ASESA Alignment With Mesothelioma UK

Many ASESA members undertake fundraising activities for the cause that is closest to their heart, and with around 170,000 registered charities here in the UK, there are so many worthwhile causes to choose from. But for the Asbestos removal community, one cause unites us all, and that is those organisations campaigning around Asbestos exposure and the threat from mesothelioma, a cancer which according to Cancer Research UK is a staggering 94% preventable.

In light of this, the ASESA directors recently discussed the various ways in which ASESA could help support those charities and volunteers who work tirelessly dealing with the ongoing impact on our society from Asbestos. The board, made up of people like you from HSE Licensed Asbestos removal contractors, all agreed that we should support the sterling work undertaken by Mesothelioma UK and the myriad support groups all around the UK.

ASESA Chief Executive Graham Warren told us “We believe that our industry, and those charities dealing with the aftermath of the UK’s Asbestos legacy, are inextricably linked. We’re like two sides of the same coin, both striving to minimise the impact from Asbestos be it funding research into treatments, safely removing hazardous Asbestos Containing Materials, or providing advice and support to patients, carers and of course those of you who are working in the Asbestos industry when you require technical advice”.

The board identified three principal ways in which ASESA and our members can provide support.

Firstly, ASESA will be organising, supporting and promoting regular fund raising activities, where we’ll be engaging with and working alongside our members. We’ve already seen an early example of this by ASESA Director Craig Binge of Westfield Group UK who raised over £11,000 for his local mesothelioma ward in Southampton. Craig told us “The Asbestos industry standards have vastly improved as we work to make people safe from the dangers of Asbestos exposure, but standards weren’t always the same in the past. God forbid, but we might need their help one day. This is why, when we were approached by Helen Wilkes the clinical nurse specialist to see if we could help raise much needed funds for the mesothelioma ward in my local hospital for patient & welfare improvements, I thought we really should do something to help”.

Secondly, we will be encouraging our growing membership to get involved in terms of sponsorship, and perhaps more importantly their time, with their regional support groups and events. Again, a wonderful recent example came from ASESA member Tony Birchall CMIOSH who gave an insight into the Licensed Asbestos sector including ideas on best practice that can offer improvements to those of us working with Asbestos for Cheshire Asbestos Victims Support Group (http://www.cavsg.co.uk/).

And finally, the board have agreed to provide financial donations each year, to go principally to Mesothelioma UK, with the remainder going to regional support groups throughout the UK. This ground breaking commitment, to donate 20% of our overall reserves (not just any annual surplus), each and every year, represents a real step change in our level of support for those organisations that serve such a vital purpose.

Whilst our clear focus as an association is on Asbestos focused charities, that is not to say we wouldn’t want to support other charities as we know just how important these are too. So whatever you are doing, ensure you share it with your trade association so we can help promote the cause that is closest to you.

Graham Warren commented “As a not for profit trade association dedicated to the Asbestos industry and the people that work within it, I’m immensely proud of the board for making such a fantastic statement about the direction of this fresh new association. And sure, we’re in our first year of operating so this isn’t going to be a vast sum initially, but I’m confident that as ASESA membership grows, as we deliver more training, assess more NVQ’s, undertake more audits, then the more the Asbestos industries contribution to this vital safety net around us all will just grow and grow. To me this is just one element of what being a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to the Asbestos industry is all about”.