Walk together. Raise money. Save lives.
Over 120,000 people in the North East have been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. And there could be another 60,000 people in the area who have it but don’t realise.
“Having kidney disease is bad enough. But what hope is there to then see a doctor who can’t tell you why?” asks Professor John Sayer.
A clinician and scientist based at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, John is using the latest technologies available to test DNA and pinpoint the exact causes of patients’ inherited cystic kidney disease. So far, his findings have enormous potential.
“Newcastle has inherited a legacy of kidney research” John proudly explains, “we’re successful at what we try and do.” John hopes that his research will help to completely reverse kidney disease, slow it down or prevent it in the first place.
“Patients think that all research happens in America but we’re doing cutting edge stuff, here in Newcastle. Without support from Kidney Research UK, the lights would go out.” Join John at our Newcastle Bridges Walk and continue the legacy of ground-breaking research.
Date: 14 July 2019
Registration opens: 10am
Walk starts: 11am
Distance: approximately 7 miles
Location: The Baltic Centre, South Shore Road, Gateshead, NE8 3BA
If you’re travelling by car, there are a number of car parks near the Baltic Centre. If you’re travelling by bus, metro or foot, information on getting to the Baltic Centre can be found on their website.
The route map will be available closer to the event.
What should I wear?
T-shirt - to wear
Wristband – please complete your emergency contact details and wear it for the duration of the walk
Sun cream and a hat/a waterproof jacket and an umbrella – weather dependent!
Comfy shoes that you have walked in before
A rucksack – it’s easier to carry your belongings and extra water if you wish to take some
Can I sign-up on the day?
It is not essential to sign-up before the day. If you are unsure whether you’re able to join us, you can sign-up 10-10.30am in the marquee. Sign-ups on the day are £25 per adult and £5 per child. Both cash and card payments are accepted.
What’s in my fundraising pack and when will I receive it?
Fundraising packs contain your t-shirt, wristband and some hints and tips to help you with your fundraising. They will start to be sent out in the spring.
If you signed-up as part of a team, your pack will be sent to the team captain.
If you haven’t received your pack two weeks before the event, please contact our Supporter Care team on 0300 303 1100 or supportercare@kidneyresearchuk.org.
When will I receive final information about the event?
Final information about the event will be sent by email on 9 July once online registration has closed. Please read this carefully as it will contain all the information you need to know about the day.
Will you be taking photos and videos on the day?
We’ll be taking pictures and videos at the event to capture the magic of the day. These may be shared on our social media channels during the event and used in publications and promotional materials or shared with the media.
You have the right to access your photographs on request. You can also ask us any time to remove them from our website, social media platforms and delete your image(s) from our systems so that they will not be used in future versions of printed materials. If we don’t use your images, we’ll delete them within a reasonable timeframe.
If we take photos of small groups of people, we’ll check that you’re happy for us to make use of the image(s). Let a member of staff know on the day if you have any concerns.
We will also display our privacy notice at the event, and you can read more on our website any time.
There are many ways to contact us. Our telephone and email details are as above.
Can I bring my dog?
We love seeing dogs at our Bridges Walks! Please keep them on a lead and ensure their mess is cleaned up. However, as our events take place during the summer months, we ask you to consider the weather before deciding to bring them. If you’re unsure if it’s too hot for your dog, the Blue Cross recommends touching the pavement – if it’s too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for their paws.
What will happen if the event is cancelled?
Bridges Walks will only be cancelled in extreme circumstances.
In the unlikely event we need to cancel an event, we will email you and our website would be updated with further details, as well as our social media pages. Please check these and your inbox on the morning of the event for more details.
How can my company get involved?
Working in collaboration with Kidney Research UK will bring national exposure for your business. Working together will add value to both the event and your business and increase your customer base. Ultimately, this will raise crucial income that we invest in life-saving research.
There are a number of levels of sponsorship available, including:
- Becoming our official event partner
- Sponsoring a bridge
- Offering a vendor service
- Volunteering.
Each area of sponsorship unlocks different levels of benefits, with our official event partner unlocking the most. We will work together before, during and after the event to ensure all opportunities for the charity and your company are being explored. You will be featured in all communications surrounding the event and will have overall branding on the day and much more.
This year Kidney Research UK is also aiming to go plastic and paper free at all of our Bridges Walks. We’ve already done away with balloons and we’re now working on getting rid of single-use water bottles, registration forms and maps. We’re also looking into stocking more environmentally-friendly merchandise. Could your company be part of this journey and our ‘green’ story?
Please call the team on 0300 303 1100 or email events@kidneyresearchuk.org to find out more about how your company can help bridge the gap between kidney disease and a cure.
We are committed to funding life-saving research and we continually review how we work to further improve our effectiveness.
Your registration fee covers the cost of your exclusive Kidney Research UK t-shirt and fundraising pack. While we endeavor to keep this as low as possible, we have had to keep it in line with the growing cost of materials and increased quality of our items.
We encourage adults taking part in our Bridges Walks to fundraise and set a sponsorship target of £100. This ensures the costs relating to the event are covered so we can put as much of every pound raised as possible into research.
It is important that you consider your commitment to the charity before taking part in a Bridges Walk. If you would like to raise a lower amount, we would suggest becoming a part of #TEAMKIDNEY by taking part in your own challenge or organising a fundraising event.
Take a look at our fundraising page for ideas and resources to help you raise your target.
Online fundraising pages
Online fundraising is a quick and easy way to keep track of your donations. We receive the money you raise online automatically, so there’s no need to worry about paying it in.
Upon signing up for a Bridges Walk, a Just Giving page will automatically be generated for you with event information and your sponsorship target. These tips on how to personalise it will also be included in your automated confirmation email – the more you make it your own, the more compelled people will feel to donate.
Offline fundraising
If you use a sponsorship form, you can pay your money in by:
- Calling Supporter Care on 0300 303 1100 and making a card payment over the phone
- Sending us a cheque made payable to ‘Kidney Research UK’ with your name, postcode and name of the event on the back to Kidney Research UK, Nene Hall, Lynch Wood Park, Peterborough PE2 6FZ.
We are unable to take sponsorship cash or cheques at the event so please do not bring them with you.