What’s happening?
The new Lifeblood Pop-up Donor Centre at Comfort Hotel Pacific in Cleveland is now open, offering more beds, more appointments, and a full tour of its upgraded facilities. Donor Centre Team Leader Liam Richardson welcomed visitors inside to see the set-up, which includes dedicated interview rooms, a refreshments area stocked with snacks, and a donor floor with eight beds, double the capacity of the four-bed mobile unit previously used in the area.
“We’ve got our dedicated interview rooms on the right and a refreshments area with snacks, the best part of any donation, other than saving lives of course,” Liam said during the tour.
Why it matters
The extra beds mean more donors can be seen each day, helping to boost supply and make donating more convenient for locals. “We’ve got eight beds instead of four, so we can welcome more donors than ever. There are plenty of spots open this week, Sunday’s especially quiet, so if you’re free, come on down,” Liam said.
By the numbers
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8 beds in the Cleveland pop-up, up from 4 in the mobile unit
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30 daily donations targeted this week
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60 daily donations targeted for the next Cleveland visit
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1 week in Cleveland, open until Sunday
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Sunday flagged as the quietest day for bookings
Zoom in
This week, the team is “chasing around 30 donations a day” but plans to “raise that to about 60 a day” when they return. Cleveland is the first stop for the Redlands, with the pop-up heading to Victoria Point next month for a two-week stay.
“There’s plenty of opportunity for people in the Cleveland area to come down and donate,” Liam said, adding that locals who have nothing planned on the weekend are especially encouraged to book.
Zoom out
The Cleveland pop-up is part of a wider Brisbane circuit that includes Toowong next week and Springfield the week after. The pop-up model is central to Lifeblood’s strategy of delivering modern donor facilities directly into communities.
Local impact
For Redlands residents, the Cleveland pop-up means more opportunities to donate without travelling far. The added beds, extended hours, and monthly visits will make it easier for both new and returning donors to help maintain Queensland’s blood supply.
What to look for next
The Cleveland pop-up runs until Sunday before the mobile centre heads to Toowong and Springfield. It will return to the Redlands for a two-week stay at Victoria Point next month, with the capacity to take up to 60 donations a day.
