NTU to host the British Transplant Games
Published: 19/07/2024
We are extremely proud to share the fact we are one of three host venues of the upcoming British Transplant Games, taking place in August.
Following the success of the 2023 British Transplant Games (hosted in Coventry) the British Transplant Games 2024 are set to be bigger and better than ever; taking place in venues across Nottinghamshire from Thursday 1 – Sunday 4 August 2024.
NTU will be one of three hosts alongside Harvey Hadden Sports Village and the University of Nottingham.
To kick off the event, our Clifton Campus will be part of a baton relay ceremony at 11 am on Tuesday 23 July.
The baton relay is especially close to our hearts here at NTU as the baton is named after former NTU student, Tom Wilson, who died in a tragic hockey accident at the age of just 22. Tom was on the organ donor register, and as a result, his organs helped save countless people in need.
We spoke to Emma Croghan, Learning Designer at the Centre for Academic Development and Quality Department here at NTU. Emma received a liver transplant as child and went on to take part in the youth events as a teenager. This year, Emma is going back as a member of the support squad for the King’s Children's team and will be supporting child participants in navigating around the venues and cheering them on in their events.
Speaking on her experiences with the British Transplant Games, and what they mean to her, Emma said:
Being on the support squad for the King's Children's team is a great privilege. Having the chance to be around parents and children who are still going through hard times and showing them that there is life on the other side of the regular hospital appointments and difficulties is incredibly important to me. The British Transplant Games is a great way for transplantees to meet people who have faced similar challenges. To come together and take part in a brilliant event which not only raises awareness of how important organ donation is, but also offers a support network to people who have gone through similar experiences is truly amazing.
The Games aim to raise awareness of the life-saving benefits of organ donation and encourage transplant recipients to stay active post-transplant. Transplanted athletes ranging from the ages of three to eighty plus, from over sixty hospital teams across the UK, will represent their transplant unit with the support of family, friends and volunteers to compete in the Games.
Seeking to reach and engage families and communities in Nottingham and the wider Midlands region, as well as spark vital conversations around organ donation and prompt people to share their decisions with loved ones, the Games will celebrate the gift of life and give the transplant community the opportunity to reconnect.
For more information on the Westfield Health British Transplant Games and how you can get involved, visit: https://www.britishtransplantgames.co.uk/