• Thu. Dec 19th, 2024

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World Transplant Games NewcastleGateshead 2019 announce first major sponsor

Westfield Health sign-up as the first major sponsor for the 22nd World Transplant Games NewcastleGateshead 2019, continuing a decade of support for transplant sport.

Leading health and wellbeing specialist, Westfield Health, has signed up to sponsor the 22nd World Transplant Games when they are staged in NewcastleGateshead in 2019.

The Sheffield-based health and wellbeing company joins as the first major sponsor and lends its backing to an event that attracts more than 3,000 participants (including athletes and their families and supporters) from more than 50 countries, all of whom compete following successful organ and tissue transplants.

Graham Wylie, chair of the World Transplant Games NewcastleGateshead 2019, said: “The World Transplant Games are an inspiring celebration of human courage and physical fitness. They demonstrate the extraordinary things that are possible for transplant patients and help to raise awareness of the life-saving gift of organ and tissue donation.

“Westfield Health has been a passionate supporter of transplant sport since 2008, sponsoring the British Transplant Games. I’m delighted they’re continuing to do so by helping provide a stage for the world’s best transplant athletes to perform here in North East England.”

The Westfield Health Charitable Trust has donated more than £14m to the NHS and medically related charities in the past 20 years. With a decade long track record of supporting transplant sport in the UK, it has sponsored the British Transplant Games since 2008, including the NewcastleGateshead Games held in 2015, last year’s Games in Liverpool and the upcoming Games in Lanarkshire (2017) and Birmingham (2018).

Graham Moore, chairman of Westfield Health, said: “Westfield Health is thrilled to be headline sponsor of the World Transplant Games as they return to the UK for the first time in 22-years. The Games are an amazing sporting spectacle but more importantly, they raise vital awareness about organ donation and transplantation.

“At Westfield we’re committed to helping people live healthy, happy lives for longer, so we’re extremely proud to support this truly inspiring event which showcases how transplantation can enable people to do just that.”

Westfield Health was the title sponsor of the 2015 British Transplant Games and its backing of the World Transplant Games NewcastleGateshead 2019 demonstrates its confidence in the host venue and the life-enhancing spectacle of transplant sport.

The Games will take place from August 17-24, 2019, at some of the top sports venues in Tyne and Wear, including Gateshead International Stadium, Sport Central at Northumbria University, Newcastle United F.C and the Sunderland Aquatic Centre.

NewcastleGateshead was chosen as the World Transplant Games host venue in 2016, beating off stiff competition from Houston, Texas in America.

The summer installment of the World Transplant Games take place every two years and was last held in the UK in 1995 with Manchester as host city. Its return is due mainly to NewcastleGateshead’s successful delivery of the 2015 British Transplant Games, described by organisers and participants as “the best-ever.”

The local organising committee for the 2019 games, including NewcastleGateshead Initiative (destination management and marketing agency) estimates that the games will contribute a minimum of £3m to the local economy, based on projected hotel occupancy and associated visitor spending.

Further sponsorship opportunities are available to businesses looking to support the World Transplant Games NewcastleGateshead 2019. To express an interest in sponsorship, email: info@ngi.org.uk or visit: http://worldtransplantgames.org/ 

More information on Westfield Health and its award-winning health cash plans, hospital treatment insurance and wellbeing services, visitwww.westfieldhealth.com.

By Emily