A group of 17 young Scots athletes have travelled to Liverpool to take part in the British Transplant Games.

Most of the team, who are aged between six and 17-years-old, are from Glasgow and all are patients at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in the city.

Over the next few days they will compete in a wide range of sports including swimming, badminton, table tennis, athletics, football and tennis.

Among them is Joe Allan, 17, who has represented Glasgow’s children’s team at several transplant games.

Joe, a pupil of Buchanan High School in Coatbridge, had a kidney transplant in May 2012 and enjoys taking part in athletics and tennis.

He said: “We have taken part in many transplant games throughout Britain.”

Travelling with the team is Diane King, clinical nurse specialist in transplant at the Glasgow Children’s Hospital.

She said: “The Scottish team members are all patients of the Children’s Hospital renal unit. Before getting a transplant they would have depended on dialysis so their ability to take part in sporting events would have been extremely limited as they wouldn’t have had the energy 
levels.

“This is a great opportunity for them to show their ability and many of them 
are extremely talented.

“They promote healthy living, organ donation and the fact that exercise is 
really important in any childhood.”