This year’s Breathing Matters and UCLH Charity Bike Ride is on Sunday 9th June 2013 at Richmond Park. 

Join us for a 7 mile cycle ride in the beautiful Richmond Park – in South West London and the city’s largest Royal Park.  There is no registration fee, we just ask that you raise £25 minimum sponsorship.  There will be a prize for the highest fundraiser, a free T-shirt and goodies at the end of the ride.   This is a fully marshalled route.

Registration time: 10.15 – 10.30am.

Meeting Place: Robin Hood Gate Car Park, Richmond Park. Cars must enter the park at other gates. Public Transport:  Trains to Richmond, Kingston, or Barnes.

We recommend you wear suitable clothing and helmet.

There are cycles for hire at Richmond Park: Tel: 07050 209249, postcode TW10 5HS or visit http://www.parkcycle.co.uk

Come with family and friends … and perhaps a picnic for a fun day out.

Simply email Donna Basire with your details on: breathingmatters@ucl.ac.uk to secure your place.

Peter with Lawrence

Incredibly, it has been a year since Breathing Matters’ dear friend Lawrence Matz lost his battle with IPF.

On Thursday, 27th September 2012, his best friend, Peter Tenenbaum, is cycling from London to Barcelona in his memory and to fundraise for Breathing Matters. 

This hard slog will take Peter two weeks to complete and will cover some of the roughest terrain in Europe, including climbing the Pyrenees.  This is Peter’s own Tour de France, or should we say Tour de Force!

For information on the route Peter is taking, visit http://www.the-life-cycle.co.uk/london_barcelona_bike_ride_route.htm

If you would like to support Peter in this amazing challenge, visit http://www.justgiving.com/lawrencematz

Thank you Peter.  Good luck with the challenge!

Graham Smith was diagnosed with bronchiectasis at the tender age of 5 years old and was told there was no cure.  Professor Pilcher, a lung surgeon at UCH, wanted to help Graham and, even though he had never operated on a child before, was willing to try and remove the diseased lobes.  At aged 7, the first lower lobe was removed, and a year later, the other lower lobe was removed.  The surgery worked.  Professor Pilcher saw Graham every year until he retired.

Graham was fine for years, playing golf and tennis.  However, his chest infections increased with age, he had pneumonia twice and he was told that cells from the original disease had returned.  Graham sadly passed away on 13^th February 2011, aged 74 years.

Graham had told his wife, Rosemary, that he would like to leave money to respiratory research at UCH as he was always grateful that Professor Pilcher’s research gave him a wonderful life and a family to love.

As a fitting tribute to Graham, Rosemary and her family and friends organised a wonderful day of golf on Thursday, 24^th May 2012, on Graham’s birthday.

Over 50 golfers attended the day and a further 20 came to support them and join in the prize-giving buffet afterwards.  Mini-fundraising events during the day included a putting competition, a sweepstake on the winning score, a raffle and an auction.

To top all this, Graham had been an avid Arsenal supporter since 1947 and they were lucky to have the former Arsenal goalkeeper and broadcaster, Bob Wilson, playing golf alongside Graham’s friends and family.

Dr Jeremy Brown from Breathing Matters came along to present the prizes to the winners.

Rosemary and her family raised a massive £1743 on the day, which raises their total fundraising for Breathing Matters throughout the last year to over £3000!

Dr Brown says, “We are delighted that this money will help us begin to look at gene activity in patients with different types of bronchiectasis; this will help identify markers for patients with poorly controlled disease and for some of the specific causes of bronchiectasis.”.

Breathing Matters would like to send a massive thank you to Rosemary and family for organising such an amazing, worthwhile day, and to everyone who came along to play golf in memory of Graham.

Breathing Matters attended this important event at UCLH raising awareness of the importance of organ transplantation.  This event was held during National Transplant Week.

This was an opportunity for staff, patients and the public to talk to specialist nurses and members of the Trust’s organ donation committee about the issue of organ donation.

Almost 10,000 people in the UK currently need a transplant – of these around 1,000 will die waiting as there are not enough organs available with three people dying every day whilst on the transplant waiting list. Only 29% of the public have joined the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Sarah Jones, UCLH specialist nurse for organ donation, said: “We want to give people information about the issue and encourage them to view it as an option which they can talk over with their loved ones. It is not a subject we should shy away from. Often people will sign up to the donor register, but do not tell their families. The first they may know about it is when they are in a state of bereavement. This event will be an opportunity for people to ask questions and reflect on the issue.”

Please, please do join the NHS Organ Donor Register today.  You can do this via the link on the Breathing Matters home page http://www.breathingmatters.co.uk/

It truly does save lives.

Below is Dr Jo Porter (in the middle) with the transplant nurse, the vicar, Patrick Collins who donated his wife’s organs when she died at UCLH and Amanda Gibbon who gave her husband a kidney in 2008.

Cycle 7 miles around Richmond Park and raise funds for Breathing Matters.

 
Once again, Breathing Matters is collaborating with UCLH Charities to raise funds for the Centre for Respiratory Research. Please join us to cycle around the 7 mile traffic-free circuit of the beautiful Richmond Park in South West London.  This is a fully marshalled route.  Bring friends and family – and a picnic – for a fun and enjoyable day out!

Cyclists will receive a commemorative T-shirt, goodies and a completion certificate. Cycles are available for hire at Richmond Park.

There is no registration fee, and no minimum sponsorship. We just ask that you raise as much as you can! A prize will be given to the biggest fundraiser.  You can easily set up your own online fundraising page at the Breathing Matters Just Giving site at http://www.justgiving.com/breathingmatters

Date: Sunday, 17th June 2012, Registration Time: 10.30am

Meeting Place: Robin Hood Gate Car Park, Richmond Park

For more information:

Please click here to open page 1 of cycle event flyer.

Please click here to open page 2 of cycle event flyer including map.

To register for the event or for more information, please contact Donna Basire at breathingmatters@ucl.ac.uk

Everyone came out in force on Sunday for the second annual UCLH Charity Bike Ride, despite the June rain!

Almost 100 cyclists came to ride 7 miles around the beautiful Richmond Park on Sunday 12th June 2011 in support of four funds within UCLH Charities; Breathing Matters, Leukaemia and Lymphoma Unit, Rays of Hope and TTP Research.

Malcolm Weallans Cycling With Oxygen

Cyclists included patients and their relatives, doctors, researchers and families with children as young as 7 years.

One of our cyclists, Malcolm Weallans, rode with an oxygen cylinder on his back! On finishing the 7 mile circuit, Malcolm uttered, “I did it”. Later he commented, “I only stopped once and, when I checked, my sats were down to 86, so I had a breather”. Well done Malcolm!

The adverse weather seemed to bring out a higher sense of achievement and there was definitely great camaraderie enjoyed by all. At the end, everyone was covered with mud, but still smiling. Those mad splatters will definitely take a few washes to come out!

Muddy Backs after the Bike Ride

A mud splattered Henry, aged 6, after the Bike Ride

We are very grateful to our team of 12 volunteers, including a few mums and dads, without whose help, this event couldn’t have taken place.

Over £20,000 was fundraised for this event for UCLH Charities.

Breathing Matters raised well over £10,000 and our three highest fundraisers were Jo Porter’s Team, Tami Pullinger and 10 year old Charlotte Basire, raising £4,500, £4,000 and £600 respectively. Well done and a massive thank you to all of you!! Thank you too to all our supporters who donated and urged others to support us … you know who you are!

£10,000 of this money will go towards much needed platelet research into pulmonary fibrosis. For more information on this research – please click here.

The Breathing Matters Team want to thank all our supporters for a wonderful day.

Calling all twinkle toes!

On Friday 29th April 2011, Breathing Matters in conjunction with the Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust will be holding a charity dance.

The event starts at 7.30pm and will be held at
Bourne End Community Centre,
Wakeman Road,
Bourne End, Bucks, SL8 5SX

Tickets are £7.50 and need to be ordered by 22nd April from Malcolm Weallans 01628 605647

Dress as per Royal Wedding Guests

Music by
Philip Wylie (Holiday and Dance) &
Christine Parsons(Going Dancing)

Licensed Bar