The transplant patients making a film to promote Leeds games

Leeds is to host the Westfield Health British Transplant Games, next year.

The city is already warming up for the Games and has shown its support with a video featuring transplant athletes from Leeds’s children and adult teams and representatives from Kidney Care UK, Westfield Health and Leeds Cares.

Created by Leeds Cares, Leeds Teaching Hospital’s charity, the video looks forward to when the Games arrive in 2021.

Transplant athletes aged from three to over 80 are due to travel from across the UK to West Yorkshire next summer to reunite after it was announced that the 2020 Games in Coventry were to be postponed to 2023 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Transplant Sport’s flagship event aims to raise awareness of the life-saving benefits of transplantation, a topic that is more important than ever, now that the laws around organ donation in England and Scotland followed Wales and changed to an ‘opt-out’ system this May.

The Games give the transplant community a chance to recognise the gift of life they have received from donors and donor families. The event also showcases the benefits of remaining active post-transplant and allows heart, lung, liver, kidney and other transplant recipients to compete in 21 different sporting events.

Coun Mohammed Rafique, Executive Member for Environment and Active Lifestyles, said: “I’m looking forward to seeing so many inspirational athletes and their supporters come from across the UK to visit our wonderful city for this spectacular four-day sporting event.

“From what we know about the Games, it’s an event full of passion, determination and, most importantly, fun and we can’t wait to be involved when we welcome everyone to Leeds.”

Dr Paul Harden, Chair of Trustees for Transplant Sport, said: “The cancellation of this summer’s Games has been incredibly disappointing for our transplant community.

“Although we have absolutely made the right decision to keep
them all safe, many were very
much looking forward to the Coventry Games and having the opportunity to see each other again. We’re so excited that the Games are going to be back next summer in Leeds and in Coventry in 2023, we think they’re going to be better than ever!”