Bexley Rotary set up a project to raise £40,000 to purchase a kidney perfusion machine and ancillary equipment for Guy’s Hospital, London.
The target was reached with the aid of a £15,530 Rotary Global Grant.
The balance was raised from fund-raising, including Rotary clubs in District 1120, which covers south-east London, Kent and the Sussex coasts.
Bexley Rotary set up a project to raise £40,000 to purchase a kidney perfusion machine and ancillary equipment for Guy’s Hospital, London.”
There are three million people in the UK who have kidney problems. Of these 61,000 suffer total failure leading to 45,000 premature deaths per year.
The majority of patients served by Guy’s Hospital Renal Unit live in the area covered by District 1120.
Guy’s currently do on average 250 to 300 kidney and pancreas transplants per year, approximately 100 coming from live donors and 150 to 200 from deceased donors.
The Warm Kidney Perfusion Machine is a key component with successful operations.
It keeps the kidney in a living state supplying the kidney with blood and energy products to enable it to recharge its energy stores
Guy’s have had their current machine for four years and in that time have been able to use it to benefit approximately 50 patients.
The new government initiative of having to opt out of being a donor is expected to increase the number of kidneys available and increase the need to use perfusion machines.”
Malcolm Fox from Bexley Rotary said that Bexley Rotary bought a second machine for Guy’s Hospital to meet expected demand from a change in the donation laws.
He explained: “The new government initiative of having to opt out of being a donor is expected to increase the number of kidneys available and increase the need to use perfusion machines.
“A second machine will increase the number of deceased donor kidneys available by reducing the number that are rejected due to uncertainty.
“It will enable surgeons to use the machines on two kidneys donated simultaneously, and cover periods of machine.”
Folkestone Rotary has recently donated a defibrillator to the local community.
Lyminge Bowls Club in the Kent town received the gift from the club. Roger Goody, chair of the bowls club, thanked Folkestone Rotary for the donation.
He said: “This vital piece of equipment will be mounted outside the club house and so will available to club members and the local community for immediate response.
“The club is located next to the village hall which has a variety of facilities including Lyminge Scout Troop and Jubilee Fields which has a running track, football pitch, skateboard park, children’s play area and outdoor exercise machines.
“The facilities are used regularly by the local community and so the defibrillator will be accessible to all.”
Meanwhile, Folkestone Channel Rotary has provided £10,000 to assist local primary schools.
This is being used to buy desperately needed technology to assist youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds to continue their education from home during the pandemic.
Folkestone Channel Rotary has provided £10,000 to assist local primary schools.
The need for dongles, iPad and Kindles and computers in the Folkestone school community is great as most pupils continue to be educated on-line. Included in this amount are funds to assist schools with other forms of hardship caused by the pandemic.
Additionally, Channel Rotary has recently donated nearly £7,000 to a range of invaluable local charities including Age UK (Folkestone), Cheriton Girl Guides, Churches Winter Shelter, Kent Association For The Blind, Rainbow Centre, Salvation Army, South Kent Mind, Young Carers
All these funds were raised by the Folkestone Channel Triathlon, Channel Rotary’s Winter Appeal and member Alan Myer’s heroic month of swims in the English Channel.
