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Thank
You to our Friends in Business
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London Jobs
London Jobs are, for the second year running, sponsors of AAIR’s London 10k team. Each year London Jobs supplies T Shirts for all our runners, which have to-date raised around £10,000 for AAIR. Thanks very much to London Jobs and, of course, all our runners and their sponsors. |
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Justice Jewelers – star raffle prize
Thank you to Justice Jewelers for sponsoring our Bucks Fizz Brunch at Winchester’s Hotel Du Vin. The independent jewelers, dedicated to seeking out the best in British contemporary design kindly donated table favours and a beautiful grey pearl necklace as a fabulous raffle prize.
Guests Joan Ferrer and Jenny Dixon said: “This was a wonderful day which everyone enjoyed immensely and we are delighted to have helped such a worthwhile local charity.” |
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NEW EQUIPMENT UNVEILED
AAIR has unveiled a vital new piece of equipment thanks to £10,000 donation by one of our Honorary Corporate Patrons, Southern Water.
The Alveoscope uses a new technique to produce microscopic imaging in a living tissue through a 1 mm fiberoptic miniprobe that can be introduced into the working channel of the bronchoscope. The system produces real-time imaging able to give high-resolution microimaging of the respiratory bronchiolar walls, alveolar ducts and sacs in vivo during endoscopy.
Tom Havelock who is a Respiratory Clinical Research Fellow and one of our regular Alveoscope users said: "The alveoscope forms a central part of my research project by allowing me to view microscopic lung structures that I would not otherwise be able to view. Not only that, it allows me to view them in real time and without the need of taking a biopsy. This has allowed us to take this field of research in a direction that is only possible in a handful of research centres in the world. It's fantastic!"
Andy Shaddick, Southern Water’s Public Affairs Manager, said: “With so many people living with asthma in this country, the work being done by AAIR is vital to understanding and treating the condition. Southern Water was delighted to support this work with a £10,000 donation raised at our charity race day and is continuing its support this year. We were delighted to know our donation has helped purchase equipment which will further the research of scientists at Southampton.
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We are also very pleased to support the efforts of AWAAIRE Bear Project, founded by our employee Nigel Foss in memory of his daughter Vicki, which is carrying out such vital support for AAIR by raising funds and raising awareness of asthma in schools. Our staff choose the charities supported by the company through a ballot and both AAIR and AWAAIRE Bear Project have their full backing.”
AAIR Trustee and leading asthma expert Dr Peter Howarth said: “This equipment will be a huge help in the pioneering asthma research at Southampton General Hospital, we are extremely grateful to Southern Water and Nigel.” |
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AAIR recognises the support of Southern Water
AAIR is pleased to announce that Southern Water have agreed to become an honorary corporate patron of the charity in gratitude of their wonderful support.
Southern Water recently nominated AAIR as one of seven worthy causes to benefit from the company’s annual fundraising event – the Super Irish Raceday at Fontwell Park racecourse. The 2009 horse racing event raised a remarkable £70,000 for AAIR and six other charities. AAIR will use their £10,000 share to purchase an Alveoscopy machine
Kevin Buck from Southern Water explained AAIR was close to the heart of Southern Water as employee Nigel Foss had launched the AWAAIRE Bear campaign in aid of AAIR following the loss of his daughter Vikki to asthma last year. “We are very keen to support as many worthy causes as possible but the link with AAIR through Nigel and his work with AWAAIRE BEAR made this he ideal charity for our race to support,” he said. |
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ZENERGI - AAIR CORPORATE BRONZE PATRON
We are delighted to introdcuse to you our first Corporate Bronze Patron - Zenergi Ltd.
MD of the Hampshire based company, Kevan Walsh explained why his company has decided to support AAIR: "I have been an asthmatic all my life, not chronically thank goodness, but enough for me to take it easy sometimes. In previous years I also took part in the studies carried out by the very enthusiastic nurses at Southampton, so feel I have always had a close link to AAIR in more ways than one. Thankfully my company is now in a position to be able to support local charities and I could think of no greater cause than this one."
Zenergi takes the effort and stress out of dealing with the energy needs of organisations such as businesses and schools by cutting through the confusion, reducing the effort and stress of dealing with your power needs for electricity and gas. Whether you want independent advice, need to find the best deal or have someone to look after everything to do with powering your business: Zenergi can help.
For more information click here.
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The VT Group makes generous donation
The VT Group has chosen AAIR as one if its local charities to support this year with a generous £5,000 donation towards one of our biggest purchases to date. |
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L to R: Phill Rood, Prof Donna Davies, Emma Blair
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AAIR charity is currently helping raise £80,000 to purchase a state-of-the-art, computer controlled time-lapse microscope, which will enable the behavior of living cells and tissues to be studied over intervals ranging from minutes to days. Time-lapse microscopy is a powerful tool for studying a window into the cell so that sub-cellular structures can be visualized and monitored as they assemble or change.
