We are the British Lung Foundation

Leading the fight against lung disease

Annual Review 2011/12

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ContentsWelcome 3

Support 6

Prevention 16

Research 24

Making it all happen 28

This has been a year of change. A shifting health care system, uncertain financial times and a new political climate continue to unfold before us.

And within the British Lung Foundation (BLF) there has been change too.

Much of this change is hugely positive and invigorating. In 2011/12 we refreshed our brand, launching a new look and some clearer messaging. This will help us to boost understanding of lung disease, increase the support we can offer and fund more research, as well as raising the much-needed money to do this vital work.

Some change is natural. At the end of the year we said farewell to our Chief Executive Dame Helena Shovelton as she retired after 10 wonderfully successful years in the role, and before that to our Chair Ralph Bernard CBE.

And some change is challenging. The economy continues to be volatile and government spending cuts are affecting everyone. Charitable giving has suffered, with donations now worth £900 million less to charities in real terms than a year before the recession hit.

Yet despite these difficult times the BLF continues to deliver on all fronts.

We’ve made it easier for more people to access our first-class information and support, with a cheaper helpline number and a new, improved website. Our prevention work has stepped up a notch, with campaigns to protect the public from the dangers of asbestos and raise awareness of

obstructive sleep apnoea. And we’ve invested in some truly groundbreaking research projects, including Europe’s first tissue bank dedicated to the devastating chest cancer mesothelioma.

But don’t just take our word for it. In this review you’ll hear from many varied BLF voices, including staff, Breathe Easy group members, volunteers, trustees, supporters and researchers, who come together to provide a united front in the fight against lung disease.

As incoming Chair and Chief Executive, we would like to thank all of these people – as well, of course, as both Dame Helena and Ralph Bernard – for providing such a powerful legacy on which to build. It is a privilege to be joining the charity at a time when there is so much to be positive about.

In the months and years to come we will continue to work efficiently and effectively with our limited resources to focus on what really matters to people affected by lung disease and to improve lives up and down the UK.

Peter Dolphin Dr Penny Woods Chair Chief Executive

Welcome

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1 person in 5 in the UK is affected

by lung disease.

We are here for every one of them, whatever their condition.

Millions more are at risk.

Lung disease can be frightening and debilitating. We offer hope and support at every step so that no one has to face it alone.

We want to prevent lung disease in the first place, so we promote greater understanding and we campaign for positive change in the nation’s lung health. We fund vital research, so that new treatments and cures can help to save lives.

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We do 3crucial things:

We are the UK’s lung charity Leading the fight against lung disease

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Living with lung disease is difficult. Every single day, for lots of people.

It can be worrying, frustrating, bewildering, terrifying and devastating.

It can be painful physically. It can put people through the wringer emotionally. And it can cause lots of practical problems, like having to give up work or find carers.

Our range of support makes things easier. We make sure no one has to face lung disease alone.

Whatever the problem, whatever the situation, whatever the disease, people with lung conditions and their families can turn to us.

This year we’ve supported more people than ever before...

We’ve been there to

people affected by lung disease

support

“I’m desperate for information.”

“I’m so confused about what my doctor told me.”

“I have to give up work and I don’t know what I’m going to do for money.”

We hear these kinds of worries from people with lung disease and their families each week. More often than not, they just want the facts, so they can feel a bit more in control of their situation. All they have to do is phone or email our helpline. They’ll find a kind response at the other end that can provide some answers. Our helpline team includes respiratory nurses, welfare benefits advisers and counsellors. They give advice on everything from diagnosis and treatment to benefits and dealing with emotions.

This year:• Our helpline received even more calls and

emails. We received 13,865 calls, a 13 per cent rise on last year, and 2,135 emails, a 55 per cent increase. That’s thousands more people who now feel clued-up, in control and positive about their situation. We want to increase that by another quarter next year.

• Benefits cuts are a worry for lots of people with lung disease and their carers. Thirty-five per cent more people asked us about benefits this year compared with 2010/11, and we’ve helped them get what they’re entitled to.

• We never want anyone to feel they can’t call us due to cost. We’ve moved to a new helpline number, which means that ringing us never costs more than a local call and is usually free. And of course, people can always text or email us and ask us to call them back.

A friendly voice at the

end of the phone

“ I spoke to the counsellor and immediately felt that I was no longer forced to live in the shadow of my illness. What a gift it has been – truly wonderful.” Linda Brown, helpline caller

13% the increase in calls to our helpline this year

BLF Helpline 03000 030 555 helpline@blf.org.uk

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See Jo in action: www.blf.org.uk

Jo Newton

a friendly voice at

the end of the phone

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Jo Newton is a Specialist Adviser on the BLF Helpline.

This is the best job I’ve ever had. People who have not been able to get the help or information they need can call us, get it almost instantly and feel more reassured about their condition and day-to-day living. For me, that’s just perfect.

“I’m one of three specialist advisers. We take calls on anything non-medical – all welfare benefits, heating grants and social or low-cost fuel tariffs. We’ll check people’s eligibility, personal circumstances and so on.

“We’re talking a lot now to people being refused benefits or having difficulty because of the welfare reforms. We empower them to appeal decisions, get face-to-face support at other agencies and get the benefits they’re entitled to.

“I’m particularly proud of our success with the Warm Home Discount Scheme –

£130 off winter fuel bills. We’ve had brilliant feedback from people saying that they didn’t know it existed and wouldn’t have found out otherwise.

“Calls to the helpline can be about anything. We refer people with medication problems to one of our dedicated nurses. If they have anxiety or depression – a common reaction to having a chronic condition – we refer them to our counsellor. Sometimes, though, simply being able to talk to another person is enough to make someone’s day.

“We also get calls from health care professionals, including GPs looking for information on specific lung conditions. We talk to carers, who are often family members, about the support they can get – a carer’s assessment, respite and benefits.

“Why do so many people call us? I think it’s because they see the BLF as a fount of knowledge and a reliable, accurate source of information.

Questions. People affected by lung disease tend to have a lot of them, especially if they’ve just been diagnosed, or are feeling worried and stressed.

We put the answers at their fingertips with the huge range of reliable and up-to-date information on our website, in our publications and via our support network.

This year:• We revamped our website, www.blf.org.uk,

packing it with more information and making it easier to navigate. Already we’ve seen a huge increase in the number of new people finding us online: up to three-quarters of visitors are first-timers, meaning we’re reaching more people than ever before with the vital support they need.

• Our information about lung conditions and living with a long-term disease was given the thumbs up by the Department of Health. We achieved its Information Standard quality mark, meaning the public can be sure that our health and social care information is reliable and trustworthy.

• We sent out more than 900,000 leaflets, booklets and factsheets this year, giving people the first-class information they need to handle their condition.

• It isn’t just people with lung disease who need support. Their families, friends and carers often need someone to turn to as well. We’ve published new information for them and hosted an ‘online surgery’ especially for carers.

• Our trading company BLF Services Ltd publishes resources for health care professionals to use with patients. This year BLF Services sold 23,000 self-management packs and 3,500 exercise handbooks for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It also distributed 9,000 copies of a 50-minute DVD about living with COPD.

• We always make the effort to get our information to harder-to-reach communities. In east London we gave advice and tested around 500 members of the Somali community for lung disease. And in the north west, 70 people came along to our awareness event at Oldham Pakistani Community Centre.

• We now have almost 4,000 members – more than ever before – who receive our quarterly magazine, packed with interesting articles and useful advice. Members also get exclusive access to our live online surgeries, as well as information specific to their condition or interests.

Expert advice and understanding online and in print

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BLF nurses are taking the fight against lung disease into homes and communities.

No one likes to spend time in hospital. So our nurses provide specialist care and support in people’s homes, so they can leave hospital earlier or don’t have to go in at all – making them happier and reducing the strain on the NHS.

This year:• We’ve supported 30 more nurses than

last year, taking our total to 93. We now have BLF nurses in 18 out of 20 of the areas worst hit by COPD in the UK, making sure people get the treatment they need. We plan to add another 24 next year.

• BLF nurses have put on 53 training sessions

for other health care professionals, including junior doctors, GPs and practice nurses, to make sure they’re up to date with lung disease and can provide the best possible services for people in their care.

• Our nurses have held 122 informative, reassuring training and support sessions for people with lung disease, their families, friends and carers. They’ve also made 143 visits to Breathe Easy groups across the country to give advice.

Care when people need it most – our BLF nurses

“ Mrs H can call me with any concerns she has. She says she doesn’t know what she would do without me. That’s lovely to hear, but the main thing is that she has maintained her independence and is able to continue living her life.” Natalie Harper, BLF Nurse

93 BLF nurses are working

up and down the UK

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Bringing people together and changing lives

Feeling alone can be one of the worst things about living with lung disease or caring for someone who does. Sometimes family and friends don’t quite get what it’s like.

Just having a chat with someone going through the same thing can make people feel more positive and less isolated. It’s one of the simplest ways to make their situation that little bit better.

We have Breathe Easy support groups all over the country, where people affected by lung disease can come together, talk and get advice.

And we’ve put people in touch through our penpals scheme and our popular web community.

This year:• We now have 237 Breathe Easy groups in

every corner of the UK, where 16,500 people go to make friends, chat about their problems and hear from local respiratory experts.

• The groups don’t just provide much-needed support. They also campaign to make life better for people living with a lung disease and to improve the nation’s lung health. This year during Breathe Easy week more than half of the groups organised events in their communities to help people look after their lungs.

• We’ve connected more people than ever before through our web community. It now has a membership of more than 1,000 – a massive 61 per cent jump. Get involved at blf.healthunlocked.com

• Our network of penpals has grown to more than 1,000, talking by email, letter or phone.

“ My life was going downhill until I learned about Breathe Easy. The love, care and support of the BLF has restored confidence in all our lives.” Pat Mackie, retiring chair of Breathe Easy East Lothian

237 the number of Breathe Easy groups across the UK

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Watch the video: www.blf.org.uk

Bob Wilson

debate, song and a spot of

tai chi with his Breathe Easy group

www.blf.org.uk

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Bob Wilson is a member of Breathe Easy Liverpool North.

I’m 70 years old. I’ve got COPD and I’m in my third year of remission with lung cancer. When I was diagnosed with COPD in 2004 I was very low. I went to a course of pulmonary rehabilitation and I learned about Breathe Easy Liverpool North. The difference it has made to me is unbelievable.

“Talking to people with the same condition enabled me to adjust. I used to be very active but now I can’t do anywhere near as many things. I just do things slowly, managing my condition.

“Unless you’ve had COPD you can’t appreciate what it’s like to live with it. You go through panic and stages of being puffed. I’ve got grandchildren and great grandchildren – I want to be able to run around with them and cuddle them when they’ve had a fall. You can’t always do things like that. But I make up for it in other ways. I concentrate on laughter and making life as funny as I can.

“We meet as a group of friends. We debate, we have speakers, we sing. All things that help us with our conditions. The tai chi that we do is specifically for people with a respiratory condition. It’s an uplifting experience.

“Nobody feels the same two weeks on the trot. So we talk to each other and give tips. Coping with the panic attacks you can get is one of my specialities. Once I found the trick of that I was away – I wouldn’t have known how if it hadn’t been for the Breathe Easy group.

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Staying active can be crucial if you have a lung disease. Getting a bit out of breath helps lungs to become stronger and people to become healthier and happier.

But getting started with exercise can be daunting. People with lung disease often can’t cope with the exercise classes everyone else goes to.

Over the past four years we’ve trained 327 fitness instructors all over the country to lead classes for people with lung conditions, as part of our BLF Active scheme. They’re making a big difference to thousands of people’s health and well-being.

This year:• Our instructors helped 2,466 people a

week to exercise – compared with around 800 in 2010/11.

• We handed out 23,194 copies of our exercise leaflet, compared with 10,801 last year. We also had 12,511 hits on our web pages about exercising safely with lung disease, and our online surgery about exercise was the most popular of the year, with 200 people tuning in.

• We supported health care company GlaxoSmithKline’s Your Personal Best campaign to encourage people with long-term conditions to find creative ways to get active in and around their home and community.

Supporting people with lung disease to get active

“I feel better in my body and mind and I’m much more confident about what I can do. Exercise has saved my life!” Roy Davies, living with bronchiectasis and BLF Active class member

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We are dedicated to making sure each and every person with lung disease in the UK gets the very best treatment and care. To do this, we’re always looking for ways to make our voice heard by politicians, NHS bosses, health care professionals and other important decision-makers.

This year:• We’ve been helping to implement the

Outcomes Strategy for COPD and Asthma in England. Publication of this strategy was a major success for us last year, after seven years of campaigning. But we haven’t stopped there. Instead we’ve been working with all 10 Strategic Health Authority respiratory boards to promote the strategy and share examples of best practice. We want patients’ needs to be at the forefront of this planning process, which feeds into how health care professionals work and how services are commissioned.

• Using oxygen is an everyday part of life for many people with lung disease, and heavy, bulky tanks can mean they have to stay at home. In Scotland the BLF has been campaigning for many years for the NHS to supply lighter, more portable oxygen tanks, so people can get out of the house and stay active. In 2012, our work paid off: the Scottish government announced that new, more modern oxygen systems will be rolled out across Scotland – and people with lung disease can start living their lives to the full.

We’ve also been helping local NHS organisations in London and the south east to make improvements to how they supply oxygen to people who need it, working with patients to help them put across their views.

• In the Midlands, the BLF has been helping decision-makers to understand what patients go through and make good choices on their behalf. We did a survey of people living with long-term lung disease and presented the results to clinicians and commissioners at a series of events throughout the region. We also invited primary care staff to a patient and carer panel in Stoke-on-Trent, where they could speak to people affected by lung disease and develop a better understanding of their situations.

• User representatives are patients and carers who help to improve treatment and care for everyone with a lung condition by sitting on NHS boards, networks and patient groups. We assist people to become user representatives and support them in their vital role, giving them training and online advice.

• In the south west we held four events to help health care professionals change the way they work with people affected by lung disease. The events focused on how shared decision-making can improve care and how nurses in particular can motivate and support patients to manage their condition.

Influencing in all the right places

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Lung disease is everywhere.

It affects one person in every five you see walking down the street. And 110,000 people die from lung disease every year, making it the UK’s third biggest killer.

