Kidney Research UK

About

Kidney Research UK is a registered charity which exists to end kidney disease. Instances of kidney failure in the UK are rising due to contributing factors such as diabetes and obesity. Kidney Research UK's purpose is to: 

• Prevent kidney disease by finding ways to see it coming and stop it happening;

• Protect people from reaching kidney failure by learning how to spot disease early, halting disease progression, and repairing kidney damage;

• Transform treatments by making dialysis more tolerable and making transplants last longer until better alternatives are available.

School Visits 

Organ donation saves lives, and in 90% of transplants are kidneys. There is a shortage of organs, and so every day in the UK three people die quite unnecessarily. People should learn about this subject, discuss and think about it, and then decide what difference this will make to what they do.

Volunteers for Kidney Research UK are able to provide talks to students in schools on organ donation to encourage them to think about the issues, and the reasons why people may or may not choose to donate. The presentation delivered is designed to engage, and is based on personal experiences of volunteers Geoff and Lily. Geoff received a living donation of a kidney transplant from his wife Lily.

The key outcomes of the presentation for learners are: 

• To describe what organ donation is, and identify which organs can be used

• Recognise that organ donation can save or transforms lives

• Understand what the organ donation register is, and consider why people may not want to join it 

• Explore the numbers of registered organ donors, and consider why donor patterns may vary across the UK 

• Consider the future of organ donation and research. Could is inspire career choices? 

School visits are suitable for students in years 9 to 13. The learning content can be designed to emphasise ethical aspects, at the school's request. The session lasts approximately 50 minutes, and is supported by a PowerPoint presentation. Facilitators of the session provide their time for free. 

To book a school visit, please contact:

Geoff and Lily Gidley - Community Champions for “Kidney Research UK”

Email:  glgidley@gidley.co.uk 

Telephone: 01452 311199

Testimonies

“Geoff and Lily have delivered engaging and thought provoking sessions to our year 10 and 11 students for the past three years. Their personal testimony was a key step in helping students empathise with others. Lots of information in a concise and logical way. I would recommend this service to you – I will certainly be asking them back into our classrooms again.”                              

Karen Reynolds, Head of Religious Studies, The Crypt School, Gloucester.

“Geoff and Lily came to all year 11 PSHE lessons to share their organ donation story and talk about the importance of organ donation. Sessions are informative and give students the chance to discuss and develop their own views so that they can make informed decisions. It could be facilitated in subject areas such as PSHE, Sociology, Psychology or R.E. I highly recommend this session.”            

Di Harrill, Head of PSHE, Newent Community School, and GHLL Lead Teacher.