OXFORD, UNITED KINGDOM

AUGUST 21ST -28TH 2022

The European Transplant and Dialysis Games were first staged in Athens in 2000 and subsequently has been held bi-anneal in 9 different European countries. We’re excited to be bringing The European Games to the United Kingdom for the first time, with Oxford hosting the event.

The Games comprise a week of multi-sport competition amongst solid organ transplant recipients and kidney dialysis patients from over 25 countries across Europe. The event is similar to the Paralympics Games or Invictus Games, and we anticipate over 400 competitors attending in Oxford. The event is a major opportunity to promote the huge benefits of organ donation and amazing life-saving impact of organ transplantation. We’re hoping to use the event to create some media interest both locally in the Thames Valley area and nationally in the UK.

These Games will be an invaluable means to help transplant recipients and dialysis patients re-engage socially and provide an invaluable goal for the next 12 months.

We feel hosting these European Games in Oxford will be a remarkable opportunity to engage the community in Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley and hope you will be able to help make this event a major success. The games will start with on Sunday 21st August 2022 with a parade through the city before the opening ceremony at The Sheldonian Theatre.

PARTICIPATION:

You will be able to register to attend the for the full 7 days of the Games, or you can attend for a shorter period to cover the days you are competing, depending on how many sports you wish to enter.

The GAMES are open to all organ transplant recipients and kidney dialysis patients.

ACCOMMODATION & CATERING

We aim to create a Games Athletes Village at the Radley College Campus. There are 12 separate houses with 50 single study bedrooms in each house. Each room has a standard single bed and wash basin. Toilets are shared and there are several individual shower cubicles on each floor. COVID cleaning precautions will be in place in communal areas. Each house has a large common room with pool table/ table tennis table/ TV / kitchenette and sofas as well as a small basketball court.
  • Aim to provide country / region houses
  • Larger teams would have a whole house
  • Smaller teams would have 1 or 2 floors of a shared house
  • There is accommodation for up to 650
Radley College kitchen staff will provide full board throughout your stay whether it is the full week or 2-3 days. This will comprise breakfast in the Dining Hall; packed lunch and dinner in the Dining Hall.

There will also be a coffee shop open during the day for drinks and snacks as well as bar facilities each evening.

SPORTS FACILITIES

Radley has multiple good quality sports facilities which will be available to you throughout the week. The facilities include:-
  • Outdoor newly resurfaced tennis courts
  • Sports Hall for Badminton / Table tennis
  • Barker Gym for Table Tennis
  • Astro Turf Football pitches
  • Athletes track re-laid last year
  • 4 squash courts
  • Swimming pool with diving pool
  • 9 hole golf course
  • Gym
  • Real Tennis court: taster session will be arranged for you
  • Shooting range: taster may be arranged
  • Rowing tank: taster may be arranged
This will allow most of the Sports events to take place at Radley on site.

Events off site will include: -

  • Cycling at Blenheim Palace Estate
  • 5km mini marathon at Blenheim Palace Estate
  • Petanque also at Blenheim Palace
  • Ten pin bowling at Hollywood Bowl Oxford

OPENING CEREMONY

There will be a parade of athletes on the afternoon of Sunday Aug 21st through central Oxford led by a band which will process to the historic Sheldonian Theatre, which is the venue for the Opening Ceremony. It is the ceremonial hall of Oxford University and was built in 1664 designed by Sir Christopher Wren who designed St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

We plan a celebration of transplantation with an Oxford twist including a new song, commissioned dance routine, touch of Shakespeare and music to accompany the formal opening of the Games.

Following the opening ceremony, we will return to Radley by pleasure boat with full bar and entertainment. Dinner will be in the Dining Hall at Radley.

We aim to get everyone together each evening after dinner for a medal presentation ceremony of the day’s medals in the 400-seat theatre at Radley. This will give all teams an opportunity to celebrate the success of their team members. In events with very large numbers of medal presentations a proportion will be presented at the event with a few presented in the evening.

Following the celebration there will be a range of activities on different nights:-

  • Film Night e.g. sing along Mamma Mia
  • Disco
  • Fancy Dress evening
  • Young Adult participants club
  • On the final evening there will be a Celebratory Gala Ball modelled on an Oxford University College Ball. This will follow the closing ceremony in the Theatre. The Ball will comprise different types of food station; paper casino; live band and disco and possibly fairground attractions.

MEDICAL FACILITIES:

There is a medical clinic at Radley which we will use for a daily drop-in medical clinic service for any minor medical problems. We will also have a limited pharmacy in stock.

The Oxford University Hospital is 7.5 miles from Radley and has all major medical services and is a regional trauma centre. The hospital has a specialist transplantation unit performing over 300 transplants per year; kidney; pancreas; islet, bone marrow, stem cell and small bowel. There is a major cardiac and cardiothoracic surgical unit and hepatology unit.

Dialysis facilities will be used for the Games at the Oxford University Hospital where 30 additional dialysis spaces have been made available for up to 90 treatments during the week.

We are exploring using First Responder Units cited at Radley and major external events such as the cycling and mini marathon. These units will provide paramedic and resuscitation first response if required until emergency ambulance services arrive. The First Responder Teams are fully trained health care professionals with all the equipment required for emergency treatment and support.

DAY TRIPS:

Radley is on the 35 Bus route into Oxford – journey time about 20 minutes. The Bus stop is directly outside the gates of the College. In addition, a 15-minute walk from the College is Radley Railway Station which has 2 trains per hour into Oxford (9 minutes) and multiple trains per day to London Paddington (journey time approx. 60-75 minutes).

It is very easy to travel to London for the day as well as Oxford and Blenheim Palace.

We will co-ordinate through a travel agent a selection of Day Trips.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU TO THE HISTORIC CITY OF OXFORD AND TO THE EUROPEAN TRANSPLANT AND DIALYSIS SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2022

Dr Paul Harden FRCP

Consultant Transplant Physician, Oxford University NHS Trust

Chairman of Transplant Sport and the Organising Committee

Paul.harden@ouh.nhs.uk