A man from Rhayader has recently donated blood for the 500th time.

Chris Jones marked this milestone at the Welsh Blood Service Centre in Pontyclun, near Llantrisant.

Mr Jones, also known as Gus, credits his lifelong commitment to blood donation to a memorable experience in 1975. While at Montgomery College of Further Education in Newtown, a school friend from Builth, the late Joy Lennard, encouraged him to donate.

“She told me in no uncertain terms it would not hurt and to ‘man up’ and think of all the good I would be doing!” said Mr Jones.

After donating whole blood 47 times, Mr Jones was introduced to platelet donation in 2003 while working in Llanishen. Unaware of the option, he was intrigued by the process, which involves connecting to a machine that extracts blood, separates the components, and then returns it to the body. Each platelet donation is equivalent to three blood units and can be used for different patients - helping cancer patients, those recovering from surgery, organ transplant recipients, and even newborn babies.

The only place in Wales where platelets can be donated is in Pontyclun, a 150-mile round trip from Mr Jones’ home.

Despite moving offices back to Mid Wales in 2009, he continued making the long journey once a month, prioritising the life-saving need for platelets. Now retired, Mr Jones remains dedicated to donating, driven by the loss of his father, David, to cancer in 2000 and his sister, Hilary, in 2007.

“If you have not tried to donate blood, please go along to your next blood session and give it a try,” he said.

“You never know when you or a member of your family will need the all-important lifesaving transfusion.”

To learn more about donating blood in Wales, visit: www.welsh-blood.org.uk