Donate a Kidney UK

05/11/2026

Lisa used the UK Living Kidney Donation Buddy Support Service to speak to someone with experience of living kidney donation and talk through the process 💜

If you are considering living kidney donation or have already donated, you can connect with someone else with lived experience. Learn more and request a buddy on our website https://www.donateakidney.co.uk/requesting-a-buddy/

04/11/2026

Living kidney donation can save someone’s life. In the UK, kidney transplants are very successful, and hundreds are performed every year. Most people who receive a kidney live longer and enjoy a better quality of life because of it. Donors also do very well, and the risks are low.

If you’re thinking about donating a kidney, it’s normal to have questions. You might wonder how likely it is to work, or what happens to your own health after donating. The good news is that kidney donation in the UK is safe, and the outcomes for both the donor and the person receiving the kidney are very positive.

Visit our website to learn more about living kidney donation and how it will affect both you and someone on the kidney waiting list 💜
https://www.donateakidney.co.uk/living-kidney-donation/kidney-donation-success-rates/

02/11/2026

David is just an average Joe.
A motorcycling father and grandfather.
8 years ago, he donated one of his kidneys to someone who needed it more than he did.

"My sister was undergoing cancer treatment. I felt so helpless. I was told that she may have to have blood transfusions, so I started to give blood and joined the bone marrow donation list. I wanted to do something, to help those who couldn’t help themselves.

"50 donations later, I read a leaflet about living kidney donation whilst waiting to give blood. That was the first time I found out that it’s possible to put your kidney out there to be donated to the person who needs it the most. For me, it was a no brainer."

Read more about David's experiences with living kidney donation by visiting our website 💜
https://www.donateakidney.co.uk/stories/davids-story/

30/10/2026

A kidney donation from a living donor is the very best treatment option for many people with kidney disease. The success rate for transplants from living donors is better than transplants from deceased donors, and they can also last many years longer.

Hear from Anita Copley, a Clinical Nurse Specialist and Living Donor Coordinator at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, NHS Organ Donation, for information about what's involved in donating a kidney and the life-changing impact it can have for people in need of a kidney 💜

Visit our website www.donateakidney.co.uk if you'd like to learn more about living kidney donation or to begin your journey.

30/10/2026

"It’s made no difference in my day-to-day life whatsoever. I keep having to remind myself what I did, otherwise I’d forget!"

Wilma had always known she would consider donating a kidney when the time was right for her. After a close colleague passed away, she started looking into non-directed kidney donation 💜

"It was a real wake up call for me – I was healthy now, but that wouldn’t always be the case. If I wanted to do something, there was no better time to do it than now. Living kidney donation felt like something really positive I could do with my life to make a difference in this sometimes confusing world."

"If I could donate another kidney next year, I’d do it without batting an eyelid. If I can live a normal life with one kidney and my other one can give so much to someone else, why wouldn’t I?"

Read more of her story in full on our website, including how she found the testing process for donating a kidney and how her recovery process went.

https://www.donateakidney.co.uk/stories/wilmas-story/

29/10/2026

Connect with someone who has experience of living kidney donation, with the UK Living Kidney Donation Buddy Support Service. Buddies can offer a listening ear, share their stories, and provide reassurance from a place of real-life insight as they understand the emotional highs and lows, the practical challenges, and the kinds of questions you may be asking yourself.

Choose which Buddy you'd like to speak to, with options to find someone to speak to based on age, location, ethnicity, gender and religious beliefs.

Visit our website below to learn more 💜
https://www.donateakidney.co.uk/requesting-a-buddy/

28/10/2026

Living kidney donation in the UK is entirely voluntary. If you’re thinking about donating a kidney, it’s important to know that you can change your mind at any time.

Whether you’re early in the process or close to the operation date, there’s never any obligation to go ahead. Your decision will always be respected, and your health and wellbeing will remain the top priority.

Visit our website to learn more about what's involved in living kidney donation and what you should consider if you're considering donating 💜

Remember: Living kidney donation is a choice – and it’s always your choice.

Living kidney donation in the UK is entirely voluntary. It's important to remember that you can change your mind at any time.

27/10/2026

It's inspiring to hear James Bourne from Busted sharing how his brother "saved my life" by donating a kidney to him, after doctors had given him "a few years left to live".

Most of us are born with two kidneys, but we only need one to lead a healthy life. There are now over 7,200 people in the UK on the kidney transplant waiting list, just as James was before his brother donated, and six people die every week while waiting for a kidney.

Read about James' experiences below, or visit our website if you'd like to learn more about what's involved in living kidney donation and the difference every donation can make 💜

The guitarist says doctors had given him "a few years left to live", but is now recovering well.

26/10/2026

"If I had another kidney to spare, I would donate in a heartbeat. It was life changing for my husband, and for me as a person."

Stephanie donated a kidney to her husband Howard, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney failure in 2018. The two are now fit and healthy, and have been able to enjoy their life together to the full.

Read about their journey in full on our website 💜
https://www.donateakidney.co.uk/stories/stephanies-story/

23/10/2026

Selma first decided she'd donate one of her kidneys to someone she didn't know after reading about someone who donated when he was 83 years old.

"At that time I was in my late 50s and I thought 'Well that's it, then! There's no age limit to this.'"

"I did it, and if I did it then you can do it."

Watch her full story on our YouTube page and discover what's involved in non-directed kidney donation 💜
https://youtu.be/FreOLHwvR7k