On Thursday 13 March 2025, as part of the World Kidney Day campaign, people across the UK came together to share the message that kidney health matters.
From kidney function screenings to sharing experiences to turning social media yellow, we celebrated World Kidney Day 2025 with an incredible day of raising awareness of the importance of our kidneys.
Testing patients in Southampton and Portsmouth
Over 500 people had their kidney function tested for free at Queen Alexandra Hospital Portsmouth and Southampton General Hospital. From 9am to 4pm, staff offered screening to visitors and staff with support from Kidney Care UK and Nova Biomedical.
The quick and simple tests, which detect the signs of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in only 30 seconds, allowed hundreds of people to get an idea of how their kidneys were functioning on the spot.
Kidney Care UK staff, including members of our Patient Support & Advocacy service, were at QA Hospital and Southampton General Hospital alongside healthcare professionals to provide information, advice and support, and to urge people to check their risk of developing kidney disease using Kidney Care UK’s free online Kidney Health Checker.
Be sure to share the Checker with your friends, family members and colleagues and get them to check to see if they might be at risk of developing CKD.
People having their kidney function tested in Southampton and Portsmouth
Raising awareness across the UK
From the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital dialysis ward with their colourful and eye catching awareness stand to our volunteer-run stall at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, World Kidney Day was a chance to get people talking about kidneys and kidney health across the UK.
Our Kidney Care UK team were also busy speaking at events, attending education days and showcasing patient information across the UK, from the south coast of England to North Wales to East Anglia.
Kidney Care UK staff across the UK
Thank you to everyone who spread awareness and shared information. If you want to continue spreading the word about the importance of kidney health, you can download free resources from the Kidney Care UK website, from impactful images to share on your social media to A4 posters to pin to your work noticeboard.
Or why not take on the My Bloody Amazing Kidneys Challenge if you fancy raising vital funds to support people living with kidney disease?
Bunting, balloons and cakes!
Campaigning for change
The Kidney Care UK policy team were in Brighton at the British Transplantation Society (BTS) Congress, showcasing our free patient information resources and speaking with healthcare professionals and clinicians.
You can access our patient information on the Kidney Care UK website, and download all our booklets as PDF files to email to others, or print for free.
Shining a light and sharing your stories
At 7pm on Thursday, hundreds of members of our kidney community lit candles and shone torches to turn the skies and social media yellow for kidney disease. Thanks to everyone who chose to shine a light on World Kidney Day for themselves, donors, and loved ones affected by kidney disease.
Dozens of people also shared their stories of loved ones on our Kidney Celebrations page. You can read stories and experiences of other people living with CKD and it's free to share your dedication.
On World Kidney Day 2025 we were proud to work with the Kidney Charities Together group (Kidney Research UK, the National Kidney Federation (NKF), the UK Kidney Association (UKKA), Kidney Wales, Popham Kidney Support and the PKD Charity).