Media release from NZ Blood Service:

Westpac staff around the country will soon be rolling up their sleeves to make life-saving deposits through blood donation.

Westpac is the first nation-wide corporate to sign up to Partners for Life, bringing more than 5,000 potential donors on board.

A win-win for both parties, the partnership will enable Westpac staff to help others in their communities through blood donations, and will assist NZBS in its mission to grow the number of regular donors so that more people are available when needed. There is no financial contribution; the focus is regular blood donations to help save Kiwi lives.

"We are very pleased to have a highly respected national business like Westpac join our Partners for Life programme. This partnership sets a new standard for corporate social responsibility and provides a great example for other companies to follow," says NZBS Chief Executive Fiona Ritsma.

"This is a community-good that organisations of all shapes and sizes should consider."

The partnership launched today with a blood drive at the Westpac headquarters in downtown Auckland, which will be packed to capacity with more than 100 donor appointments including CEO, Peter Clare. Together, the team will have contributed to saving the lives of up to 300 people*.

Mr Clare says he's thrilled to see the number of employees signed up to donate.

"Westpac has a long history of caring for New Zealanders and our community and this partnership is a real and tangible way for us to keep doing this - by donating blood we can literally save people's lives," he says. "Our hope is to continue to help add to the number of people already giving blood on a regular basis and make a real difference".

"I enjoy the sense of community that I get every time I donate. And to think that each time I do, I can help save three lives - there are few things quite as directly important that I can do!"

The Partners for Life group donation programme caters for big and small organisations with group coordinators who work with NZBS Donor Recruiters to make a commitment to regularly donate blood as a team. It includes flexible options such as using Donor Shuttles for groups or organising on-site blood donation collections.

Organisations who want more information about the NZBS Partners for Life programme can contact their local NZBS donor centre or go to http://www.nzblood.co.nz/Give-blood/Partners-for-Life