We’re here to make sure no-one has to face kidney disease alone.
How We Can Support YouAbout us
We help people with kidney disease in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Lakes, Tairawhiti and Hawkes Bay. For over 40 years, we have connected people to the vital information, education and support services they need to preserve their kidney health and live a better quality of life diagnosed with kidney disease. We work with a range of stakeholders and community groups to drive innovations and improvements in the management of kidney disease, so that one day every New Zealander can enjoy good kidney health.
Image
Brian
Community Health Educator
Brian helps you understand kidney disease and treatment options. He’s here to support you and your family through this journey.
Image
Tracey
Wellness Educator
Tracey helps you stay active and feel good, whether you prefer “gentle” or “active” approaches. She can suggest gym options or provide easy-to-follow exercises for home.
Image
Riana
Social Worker
Riana is our Social Worker, here to support clients with advocacy, assessments, and access to resources - helping you navigate the ups and downs of living with kidney disease.
She brings experience across health, mental health and addictions, child and whānau support, inclusion, and neurodiversity. Her background includes working in hospital-based HIV counselling, mental health respite care, community disability support, and statutory social work. Riana holds a BA in Health and Social Sciences and a Masters degree in applied social work.
She’s passionate about building meaningful relationships and walking alongside those with kidney disease.
Community dialysis team
Image
Jenny
Community Dialysis Assistant
Jenny oversees our dialysis houses, showing new visitors how everything works and helping them settle in comfortably.
Image
Nathaniel
Maintenance Technician
Nathaniel maintains our three dialysis houses and the office, ensuring clean, welcoming spaces for everyone.
Admin and operations team
Image
Kath
CEO
Kath Eastwood leads the Kidney Society team in supporting clients through education, home support, community dialysis homes, wellness programmes, and more. With a career driven by curiosity and innovation, Kath brings over 15 years of experience in business management, people leadership, and operational service delivery across the private, health, high-performance sport, and not-for-profit sectors.
Image
Gina
Office Manager
Gina is in charge of running the office, the community houses, raffles, organising events and general administration.
Image
Maria
Office Assistant
Maria works with Gina to keep everything in the office ticking over, leaflets printed, the News mailed out and more.
Image
Joanne
Development Manager
Joanne leads our fundraising initiatives and partnerships, helping us grow our reach and impact across Aotearoa. She manages our donor care, our Legacy Programme (leaving a gift in your will), and fundraising initiatives. This role helps grow the Kidney Society so that we can reach more people living with kidney disease, and their families, with our free wrap-around support services.
Her background is in international development programmes, plus 15 years of fundraising and relationship management experience in Aotearoa.
She loves engaging with our supporters and hopes to meet many of you at some of our upcoming events. Please feel free to contact her about donating, fundraising, or partnering with the Kidney Society: joanne@kidneysociety.org.nz
Useful links