Press releases

28/11/2005

Lord Chancellor is New Patron for Lung Cancer Charity

One of the most senior politicians in England has pledged his support to The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation - the world’s only charity wholly dedicated to defeating t he disease – following the death of a close friend.

The Lord Falconer of Thoroton will be an ambassador for The Foundation, helping to improve the charity's access to funding.

The announcement was made at an all party event held at the House of Lords which attracted support from both peers and MPs. Lord Faulkner of Worcester, a trustee of the charity, hosted the event.

Commenting on his new appointment the Lord Chancellor says : “It will be a privilege to help The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation with its fantastic work. I recently lost a dear friend of mine, respected journalist and former health editor of Vogue, Deborah Hutton, to lung cancer and was moved to try and help. The Foundation funds vital research into the early detection of the disease but also supports patients via a network of groups and runs vital smoking cessation services.

“I will be helping to raise the profile of the charity to attract more funding and also recommending my peers in both Houses to pledge their support and help. I would urge people to help the charity in whatever way they can, be it through corporate support or fundraising.”

Professor Ray Donnelly, the Founder of The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation says: “The Lord Chancellor will be an enormous asset to The Foundation - he has substantial influence and a keen interest in our ultimate goal of defeating this terrible disease. The event we held at the House of Lords was extremely successful with a number of high profile peers pledging to lend support to the charity.

“This is only the start and we aim to build on the relationships we’ve developed at Westminster to put lung cancer on the national health agenda. It is the biggest cancer killer - with more people dying of the disease than of breast and prostate cancer put together and currently, the disease receives no government support.”

Actor Robert Powell also attended the event and spoke passionately about his support as a Patron of the Foundation over 15 years following the loss of his father to lung cancer.

The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation has over the past 15 years raised over £12m to help fight the disease that 38,000 people are diagnosed with in the UK every year. The charity is also actively campaigning to call on the government to implement serious public health measures to save the health of the nation.

Lord Chancellor offered his support in defeating lung cancer at a Parliamentary Tea Party hosted by The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation

NOTES TO EDITORS:
The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation is the only charity in the world wholly dedicated to defeating lung cancer – the biggest cancer killer in the UK. The charity’s approach benefits current and future lung cancer sufferers alike:

• The foundation funds research programmes to detect lung cancer at a very early stage, which will save lives and is vital to the development of a future therapy.
• The foundation offers patient support, advocacy and an information network providing information, guidance and support relevant to the needs of lung cancer patients and their families.
• The foundation facilitates support groups across the UK that assist sufferers to come to terms with the disease and provide patient advocacy services.
• The foundation operates ‘Quit Smoking’ services for adults (Fag Ends) and its KATS (Kids Against Tobacco Smoke) educational programme which encourages young people never to start smoking.
• The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation runs fundraising events and charity shops, both of which help to generate much needed voluntary donations (public and corporate), on which it relies to continue its fight to defeat lung cancer.

Issued by Weber Shandwick on behalf of The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation ( Registered Charity 1046854) - for further media information please contact: