1 in 10 people (nationally) have Chronic Kidney Disease which has no cure and often no symptoms in the early stages.

20 people suffer kidney failure in the UK every day, which can be fatal without dialysis or a transplant.

Justine Gilman, Chair of the GKPA says there are similar numbers of people affected here too.

“You’ll be surprised at how many people receive dialysis,” she said. “It’s about a two year wait until you can get a transplant because your blood has to be matched.

“We’ve got a member of our committee who is waiting, but it can take years, it’s usually a minimum of two years. Some people actually decide to just have dialysis three times a week and we have patients who have done that for 20+ years.”

kidney charity

Pictured: Kidney patients in Guernsey, and their families, are supported by the Guernsey Kidney Patients Association.

Anyone receiving dialysis will have to go to the hospital three times a week for around four hours each time, said Justine.

“…and what people don’t realise with dialysis is how careful you have to be with your diet and your fluid intake. You’ve got to be careful with salt, so things like potassium, things like bananas and you have to be careful with tomatoes.

“It’s amazing, since I’ve got involved, how much I’ve learned and when you think that when you’re on dialysis you can only have something like a litre a day of water, and the normal recommendation is two litres, and of course, water is in everything, so you’ve even got to count water that’s in food products that you might not think about.”

Ms Gilman is hoping to raise the profile of the GKPA with an increased number of fundraising events in the future.

“Unfortunately, the Guernsey Kidney Patients Association isn’t well known on the island at all. I think only if someone has chronic kidney disease, needs dialysis, or you’ve got a member of your family or a friend that is suffering, then you hear about them, so one of the main requests from the charity when I got involved over 18 months ago was they wanted to improve visibility on the island.

“We’ve got T shirts now so that when we do do events, we’ve got branded T shirts so that it’s out there, we’ve got roller banners so that again when we do things the visibility is starting to happen, and I’m conscious that because we’re quite a small committee and it is a small charity, that we can’t be too gung-ho about everything so we are slowly starting to do more fundraising activities.

“Last year we held our first ever quiz night, and that was really successful. We’re looking to do another one this year. We do two cake sales each year at the PEH and we’re going to do Seafront Sundays. We’re going to do a flag day and things like that so that the Guernsey Kidney Patients Association will slowly get known.”

‌One of the highest profile fundraisers for this year will be by Ambrose Netherton who is climbing Kilimanjaro in August, alongside his partner and a friend.

He’s funding the trip himself and is asking for donations to the charity. Any corporate sponsors which back him can have their logo added to his kit to be photographed as he makes his way up, and then down the mountain.

Ambrose Netherton

Pictured: Ambrose Netherton will raise funds for the GKPA by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro this summer.

“We’re really thankful to Ambrose for chosing us as his charity because he knows how much we want to get better known on the island,” said Ms Gilman.

“The more we’re out there, the better it will be.”

As part of its efforts to support Mr Netherton’s fundraising for the GKPA, the charity will be taking a stall at a Seafront Sunday this year, with plans for a treadmill to be set up so people can join him in his training.

As well as the Kilimanjaro appeal and other fundraising efforts, the GKPA is planning to mark National Kidney Day every year going forward.

It’s always held on 14 March, but locally the charity will mark it on the first Thursday of March each year to ensure it is a work day, with the aim of getting businesses involved.

“We can’t do it on 14 March because it will end up falling on a weekend so we’re going to do it around World Kidney Day so that can be where you can wear green on a work day and then offices will all be able to do something.

“Then there is more visibility about what we do, because it’s not well known. We fund travel for family members to go across to the UK and allow them to go with their family member who’s taking dialysis or going for a transplant, so it’s quite worthwhile,” said Ms Gilman.

You can sponsor Ambrose Netherton HERE with all funds going to the Guernsey Kidney Patients Association.

Businesses are encouraged to wear green for National Kidney Day on Thursday 7 March with donations to the charity via the above link.

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Kilimanjaro challenge for kidney charity