Former Citizen editor, Ian Mean, has been appointed as regional chair of 12 hospital trusts for organ donation.

Ian Mean, who is Gloucestershire director of Business West and a board member of GFirstLEP, is already chair of Gloucestershire's Organ Donation Committee.

He has held the position for Gloucestershire Hospitals Trust committee for the last eight years and is now also responsible for organ donation committees in the South Central division of NHS Blood and Transplant.

The committees cover hospitals from Gloucestershire to the Isle of Wight. The new role is voluntary.

Ian said: "I am honoured to take on this role. I think that organ donation is the greatest gift of life anyone can give.

"I am working with great teams of people who inspire our committees to promote the message of organ donation."

Peter Lachecki, chair of the Gloucestershire Hospitals Trust, said: "The work of the team here at the hospitals in raising awareness among patients and staff has been simply incredible. This has saved lives and it's so rewarding to see that Ian is taking some of the learning and sharing it with other similar hospitals. In return, I'm sure we'll learn from other hospitals in equal measure."