The British Transplant Games have begun in Birmingham, bringing together hundreds of transplant recipients to take part in competitive sport and raise awareness of the need for organ donation. 

The annual event is the highlight of the year for Transplant Sport and has been running since 1978 at different locations across the UK. 

Over the next four days, teams from as far afield as Lanarkshire, Leeds and Portsmouth will take part in 20 different sports across Birmingham including golf, snooker, volleyball, squash, table tennis, tennis, ten-pin bowling, cycling and athletics. 

To be eligible to compete, all participants must have been recipients of an organ transplant or bone marrow, or be stable following a failed organ transplant operation. There are also events open to living donors.

Competitors are aged from two to 80+; some have specialist events and are hoping to achieve selection for the World Transplant Games, while others come just to try new sports and celebrate a second chance at life after their transplants. 

Jo Wishick, mother of – and donor to – her daughter Ella, said: "It really helps to mix with people who have been through the same or very similar experiences. 

"To finally be around kids who have been through the same things has done her the world of good, more than she realises." 

A supplementary aim of the event is to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation with this year's #ItTakes2 campaign, which emphasises that it takes just two minutes to sign up as a donor. 

Find out more about Transplant Sport on their Connect Sport directory page. To add your organisation to our directory contact hello@connectsport.co.uk.