About The Wellington Region Kidney Society Inc.
BRIEF HISTORY
The Wellington Region Kidney Society has been in existence since before we were registered as a charitable organisation in 1983. The Society was formed by a grouping of doctors, nurses, social workers, patients and their families for the express purpose of providing support for current renal patients. It complements the support being provided by the Wellington Hospital Renal Services as part of a holistic approach to treating the disease itself and the social and emotional impacts it has on patients and their communities.
MEMBERSHIP
We have a membership of approximately 300 comprising individual patients, patient families, renal staff and supporters. The membership also has a number of similar organisations on its list from around New Zealand and overseas, including Kidney Health New Zealand. Patient members include people of all ages, cultures and economic circumstances with a high number from the Maori, Pacific Island and Chinese ethnic groups.
Reasons to Join WRKS:
* member rates for the Taupo Holiday Home
* advocacy for patients and their families
* travel support nationally and internationally
* newsletters.
COMMITTEE
The Society is and has been managed completely by a committee of volunteers. The current committee is comprised of many years of experience in fields of voluntary organisations, local, national and overseas government departments and agencies, business enterprises, health services and others. Committee members are all either patients themselves, family members of patients or members of the hospital renal services.
2011- 2012 COMMITTEE
President: Robin Howarth
Secretary: Robin Howarth
Treasurer: Rob Cameron
Arthur Sanford
Stefan Daniels
Bernadette Hanify
Michael Papesch
Committee members but not elected officers:*
Finanical Officer: Leearna McBride*
Community Support Officer: Kathleen Howarth*
WHAT WE DO
The Society has in its past 23+ years provided a variety of forms of support. These have included:
- publicising activities of role-modelling patients,
- publishing quarterly newsletters of patient news and interests,
- advocating the needs of patients to DHBs and to local, regional and national governments,
- providing a catalyst for community giving through events,
- fund-raising for extra equipment to be used by the renal services in patient treatment when official funds are not available,
- encouraging patient, staff and member holidays in the WRKS holiday house (with a dialysis machine) in Taupo.
Many other forms of support have been provided over the years by the Society responding to individual requests from patients, renal staff and the hospital renal services.
All of these supporting activities have been provided through the use of donated funds and through volunteers donating their time and labouring efforts.