Charles Winstanley, Chairman of NHS Lothian, has been appointed to the position of Chair of Edinburgh Leisure, with immediate effect.

Winstanley, who has held many board level positions at major organisations throughout the UK, has been appointed following the departure of Edinburgh Leisure Chair Robert Yates in June this year.

He is currently a non-executive director at the Ministry of Defence, a Member of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal, and was previously Panel Chair of the General Medical Council. His earlier career was in marketing and advertising, latterly as Managing Director of CJW Marketing Ltd, a strategic communications consultancy he founded in 1987, with clients in tourism, IT, publishing and central government.

Of his appointment at Edinburgh Leisure, Charles Winstanley said: "Edinburgh Leisure is a great organisation, with committed and hard working staff, so I'm really pleased to be asked to take on this role. The value of exercise in improving general health is well known, and there may well be growing opportunities for Edinburgh Leisure to work with the NHS "

The Board of Edinburgh Leisure said: "We are delighted to announce the appointment of Charles Winstanley as Chair of the Board of Edinburgh Leisure. His broad range of governance experience and involvement in many areas of public life will be extremely valuable in guiding the direction and ongoing success of Edinburgh Leisure."