It’s the appointment we always put off, which, in the end, takes less time than queuing at the post office. The’French Blood Establishment organises its Bellifontaine collections in the The City Hall’s Reception Room, 40 Rue Grande. It has to be said that the setting is the most elegant one could hope for at a charity event.
It’s a monthly event: the EFS is due to return, in principle the second Wednesday of every month, from 3.00 pm to 7.30 pm. The dates scheduled for the end of the year are listed at the bottom of this page.
Blood stocks cannot be built up in advance: blood products have a short shelf life – a few days for platelets, a few weeks for red blood cells. Donors are therefore needed all year round, and periods such as the start of the new school year and the holidays are the most challenging. A single donation can help treat several patients, whether through transfusions or as part of treatment for chronic conditions.
In practical terms, allow an hour for the appointment, including the preliminary consultation and a light snack. The test itself takes about ten minutes.
The November date falls on a Tuesday, rather than the usual Wednesday: Wednesday 11th is a public holiday. The collection schedule is drawn up by the French Blood Establishment and then submitted to the local authorities. The dates for 2027 will be announced in December.
One thing you need to know before you go: you must be fluent in French – reading, writing and speaking. You will need to complete the health questionnaire yourself, and the consultation with the doctor will be in French. This is a safety measure, for both the donor and the recipient.
The Reception Hall at the Town Hall, 40 Rue Grande, Fontainebleau. Free parking at the Marché car park : Volunteers at the blood donation session hand in an exit slip at reception. Information on booking an appointment and the conditions for donating can be found at the website of the French Blood Establishment. Remember to eat before you come and to bring some form of ID.
A few words are enough, I reply personally.