Page 5 - Inspire

During the first month of the first lockdown, 2.6 million
people across the UK said they ‘often or always’ felt lonely,
with around 7.4 million of them admitting their wellbeing
had been affected by loneliness. With cancer patients
advised to shield, many faced life alone with very little
contact with other people.

The first priority was to ensure those shielding had access
to food and medicine. But the service was so much more
than practicalities. Our staff offered a friendly ear, someone
to chat to in those lonely and often frightening months.

Sometimes the conversations centered on lung cancer but
more often than not, they were about anything but; it was
simply two friends, having a chat.

The service was so popular that it continued even after
shielding paused and is now forming the foundation of our
new Lung Cancer Connect service (page 12).

We are immensely proud of how we have adapted to these
unprecedented times and continued to support those
affected by lung cancer. But the last 12 months have tested
us greatly and we continue to be pushed to our limits.

As a charity, we are facing one of the toughest challenges in
our 30-year history. Our shops closed for large parts of 2020
and started the new year with their doors firmly shut.

Social distancing put a stop to traditional fundraising.
Major events were cancelled and it remains uncertain
whether they can go ahead this year. All these factors have
combined to jeopardise our ability to sustain this high level
of support.

Once again, we find ourselves in a situation similar to that
which sparked our charity, when the outlook for lung cancer
was so bleak and the attitudes so poor.

At the time, the challenges felt insurmountable. But we have
risen to them. We succeeded in the face of opposition, the
face of negativity, the face of hopelessness. And while
Covid threatens to undo all our excellent work, we know
that, together, we will do it all again.

Like Lee, we have seen the riches.