All the daytime blood donation sessions locally start between 1.45pm and 2.30pm. Three times now I've tried to get the earliest appointment, at different locations, with a month or more's notice at about this time or slightly later and they are all booked up. Every time I've given blood in the past there is at least a half hour delay, even with an appointment. So if you have to do the school run it doesn't give you much of a window to donate blood - or indeed to do it in your lunch break at work, which I've done in the past.
I was thinking if they started the daytime sessions at say, 9.30am they could get a lot more donors in the shape of WAHP/SAHP who are bound by school run times. Especially in this area, as there are tons of SAHMs. Whereas their other daytime donors outside of those donating in their lunch hour, though everyone has stuff to do, are probably a bit more flexible as to time. Also they do run an evening session but it's not convenient for me, obviously they catch people coming out of work with those which is great. I've got in touch with them anyway to suggest this, as yet another appointment request - for mid June - has been turned down.