In the past 10 years, kind people from across the UK have been donating their kidneys to strangers in need - 500 of them.

Bredgar resident Peter Pope is just one of these people, following the tragic death of his teenage daughter Louisa to meningitis 21 years ago - whose organs went to four others.

The 68-year old, who donated back in Spring 2014, said: “I’ve always wanted to do this, and after I retired it seemed the right time for it.

“I became aware that there is someone who needs one kidney more than I need two.

“It wasn’t a difficult procedure and it gives a person with a pretty awful life stuck on dialysis some hope.”

The retired engineer and former Sheerness steel worker, said he was up and out of hospital in four days and walking his dogs within a few weeks.

He is urging anyone who could donate to consider it: “It would only take a very small percentage of the population to agree to donate, which would completely sort out the queue of people waiting.

“They really look after you after too, I had so many health checks before and after.”

Although he isn’t aware of who received his organ, Peter is more than happy with his decision to donate: “It was so straightforward.

“I had three things I wanted to do when I retired, build a shed, get a dog and donate a kidney. Building the shed was the hardest part" - Peter Pope

“I had three things I wanted to do when I retired, build a shed, get a dog and donate a kidney.

“Building the shed was the hardest part.”

Bob Wiggins, chairman of charity Give a Kidney which raises awareness of non-directed kidney donation said: “We’re encouraging everyone to consider if you could share your spare as many people still don’t know that any healthy adult can volunteer as a living donor.

“As a result of people like Peter, many hundreds of lives have been changed for the better.”

Any healthy person can be considered to become a kidney donor and will be thoroughly assessed before being paired with someone in need of the organ.

There are currently more than 5,000 people on the waiting list for a transplant.

To find out more about becoming a living donor, visit giveakidney.org