Charity calendar dedicated to local campaigner will help to raise awareness of disease

A charity calendar has been produced by the South West Mesothelioma Support Group (SWMSG), based in the Mustard Tree Support Centre at Derriford Hospital, to help raise funds and awareness of the disease in the local community and surrounding areas.

This year’s calendar will be dedicated to group member and local campaigner, Debbie Brewer, who sadly passed away earlier this year, and all those who have lost their lives to mesothelioma and asbestos related disease.

The group of patients and carers encourage those affected by asbestos related mesothelioma to come together to remember loved ones and to help those who continue to suffer from the disease through fund raising.

Sarah Earl, Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma Nurse Specialist, said: “It is important for people to be aware of the dangers of asbestos and the calendar is important to our members to be able to do this and to remember those who have lost their lives to mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases.”

Member of the group, Angela Agnew, added: “Last year, we joined forces with the iPlymouth Photographic Society on Flickr and produced a 2013 charity calendar, which was a huge success. We made over £4,000 for the charity, half of which was donated to research, while at the same time, raising awareness of the disease in the community and surrounding areas.

“This year’s calendar has been designed and produced by iPlymouth member, Jamie Quinn, and includes images kindly provided for free by iPlymouth photographers, including Gordon Sparks, who has donated one of his images to feature in the calendar. In addition, we have been lucky to obtain sponsorship from a number of local companies again this year, including, Cutlass Engineering (whose Managing Director William Searle is a member of SWMSG), RedRok Printers and The Martin Luck Group.”

The calendar will be available from the end of November and can be purchased from the Mustard Tree Centre and the Plymouth Pannier Market, who are kindly donating a stall for the group to sell from on 25 and 26 November  and 6 and 7 December.

It is also available from the London Camera Exchange (Frankfort Gate, Plymouth), the ‘For Saltash’ Indoor Community Market (4 Fore Street, Saltash) and the iPlymouth Flickr page.

The Calendar costs £8 and all proceeds will be donated to Mesothelioma Research, the Mesothelioma Trust Fund and St Luke’s Hospice.

The group are also making preparations for their Christmas support group meeting, with coffee and mince pies, which will be held at Saltram House on Thursday 12 December from 10am until 12pm for patients and relatives who currently have or have lost someone to mesothelioma.