STUDENTS are celebrating the end of the academic year by signing up to a stem cell donation register.

More than 120 volunteers have registered to the Reading Marrow society since September to help the Anthony Nolan charity.

Reading is one of 55 universities to sign up for the scheme, which was first established in 1997 to help the 2,000 people living in the UK who need a transplant every year.

Charlotte Cunliffe, Marrow programme lead at Anthony Nolan, said: "It is hard to put into words just how amazing our Marrow volunteers are.

"They are responsible for saving the lives of countless people and they are truly the unsung heroes helping to cure blood cancer and blood disorders.

"We owe a massive thanks to all of the wonderful student volunteers from the University of Reading, who tirelessly campaign, fundraise, and spread the word about how easy and important it is for people to sign up to potentially donate their stem cells to those in desperate need."

Young people are the most likely to be chosen to donate their stem cells as they are less likely to have long-term health problems which might delay or prevent donation.

Marrow has recruited more than 100,000 potential donors to the Anthony Nolan bone marrow register.

Typically, around 1 in 1,200 people on the register go on to donate, with Marrow donors10 times more likely to save a life than the average donor.

Visit: www.anthonynolan.org/marrow or follow them on Twitter @Marrow for more information.