Popham Kidney Support has received the largest single donation in the charity's history after being chosen as one of four charities supported by Merched y Môr, the first all-female Welsh crew to compete in the World's Toughest Row Atlantic Challenge.
The Swansea-based kidney charity has been awarded £13,000, the biggest individual donation it has received since it was founded in 2013. The funding will help Popham Kidney Support continue providing vital services to thousands of people affected by kidney disease across Wales.
Merched y Môr – Denise Leonard, Helen Heaton, Liz Collyer and Heledd Williams – completed the gruelling 3,000-mile (4,800km) Atlantic crossing, rowing from San Sebastián de La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Nelson's Dockyard in Antigua.
The team set off on 12 December 2025 and reached Antigua 50 days, 14 hours and 43 minutes later on 2 February 2026, raising more than £70,000 for four charities: Popham Kidney Support, Sea Trust Wales, Action for Children and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
With the help of Merched y Môr, Popham Kidney Support has also secured a £5,000 donation from The Waterloo Foundation, bringing the total raised to £18,000. The Foundation supports organisations across Wales that help unpaid carers, improve employment opportunities, and tackle educational inequality.
Founded in memory of Paul Popham, the charity has grown to become one of Wales' leading kidney support organisations. Now operating as Popham Kidney Support under the leadership of CEO Joanne Popham, it provides peer support, counselling, education, awareness programmes, wellbeing activities and practical support for people living with kidney disease and their families.
Over the past 12 months alone, the charity has supported more than 3,000 people across Wales and has been honoured with the King's Award for Voluntary Service in recognition of its outstanding contribution to local communities.
Joanne Popham, CEO of Popham Kidney Support, said:
“First and foremost, a massive congratulations to the Merched y Môr team on everything they've achieved. Completing a challenge like this takes incredible determination, and we're incredibly grateful that they chose to support Popham Kidney Support along the way.
“Receiving the largest donation in our charity's history is a significant moment for us. Every day, we hear from people who need advice, emotional support, or simply someone who understands what they're going through. This donation will help us continue to be there for those people and their families across Wales.”
Denise Leonard, on behalf of Merched y Môr, said:
“Crossing the Atlantic was one of the hardest things we've ever done, both individually and as a group, but knowing we were doing it to support charities that make such a difference kept us going through the toughest days.
“Popham Kidney Support does incredible work for people and families affected by kidney disease across Wales, so we're delighted to be able to make this donation. To know it's the largest single donation the charity has ever received makes the achievement even more special for all of us.”