We are dedicated to making these huge numbers drop drastically. We want to save lives. That’s why we campaign intensively to spread the word about how to recognise and prevent lung conditions. We influence governments to put policies in place to stop lung disease too.

2011/12 was another really successful year in our battle to prevent lung disease...

Asbestos is still dangerous. We’re raising awareness

We’ve fought hard to

lung disease

prevent

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Asbestos is a thing of the past, right? Wrong. It’s still found in millions of homes. And disturbing it during DIY can be very dangerous. Among other serious lung conditions, it causes mesothelioma, an incurable chest cancer.

Our Take 5 and Stay Alive campaign is making sure DIYers know what asbestos looks like, where they might find it and what to do if they come across it. It encourages

them to know the answers to five vital questions about the potentially toxic substance before they do any work on their home – so asbestos doesn’t claim more lives.

This year:• We made people aware of how dangerous

asbestos is with adverts on primetime TV and widespread coverage in the national media.

• More than 16,000 people visited our new Take 5 and Stay Alive website to find out how to protect themselves and their families from asbestos.

• Each year during Breathe Easy Week, we ask our 237 local groups to raise awareness of a particular issue. This year it was asbestos. From the Cornish coast to the Scottish Highlands, the Welsh Valleys to Northern Ireland, groups handed out our Take 5 and Stay Alive campaign booklets and postcards to thousands of people to warn them about the dangers of asbestos.

Asbestos is still dangerous. We’re raising awareness

You can visit the site too, at www.take5andstayalive.com

16,000people learned about asbestos by visiting

www.take5andstayalive.com

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More from Mavis: www.blf.org.uk

Visit the campaign site: www.take5andstayalive.com

Mavis Nye

loud and clear on

the dangers of asbestos

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Mavis Nye is living with the chest and lung cancer mesothelioma. She campaigns for better asbestos awareness.

I got married at 19. My husband worked as a shipwright at Chatham Dockyard. I used to wash his work clothes, unaware they were contaminated with asbestos.

“It was in my body a long time, festering away. In 2009, aged 68, I was diagnosed with mesothelioma – the cancer caused by breathing in asbestos – and given three months to live.

“Yet here I am at 72. With the different drugs they’re using, the chemotherapy is working better. Still, it will kill me.

“But I can live a normal life. We get out and about as much as we can. I’m not an invalid, sitting indoors waiting to die.

“After my diagnosis, I went on the internet, looking for information. It was frightening, hopeless. Then I found the British Lung Foundation. I ask questions all the time, about the best treatments, where clinical trials are held and so on. The BLF gives me the answers.

“People don’t realise asbestos is still in older homes, in lagging around pipes and even in ceilings. It’s only dangerous when disturbed but, when it is, even a small amount can be lethal. People renovate houses and dump asbestos in the streets. Builders dump it in the countryside.

“I want people to be so aware of asbestos. The BLF’s Take 5 and Stay Alive campaign answers the five key questions everyone should ask before starting DIY – to protect themselves and their families. I know how important it is that they do.

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Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a serious condition. It stops you breathing well at night, makes you snore and leaves you exhausted during the day. Left unchecked, it can lead to serious health problems like heart disease.

It affects up to 4 per cent of middle-aged men and 2 per cent of middle-aged women in the UK. Most don’t realise they’ve got it. In 2011/12 we continued our campaign to encourage people to get tested and treated for OSA – giving them a new lease of life, stopping serious illness developing and saving the NHS money.

This year:• 24,500 people took our online Epworth test,

to check if they had signs of OSA. The test urged the 40 per cent who found they had symptoms to see their GP.

• We published a new information leaflet about OSA. People can pick one up at sleep clinics across the UK, or they can read and order the information on our website to learn more about the condition and how to get treatment.

• Thanks in part to our campaigning, the Department of Health put tackling OSA firmly on its agenda, forming an OSA working group that we are part of.

• We’re working with health care professionals and politicians across the UK to draw up plans to provide better and more consistent services for people with OSA. We’ve developed an OSA Charter, which sets out the changes we want to see in OSA care.

• We helped get 30 features and news articles about OSA into the media, so hundreds of thousands of people can read about the symptoms and get help if they recognise them.

More than five million people in the UK have asthma. It’s a massive problem, and one our new project is aiming to tackle.

For 10 years, the government in Finland ran a successful programme to improve asthma care in the country. We’re making plans to pilot similar programmes in England and Scotland.

Lifting the burden of obstructive sleep apnoea and asthma

“I regularly alert patients to the BLF’s OSA information. I see this project as being the most important one the BLF has undertaken, with many far-reaching consequences in other areas such as heart failure, stroke, diabetes and more.” Adrian Williams, Professor of Sleep Medicine, King’s College London

Take action on OSA Write to your local representative and help us to make a difference: www.blf.org.uk/osa-action

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We don’t just run national campaigns. Our staff in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and in the five English regions, along with local groups, work hard to get the message out about how to prevent lung disease too. They also influence the decision-makers in their area.

This year:• The Welsh Assembly has felt BLF Wales’

influence left, right and centre. We’re making sure the government meets its smoking reduction targets as part of the Wales Tobacco Control Alliance. Through the Respiratory Alliance we helped influence the government to develop a national plan to improve Wales’ respiratory services. We also organise an annual event where Assembly Members can meet people with lung disease and talk through their concerns.

• We partnered with Fresh, an organisation working for a smoke-free north east, on the Every Breath campaign to warn smokers about the dangers of COPD. We offered information on our website and helpline, and were featured on TV and radio adverts reaching 1.8 million people. We were pleased to be part of Fresh’s success in cutting smoking in the north east by 8 per cent over the past five years.

Early diagnosis can make all the difference for people with lung disease. So we also run campaigns up and down the country to test people for tell-tale signs and encourage them to go to their GP. In the long run, that saves lives and saves the NHS money.

This year:• BLF Services tested 1,187 members of

the public at events in places like shopping centres and libraries across England. We advised 19 per cent to see their GP because they showed signs of lung disease.

• We put on our first lung cancer awareness campaign in the north west. More than 500 people came along to find out more about the disease and get tested. We advised 38 per cent to visit their GP because they were at risk.

• We hosted our first COPD campaign in Northern Ireland, giving 542 people lung function tests and referring 23 per cent of them to their GP.

Campaigning all over the UK

“The British Lung Foundation does excellent work throughout Wales. This ranges from focused and successful lobbying on campaigns such as fighting for pulmonary rehabilitation for those who need it, to the ongoing campaign to stop smoking in cars carrying children.” Sandy Mewies, Assembly Member for Delyn

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Did you know that 9,500 children are admitted to hospital each year because of health problems caused by second-hand smoke?

When someone has a cigarette in a closed car, a child will breathe in up to 11 times more smoke that they would in a smoke-filled pub. Even with the window open, smoke still damages their sensitive and still-developing lungs.

No child should suffer because a driver can’t wait until the end of their journey to light up. Our campaign to ban smoking in cars where children are present continues.

This year:• We made good progress towards laws

banning smoking in cars with children across the UK. In Wales, thanks to our campaigning, ministers have promised to consider introducing a ban if an ongoing programme to raise awareness of the dangers does not have the desired effect. In Scotland the upcoming Tobacco Control Strategy is due to include a pledge to promote public understanding of the issue. In Northern Ireland the government is due to launch a consultation on options around banning smoking in cars.

And in England, thanks in part to our influence, the Department of Health ran a campaign from March to May 2012 to raise awareness of the dangers of passive smoke to children at home and in cars. We also worked with Conservative Peer Lord Ribeiro to support his Smoke-free Private Vehicles Bill through the House of Lords. The bill has now gone to the House of Commons and we’re working to persuade MPs from all parties to back it.

• The more support we have, the more likely it is that we’ll see a ban. We’ve worked hard to get lots of coverage for the campaign up and down the UK on TV, on the radio and in the papers.

Stubbing out smoking in cars with children

“I am all too aware of the harm that second-hand smoke can cause to young lungs. The British Lung Foundation has been brilliant at raising the profile of the dangers that children face when exposed to cigarette smoke in cars. I sincerely hope the UK governments can grasp the nettle and act on this crucial children’s health issue.” Charles Godden, Consultant Paediatrician

Lord Ribeiro CBE

speaking up

for children’s lungs

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“It has been a pleasure to work with the BLF to help protect children’s lungs from the dangers of passive smoke. Together we have successfully demonstrated the vital need to raise awareness of those dangers. We have alerted parliamentarians to the issue and we have opened people’s eyes to the scale of the problem.

“Collaborating with the BLF has meant we’ve been able to talk about the issue in the media and advocate on behalf of children who need to be protected from smoking in cars.

“I am looking forward to making more progress alongside the BLF. We will continue to encourage a government commitment to consider legislation in this area, and look with interest to see the impact of the recent government awareness campaigns around the dangers of second-hand smoke.

“I am confident that there is still much good work that we can do together to safeguard children’s lung health.

Lord Ribeiro is a retired surgeon and Conservative peer in the House of Lords. In 2012, working with the BLF, he introduced a bill in Parliament to ban smoking in cars when children are present.

I was inspired to get involved with the BLF’s campaign to end smoking in cars with children because I could see that it was a crucial child protection issue.

“The evidence of the health benefits of taking action to stop children being affected by second-hand smoke while confined in a car is compelling and I wanted to work with the BLF to achieve positive change for children. This is why I decided to introduce a bill to Parliament to ban smoking in cars with children present.

“I feel a personal affinity with the BLF’s views. The charity’s work covers such a broad range of important issues, including lung health, respiratory conditions, awareness, patient information and public health.

