Current Charity for 2009 / 2010

Breathe Easy (Enfield branch) of The British Lung Foundation

The British Lung Foundation is a registered charity (no. 326730)

People with lung conditions and those who care for them can often feel alone. Making friends is important for people living with lung disease and Breathe Easy provides a good opportunity for that to happen. The Enfield branch meets on varied Wednesdays of the month at St. Michael’s Church Hall in Enfield. Breathe Easy began in 1991 and was the aspiration of Trevor Clay, the first male General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing and a BLF Trustee. Trevor was very aware of how isolating it could be to live with a lung condition as he himself had emphysema. He recognised the need for patients to come together for mutual support and advice, as well as the importance of patients and family/carers receiving information on lung health so that they would be better able to help
themselves. Trevor felt passionately that people should 'live with their lung condition' and not 'suffer from it.' To this end the Breathe
Easy magazine was developed, providing information and news about lung health (this has since been replaced by the Breathing Space magazine). The Breathe Easy support groups followed, allowing people to come together to share experiences and support each other. Trevor died in 1995 but his legacy of Breathe Easy continues to grow and help thousands of people live with their lung condition every day.

Many people with lung disease, and their carers, face a daily battle to live a relatively normal life. Breathe Easy supporters
strengthen the voice of everyone living with lung disease by lobbying local politicians and health authorities. They
campaign to improve services and make people take lung disease seriously. Breathe Easy is represented on government
bodies, and has had a real impact on services for people with lung disease. There are currently 25 members in the Enfield branch of Breathe Easy. The branch are currently raising funds to purchase nebulizers which cost approximately £250 each. Acorn hopes to be able to make a significant donation to this group to support their work in the local community and to help them achieve their aims. More information is available at www.lunguk.org. The British Lung Foundation is a registered charity - number 326730.

 

Past Charities

One of the main aims of ACORN since we were founded has been to raise money for local charities. The total amount of donations have been made to a variety of local charities, and a cheque for £2500 was presented to representatives of Enfield branch of the National Autistic Society (charity no. 269425) at our 20th AGM in July 2009.

Recipients of donations include:

Borough of Enfield Voluntary Association for the Disabled (BEVAD)
Babywatch (at Chase Farm Hospital)
Roberts Ward (at North Middlesex Hospital)
M.S.Society
Cheshire Home (on The Ridgeway)
M.E.Self Help Group
Waverley Gateway Club
Enfield Vision
Enfield Deaf Children's Association
DAZU
Crossroads Care Enfield
Enfield Dyslexia Association
North London Hospice
Children & Parent's Advisory Group (C.A.P.A.G.)
Waverley Association for Special People(W.A.S.P)
Arnold House - Leonard Cheshire Home
Enfield branch of the National Autistic Society