Mural unveiled to raise awareness of organ donation

A 30m-wide mural has been painted in a town centre to raise awareness of blood and organ donation.

The artwork, called Luton Lifelines, was unveiled at the Central Library in Luton on Saturday, following two years of community engagement and creative workshops around the project.

One of the quotes featured on the wall comes from local resident Bobby Mudhar, whose brother Mandip became an organ donor after his death.

When reflecting on his family's experience, Mudhar said: "It gave us some positivity out of tragedy, and it was the right thing to do."

The mural features a lifeline as displayed on an electrical heart monitor, accompanied by the words "The Gift of Life" in English, Urdu, Polish, Romanian, Bengali, Punjabi and Gujarati.

The artwork was a collaboration between the University of Bedfordshire, Hospital Art Studio, Luton Borough Council and the local community.

Gurch Randhawa, a professor of diversity in public health at the University of Bedfordshire, helped lead the project.

He has worked to engage diverse communities with organ donation, as he said donation rates remained low and the need for donors was great.

He said: "This project demonstrates the importance of working alongside communities to address health inequalities.

"Through our student ambassador programme, we have been able to support meaningful conversations about organ donation in trusted community settings."

The project was funded through an NHS Blood and Transplant community grant, which aims to promote conversations around blood and organ donation through creativity.

Harry van de Bospoort, the director of Hospital Art Studio and lead artist for the project, added: "From the beginning, this project was never just about creating a mural. It was about creating conversations.

"Every hand, drawing, word and story within the artwork has come directly from local people.

"We hope it stands as both a celebration of the generosity of donors and a reminder of the life-saving impact that blood and organ donation can have."

Tahmina Saleem, the leader of Luton Borough Council, contributed to the workshops and painting.

She said: "None of us like to think of the end of life, but if we do have that conversation with our loved ones and make them aware that we would like to donate - then some of us may be blessed in the end to give the gift of life to others."

Javed Hussain, the mayor of Luton, said: "This artwork represents far more than paint on a wall. It tells a story of compassion, generosity and hope.

"It reminds us of the incredible difference that ordinary people can make through one extraordinary act: choosing to donate."

Do you have a story suggestion for Beds, Herts or Bucks? Contact us below.

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.