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The first Kidney Research UK’s community kidney disease awareness scheme is being launched in Scotland, thanks to the fundraising efforts of Kwik Fit Insurance employees.

The new initiative – part of Kidney Research UK’s ABLE programme  - will start in Glasgow before it is hoped to be rolled out to the rest of Scotland. It will target those communities deemed to be ‘at risk ’ of developing kidney disease.

At risk communities are residents who have a close family member with diagnosed kidney disease as well as the South Asian and Black African and Caribbean communities, who are considered to be high risk because of the prevalence of high blood pressure and diabetes.

Right now, over three million people in the UK are under threat from chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Kidney Research UK launched the scheme after 950 staff at Kwik Fit Insurance’s headquarters in Uddingston raised an amazing £44,000 over the last year. The money will allow the Charity to recruit and train lay members of ‘at risk’ communities to be ‘Peer Educators.’ They will use their cultural, linguistic and health care experience to teach people how to prevent or delay the onset of kidney disease.

Brendan Devine, Group Managing Director of Kwik Fit Financial Services, said: “ We are incredibly proud of our staff for raising so much money for such a worthwhile project.  Several of them have personal experience of the terrible impact that kidney disease can have.  They’ve worked tirelessly for Kidney Research UK and their efforts will provide a real benefit for people who are at risk of developing kidney disease in Scotland.”

There are currently more than 700 people in Scotland who need a kidney transplant. Over 4000 Scots are on dialysis – more than 80 of whom  are under 20 years old.

The project is being supported by Bobby Singh, owner of the well known Mr Singh’s restaurant in Glasgow. Bobby, aged 42, has been on dialysis since 2004 and is on the waiting list for a kidney transplant.

Bobby said:” A lot of people in the Asian community are apprehensive of going to the doctors so it will be great to have people who can speak the language to educate and reassure them. I hope it will also encourage more of them to become kidney donors.”

The scheme will begin in Glasgow in April and we hope the work done in the city will then create a transferable model  that can be used elsewhere in Scotland, at minimum cost, with maximum benefit.

Neerja Jain, Kidney Research UK’s Peer Educator Project Manager, said: “Kidney disease is one of the major killers in the UK today along with heart disease, stroke and diabetes.  By delivering targeted health messages to specific communities in Scotland, our peer education project will help to reduce all four conditions with one single message. It will empower the people of those targeted communities to have better lives through direct, practical and empathetic support.”

The staff of Kwik Fit Insurance raised the £44,000 to launch Kidney Research UK’s community awareness scheme in Scotland through a variety of events. They hiked up Ben Nevis and did sponsored white water rafting as well as running staff awareness days and scores of other fund-raising events.

They chose to raise money for Kidney Research UK because a number of staff had experience of kidney disease. For instance, 25 year old administration manager  Amanda James had a successful kidney transplant in February 2008 allowing her to go ahead with her dream wedding.

Grahame Critcher, chair of the charity committee at Kwik Fit Insurance, said: “We cannot thank our staff enough for all the hard work they have put in to raising this £40,000 over the past year. The project has touched everyone and we are delighted that our fund raising has been the catalyst to get Kidney Research UK’s ABLE programme up and running in Scotland.”

Kwik Fit Insurance actively encourages its employees to raise money for charitable causes and has raised almost £150,000 for various good causes since 2005.

In addition, staff are given three days paid leave each year to take part in charity activities, whether through fundraising events or voluntary work.

Bobby Singh’s story

Bobby Singh was watching Scotland play an international match at Hampden in November 2004 when he complained to his brother that he was feeling unwell. As the match went on he began to feel worse. Bobby was a fit man who played a lot of football himself and had had very few health problems. He and his brother quickly realised something was wrong and they went straight to the Royal Infirmary.   

When they got there the nurses took blood samples and he fell asleep on the bed. He woke up twenty minutes later to be told by the nurse: “Mr Singh your kidneys have packed up.”

He was hooked up to a machine straight away and six years later is still on regular dialysis and waiting for a kidney transplant.

Bobby Singh is the proprietor of Mr Singh’s restaurant in the Charing Cross area of Glasgow.