Luton Lifelines
by the community, for the community
Luton Lifelines is a two-year community art project focused on raising awareness of blood and organ donation, particularly within Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities where donation rates are lower. Our approach is simple: working closely with the local community to ensure the project reflects the voices, stories, and ideas of the people it represents.
We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has attended our community sessions at CYCD Community Centre, Guru Nanak Gurdwara, and St Andrews Church. Your ideas, stories, and feedback have been incredible and have already shaped the design of the artwork. We’ve tried to reflect everyone’s thoughts and experiences as best we can.
The design is still a work in progress. We’ve incorporated some of the feedback we’ve received so far, but we’re still looking for more insights from the community to help guide the final artwork.
The completed piece will be installed at a central location in Luton in Summer 2026, and will both stand as a tribute to the generosity of blood and organ donors whilst also continuing to raise awareness of the importance of donation and the life-saving impact it has within the community.
Artwork Visual
The image above shows the design as it currently stands. Fundamentally, the artwork is about the power of community - when many ‘helping hands’ come together, we can make a real difference. Each of the hands included has been taken directly from people who joined our creative sessions, making the piece truly rooted in Luton’s community.
The central heart is a universal symbol of love, and here it also represents organ donation. Inside it, the words ‘The Gift of Life’ appear in English and flow along a ‘lifeline’ in six of Luton’s most widely spoken languages – Urdu, Polish, Romanian, Bengali, Punjabi, and Gujarati - celebrating the town’s diversity. Surrounding the heart are drawings, words, and quotes gathered directly from participants during our sessions. These reflect the thoughts, feelings, and creativity of those who shared their voices with us.
The proposed mural is designed on a large scale so that it makes a strong visual impact in its final location. For reference, the small figure at the bottom of the image shows how big the finished piece will be.
Images from our sessions
You can stay informed by following us on social media.
Watch our project launch video below to hear an overview about the project.
If you have two minutes, please consider signing up to the organ donor register. You could save the lives of up to 9 people and transform the lives of many more.
There is a significant need for more organ donors of Black and Asian heritage to help the growing number patients from these backgrounds waiting for life-saving transplants.
Click this button if you would like to donate some or all of your organs and tissue.
Black heritage donors are ten times more likely to have the Ro blood type urgently needed to treat the 15,000 people in the UK with sickle cell disorder.
Sickle cell is a painful and debilitating condition which is particularly prevalent in people of Black African, Black Caribbean or Mixed background.
Click this button to sign up to give blood.