More than 350 guests joined us to celebrate a remarkable milestone as Kidneys for Life marked its 50th Anniversary Ball.
Guests enjoyed drinks and canapés (thank you to Fritz at Payal!) on arrival before making their way into the stunning Alexandra Suite for an evening of celebration, reflection and fundraising.
Chair of Trustees, Mr Afshin Tavakoli, opened the evening by reflecting on five decades of supporting kidney patients through vital research, education, specialist equipment and patient care. He thanked trustees, volunteers and supporters for their ongoing commitment, highlighting the charity’s role in improving outcomes for thousands of patients across the North West and encouraging everyone to continue supporting our work for the next 50 years.
Guests then heard from Professor Sandip Mitra, Consultant Nephrologist at Manchester Royal Infirmary and a Kidneys for Life Trustee since 2013. He spoke about how wonderful it was to see so many supporters, friends and partners of the charity come together to celebrate everything that has been achieved over the past fifty years. He reflected on the charity’s long-standing commitment to standing beside patients and families living with kidney disease, reminding guests that everyone present was part of that story.
Professor Mitra then introduced our special guest speaker, Dr Rangan Chatterjee, one of the most influential doctors in the UK. He is a bestselling author, broadcaster and host of Feel Better, Live More, Europe’s largest health podcast. Known for his passion for helping people live healthier, happier lives, he has been a proud supporter of Kidneys for Life for more than a decade. He very kindly shared the background to him becoming a supporter of our charity. In a post shared on Instagram after the Ball Dr Chatterjee wrote:
‘Was very flattered to be invited as a guest of honour to the 50th year celebration ball for North West charity Kidneys for Life on Friday night in Manchester.
Yes, I try and promote the importance of small lifestyle changes to keep us well and reduce the risk of getting sick in the future. At the same time, I fully acknowledge the brilliance of modern medicine.
To me, kidney dialysis is the very best of modern medicine. Think about it for a minute. Your kidneys stop working. And, instead of dying, as you would have done for most of human history, an artificial machine takes over and keeps you alive.
My dad went into hospital 3 times per week for 15 years to have a form of treatment called ‘haemodialysis’, until he died in 2013. This treatment gave my family 15 years of extra life with him. It allowed him to see me and my brother get married, see his grandchildren and a whole lot more. Friday night was a celebration of this phenomenal charity and all they do to improve the lives of kidney patients.’
One of the evening’s most moving moments came when kidney transplant patient Janine Winfield shared a heartfelt poem she had written about her kidney journey. Her words resonated deeply with many people in the room and provided a powerful reminder of the real-life impact of kidney transplantation and the work supported by Kidneys for Life.
The evening then moved into full fundraising mode under the guidance of compère Andy Ashworth, who quickly had guests on their feet and enthusiastically taking part in a series of lively fundraising games. The atmosphere in the room was already electric, and dinner had not even been served.
Guests were treated to a delicious three-course meal before the raffle draw and much-anticipated auction got underway. The generosity in the room was incredible, with bids coming from all corners of the suite and the auction alone raising an amazing £7,725.
To close the formal proceedings, Kidneys for Life Trustees Dr Amrit Kaur and Dr Andy Nixon thanked everyone for their support and generosity throughout the evening. The celebrations then continued as Dr Dean Wallace and his band, Das Party, took to the stage. The dance floor quickly filled and remained packed until the lights came on at 1am, bringing a fantastic evening to a close.
The event was not only a wonderful celebration of our first 50 years but also a hugely successful fundraiser that will help us continue supporting kidney patients, families, education and research for many years to come. We are delighted to say that the evening surpassed expectations and raised an amazing £42,000!
This will help us to achieve our goals for the future; we may be a small charity, but we have big ambitions and to see so many people backing our cause it gives us great confidence that the future of Kidneys for Life is very bright indeed.
What Our Guests Said
“I wanted to take a moment to personally thank you all for such an exceptional evening at the Kidneys for Life 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner on Friday. The event was truly outstanding.
From the professionalism and presentation of the dinner, the attention to detail and overall atmosphere, everything was quite remarkable. It was clear just how much thought, commitment and hard work had gone into creating such a memorable occasion, and if you don’t mind me saying, you and your team should be incredibly proud of what you achieved.
Beyond the excellence of the evening itself, what made it particularly special was knowing that it was all in support of such a worthwhile cause. Fifty years of dedication to improving the lives of people affected by kidney disease is an extraordinary achievement, and the opportunity to celebrate that legacy while raising vital funds for the future made the evening all the more meaningful.”
“It was a brilliant evening, and it was great to be in a room with so many people supporting such an important cause. The event meant a lot to me personally.”
“Well, what can we say except that the 50th Anniversary Ball was a blooming marvellous evening! So much hard work had obviously gone into it and it was just a wonderful event.
The room looked fabulous, the food was delicious, the band were great and with the speeches, raffle and auction, everything about the evening was perfect, so congratulations and many thanks to everyone involved.
Can we do it again next year?”
Thank you for all those who donated raffle and auction prizes
We had raffle prizes donated by Hyatt Regency Manchester, ATG Entertainment, Dishoom, Styal Golf Club, Chorlton-cum-Hardy Golf Club, Tatton Park, Lead Station, Rozafa Greek Restaurant, Nina Diaz Burlinson, Rena Spa @ Midland Hotel, Iris Art Photography, Bloom & Sew, Danny Cameron, Robinsons Brewery, June Davenport and her friends!
Auction prizes included 2 night stay Railway Retreat Cottage in Whitby generously donated by Janine Winfield plus Whitby distillery – one hour distillery tour and tasting for 2 people, a North Yorkshire Moors Railway family ticket & a Coastal & Country Open Top Bus tour family ticket, Signed Wayne Rooney Manchester United Shirt generously donated by Bessam and Nilofar Farjo, Signed Tijjani Reijnders Manchester City Shirt generously donated by M Wronko Properties, Charlie Bears Limited Edition Plush Collection Bear generously donated by Christine Unwin, Donny Osmond: Viva UK 2026 – Two Tickets generously donated by Leonard Curtis plus Midland Hotel Overnight Stay, Nursery Rhyme Print – Designed and kindly donated by Mike Crispin, Signed Lionel Messi Barcelona FC Shirt – generously donated by Ryan and Lisa Crawford, Manchester United Matchday Experience for Two – generously donated by Chris and Joanna Elliott and £50 Nell’s Pizza voucher – thank you Nell’s!
Thanks also to our compere Andy Ashworth for sourcing the Replica 1966 World Cup Shirt Signed by Sir Geoff Hurst, signed Oasis print and signed Rolling Stones print.