The South East Dons were founded by UK rapper Don Strapzy in 2014 and have built up an impressive online following, with 125,000 Instagram followers and more than 220,000 YouTube subscribers.
Although more than half (58%) of all stem cell donations are provided by young men, male donors aged 16 to 30 currently make up only 18% of the register.
Men are more likely than women to be diagnosed with blood cancer, with around one in every 16 men developing it at some point in their lives, compared with one in every 22 women, yet only 2% of people are on the stem cell register.
On top of this, white people have a 72% chance of finding the best match from an unrelated donor, but this figure drops to a 37% chance for patients from minority ethnic backgrounds.
It’s vital that young people donate stem cells, either through their blood or bone marrow, because the younger the pool of donors, the more likely it is that a match will be found.
In a bid to raise awareness of the necessity for men aged 16 to 24 to join the stem cell register, SE Dons are rebranding as SE Donates for their match on June 5.
The Match for a Match against ShoTime FC at Bromley FC will feature a pop-up registration centre for those wanting to sign up to the register.
There are 800 free tickets up for grabs on the Anthony Nolan website.
The team will also don a new, limited edition SE Donors kit, swapping the iconic Dons green for a remastered ‘SE Donates’ badge that has been co-designed by existing patients and donors and Tottenham Hotspur FC kit designers Tottex.
Don Strapzy, founder of SE Dons said: ‘The Dons are always looking for ways that we can make a difference on important issues and the lifesaving work that Anthony Nolan does is something we’re proud to be involved with.
‘Our “anything” mantra means that we do anything for each other on and off the pitch, Anthony Nolan shares the same energy.
‘Together, we can build our squad to fight against blood cancer and blood disorders by encouraging young people to make a difference and join the stem cell register.’
A spokesperson for Anthony Nolan added: ‘The UK’s existing stem cell register needs to urgently grow.
‘The younger the pool of donors, the more likely a match will be found, and the more effective treatment can be for patients, therefore many more young people are needed to join the register.
‘Once signed up, there is a 1 in 800 chance of being asked to donate in the next five years – so if you’re named in the squad, you won’t necessarily make it on to the pitch’.
‘We were incredibly inspired by SE Dons ‘Anything’ mantra and the support and devotion they provide for their teammates, fans and wider family.
‘We knew they were the perfect partner for Anthony Nolan, helping to drive that support and create action for our stem cell donor register.’
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