People in snow-white uniforms and many potential life-savers in the same place – from the end of July, this was part of the day-to-day life for the many visitors to the Westfield Ruhr Park Bochum for three months. In one of the most popular malls in the Ruhr area, shoppers could not only shop, but also do something good and donate blood: In the very first pop-up blood donation of the Blood Donation Service West of the German Red Cross (DRK). With over 150 shops and thanks to its favourable location on the A40 motorway, the location in the metropolitan area of North Rhine-Westphalia is the ideal location for such campaigns. The proof: on the very first day, around 80 first-time donors were recruited for the good cause.

Teamwork in extraordinary times

In the times of the Corona pandemic, the German Red Cross has used the innovative pop-up concept to actively contribute to saving human lives. Due to strict hygiene regulations, the organisation was unable to use its existing infrastructure in the form of the blood donation truck – the speedy availability of the 200m² shop space on the part of the Westfield Ruhr Park proved to be a real lucky find. The cornerstone for the success of the first campaign of this kind in North Rhine-Westphalia was the long-standing cooperation between all parties involved, based on great trust.