Why I became a volunteer for Asthma UK
Olivia has severe asthma and has been volunteering for Asthma UK since she was a little girl. She started off fundraising back in the nineties when the charity was called the National Asthma Campaign and has now been involved for over 25 years. Here she tells us all about her experiences.
What made you want to become a volunteer?
I first became a volunteer because my family have a long history of asthma and I, myself have very severe asthma. Asthma has greatly impacted my life and so I want to do what I can to raise awareness of how serious the condition is.
What is your volunteer role?
Currently, I am a Research and Policy Volunteer, part of the Scottish Patient Advisory Group Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, and also sit on the Lung Health Cross Party Group at the Scottish Parliament. I also speak at events, fundraise, and raise awareness about asthma.
What do you find most rewarding about your role?
I really enjoy meeting the researchers who are dedicating their life to improve asthma care for people like myself. I love being able to speak to them about their research and help them improve it so that their study provides results that are really going to make a difference to the lives of people with asthma. At the end of the day, everyone with asthma wants research to succeed, and it’s wonderful to feel that I am able to play a small part in this.
What is the most challenging part of the role?
The lack of funding and awareness about how serious asthma is can be frustrating. I see other chronic conditions get a huge amount of funding and awareness but in asthma we don’t have that. It is very common to hear that research questions cannot be done because there is a lack of funding.
Would you encourage others to volunteer and why?
I would encourage others to volunteer with Asthma UK as it has been so rewarding and given me so many opportunities to meet others whether it be researchers, fundraisers, or other people with asthma. Personally, I have also been able to improve myself as a person, growing in confidence, and am now able to speak publicly without my nerves getting to me. Asthma has hugely impacted my life, I can’t work or play sport anymore but in volunteering with Asthma UK there is always something I can do to help.
Are you excited about the progress that is being made in terms of research, activism, awareness?
Yes - slowly but surely there is more awareness in the public of how serious asthma can be and why good management is essential. It is a work in progress but being involved as a volunteer I can see how hard everyone at Asthma UK is working to change the landscape of asthma. Hopefully one day severe asthma won’t prevent people from living a normal life and being able to work.
Find out how you can volunteer your time and experience of asthma to help us with our work here.
Asthma research is severely underfunded
DID YOU KNOW: Research into respiratory diseases like asthma accounts for just 2% of all the medical research funding in the UK.
This underfunding is exactly why we launched the 2021 Research Appeal...