ALTON Round Table is urging young men aged 16 to 30 to join the Anthony Nolan stem cell donor register.

The register matches people willing to donate blood stem cells or bone marrow to others with blood cancer or blood disorders who desperately need lifesaving transplants.

In 1986, Round Table clubs across the UK and Ireland were instrumental in adding 100,000 new names to the register and, 30 years on they are joining forces with the charity again – this time to target young men.

A Round Table spokesman said: “Men aged 16 to 30 are the most in demand as stem cell donors but they make up just 15 per cent of the register.

“Round Table clubs were instrumental in getting Anthony Nolan to where it is today and as a young man’s organisation I hope we can encourage more young men to join the donor register.”

Head of register development at Anthony Nolan Ann O’Leary said: “We’re delighted to restart our lifesaving partnership with Round Table. We urgently need more people, especially young men, to join the register. Most people have a one-in-900 chance of being chosen to donate. But young men have a one-in-200 chance.

“To join the stem cell register involves filling in a form and providing a saliva sample – about 90 per cent donate through a process carried out as an outpatient procedure.

To find out more about the work of Anthony Nolan and Round Table, visit anthonyNolan.roundtable.co.uk.