SFRS Employee Turns Second Chance at Life into National Transplant Football Tournament

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) employee who received a life-saving heart transplant is bringing a groundbreaking national sporting event to the Highlands in a powerful celebration of organ donation, recovery, and second chances.

SFRS Operational Comms Manager Duncan MacAulay founded Scotland’s national transplant football team following his own recovery journey in 2023.

Now, after months of work alongside Ross County FC, Duncan is bringing the NHS Organ Donation Four Nations Transplant Football Tournament to the Global Energy Stadium at Victoria Park in Dingwall on 29 and 30 May - the first event of its kind ever to be held in Scotland.

For Duncan, the event is about far more than football. He said: “Receiving a heart transplant gave me a second chance at life.

“Creating this team and bringing this tournament to Scotland felt like a way to give something back to raise awareness, bring people together, and show what’s possible after transplant.

“This event is about celebrating life and the extraordinary impact of organ donation. Every person taking part has been given a second chance, and we want to inspire more people to have conversations about organ donation and the difference it can make.”

The tournament will bring together teams from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, with every player on the pitch representing the life-changing impact of organ and bone marrow donation.

Following his own recovery, Duncan wanted to create opportunities for recipients to reconnect through sport, build community, and demonstrate what is possible after transplantation.

Alongside the football, the event aims to bring communities together while promoting life-saving awareness and encouraging conversations around organ donation.

The two-day event will feature CPR demonstrations, family-friendly activities, and community engagement opportunities involving charities and partner organisations, including SFRS.

There is also a strong personal connection within the Service through Scotland team coach Johnny Fallon, who received a life-saving liver transplant in 2022. His daughter, Donna, works within the Procurement team at SFRS, adding another personal dimension to a story centred on resilience, recovery, and second chances.

Johnny’s involvement alongside Duncan highlights the deeply personal impact organ donation has had on individuals, families, and communities connected to the Service.