boosting your CV: organising events and committees, managing volunteers and public speaking - there are so many new skills to develop and then show off on your CV! It’s also great for portfolio pages, you’ll get some nifty certificates, as well as reference opportunities.
• Freebies and fun: from t-shirts to tote bags, we’ll make sure you’re kitted up to save lives! Marrow is also the perfect way to meet new people as you work together on a shared caused.So many of our volunteers make lifelong friends, which leads us onto…

Life(saving) beyond Marrow

Just because you graduate doesn’t mean your lifesaving work has to stop. Marrow Alumni is a thriving community of graduates who are working with Anthony Nolan to make a massive difference.

To see Marrow’s latest campaigns and activity, make sure you’re following them on Facebook and Instagram: