Asthma and Allergy Foundation, an Aberdeen based charity that provides evidence-based health information, confidential advice and support to people with asthma, their families, carers and friends across the North-east of Scotland has received a National Lottery award of £136,560.00, from the Big Lottery Fund to enable the charity deliver “My Breath is My Life” project to benefit children and young people with asthma in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Martina Chukwuma-Ezike, chief executive of Asthma and Allergy Foundation said “We are delighted to have received a grant of £136,560 from the Big Lottery Fund. This funding means a lot to our charity because it will enable the charity to deliver a range of essential asthma workshops and management sessions over the next three years that will help children and young people with asthma manage their symptoms better and improve quality of life. When children and young people learn to manage their asthma, they will live longer, healthier, active and symptom-free lives and not living lives compromised by their asthma.
The burden of asthma on children, young people and their families cannot be over emphasized. Asthma affects 72,000 children in Scotland; High proportions of children and young people struggle daily to cope with asthma, this is evident in the number of children who miss school as a result of asthma, hospital admissions due to asthma attack and reported cases of asthma deaths. Also Impact on education, sleep disturbance which leads to lack of concentration, ability to learn, negative behaviour, participation, bullying and isolation.
Big Lottery Fund Scotland chair, Maureen McGinn, said: “I am delighted that Asthma and Allergy Foundation has been successful in securing a Big Lottery Fund grant. The funding will make a big difference where it is needed most and I wish the Asthma and Allergy Foundation every success as it goes on to develop and expand its project for the benefit of their local community.”
“There are about 1,000 deaths a year from asthma in the UK and around 90% of these deaths are preventable. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation, which recently opened an Asthma Support Centre in Dyce, is the only organisation of its kind in Scotland whose sole aim to reduce this figure and by providing our services we want to ensure that everyone who turns to us for support gets the help they need so they or their loved ones can live a healthier and active life."
This funding means a lot to our charity and will help us to reach the next stage in our development as an organisation. So many people we work with are going to benefit and we will be able to provide so much more support to the children and young people with asthma within our communities.
For more information about the Asthma and Allergy Foundation, please call (01224) 973001, email: info@asthmaandallergy.org.uk or visit: www.asthmaandallergy.org.uk
