Sunday, 5 August 2012

Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation


As well as the waterfall project, I attended an Afternoon Tea held to raise funds for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.  Organised by Hucknall Inner Wheel member Jill Roberts, everyone was hoping that the weather would stay dry and the predicted rains would arrive later in the evening.  Over £ 700 was raised which is an incredible amount so a big hearty thanks to everyone who supported and helped in some way.


The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation is the only charity in the UK wholly dedicated to the defeat of lung cancer, funding lung cancer research, providing support, helping people to quit smoking and giving a voice to all those affected by lung cancer through their campaigning.

The charity was founded as the Lung Cancer Fund in 1990 by Professor Ray Donnelly, FRCS, a thoracic surgeon working in Liverpool, to raise awareness of the problem of lung cancer, to promote an intensive research programme into the causes, prevention and management of the disease, to provide support for patients and their families during the course of their illness and to help people not to smoke, especially children.

The first lung cancer support nurse was appointed in Liverpool in 1991 and work began soon after in local schools to help children not to smoke.

The first grant to investigate the early genetic changes occurring in the development of lung cancer was given in 1993 to Professor John Field in the University of Liverpool.

In 1993 Ray Donnelly put together his ideas for an international centre for lung cancer research. At this time much loved UK entertainer Roy Castle was diagnosed with lung cancer. Roy agreed to give his name to a special appeal for the Lung Cancer Fund to raise £12m to build, equip and run the centre.

Roy Castle spent much of the last year of his life helping to raise millions of pounds for the appeal. Sadly Roy died in September 1994 and his heroic contribution was recognised by changing the name of the charity to The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.

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