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”

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New treatments for pneumonia. A tissue bank for mesothelioma. Methods to improve symptoms in people with lung scarring.

These are the aims of just some of the research projects we’ve funded this year. They have the potential to save thousands of lives.

We believe in the power of research to fight lung disease and win – making people’s lives longer and better.

We invested £1.4 million in research in 2011/12.

We’ve funded world-class

to save, prolong and improve lives

research

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Funding mesothelioma researchMesothelioma, a type of lung cancer caused by asbestos, has the worst prognosis of almost all cancers. It can’t be cured and most people don’t live for longer than a year after diagnosis. In 2012 we invested in work on asbestos-related diseases. Our grant of £500,000, including £300,000 from the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund, funded a ‘Mesobank’, a new research facility that will collect samples of mesothelioma tumours for experts to use. By understanding tumour characteristics better, we hope to support the development of desperately needed new treatments.

Grants for work on other debilitating conditions• We’ve given £99,500 for a study at Queen

Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham into whether a particular type of drug can improve older people’s defences against pneumonia.

• £119,500 is being spent looking for potential new treatments for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. This work is being carried out at University Hospital Southampton.

• Our Burrow Hill Training Fund awards funding for lung research related to the armed forces. This year, we’ve given grants totalling £133,000 to studies looking at all sorts of subjects, from asthma in RAF personnel to the role of Afghanistan dust in causing lung scarring.

Supporting young researchers to shineThis year we awarded 27 Travel Fellowships worth £750 each to help young researchers working on lung health go to the European Respiratory Society conference in the Netherlands and the American Thoracic Society conference in the USA. They were able to mix with the world’s top respiratory experts, present their own research, and bring back new knowledge to help in their vital work.

Cannabis report publishedCannabis is the world’s most-used illegal drug, but public awareness of its effect on the lungs is low. Our report brought together all the research in this area for the first time in 10 years and called for more work to really get to the bottom of how the drug can affect people’s lives.

Our research in prestigious journalsOur research is world class – that’s proven by the scientific journals it appears in. This year, results of BLF-funded research have been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Respiratory Medicine and the Journal of Immunology.

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Watch the video: www.blf.org.uk

Dr Anant Patel

discussing lung research

on the world stage

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Dr Anant Patel is a Clinical Research Fellow at University College London Medical School. He has won two BLF Travel Fellowships.

My research focuses on COPD and the flare-ups that patients get. We’re looking for links between COPD and heart attack and stroke.

“We talk to patients about their symptoms and quality of life, and then we do some tests. We measure blood pressure, heart rate, breathing and – what I’m most interested in – how ‘stiff’ the arteries are.

“We found that flare-ups of COPD can make the main blood pipe in the body stiffer. This could be an underlying reason why patients with COPD have a higher risk of heart attack and stroke.

“For the last two years I’ve won a Travel Fellowship from the British Lung

Foundation. It’s incredibly important that the BLF is able to support young researchers. Travel Fellowships allow us to go to international conferences, present our work and talk to other respiratory researchers who are at the top of their game.

“It’s a real boost and it allows us to get new ideas about our research. That type of confidence is difficult to provide – and it’s really very welcome when it comes.

“Having a specialist organisation like the BLF that will fund specific research into lung conditions is absolutely vital in order to make progress.

“COPD, heart disease, stroke and lung infections are some of the biggest causes of death worldwide, not just in the UK. Uncovering even small links between these diseases may be really important to large numbers of people.

Times continue to be tough. And yet thousands of people still give time, energy, expertise and money to ensure that we can continue to fight lung disease.

In a challenging climate we can report another solid year of income and charitable spending on the things that really make a difference. It’s all thanks to the dedication of our volunteers, supporters, staff and trustees.

Making itall happen

Our volunteers are indispensable. Whether they’re helping at one of our events or supporting us in the office, we couldn’t survive without them.

In 2011/12, 147 volunteers made a huge difference to our work – and we’ve made a big difference to them. This year, nine of our 45 office volunteers

Our wonderful volunteers

progressed into paid jobs at the BLF, and 17 got jobs elsewhere, thanks in part to the skills they learned with us.

147 the number of volunteers donating

their time and energy to us

28 www.blf.org.uk

www.blf.org.uk 29

“

”

Teresa Nolan is a volunteer working with our fundraising team.

I retired from my job as a practice manager for a local GP’s surgery in 2000, and realised that I was going to go soft in the head if I didn’t find something to do with my time!

“Originally, I split my time between the BLF and another charity, but soon I found I fitted in perfectly at the BLF. I just wanted to do something constructive and useful, but without the responsibility of a paid job.

“I work with the fundraising team and we have a good laugh. They’re all very young, which I like. It helps keep me feeling younger!

“I really do care about the work that I do, and that the BLF does. I find myself talking about it to my friends and family about it far more than I thought I would. And working here has helped me on a family level – my niece’s husband was recently diagnosed with COPD, and I was able to help them understand the disease and point them in the right direction for more help.

