Transplant patients from Birmingham have been proving the value of their new organs by achieving success at both national as well as world level.

Members of the Birmingham Queen Elizabeth Transplant Team, who all had their operations at the old QE Hospital, swept to victory at the 2013 British Transplant Games, held in Sheffield.

More than 650 athletes competed in 20 different sports, ranging from athletics and swimming to golf and cycling, over the course of four days from August 15-18.

At the end of the tournament, which is designed to raise awareness of organ donation, the former QE Hospital patients were rewarded with the overall team prize.

As well as collecting the Rose Bowl trophy for best team, there were individual wins for Derek Johnson (Best Male Super Senior), Helen Tasker (Best Female Veteran) and Gerald Brown, the Birmingham team manager (Best Male Veteran).

Success at the annual British Games, which was first held in 1978, followed on from the World Transplant Games in Durban, South Africa. They ended on August 4 with Birmingham team members credited with an impressive 10 Gold, 2 Silver and 3 Bronze medals in total.

Gerald, 53, who underwent a liver transplant at the QE in 2002, said: “There was in the region of 20 teams taking part from all over the UK, so we are delighted to have won the Rose Bowl for the highest number of medals.

“There were 25 competitors in the Birmingham QE team and we came away with more than 40 medals in total.”

It was a welcome victory for Birmingham who first won the national team prize in 2010, only for Belfast to take the honours during the last two years.