Charity boss appointed OBE at special ceremony

A charity chief executive who has overseen more than £71m being ploughed into research for kidney disease has become an OBE at a special ceremony.

Sandra Currie, from Northampton, has been at Peterborough-based Kidney Research UK for more than 12 years.

On Wednesday she visited Windsor Castle to be appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the Prince of Wales, which she called a "very special moment".

She was recognised in the King's New Year Honours list earlier this year for her services to people affected by the disease.

"To represent the kidney community in such a setting was incredibly humbling," she explained.

"This honour helps raise the profile of a disease that affects one-in-ten people in the UK, can have devastating consequences for those who reach kidney failure, but is still overlooked.

"I'm grateful for the recognition, and more determined than ever to keep pushing for change."

There are more than 7.2m people living in the UK with kidney disease, including more than 80,000 in Northamptonshire, the charity said.

Ms Currie has worked to invest millions into research, as well as improve awareness of the disease.

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