A Leeds community radio service has received funding to encourage blood and organ donation among black and Asian communities.

Rangoli Radio is one of 51 community groups across the country to receive a share of £600,000 from the government's Community Grants Programme.

The funding, led by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), is dedicated to projects that inspire greater awareness of, and support for, blood and organ donation.

Rangoli Radio's project, Amardaan, aims to deliver interview-based shows in multiple languages to educate the South Asian community in Leeds about organ donation.

The project plans to dispel myths surrounding organ donation via talks from key speakers including donor families, organ recipients, and people waiting for a transplant.

Divya Khurana, director at Rangoli Radio, said: "The Rangoli Radio team is delighted to have received community grant funding from NHSBT for the second time.

"We are so passionate about our project, Amardaan, which aims to raise awareness and educate the Indian community on organ donation.

"All our presenters and core team take great pride in delivering this project and are grateful to NHSBT for enabling us to be a part of this initiative."

A spokesperson for NHSBT explained that the organisation can only provide the best-matched blood for people with sickle cell "around half [of] the time."

The condition is the fastest-growing genetic condition in the UK, per NHSBT, and is more prevalent in people from Black African or Black Caribbean backgrounds.

Donors and recipients from the same ethnic background are more likely to be a match.

Umar Malik, NHSBT community funding manager, said: "We have seen first-hand the abilities of trusted individuals and community groups to prompt conversation, tackle misinformation, educate, and offer reassurance around donation."

More information about the Community Grants Programme is available at https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/communitygrants or by emailing community.funding@nhsbt.nhs.uk