History of the Kidney Foundation

The National Kidney Research Fund was established in 1967 to provide a national fund to finance research into kidney disease. It was set up by the Renal Association, the professional body of leading kidney specialists, who realised they knew little about the cause and effects of kidney disease, due to insufficient money being available for funding research into these diseases. The primary objective of the National Kidney Research Fund is, therefore, to find the cause of kidney illness.

The Chairman of the Council, which is responsible overall for the running of the National Kidney Research Fund is Professor A. J. Rees Msc FRCP and the Director General is Mr. Bertie Pinchera.

In 1989 the Council members of the National Kidney Research Fund saw a growing need to help renal patients and the Kidney Foundation was formed, as the sister Charity to the National Kidney Research Fund. As well as helping to raise funds for kidney research, the Kidney Foundation is active in the wider field of patient care. For example, the Foundation seeks to promote local hospital programmes, works with the local Kidney Patients Associations dedicated to patient care and looks to the future by promoting special training programmes aimed at attracting young doctors and nurses, into kidney medicine and strongly campaigns at Government level, on behalf of kidney patients and their families.

The other major aspect of the Kidney Foundation's work revolves around the distribution of the Organ Donor Card. The Charity spends some £250,000 each year distributing and promoting the card around the Country!

Registered Charity Nos. 252892 and 802530