YOUNG men aged between 16 and 30 are being urged to join the stem cell donor register, and potentially save someone's life.

Milford Haven Round Table is urging young men to join the Anthony Nolan register, which matches individuals willing to donate blood stem cells or bone marrow to people with blood cancer and 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 Anthony Nolan register.

Mark House, national president of Round Table, 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 Anthony Nolan register."

Ann O’Leary, of Anthony Nolan, said: "We urgently need more people, especially young men, to join the register.

"Most people have a 1 in 900 chance of being chosen to donate, but young men have a 1 in 200 chance.

"What many people don’t realise is how simple it is to join the stem cell register – it involves filling in a form and providing a saliva sample."

For those who go on to donate, about 90 per cent will donate through peripheral blood stem cell collection - a straightforward process, carried out as an outpatient procedure.

To find our more, visit anthonynolan.roundtable.co.uk