I’d like to tell you about a little girl I met called Mary (not her real name). Mary is short for her nine years, pale and has some difficulty walking. She has undergone multiple surgeries and needs constant medical care. And yet. When Mary arrives at the British Transplant Games, she is bursting with energy and bouncing with excitement about getting to the start line of her first race. When I speak to her after her competition she is breathlessly proud of her win, and is beaming and excited and laughing with her friends and family. And I think to myself: THIS. This is why we do it.
Westfield Health has sponsored the British Transplant Games for many years, but I only attended for the first time as a volunteer in 2024. I knew the Games was an important event in the transplant community calendar, but until I saw it for myself, I didn’t fully understand. The scale itself was impressive: the 2025 Games in Oxford brought together 1,054 competitors, 1,352 spectators, 195 living donors and families, and 200+ volunteers. It was a vibrant and noisy (!) spectacle. That first event I attended was a lesson in resilience, determination and pride. Seeing the joy, friendship and excitement the Games brought to both adult and child transplant recipients, their families, living donors and donor families was truly eye-opening.
After the event I educated myself further. I learned that physical activity, social support, and fun are absolutely essential for transplant recipients, playing a crucial role in helping people regain strength and confidence. Activities that are fun and enjoyable actually enhance recovery, especially for children and young people. And for donors and donor families, events that bring together people with similar life experiences can be transformative in helping them feel connected and supported.
Transplant Active, the national charity that founded the British Transplant Games in 1978, relies entirely on fundraising for its work. They promote active recovery for transplant recipients and building public awareness of the benefits of organ donation. In 2025 Westfield Health set out to properly evaluate the benefits the event brings to participants to support Transplant Active in their goal.
We found that the 2025 Games delivered significant positive outcomes across all participant groups. For transplant recipients, 86% reported feeling very proud of participating, 88% made new friendships, and 83% felt happier. Families of recipients echoed these experiences, with 94% feeling more connected and 84% forming new friendships, describing the event as transformative in reducing isolation and bringing joy.
Families of organ donors described the Games as deeply affirming, offering emotional safety, validation, and active remembrance of loved ones, with 90% forming new connections and emphasising the profound meaning of seeing the life-saving impact of donation.
These numbers confirm what I already knew from being at the event: the Games is a singular, powerful initiative that brings joy and connection to the transplant community. If you are able, I encourage you to get involved too. It will change your life.
Volunteer at the British Transplant Games 2026
Register your organ donation decision
Fundraise for Transplant Active
Read the full British Transplant Games 2025 Impact Report, complete with participant stories here.
Alternatively, download our impact report summary:
