Last week I went to the publication of 'Breathing Easier: An Eighty-Year History of Asthma Charities in the UK', written by Beryl Schirn, a longstanding member of Asthma UK. Sadly Beryl died last September but the evening was a celebration of her achievement and many people came along who had played a role in the charity’s history.
The book is full of great stories and memories. The launch of the Adviceline in 1990 (Virginia Bottomley – remember her? – with a giant phone), the asthma information bus from 1987 (something we intend to repeat next year), the Chelmsford asthma swim group in 1984 (what happened to our swimming events?), an electrostatic air cleaner from 1935 (the solution to dust mites, apparently, though it looks to me like a technological false start) and much more. Those of you who have been involved with the charity for many years may recognise yourself in photos or in the index. I have only been involved for 15 months but it was great to see the energy, ideas and commitment exhibited by so many people over the years which are still strong features of the charity today.
Asthma UK has its roots in volunteering. We owe our existence to the fact that a small group of people cared enough about asthma to increase the amount of asthma research, counter the myths that were prevalent at the time (such as cigarettes being good for managing asthma) and running services for people who need them. Over the years, they have made a big difference and we are proud to carry forward their legacy.
Much of our operation was run by volunteers until the 1980s, when the scale of the charity and the nature of its work became such that it needed professional staff to run the Adviceline, manage research grants and raise donations. But of course volunteering still runs at the heart of the charity today. Many people volunteer their time to give talks in schools, help train teachers about asthma, take part in campaigns and raise money for our work. And today we are still almost wholly dependent on money that people voluntarily give us.
If you would like to buy a copy of the book (all proceeds go to Asthma UK), you call wordsmith Press on 0845 003 9454 or order through their website.
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