With spring now upon us thoughts turn to the outdoors and keeping fit and healthy, but Sherwood Forest Hospitals are asking local people to think of others less fortunate, such as those who need life-saving organ donations.

New organ donors are urgently needed in the local area and with this in mind the Trust, as part of its organ donation campaign, is holding several events and a poster competition to encourage people to say yes to organ donation by signing the organ donor register.

Claire Ward, Non-executive Director at the Trust, said: “Transplants are one of the most miraculous achievements of modern medicine, but they depend entirely on the generosity of donors and their families. We are urging local people to support the ongoing demand for organs that the NHS faces every year.

“Most people think of organ donation as the giving of major organs such as heart and lungs, and are unaware that they can also, for example, give the gift of sight to someone who is blind or partially sighted through corneal donation.”

To actively encourage awareness of the importance of organ donation there is a community-wide competition for members of the public to design a poster based on the theme of ‘What organ donation means to me’.

Claire Ward added: “Raising awareness and providing ways to give plays a significant role in transforming the lives of others through donation, and I would like to encourage everyone, whatever age, to put their creative skills to the test and enter our competition.

“The winning artwork will play an integral part of the Trust’s campaign and will be displayed across all areas of the Trust.”

There are no restrictions on the type of medium used to create the posters but they should be designed on an A4 sheet of paper with contact details. Completed posters should be sent to Susan Hodgman, ICU Secretary, Critical Care Unit, King’s Mill Hospital, Mansfield Road, Sutton in Ashfield, Notts, NG17 4JL by 15 May 2015. Digitally created posters should also be emailed to [email protected]

Full poster design guidelines can be accessed on the Trust’s website: http://www.sfh-tr.nhs.uk/index.php/latest-news/1001-give-the-gift-of-life

Winning poster designs will be unveiled at an organ donation event being held in the main entrance at King’s Mill Hospital during week commencing 18 May. Prizes will be given to the winners.

The campaign will continue throughout that week at King’s Mill and Newark hospitals with a series of events and activities to encouraging more people to sign up to the register.