The Westfield Health British Transplant Games are coming to North Lanarkshire
The event, which was officially launched at Colzium House in Kilsyth this morning is expected to attract more than 750 transplant athletes and more than 1,500 supporters to North Lanarkshire in July 2017.
Hundreds of inspirational transplant recipients will soon be heading to North Lanarkshire for the 2017 Westfield Health British Transplant Games (WHBTG).
The event, which was officially launched at Colzium House in Kilsyth this morning is expected to attract more than 750 transplant athletes and more than 1,500 supporters to North Lanarkshire in July 2017.
Organised on behalf of the charity Transplant Sport, the aim of the Games is to raise awareness of organ donation and increase sign ups to the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR). Title sponsor Westfield Health, a leading not-for-profit health insurer, has been involved in the Games for more than a decade.
Councillor Jim McCabe, Chair of WHBTG North Lanarkshire 2017, said: “It is a magnificent honour for our county to host the Westfield Health British Transplant Games in 2017.
“It gives me immense pride to welcome the wider Games family to North Lanarkshire; the support everyone has shown us today paints a strong picture of things to come.
“Following on from the success of the 2011 International Children’s Games and more recently, as host and training venue of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, supporting the Westfield Health British Transplant Games is a hugely worthwhile commitment and one that North Lanarkshire is proud to make.
“These games are not solely about sport, but have a human side, too. They demonstrate the courage and personal endeavour of those who take part and the appreciation of the unimaginable pain and courage of the donor families.
“We delivered the best ever International Children’s Games and we’ll deliver the best Westfield Health British Transplant Games.”
Held over four days, the Westfield Health British Transplant Games include a range of sporting events and competitions, from fishing through to track and field.
An array of campaigns will also take place at a local level to educate and raise awareness of the NHS Organ Donor Register.
Andy Eddy who is the chairman of Transplant Sport commented: “We are delighted to be taking the WHBTG back to Scotland for the fourth time, and we really hope that our message of having the donation conversation will ensure that more families give consent to the donation of their loved ones' organs.”
Graham Moore, Westfield Health Chairman, said: “We have been involved with the Westfield Health British Transplant Games for many years and it is an honour to be the title sponsors again this year.
“Communicating the value of transplantation and the need to get more names on the Organ Donor Register is vital and we are very proud to play our part in sharing this message across North Lanarkshire and beyond.”
Swimming will take place in Sir Matt Busby Sport Complex with athletics at Wishaw Sports Centre. All the other sports will be delivered throughout key sports hubs. There will be more than 20 sports available.
-Ends-
PHOTOS SHOW:
3 – organisers and athletes from teams Glasgow and Edinburgh
2 – Peter Hickey and Joe Allan with the transplant game flame
4 – athletes from team Glasgow with Haggi the Games mascot
1 – Suzanne Swinson (team Glasgow0, Haggi the Games mascot and Peter Hickey (team Glasgow).
For more information about how you can support the Games, visit www.britishtransplantgames.co.uk or follow @WHBTG on Twitter.
To add your name to the NHS Organ Donor Register visit www.organdonationscotland.org or call CALL US ON 0300 123 2323.
Supporting the Games:
Did you know that you are far more likely to need an organ transplant than donate one? The need is real. Every 10 minutes, somebody’s name gets added to the transplant waiting list, but three people die every single day because they can’t get the organ they need.
The good news is - there are many different ways to support the Games. Funds are needed to promote and stage the event and to support those athletes requiring financial assistance to attend. You may also be able to offer in-kind support, contributing to the success of the Games and promoting the NHS Organ Donor Register within your organisation.
About the Westfield Health British Transplant Games 2017
The Westfield Health British Transplant Games 2017 will be held in North Lanarkshire from 27th – 30th July 2017.
The Games aim to demonstrate the benefits of transplantation, encouraging transplant patients to regain fitness, whilst increasing public awareness of the need for more people to sign on the NHS Organ Donation Register and discuss their wishes now with their families. The Games also seek to thank and celebrate donor families and the gift of life.
The Games have been staged annually since 1978 in a number of host cities including Sheffield, Portsmouth, Newcastle, Cardiff, Birmingham, Liverpool, Belfast, Edinburgh, Leeds, Leicester, London and Coventry.
Transplant Sport organises the Games; Transplant Sport is a charity which organises sports and social events for transplant recipients in order to highlight the benefits of organ donation and prove that you can lead a normal and active life again after transplantation: www.transplantsport.org.uk.
The Games are coordinated by Sheffield-based, MLS Contracts LTD (MLS) and supported by not for profit health insurance provider Westfield Health. MLS is a Consultancy in Sports, Leisure and Event Management, working throughout the UK and Internationally. MLS has managed the Games for ten years.
Organ Donation – key facts and figures
Almost 7,000 people in the UK are estimated to be waiting for an organ transplant, with three people dying each day whilst waiting to find a match.
Currently over 40 people are waiting for transplants in North Lanarkshire.
Anthony Nolan and bone marrow donation
Anthony Nolan is the world’s first bone marrow register. The blood cancer charity has been saving lives for four decades by matching remarkable people willing to donate their bone marrow to patients in desperate need of a transplant.
We need more young men aged 16-30 to sign up, as they are most likely to be chosen to donate but make up just 15% of the register.
At Anthony Nolan we want someone who has a transplant to have the greatest possible chance of life. However, currently, only 60% of transplant recipients receive the best possible match, and this drops dramatically to 20.5% if you’re from a black, Asian or ethnic minority background. By building and diversifying our register we will be able to provide the best match to even more people with blood cancer.
Westfield Health is one of the UK’s leading not for profit health insurance providers, regulated by the FCA.
Established in 1919, Westfield Health has almost 400,000 policyholders throughout the UK, and more than 8,000 organisations nationally operate a Westfield Health plan for their employees.
A multi award-winning provider, Westfield Health operates over 30 different health plans for some of the largest names in retail, finance, manufacturing, and services.
In 2012, Westfield Health introduced Hospital Treatment Insurance (HTI) to the market – an innovative product offering prompt access to fixed price private treatment packages for a wide range of surgical and medical procedures.
In the years that have followed, Westfield Health has continued to enhance its range of plans to offer a more holistic approach than ever before. This includes the addition of two new benefits at no extra cost to premiums – the expert second medical opinion service, Best Doctors, and the online retail discount facility, Westfield Rewards.
Westfield Health was the first health cash plan provider to incorporate an employee assistance programme as standard in its corporate plans. Cover starts from just ÂŁ1 per employee, per week.
Through the Westfield Health Charitable Trust, the organisation supports the NHS and medically-related charities across the UK, and over the past 20 years has donated more than ÂŁ14million.
Westfield Health has been involved with the British Transplant Games for more than 10 years and the 2017 event marks the ninth time that Westfield has been the title sponsor.