The Rugby Observer’s Sign Up to Save Lives campaign has proved a huge success in just four months, with 600 readers adding their names to the NHS organ donor register.

The number of new potential donors was confirmed by UK Transplant, which maintains the register.

Observer editor Chris Smith said: “This is a fantastic result in just four months and I am delighted people have been supporting what we are trying to do.

“But this is just the start, and we will continue to promote and encourage organ donor-ship in the future.”

UK Transplant chief executive Sue Sutherland said: “Campaigns such as this are helping enormously.

“And I should like to give my sincere thanks to the residents of Rugby who responded so magnificently to the appeal for more organ donors promoted by The Observer.”

The newspaper’s campaign was launched in October to raise the awareness of the Organ Donor Register following the death of Grant Walker, who was hit by a car.

The 18-year-old carried a Donor Card and as he was healthy doctors were able to use his lungs, heart, kidneys and liver to help save the lives of seven other people.

Grant’s parents Colin and Janet Walker and fiancée Lucy Waller backed the campaign, which was supported by Rugby Primary Care Trust, The British Organ Donor Society, the Department of Health, UK Transplant and the renal unit at Coventry’s Walsgrave Hospital.

Businesses in Rugby have also thrown their weight behind it by making registration forms available to their customers.

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