Big Up the British Transplant Games, 2025!
Last week, our very own ESG manager Michael Grantham had the incredible opportunity to attend this year’s British Transplant Games and represent Extra as a sponsor of the event for the fourth year running.
Held in Oxford, this year marked the 47th anniversary of the games, which were designed to showcase the incredible impact that organ donation has on people’s lives and bring those people together celebrating transplant donors and recipients. Organised by the national charity Transplant Sport (also referred to as Transplant Active), the games aim to encourage people to join the transplant register while promoting the positive effect of exercise for recipients in looking after their mental and physical health.
Over 1,000 athletes competed in this year’s games, with ages ranging from just 2 years old, to the most senior athlete in attendance – aged 89. Every athlete taking part in the event has either received an organ transplant or donated an organ, highlighting the strength and resilience of donors and transplant recipients alike.
The games brought together more than 300 volunteers across 26 sporting events where 2,011 competitive medals were awarded and more than 1,400 supporters were watching the action.
The games boasted a huge range of events – from running and swimming to archery, long jump and bowling. We were proud to be headline sponsor for this year’s cycling race, held at RAF Weston on the Green, where Michael had the honour of co-awarding medals alongside the donor families of the athletes.
Beyond attending the sports events, he also caught some incredible musical performances and even spotted a celebrity on site – with the queen of “Countdown Corner,” Susie Dent as host of the reception opening the ceremony!
Michael added: “We’re so proud to have been able to support the British Transplant Games for a fourth year and support this inspiring celebration of life, resilience, and community. Attending alongside thousands of athletes, supporters and volunteers was a powerful reminder of the importance of organ donation. It was an honour to celebrate the transplant community and see the impact of the collaboration between charities, sponsors and institutions across the country.”
Did you know that more than 4,500 people received a life-changing transplant last year? However, according to the NHS, the transplant waiting list is still growing and you could help change this. To know more about organ donation, visit https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/
For more information about the British Transplant Games, please visit https://www.britishtransplantgames.co.uk/
