Trustees

Jackie Sansbury – Chair

Jackie joined Edinburgh and the South East of Scotland Blood Transfusion Association (ESESBTA) in 2021 as chair following her retirement form 42 years in the health service. Initially she trained as a nurse and latterly held a number of senior roles in NHS Lothian. She is keen to ensure that ESESBTA meets the needs of the donor community.

Vincent Mooney – Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) Representative

Vincent is currently Head of Donor Services, Edinburgh and South-East Scotland. He has been working for SNBTS for over 31 years progressing through the Service from procurement to finance project management and into his current role. He has a wealth of experience from across SNBTS and has worked closely with the South East Blood Transfusion Association for many years.

Catriona Addy – Trustee

Catriona has been a blood donor for 36 years starting initially as a student who regularly “swapped her arm for a wee lie down, a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit”. She has been a Trustee of the ESESBTA for the last 13 years and her main interest is reflecting the requirement for organisations to show volunteers how much they are appreciated.

Frances Steele – Trustee

Frances joined SNBTS in 1999 initially as the Donor Recruitment and Publicity Officer one a 1-year contact but ended up staying 22 years. She spent most of these years heavily involved with donors and volunteer coordinators and only retired from the service last year and, now as a trustee, is very keen to maintain the momentum she built up and reflect the needs of donors.

Morag Thomson – Life Member

Morag’s interest in the Blood Transfusion Service came about as a natural consequence from her work as a Laboratory Technician in various fields of medical research. She served as a Blood Donor from 1967 and received the Blood Transfusion Service’s Gold Award for 50 whole blood donations at their annual Awards Ceremony in 2012.

In 1984 she was invited to become their Honorary Voluntary Organiser for the Edinburgh, Blackhall Donor Sessions and she continued in this role for over 35 years.

Morag was elected a Member of the Committee ESESBTA in 1996 and became its Chairman and Treasurer in 2011 until she stood down in 2021 when she was made an Honorary Member and continues to serve on the Committee. She has also served two terms of office as a Member of the Scottish Blood Donor Association, initially from 1999 to 2005, and again on 2010 to date.

Peter Taylor – Life Member

Peter is a retired chartered accountant who has had a long association with ESESBTA dating from 1970 when he became Secretary and Treasurer. He continued in that office until he became Chairman in 1995, retiring in 2010. He remains an active member of the Charity.

Robert Christie – Life Member

Robert was persuaded to give blood in 1971 and was pronounced O.R.H. Neg and donated on a regular basis. In 1973 the Director in Inverness asked for volunteers from male O.R.H. Neg donors for his Plasmapheresis Programme.

To cut a long story short donor were to receive a donation of Positive Blood and if it reacted in the way the Director hoped the donors would produce an antibody called D. which Bob did.

Sometime later he moved back to Edinburgh and on the 8th May 1976 gave his first Plasmapheresis Donation, on Christmas Eve 24th December 1990 he gave his 600th donation, and sadly due to emergence of CJD the UK Government stopped collection of plasma for paresis. At that time Bob was just short of 800 donations.