AAIR’s Professor Donna Davies said: “ We are incredibly excited by the capabilities of ‘live-cell imaging’. It really does open up a new window onto cell behavior giving us much more detailed insight into those processes that are likely to be involved in the changes that occur in asthmatic airways that lead to the development or worsening of asthma. |
VT chose to support AAIR following a suggestion by employee Clare Baldwin whose late grandmother was an asthma sufferer. VT’s Internal Communications Manager, Emma Blair, and Press and PR Manager, Phil Rood visited Prof. Davies at AAIR to learn more about the microscope they will help purchase.
Mr Rood said: "The VT Group has been particularly impressed with the work of
AAIR. We recognise that asthma and allergic reactions are an increasing problem and the efforts of AAIR are valuable in researching treatments for these conditions. We hope that our contribution towards a time lapse microscope will provide further assistance in the important work carried out by the charity's medical experts."
Professor Davies added: "We are extremely grateful to VT and their staff for this wonderful donation which will help make an incredible difference to our research”
* The VT Group PLC is the British defence company formerly known as Vosper
Thornycroft. Founded by a merger between Vosper and Thornycroft in 1966, its original business was shipbuilding. It has since diversified into various engineering services. Its headquarters are located in Hedge End, Hampshire.
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Connectsouth networking event at Fontwell Racecourse
Connectsouth recently held a networking event at Fontwell Racecourse with over 40 invited guests representing a cross section of local business. It was an excellent day in every respect with the added bonus of a charity raffle that raised over £580 for AAIR Asthma Charity. The photograph shows the cheque being presented to Caroline Pope of AAIR on the steps of the Guildhall by the members of
Connectsouth.
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One of Southampton’s biggest employers nominates AAIR |
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L to R Caroline Pope, British Gas Charity co-ordinator Lisa Prince, General Manager Andy
Eley,
Tracey Reddington, Tracy Nicoll. Julie Abul & Kay Fadden
L to R: Kathy Veitch, Freddie Eley, Andy Eley & Simon Rogers.
(L to R) Blake Hall, Mary Lewis & Jamie Brennan.
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The British Gas Southampton Customer Service Centre - which has 900 employees - has pledged to support AAIR.
The contact centre, which fields calls from across the country, has named AAIR as its new Employee Charity for July - December 2006.
This is a huge boost for the charity and we are very grateful to the whole British Gas team, but particular thanks go to British Gas employee Tracey Reddington who nominated
AAIR.
AAIR is a charity close to Tracey’s heart because her late father was an asthmatic and Tracey is an asthmatic and allergy sufferer herself.
Tracey, who has worked for British Gas for 4 years, said: “I’m pleased to support AAIR as it means so much to me. The charity is dependent on donations to fund their fantastic work – so they need our help”.
Lisa Prince British Gas Southampton Charity Co-ordinator said the contact centre had previously supported national charities selected by a panel of employee representatives but this was the first time they had made their selection independently and via a site employee nomination process.
Lisa said: “Being able to select a local charity this year was quite exciting. In our quest to find a charity we wanted to help raise awareness of this worthy cause as well as raising vital funds. It is great that an organisation as large as ours listens to its staff, which makes our choice of charity,
AAIR, all the more special”.
Tracey and a team from the contact centre has recently visited AAIR to meet the team and see where the funding will be allocated.
The call centre, which is based at St Mary’s Road, will be raising money through a variety of measures, including monthly social events and ongoing sales of cookies & hand made cards.
AAIR fundraising director Caroline Pope said: “The UK has one of the highest incidence of asthma and allergies worldwide. Our researchers have made some major breakthroughs but still one person dies of asthma every seven hours.
“We’re really looking forward to a productive partnership with British Gas. The money raised by the British Gas call centre will support research which will help make a real difference to people’s lives.”
British Gas Fundraising events
A raffle to win a family photographic session at Venture in Winchester raised £40.
TIME FOR TEE
A handicap of 12 saw Southampton general manager, Andy Eley lead his team, of four, to win a respectable third place at this year’s charity golf summer event. It was chance for both golf pros and novices to putt away while raising £45 for
AAIR.
British Gas has raised another £145 thanks to a charity quiz night at Southampton’s Hogs Head pub. |
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The AAIR Charity,
AIR, Mailpoint 810, Level F, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton,
Hampshire SO16 6YD.
Tel: 023 8077 1234 Fax: 023 8079 6866 |
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