About Us
Our Mission
KIN’s mission is to connect people living with chronic kidney disease, along with their carers, families, clinicians, and researchers, in order to drive positive social change within the local renal patient community.
Our local Facebook groups – run and moderated by patients – foster a sense of community and peer support. People benefit from sharing their lived experiences with each other on KIN Facebook groups and in the stories (blogs) published on our website. Through our website, we also provide local and general resources that may help you manage your chronic kidney disease better. We collaborate with local clinicians to enhance communication and share service initiatives.
The positive impact of KIN has been demonstrated through research studies and our awards.
Our Vision
Our vision is to create a sustainable, safe, and positive community where people managing chronic kidney disease and their carers feel empowered, find peer support, and access information when needed.
Our core values centre around fostering self management through shared experiences, guided by a multidisciplinary team, so people can make informed decisions about their health.
We actively engage in research and advocacy to encourage positive to drive positive changes and improve patient care.
KIN Impact
All participants benefited equally
Our research shows that patients from all levels of participation—whether they actively participate, join conversations, or simply browse—experienced similar improvements in self-efficacy.
Positive impacts on self-efficacy and self-management
Our research reveals that taking part in KIN has a positive impact on a patient’s self-efficacy and self-management, which can be seen as a means toward achieving better health outcomes.
Improved health awareness and understanding
People report using KIN to enhance their understanding of kidney disease, share health information, engage in self-organized Q&A sessions with health professionals, and gain perspectives from lived experiences.
Emotional support and social camaraderie
Our research finds that KIN members provide emotional support, shared experiences, social camaraderie, friendship, and affection. Many talk about feeling isolated before being part of KIN.
KIN Collaborators
We work together with academic institutions, charities, and NHS trusts from across the UK to provide a range of information and resources for people with chronic kidney disease.
Meet Our Team and Moderators
Rob Finnigan
KIN Co-Founder and GMKIN Moderator
Heather Jayasekera
KIN Clinical Expert
Andy Henwood
York Lead and York KIN Moderator
Tara Bashford
CaMKIN Moderator
Patti O’Kane
Registered Nurse and CaMKIN Moderator
Join the KIN Team
We’re always eager to have new collaborators on KIN. Please email C.M.Vasilica1@salford.ac.uk or P.Ormandy@salford.ac.uk if you’re interested in joining our team! Or feel free to reach out through our website form.
