Beloved Sheffield artist and Patron for Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity, Pete McKee, has unveiled his organ transplant-inspired sculpture for Pride of Yorkshire.

Created in collaboration with Westfield Health, his lion sculpture – named ‘The Transplant Game’ – is a welcome to the British Transplant Games, which are coming to Sheffield this summer!

Each year, this competition empowers transplant recipients to optimise their gift of life through an active lifestyle, and demonstrate the life-changing and saving power of organ transplantation.

Something Pete knows all about. As the recipient of a life-saving liver transplant in 2017, he says this piece is his most personal yet: “This is the most personal piece I’ve ever made. It’s about the reality of organ donation, but told in a way people can connect with. If it gets people talking about it, even just with their families, then it’s done what it’s meant to do.”

The sponsor for this sculpture, Westfield Health, are the headline sponsors for the event. Steve Purdham, Chair of the Sheffield 2026 Westfield Health British Transplant Games and Chairman of Westfield Health, said: “This summer, Sheffield will host far more than a sporting event. The British Transplant Games shine a light on the gift of life made possible through organ donation.

We’re proud to be working with Pete McKee. His design does exactly what we hoped. It starts a conversation. A single donor can save up to nine lives, but that starts with a simple decision. By encouraging people to talk about organ donation with their families, we can turn that into real action.”

More information about the Westfield Health British Transplant Games, which are hosted in Sheffield from Thursday 6 – Sunday 9 August 2026, can be found on the website: transplantactive.co.uk/britishtransplantgames/sheffield2026

Pete’s design for The Transplant Game takes references from the 1960s board game, Operation, with his light-up nose, cut-out organs and his tail being made to look like the game’s tweezers.

Pete has also created a lioness for Pride of Yorkshire, called ‘Once Were Warriors’ – more information about that will be revealed soon!

Pete’s sculptures will join 148 others across the streets, parks and public spaces of South Yorkshire this summer. Pride of Yorkshire will bring creativity, community and care to the region, and support the redevelopment of the Emergency Department at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

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Pride of Yorkshire roars to life across South Yorkshire from Monday 8 June – Sunday 6 September. Collect lions. See South Yorkshire. Support Sheffield Children’s!

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