WALC

Houses of Parliament Event

Members and supporters of the Women Against Lung Cancer campaign attended a special event on the Terrace of the House of Lords on Wednesday 14th March.

The event was full to capacity and was attended by members of the Women Against Lung Cancer campaign, many of whom are lung cancer patients and carers; several lung cancer nurses; members from both Houses of Parliament; supporters and potential supporters of The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation; and several members of the charity's staff and trustees.

Unfortunately Dame Judi Dench, the Patron of Women Against Lung Cancer, was unable to attend but she sent a short personal message that was read by Dame Gill Oliver, the Head of Campaign. She said:

"I am so sorry that I cannot be with you all today at this special occasion at the House of Lords, but I am recuperating from a knee operation.

The Women Against Lung Cancer campaign has made amazing progress since its launch last September. I am kept up-to-date, and I am delighted and encouraged that so many people who have been affected by lung cancer are signing up to the campaign.

I would like to express my special appreciation to Dame Gill Oliver for her leadership and wish you all every success in raising the awareness of lung cancer and increasing much needed resources into research and patient care."

For pictures of the event click here 

Dame Gill Oliver then addressed the gathering on the work of the campaign. She talked about:

• the purpose and aims of campaign - need resources for research into early detection and for patient support and care
• why there is a need for a woman's campaign?
• the unfairness and inequalities caused by the decision on Tarceva - available in Scotland and almost every other European country, but not in England.
• she explained that we campaign to enforce our Patients' Charter that was accepted by the Health Minister, Rosie Winterton when it was presented it to her in February last year.
• she encouraged people to support the campaign in a number of ways
  • Sign our No 10 petition on Tarceva - accessed through the Roy Castle or WALC websites
  • sign up to the campaign on the website
  • offer their services to campaign with us
  • access funding and fundraise for us
• Finally, Dame Gill expressed her appreciation to Roche Products for their generous sponsorship of this event and their continued support for the WALC campaign.

Baroness Jay of Paddington who was a health minister in 1997 spoke about the great progress that has been made breast cancer over the past ten years and that lung cancer, which is no less deserving, could learn from these successes.She also congratulated the campaign on making such excellent progress since it was launched last September.

Dr Marianne Nicholson, a leading oncologist at Aberdeen Hospital, who are hugely supportive of our work, talked passionately about the need for campaigning to attract resources for lung cancer patients.

Sharron Heginbottom, a lung cancer patient and trustee of the Foundation, gave a personal account of her keenness to support Women Against Lung Cancer. her personal account clearly connected with the lung cancer patients in the room.

Dame Gill then introduced a surprise speaker - Guy Kinnings who read a special message from Colin Montgomerie who was unable to be present.

"I am sorry that I cannot be with you at this Women Against Lung Cancer event. I am currently playing golf in the United States. I have asked Guy Kinnings (my Manager) to read this message in my absence.

My mother, Elizabeth, died of lung cancer in 1991. This was devastating to our family and I hence appreciate its impact and through my own experience my thoughts are with those individuals and families who have gone through or are going through the same experience. There was (and still is) a definite need for centres for care and extensive research into this disease which has been largely ignored and considered relatively unfashionable, despite the great efforts of many campaigners - and I saw the potential to try to assist a cause very close to my heart.

I have supported a range of charities throughout the years, but have decided that I want to concentrate all of my efforts on one project and to do something that has the potential to make a profound difference to thousands of peoples' lives.

You will not be surprised therefore that, in tribute to my dear mother, I have decided to join forces with The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. It is the only charity in the UK wholly dedicated to the defeat of lung cancer. I intend to help them to achieve their vision and to establish a centre of excellence for lung cancer patients, through my financial support and the provision of my time, and hopefully, my assistance. Our Centre will look to provide the following:

• Highest quality information , support and training for lung cancer patients and carers
• First class training for lung cancer multi-disciplinary teams particularly specialist nurses and training for smoking cessation advisors, and generalist health and other professionals
• A UK-wide hotline for patients and carers
• Research into all aspects of patient care - including the establishment of a Chair in Lung Cancer Studies
• Consultancy in all aspects of The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation work and a home for the Foundation's patient care team

The centre will be based in Glasgow but will be a resource for the UK and I have no doubt that before long it will have gained an international importance and reputation.

The centre will be called The Elizabeth Montgomerie Lung Cancer Centre and will be a lasting legacy in my mother's memory.

I am delighted to be working with the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation on this exciting project and it was indeed they who inspired me to get involved.

Finally I urge you all to follow my lead and to support us in any possible way - using your influence and / or your fundraising skills to turn my dream into a reality."