Leading Kidney charities unite for first ever CKD awareness campaign across Wales - Kidney Wales
HomeNewsLeading Kidney charities unite for first ever CKD awareness campaign across Wales

Leading Kidney charities unite for first ever CKD awareness campaign across Wales

Kidney Wales and Kidney Care UK, have joined forces to roll out a nationwide awareness campaign aiming to reach people at risk of developing kidney disease in Wales. This is the first widespread pan-Wales kidney disease awareness campaign of its kind.

It is estimated that there are 194,559 people in Wales with CKD. Often people do not experience symptoms or signs that their kidneys aren’t working as well as they should be until their kidney disease is more advanced. It is possible to lose as much as 90% of your kidney function without even realising. Across the UK there are a million who have CKD and do not know they have it.

A lack of awareness of the vital role our kidneys play, and no screening programme for kidney disease, means many people find out their kidneys are damaged when it’s too late to take action to avoid developing kidney failure. The earlier someone is diagnosed, the more time there is to prolong their kidney function for as long as possible. Right now, in Wales there are 2,478 people with kidney failure.

Since Kidney Care UK launched the #BloodyAmazingKidneys campaign in October 2024 to highlight the amazing job our kidneys do to filter our blood, more than 330,000 people (almost the equivalent of the entire population of Cardiff) have completed the online kidney health checker.

In 2026, Kidney Care UK partnered directly with Kidney Wales to bring the campaign to the nation and help raise awareness of kidney disease in Wales. This started with joint presence of both charities at events at the Senedd and at University Hospital Wales. As of 1 June, the campaign will be appearing at 12 railways stations spread across Wales for 4 weeks, in which time there will be more than 1.6millionpeople entering and leaving the stations.

Ross Evans, Chief Executive of Kidney Wales, said: “We are delighted to be working alongside Kidney Care UK to bring the #BloodyAmazingKidneys campaign to communities across Wales. Too many people are unaware they may be at risk of kidney disease, often until it has already progressed significantly. This campaign is a fantastic opportunity to start conversations, reach people where they live and travel, and encourage more people to take a few minutes to learn about their kidney health. Together, we can help ensure that more people across Wales recognise just how #BloodyAmazing their kidneys really are.”

Laurie Cuthbert, Director of Fundraising, Marketing and Communications at Kidney Care UK, commented: “We’re excited to be working with the team at Kidney Wales to help more people understand how #BloodyAmazing their kidneys are. Kidney patients often tell us that they wished more people knew about how important their kidneys are, and so what better way to get people talking about their #BloodyAmazingKidneys by highlighting the campaign at such key sites across the nation.”

Helen Presdee-Jones lives in Wales and has kidney disease. She added: “Collaboration between Kidney Care UK and Kidney Wales is so important to ensure there is raised awareness of kidney health and improved kidney awareness right across the country. No one else in my family suffers from kidney issues and yet I’ve been a kidney patient for over 30 years. We weren’t aware of what kidney disease was when I was diagnosed. The #BloodyAmazingKidneys campaign is a brilliant way for people to learn about the impact of kidney disease, particularly those who’ve never heard about it and how important your kidneys are. Check your kidneys. I wish I’d had the opportunity to know more.”

You can take a few minutes to check to see if you might be at increased risk of developing kidney disease www.kidneycareuk.org/kidney-health-checker

The campaign will appear at the following Route Media locations between 1 and 28 June:

  • Wrexham General Railway Station, (LL11 2AD)
  • Caerphilly Railway Station, (CF83 1JR)
  • *Cardiff Central Railway Station, (CF10 1EP)
  • Cardiff Queen Street Railway Station, (CF1 4EY)
  • Chepstow Railway Station, (NP6 5PD)
  • Holyhead Railway Station, (LL65 2BT)
  • Neath Railway Station, (SA11 1BY)
  • *Colwyn Bay Railway Station, (LL29 8DF)
  • Carmarthen Railway Station, (SA31 2BE)
  • *Swansea Railway Station, (SA1 1NU)
  • Treforest Railway Station, (CF37 1SL)
  • *Newport Railway Station, (NP9 4RA).

Adverts in locations marked with an asterix above, will appear in both Welsh and English languages