“One of the lovely things about volunteering at the BLF is seeing how grateful people are for the work that it does. Sometimes people who have rung the helpline and received advice from the nurses then write appreciative letters, and they really are thankful for what we have done.

“Hearing stories like that makes our task on the fundraising team very real – we need all the support we can get from our wonderful donors so the BLF can continue to do this vital work.

Teresa Nolan

chatting away with

our generous supporters

30 www.blf.org.uk

FinancesOne person in five is affected by lung disease. Millions more are at risk. It has never been more crucial to continue our life-saving work and reach out to even more people. All our work is funded by our generous supporters, so we are sure to spend every penny carefully.

Our income...

A large proportion of our money comes from people leaving us a gift in their will. That along with donations and sponsorship – from individuals and corporate partners – makes up 81 per cent of our total income.

This year our income was £6.38m (2010/11, £7.16m).

This financial summary is taken from our audited statutory financial accounts for the year ended 30 June 2012. You can obtain copies of our financial accounts from our London office or by visiting www.blf.org.uk

...and how we spend it

We’re leading the fight against lung disease and it’s a long-term battle. The generosity and dedication of our supporters determines how much we can spend each year.

This year we spent £7.31m (2010/11, £7.19m) on prevention, support and research, to help millions of people across the UK.

Expenditurel Information and support £3,803,584l Scientific and medical research £1,575,998

l Fundraising costs £1,288,977l Campaigning, lobbying and awareness raising

£582,146

l Governance costs £60,680Total £7,311,385

61%

3%4%

13%20%

52%

22%

18% 1%8%

£7.31m£6.38m

For every £1 we spend:81p goes on charitable activity to help beat lung disease

19p goes towards running the charity

£81p

19p

Incomel Donations and fundraising £3,872,403l Legacies £1,300,464l Breathe Easy network,

regions and nations£789,690

l Service delivery and tradingg £233,781l Investment income and other £179,341

Total £6,375,679

Lindsay Raywood

shouting about the fun in fundraising

See Lindsay in action: www.blf.org.uk

“”

Lindsay Raywood raises money for the BLF in memory of her father, Gillie Fisher.

Two weeks before my dad died from pulmonary fibrosis, he asked me, head in hands: ‘Why can’t they help people with this condition? Why aren’t they finding out what needs to be done?’

“After the funeral we donated all the money we received instead of flowers to the BLF, so people don’t have to suffer like he did.

“I’ve since told three other people with pulmonary fibrosis to contact the BLF for help and support, because I know it will be there for them.

“And I’ve been there for the BLF – raising funds. I’ve done the Liverpool Half Marathon, open water swimming at Salford Quays, the British Gas Great Manchester Swim and the Liverpool to Chester Bike Ride, and am about to do the Liverpool Marathon.

“I’m a fitness instructor and I’ve made everyone in my aerobics classes aware of the BLF. I’ve held

special classes where they pay what they like and all money goes to the charity.

“I’ve also organised a big raffle. Local businesses have donated some wonderful prizes and tickets have sold like they’re going out of style.

“So far I’ve raised £3,500 in total, with more still to come in.

“The BLF does a good job. I just wish everybody knew about it. There should be banners everywhere. The more I can promote it, the better.

“I’ve enjoyed every minute of my fundraising for the BLF. And if I can do it, then anyone can.

“I just want that money to go towards people with lung disease who need that help and support.

www.blf.org.uk 31

32 www.blf.org.uk

Thank you

Can you help us to help even more people?

Our work to prevent lung disease, our support for people affected by it and our investment in world-class research really did improve the lives of thousands this year. We could never have done it without the volunteers, fundraisers, experts, donors, politicians, celebrities, health care professionals, patients, carers, friends and families who have supported us in 2011/12. Thank you!

FundraisersTo everyone who has raised money for the BLF – thank you.

Chris Knighton and the volunteers at the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund

Amanda Evans, Mike Puddifoot and Steve MacLean, and all their friends and family, who have fundraised tirelessly.

Companies and organisationsAir LiquideAir ProductsAstraZenecaAvivaAxaBathgateBespakBoehringer-IngelheimChiesiCMS Cameron McKennaFentonsFisher & PaykelGallagher HeathGive a CarGlaxoSmithKline

H&V NewsIntermedicalLuxfer UKMerck Sharp & Dohme (MSD)NappNovartisPari MedicalPentland MedicalPfizerPhilips RespironicsProact MedicalPure O2ResMedRoyal & Sun AllianceShield EnvironmentalSilverdellSmileTescoTeNS MedicalUniteWaitrose Community MattersZurich

