Representatives from leading Welsh health charity, Kidney Wales, are currently walking the entirety of Wales to raise vital funds and awareness for the 10,000 patients living with kidney disease across the country.

The ‘Walk Around Wales’, which will take the team of three volunteer walkers 30 days to complete, walked through the county of Pembrokeshire on Monday, stopping off at Withybush General Hospital’s renal unit. The centre currently supports 50 patients living with kidney disease in the region, providing dialysis support close to home for many patients who would otherwise have to travel longer distances for their daily treatments.

The Walk around Wales volunteers, and their support team, will travel to 25 towns across Wales, visiting 15 additional Welsh dialysis centres along the way.

At the Withybush General Hospital renal unit, the Kidney Wales team met nurses, patients, and their families to learn more about their experiences of living with kidney diseases and life on dialysis.

The 10 staff that run the centre led the volunteers on a tour of the facility and spoke about the vital work they do to support patients.

From Newport, the volunteers began the journey to Ceredigion, stopping in Brynhoffnant and Llanrhystud among other locations, before heading further north to Aberystwyth where celebrations will be held with the support of St. Padarns, RC Primary School.

From the seaside scenery of West Wales to the glorious countryside of Mid Wales, the team will then head towards Machynlleth before heading further north. After walking almost 100 miles across North Wales, taking in Groeslon and Chirk, the team will begin their long journey south, stopping in Llandrindod, Brecon and Merthyr, before concluding their quest in fitting style on Wednesday, May 17, at the Kidney Wales Children’s Centre at the University Hospital of Wales.

The ambitious individuals taking part in the gruelling walk include Roy Thomas, chief executive of Kidney Wales and Gerwyn Taylor, a member of HM Forces, who grew up watching his uncle live with kidney failure and witnessed the impact that life on dialysis can have and the importance of a life changing transplant. Also taking part In the Walk around Wales is GP Dr. Chris Williams, a supporter and regular donator to Kidney Wales.

Commenting on the Walk around Wales endeavour, Roy Thomas said: “This incredible charity is 50-years-old this year and we wanted to mark the occasion in a very special way. It’s remarkable to look back at all that we have achieved over the past five decades - it really has been an incredible ride.

“From a personal point of view, this is without a doubt, going to be one of the most challenging things I’ve ever taken on, but I know that at the same time it will be incredibly rewarding. Visiting the dialysis centres which facilitate the care and support needed so desperately by thousands of kidney patients across Wales will be a huge honour and listening to their individual stories will undoubtedly be both eye opening and inspiring.

“We would love people across the country to get behind the Walk around Wales and support us in whatever way they can, whether they walk a mile with us, stop for a tea, cake and a chat with us, or donate vital funds to help us continue supporting the many patients that so badly need our support.”

Gerwyn Taylor spoke ahead of the walk saying: “Watching my uncle suffer the effects of kidney disease was harrowing, and finding out I wasn’t a suitable match for donation made me want to help in a different way. I have been fundraising for Kidney Wales for a number of years, running the Cardiff 10k annually and rallying family members to run alongside me and match my fundraising efforts.

“Walk around Wales will be a fantastic opportunity to continue to raise funds for this amazing charity and I would encourage people to get involved in the campaign in whatever way they can, whether they walk with us or donate funds, any support would be hugely appreciated.”

The core team of steadfast walkers will be joined by a number of special supporters over the course of the 30 day walk, including TV Personality and Kidney Wales ambassador Sian Lloyd.

Walk around Wales is just one of many events taking place this year to mark Kidney Wales’ 50th year. Other upcoming events include the annual Cardiff 10K road race in September, which has long been organised by the charity, and last year celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. Other events include Kidney Wales’ longest running campaign, Walk for Life, which has been a huge success for over 30 years and encourages families to embrace the outdoors while raising vital funds for the charity.

Over the past 50 years, Kidney Wales has supported thousands of kidney patients and their families across the country. In December 2014, the charity was instrumental in the refurbishment of the Kidney Wales Children’s Centre at the University Hospital of Wales, and it was also the driving force behind the introduction of the Human Transplantation (Wales) Act in December 2015; the new ‘opt out’ system for organ donation in Wales, which aims to increase the number of organs available for transplant

The charity is a key player in the implementation of a combined renal network in Wales and its constant campaigning has resulted in new and better dialysis provision in Cardiff, Haverfordwest, Carmarthen and Merthyr Tydfil.

Other achievements include the launch of the Can Do project which acts as a support network for families living with Kidney Disease. The project will provide patients and their families an excellent opportunity to build-up new support networks and make new friends. The charity has also been instrumental in campaigning for better screening at GP level for kidney patients.

For more information on how you can get involved with the Walk around Wales campaign visit https://www.kidneywales.cymru/get-involved/walk-around-wales/ or to donate visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/kwf/bigwalkwales2017