More than 450 new registrations have been added to the organ donation register thanks to Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s organ donation campaign, which was launched during national organ donation week.

The new recruits signed up during a three-day drive by transplant patients, doctors, nurses and hospital staff at King’s Mill Hospital.

Organisers were delighted with the response, signing up 164 more people than they did last year.

The event was supported by Ashfield MP Gloria De Piero, who paid tribute to everyone who joined the register. Gloria said: “It was really great to be able to speak to organ recipients, Bronwyn and Debra to see how organ donation can directly save lives.

“The team who organised the campaign launch did a fantastic job in getting the key messages about organ donation out there and it was very moving to hear first-hand what a difference a transplant operation makes to someone who is seriously ill.

“I would urge anybody who is not already on the register to sign up as soon as they can.”

Gloria also launched the poster competition (details of which can be found here) for this year, which is aimed at local artists and designers and asks them to create a poster encouraging people to sign the organ donation register.

For inspiration they can base their work on Sherwood Forest Hospital’s campaign theme – ‘Give and let Live’.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals’ Clinical Lead for Organ Donation, Dr Sandeep Dhir, said: “It was a really inspiring three days speaking to transplant patients, patients, relatives and visitors. It was great to have donor recipients Bronwyn Jones and Debra Barlow with us to help highlight what a difference donating can make to people.

“Every new name on the register is vitally important and we are hoping for more names to be added from the Newark, Mansfield and Ashfield areas thanks to publicity surrounding our campaign.”

Speakers during the campaign launch included double lung transplant patient Debra Barlow, from Mansfield Woodhouse, and heart transplant patient Bronwyn Jones, from Skegby.

Debra suffered severe lung damage in 2006 after contracting chicken pox pneumonia. She had to wait until 2015 for a transplant but is now on the road to recovery and is campaigning to drive up numbers on the donation register.

Bronwyn was hit by a virus in 2009 that caused heart failure. She had surgery a year later and within six months was back at work and spending time with her family.

Pictured are donor recipient Debra Barlow, MP Gloria De Piero and donor recipient Bronwyn Jones.