Children from Holy Cross Primary School releasing sponsored balloons behind the Liverpool Town Hall to mark Action Mesothelioma Day 2008. Picture courtesy of Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group.
A Breathtaking Journey
This summer three campaigners are cycling all the way from Glasgow to Southampton to raise awareness of the misery asbestos continues to cause across the UK.
They reached Birmingham on the 30th June and were welcomed by a public meeting in the Birmingham City Council House, Victoria Square
Speakers Included:
Lauie Kazen-Allen, International Ban Asbestos Secretariat
Joe Morgan, Regional Secretary of the GMB union
Legal Expert on Asbestos Compensation from Irwin Mitchell Solicitors
Chair: Kathy Gaffney, West Midlands Hazards Trust
The following day supporters saw them off with a protest outside the old Canadian Consulate in Colmore Row.
This was to mark Canada Day; national day of a country much admired across the world. Despite this reputation the Canadian Government still allows the mining and exporting of asbestos- even though its use is banned in Canada itself!
Medical experts believe that the international trade in asbestos, which targets developing economies, will cause millions of deaths over the next fifty years. That’s why the riders will start the next leg of their epic journey at the consulate calling on the Canadian Government to end this deadly trade.
A full report of the events will be posted here soon. In the meantime if you would like to find out more information about their Breathtaking Journey click here
Thank You All!
In the
last month over £2,500 has been raised for Asbestos Support West Midlands by
brave soles running and jumping out of airplanes, and we would like to say thank
you to you all!
The Great West Midlands Fun Run 2009
This year nineteen people took part in the Great Midlands Fun Run to raise money.
The heroes of the hour were: Christine Don, Lynette Lewis, David Stanton, Kathy Gaffney, Satinder Bains, John Carney, Joe Carney, Julie Carney, Craig Bailey, Laura Storer, David McBride, Gemma Ruff, Leighanne Davis, Jennifer Tuby, Charmain Sappleton, Sara Hunt, Kishma Small and Kirsty Collins.
After 8.5 gruelling
miles on the hottest Sunday of the year so far they all passed the finish line
to the cheers of the crowd.
Lucy and Becky- Skydiving Heroes
A little over two weeks later Lucy Edwards and Becky Ratcliffe jumped out of a plane 13,000 feet above the Oxfordshire countryside. Reaching speeds of up to 120 miles per hour as they fell they covered 1000 feet every 5 seconds.
They chose to raise money for Asbestos Support West Midlands because in their work at the personal injury department at Irwin Mitchell’s solicitors, they all too often meet people who are suffering from asbestos related diseases.
They know how much help and support can mean to
people,
especially when they have been just diagnosed. That’s why they volunteered to do
what most of us only dream about in nightmares!
So a big thank you to all!
Asbestos Support WM would like to thank the staff and management at Alcoa, Kitts Green, Birmingham. Their generous donations made this website possible.