Trusts, foundations and statutory supportersBig Lottery FundScottish GovernmentA M Pilkington Charitable TrustAMW Charitable TrustAnnie Ramsay McLean TrustArnold Burton 1998 Charitable TrustAssheton-Smith Charitable TrustAustin Bailey TrustBenham Charitable SettlementBuckland Charitable TrustCadogan CharityCharles and Elsie Sykes TrustCharles Littlewood Hill Trust

www.blf.org.uk 33

Coutts Charitable TrustCurtis Family Charitable TrustDouglas Turner TrustDunhill Medical TrustEdward & Dorothy Cadbury TrustEleanor Rathbone Charitable TrustFord Britain TrustG & E Pollitzer Charitable SettlementG M Morrison Charitable TrustGale Family Charitable TrustGalvani Charitable FoundationGarfield Weston FoundationGeorge John and Sheilah LivanosBurgin Family FundGreendale FoundationHarris Charitable TrustHelen Jean Cope CharityHenry Lumley Charitable TrustHospital of God at GreathamHugh Fraser FoundationJ & JR Wilson TrustJames Ellis Charitable TrustJames Wood Bequest FundJohn Ellerman FoundationJoseph and Mary Hiley TrustJoseph Strong Frazer TrustJTH Charitable TrustKing’s FundLeng Charitable TrustMartin Connell Charitable TrustMerchants House of GlasgowMichael Cornish Charitable TrustMrs A A Clutterbuck’s Charitable TrustMrs M A Black’s Charitable TrustN & P Hartley Memorial TrustN M Rothschild and Sons LimitedNancie Massey Charitable Trust

Nancy Roberts Charitable TrustPaul Bassham Charitable TrustPeacock Charitable TrustPF Charitable TrustPhyllis Heygate FundR S Brownless Charitable TrustRaymond and Blanche Lawson Charitable TrustRonald Miller FoundationRowan Charitable TrustSammermar TrustSantander UK FoundationSherburn House Charity (Christ’s Hospital in Sherburn)Sir James Roll Charitable TrustSir John Sumner’s TrustSir Jules Thorn Charitable TrustSir Samuel Scott of Yews TrustSouter Charitable TrustStrathclyde Police Benevolent FundSwire Charitable TrustSylvia Aitken Charitable TrustTalteg LtdTyneside Charitable TrustThomas Roberts TrustWatkin Jones Community FundWhite Oak Charitable TrustWilliam Leech CharityWilliam and Christine Eynon CharityZochonis Charitable Trust

“ We want to make a difference by raising awareness around the issues of asbestos. Working with the British Lung Foundation is a big part of this commitment.” Lucy Czakan, Silverdell

34 www.blf.org.uk

President Prof Dame Carol Black DBE CBE

Chair Peter Dolphin Vice-presidents Greta Barnes MBE Prof Peter Barnes Sir Christian Bonington CBE Lord Borwick of Hawkshead Prof Mark Britton Dame Judi Dench CH DBE Sir Terence English KBE Prof Duncan Geddes Baroness Fritchie of Gloucester DBE Prof Sir Malcolm Green KBE David Hanger Prof Sue Hill OBE Dame Deirdre Hine DBE Prof Stephen Holgate Lord Howe of Aberavon CHProf William MacNee Dr John Moore-Gillon Prof Michael MorganDr Keith Prowse Richard Reid Sir Richard Sykes Lord Tugendhat of Widdington Prof Lord Turnberg Prof Dame Margaret Turner-Warwick DBE Dr Robert Winter

Board of trusteesProfessor Stephen Spiro (vice-chair)Sabah Zubaida (treasurer)Ralph Bernard CBELord Borwick of HawksheadRichard ChappellProf Duncan Empey Prof Ruth EndacottDr Patrick Flood-PageDavid GillSir Graham HartProf David LomasRichard PettitRichard PinckardSamantha Prigmore Dr Gary Ruiz

“The British Lung Foundation makes a real difference to the lives of all those affected by debilitating lung conditions. I feel privileged to have been involved over the past 10 years and to contribute in whichever way I can.”

David Gill, BLF Trustee

www.blf.org.uk 37

British Lung Foundation73–75 Goswell RoadLondon EC1V 7ER

T 020 7688 5555Helpline 03000 030 555enquiries@blf.org.ukwww.blf.org.uk

© British Lung Foundation 2012Company limited guarantee in England and Wales (01863614). Registered charity in England and Wales (326730) and in Scotland (SC038415)

National offices

Northern IrelandTel: 0141 248 0050Email: northernireland@blf.org.uk

ScotlandTel: 0141 248 0050Email: scotland@blf.org.uk

WalesTel: 01792 455 764Email: wales@blf.org.uk

Regional offices

London and South EastTel: 020 7688 5555Email: londonandsoutheast@blf.org.uk

MidlandsTel: 0116 249 5780Email: midlands@blf.org.uk

NorthTel: 0191 263 0276Email: north@blf.org.uk

North WestTel: 0151 224 7778Email: northwest@blf.org.uk

South WestTel: 0117 300 4082Email: southwest@blf.org.uk