Luton Lifelines
The UK’s First Community-led blood and organ donation mural
A unique community-created mural celebrating the life-saving impact of blood and organ donation has been officially unveiled in Luton following two years of community engagement, creative workshops and collaboration between Hospital Art Studio, the University of Bedfordshire, Luton Council and local residents.
More than a mural
From the beginning, this project was never just about creating an artwork. The aim was to start conversations. Blood and organ donation can be difficult subjects to talk about, but they affect all of us. Most of us will know somebody during our lifetime who needs donated blood, an organ transplant, or both.
Luton Lifelines was created to bring people together through creativity and make those conversations easier to have.
Created by the Community
Over two years, community workshops were held across Luton at CYCD, Guru Nanak Gurdwara and St Andrews Church in collaboration with the Biscot Peace and Wellbeing Hub. People shared their thoughts, experiences, questions and ideas about blood and organ donation through drawing, writing and conversation.
The finished artwork was shaped directly by those contributions. The hands, drawings, words and quotes featured within the mural came from local residents who attended the sessions. This is not an artwork about the community, it is an artwork created with the community.
Give a Helping Hand to Your Community
At the centre of the mural is a large heart representing both love and donation. Running through it is a lifeline carrying the words "The Gift of Life" in multiple languages spoken across Luton, reflecting the diversity of the town.
Surrounding the heart are helping hands contributed by local people and a message chosen by participants during the workshops: "Give a Helping Hand to Your Community." This idea became a guiding theme throughout the project. Donation is one of the most powerful ways we can help another person, often someone we will never meet.
The mural celebrates that spirit of generosity, kindness and community.
A Community Effort
Getting the artwork finished in time was a bit of an adventure. Our scissor lift arrived two days late, leaving us with a huge amount of painting to do in a very short space of time. There is no way I could have completed it without the incredible people who came along to help.
A huge thank you to Justna, Elaine and Anna from Equality PCN, Professor Gurch Randhawa and Rose from the University of Bedfordshire, Tahmina Saleem and Fatima Begum from Luton Council, Angel, Omar, and all the local residents who simply said, "Can I help paint for a bit?"
One of my favourite things about this project is that so many people can now point to a small part of the mural and say, "I painted that pink blob in the corner," or "I painted that hand." Those little contributions became part of something much bigger, and that's exactly what Luton Lifelines is all about.
Why These Conversations Matter
England now operates an opt-out system for organ donation. However, families are still consulted before donation can go ahead. That means it remains incredibly important to make your wishes known and have conversations with the people closest to you.
By talking openly about organ donation, you can help your family feel confident about your decision should they ever need to make it. The project also aims to encourage more people to consider becoming blood donors. Every day, patients across the UK rely on donated blood for life-saving treatments, surgery and ongoing medical care.
Stories Behind the Artwork
One of the quotes featured on the mural comes from local resident Bobby Mudhar, whose brother Mandip became an organ donor after his death. Reflecting on his family's experience, Bobby said:
"It gave us some positivity out of tragedy, and it was the right thing to do."
Stories like Bobby's remind us that behind every donation are real people, real families and lives that have been transformed by extraordinary acts of generosity.
In the News
The Luton Lifelines project has attracted media attention for its community-led approach to raising awareness of blood and organ donation. You can read coverage from local BBC News, Luton Today and the University of Bedfordshire below.
Thank You
Luton Lifelines was created by Hospital Art Studio in partnership with local residents, community organisations, the University of Bedfordshire, Luton Council and NHS Blood and Transplant.
A special thank you goes to everyone who attended a workshop, shared a story, picked up a paintbrush or helped bring the project to life. This artwork belongs to all of you.
What People are Saying
Professor Gurch Randhawa 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. Luton Lifelines has brought together research, education, creativity and lived experience to create a lasting legacy that will continue encouraging those conversations long into the future.”
Councillor Tahmina Saleem, Leader of Luton Council, said: “Luton is a town built on the strength of its communities, and this artwork reflects that perfectly. Luton Lifelines celebrates our diversity while encouraging important conversations that have the potential to save lives. We are proud to have supported a project that has brought so many people together for such an important cause.”
Harry van de Bospoort, 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.”
Suzanne Roe, Head of Community Engagement at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “Right now across the UK, over 8,300 people are waiting for an organ transplant, and many more are dependent on regular blood transfusions, including thousands living with sickle cell or thalassaemia. These people depend on the generosity of others to give hope and the chance of life. Projects such as Luton Lifelines play an important role in encouraging conversations within communities, helping people understand the impact of donation and inspiring them to start giving blood and share their organ donation decision with their loved ones."