A charity in Northern NSW helping Rural kidney patients and their families. Home of the Norm Bourke Box #NBB Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Support 1. Norm Bourke Box a box to the value of $250300 is provided to all patients starting peritoneal dialysis at Tamworth, Taree, Dubbo and John Hunter Newcastle (Regional Hospitals which service Northern NSW) and contains essential equipment necessary for starting home dialysis. In addition patients are able to access ongoing supplies, if they are unable to afford it. By providing these supplies our goal is to encourage more patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) to attempt home treatment. This is a unique program and has received national and international attention. 2. Accommodation Assistance Subsidizing accommodation for 57 nights for patients and their caregivers to attend dialysis training in Tamworth who come from outlying towns (usually greater than 100km away) and need accommodation. This may be a partial or full payment for accommodation depending on the independently assessed (by Social workers employed by NSW Health) financial needs of the patient and their family. On average this costs $500 a week per patient. This training is essential for patients to be able to successfully and safely perform Peritoneal dialysis at home. We are not aware of any other organisation providing this form of assistance in our region. In the 20212022 financial year several people were assisted. Fundraising activities focused on raising money to fit out a one bedroom unit at the Tamworth Base hospital to be available primarily for renal patients requiring accommodation. $60,000 was raised in 20212022 mainly from club grants. This project was completed in the 20222023 financial year. 3. Daily Newspapers and WIFI are provided to the Armidale Rural Referral Hospital Dialysis unit. This is a patient initiated service that dialysis patients wanted but is not paid for by the hospital. Patients attend lifesaving dialysis 3 days a week for up to 6 hours at a time and newspapers and WIFI assist in keeping their minds active. 4. Health prevention education regarding Chronic Kidney Disease Nicole Scholes Robertson has been an invited speaker at several Health Prevention information sessions organised by Healthwize (A Health Promotion Charity with funding by NSW Health) held in Armidale and Delungra NSW. Providing CKD Health prevention information to these groups/ events encourages people to access the free Health checks and/or go to their local GP for a checkup. 5. Kidney support group RKA organised and funded a regular kidney support Group activities in Armidale NSW.