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Thales in the UK has today announced Asthma + Lung UK, formerly known as Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, as its employee selected Charity of The Year with a partnership worth £200,000 over two years.

The partnership is essential in helping 12 million people in the UK who will develop a lung condition in their lifetime to improve their quality of life – funding 4,500 hours of vital research into the development of treatments for lung conditions such as Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

The increasing pressure on charities to implement direct care to those suffering is often met with roadblocks such as lack of funding and resources. Thales in the UK Charity of the Year partnership provides a helping hand to those who are under-funded, under-researched, and in need of support.

Thales in the UK network of charity champions will help co-ordinate fundraising across its local sites in the UK – who work at sites across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales – and encourage employees to engage in ongoing events such as raffles, sporting activities, and quizzes. Of that raised, 60% of funds will be restricted to Asthma + Lung UK research projects and 40% will be used for other Asthma + Lung UK charity projects.

The charity will also be offering lung testing to employees at Thales in the UK sites, and hosting Lung & Learn workshops to offer regular information and health advice about various lung conditions to employees.

A decade long initiative

Thales in the UK employees have raised over £2 million in charitable partnerships through fundraising and training in life-saving skills over the last 10 years to help people with living diseases. Hundreds of charities competed to win the bid, but the personal and indirect effects of respiratory illnesses on Thales in the UK employees meant funding for Asthma + Lung UK would have a profound impact on the development and awareness of the charity.

Thales in the UK last partnership with The British Heart Foundation saw employees raise over £303,000 and help millions of people living with heart and circulatory diseases in the UK. In such unpredictable times, Thales’ charitable giving continues to fund lifesaving research and give those suffering a chance to get back on track.

Alex Cresswell, CEO of Thales in the UK, said: “Over the last decade, our employee chosen corporate charity partnership has made a real impact to research, development and lives across the UK and we are excited to start this next chapter with Asthma+Lung UK. Many of our employees have a close connection to the charity and are passionate about helping an underfunded area over the next two years. Through a series of fundraising events across our Thales sites in the UK, we will not only raise money, but also awareness of the hard work the charity does.”