A woman from High Wycombe, with severe asthma, has been honoured during Volunteers Week by lung health charity Asthma + Lung UK, in recognition of her campaigning work to support people living with lung conditions.
Jess Best received the Asthma + Lung UK Together We Thrive Award at the charity’s annual volunteer conference [on 4th June] for her inspirational and creative social media work to raise awareness of lung conditions, as well raising funds by running a half marathon.
Jess has been a passionate online campaigner for the leading lung health charity for the past three years. As a volunteer ambassador Jess shared her own story about having severe asthma on World Asthma Day, signposting people to Asthma + Lung UK’s health advice pages and offering advice and encouragement to others living with the condition on how to manage it and live well.
Since then, Jess has been a regular campaigner, including making a video for the charity’s autumn ‘back to university’ campaign about her struggle to manage her asthma symptoms when she moved from Scotland to London for University. She also supported the charity’s winter health campaign, raising awareness about risks for people with lung conditions in the colder months and sharing tips for managing asthma.
Early in the year, despite being told that with severe asthma she would never be able to do distance running, Jess ran the London Parks Half Marathon as part of Asthma + Lung UK’s Team Breathe, raising vital funds for the charity.
Lucia Ciolanel, Volunteer Engagement Manager at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “Jess is simply a brilliant volunteer ambassador for Asthma + Lung UK – her passion for fighting for better lung health really shines through. She so generously shares her own experience of living with severe asthma to help others. She shows other young people that if managed well, having a lung condition like asthma doesn’t have to be a barrier to doing things you love. We love working with Jess and she should be in no doubt about the impact of her fantastic work. We’re thrilled to be able to recognise her with this very well-deserved award.”
Jess said: “Volunteering for Asthma + Lung UK is such a special part of my life and I feel so proud that I get to raise awareness of what it’s like living with severe asthma. It can be really challenging as a young person navigating the world with a lung condition and I hope that by sharing my story, and signposting support services, I can make it a bit easier for others. ”
The Volunteer Awards at Asthma + Lung UK are a way to recognise the contributions of the exceptional volunteers who have demonstrated outstanding commitment, dedication and creativity in serving and engaging their communities in the past year. It’s an opportunity to celebrate their remarkable achievements and express gratitude for their selfless efforts in improving the lives of people living with lung conditions across the UK.
Volunteers are a vital to the work Asthma + Lung UK does to support the millions of people in the UK living with lung disease. To find out more about the ways you could get involved and join the fight for lung health, visit: Volunteer with us | Asthma + Lung UK.
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