Green award for Warwick tennis

The university’s tennis centre, opened in March of this year, has become the first leisure centre in the UK to receive a BREEAM “excellence” award in light of the building’s impressive environmental credentials.

The award has gone down well with university officials. Environment manager Nick Hillard proposed that “the University is justifiably proud to have this external recognition,” as well as acknowledged that “it is pleasing to have the first such recognition nationally.”

Sports minister, Gerry Sutcliffe MP, attended the centre’s opening ceremony as guest of honour on the 12 November 2008, an occasion which also saw the official launch of the British Transplant Games. Coventry will play host to the games in the summer of 2009 with the University providing the athletes village for over 600 athletes and 1,500 supporters.

Former Olympic triple jumper, Eric McCalla, was another esteemed guest. He competed in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics but was later been diagnosed with renal failure. McCalla’s appearance was particularly relevant as the most recent of his two kidney transplants was performed at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire.

The aims of the games are twofold, Sutcliffe commented at the launch: “the British Transplant Games are vital for the participants themselves to show people what can be done” and also “to raise awareness of the need for people to become organ donors.” The event has grown considerably since its inauguration in 1978 with over 600 athletes now competing.