Kidney Wales Launch Transplant Football with help from

Sport Wales’ Be Active Wales Fund, Welsh Government and The National Lottery

We are so pleased to share that recently Kidney Wales received funding aimed at supporting grassroots sports clubs through the Covid-19 crisis and into the future.

Our organisation was awarded funds by Sport Wales’ Be Active Wales Fund to help support and deliver football training sessions. Sessions that will allow Kidney and transplant patients an opportunity to be part of a team and safely play football together.

The pandemic has seen our community overcome feelings of isolation and mental wellbeing struggles. It has been a difficult period for those living with a chronic condition like kidney disease. We hope the introduction of Transplant Football training sessions will significantly improve the mental wellbeing of our patients. These sessions will provide a regular social activity for the team to look forward to and a chance for personal development throughout the year. Participants will be able to look forward to their sessions, to meeting new people with similar lived experiences and ultimately to broadening their peer support networks.

Thanks to the Welsh Government and repurposed money from the National Lottery, the Be Active Wales Fund enables clubs to apply for grants Protect or Prepare during the pandemic and Progress into the future.

Some clubs need the funding to help them stay afloat, while other clubs are using the money to make any adaptations required to ensure their activities are safe once they are given the green light by Welsh Government for their sport to restart. Kidney Wales being able to introduce these training sessions will enable more of our community access to enjoy sport like anyone else. Our project is aimed at young transplant adults and young adults living with chronic kidney disease.

Exercise is well known to improve our physical and mental wellness. Bringing regular training into the lives of patients will help boost their confidence, general fitness, and offer that welcomed a sense of “normality”.

Thank you to Sports Wales for supporting us to deliver this exciting project. Kidney Wales Patient Information and Support Manager, Brett Dowds said “Our patients are facing new challenges every day, with a small a level of uncertainty always surrounding the COVID-19 updates. We have seen real strength throughout the pandemic and have been inspired by the kidney community here in Wales and now we are really delighted to be able to announce our support for the development of the Transplant football team”

“Kidney Wales are so pleased that with support from Welsh Gov and The National Lottery we have been able to secure funding to bring this great programme to life promoting the importance of the physical and mental wellbeing of our community. We are absolutely thrilled to be able to fund the 2021 Transplant Football training sessions and cannot wait to see how the team gets on!”

Get in touch with Kidney Wales [email protected]  02920 343940