Charity in Focus: Breathe for Cameron

The charity was one of three chosen by a public vote to be awarded a KCOM Community Grant last year, receiving £500 to help it in its essential work.

We spoke to Craig Salter, co-founder of the cause, to find out more about their work and how we can all help to keep children safe from this common yet life-threatening lung condition.

Can you tell us a little bit more about Breathe for Cameron?

We’re a children’s asthma charity. We provide all of the schools in Hull with emergency inhalers and spacers. More recently, we’ve expanded into the East Riding.

Why is it important to supply schools with this life-saving equipment?

Pollution is on the rise. Hull is very badly affected by pollution and the air quality is not great, especially in the city centre.

We always encourage children to take control of their own asthma, such as carrying inhalers around with them, but of course it isn’t so simple. Sometimes, an inhaler can run out whilst a child is using it; kids leave stuff at home and it could get damaged whilst they’re out playing or during a paper round.

If they don’t have an emergency inhaler available, there is no way to get the medication to them when they need it most. By keeping the equipment on site in schools, teachers know that if a situation does arise, they have them to hand.

On top of your work with schools, you frequently run other events and campaigns. Is there anything you’re working on at the moment?

One of our biggest projects right now is acquiring the funds to purchase Hull Royal Infirmary a piece of equipment called the Resmon Pro.

We’ve teamed up with the wonderful cystic fibrosis charity CHIEF to help raise the funds for this revolutionary machine. It can spot the signs of lung conditions and be used to diagnose and tailor treatment plans for those who live with asthma, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases.

It will also allow the respiratory team to prevent these illnesses in their early stages,  rather than waiting for them to develop and then trying to administer treatment.

One of the key things is that the Resmon Pro is an easier way to detect asthma and other underlying conditions in children and those with disabilities.

The current techniques include spirometry tests and observations. It’s quite difficult to get a child to complete the spirometry test accurately, as it requires them to breathe as fast as they can through a mouthpiece. Often, their breathing rate is already skewed because they are nervous about being in a hospital.

How can people support Breathe for Cameron?

You can sponsor a school in Hull or the East Riding for just £4 a month and encourage people to fundraise for Breathe for Cameron in any way they can. You can also take part in our Charity Lottery, which offers a prize of £25,000 every single week whilst raising essential funds for our cause. 50p of every £1 raised through this lottery comes straight to us.

Can anyone get involved?

Yes, individuals and businesses can support us however they see fit. Dean Windass recently became a Patron of the charity, which greatly helps to spread the word and raise awareness of the dangers of asthma.

If you’d like to get involved, whether it’s by raising funds or anything else, visit breatheforcameron.org.uk or call us on 07714 445727. To find out more about KCOM Community Grants visit www.kcomhome.com/community