Anthony Nolan Cell Therapy Centre opening

The opening of Anthony Nolan Cell Therapy Centre at Nottingham in September was a brilliant event with the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson as guest of honour unveiling the plaque and making a keynote speech in support of the charity.

The event was attended by nearly 200 guests, held in a marquee next to the building in the grounds of Nottingham Trent University where the reception took place and a virtual tour of the centre was broadcast to the audience from within the labs.

The Nottingham-based centre is the first facility to combine storage of potential cord blood transplants with a research institute aiming to develop new techniques to use them.

A total of 50,000 donations are expected by 2013, of which 20,000 will be suitable for transplantation, with the remainder being used in cord blood research.

To find out how the cord blood bank will save lives click BBC News Online

To see the inside of the building and find out more about the cord blood view ITN News Video

To hear the interview with key Anthony Nolan people click Sky News Video

To see the Secretary of State with donating mothers click BBC East Midlands Tonight Video