Anaphylaxis Campaign wins gold patient group bursary from Sanofi

Anaphylaxis Campaign, Brittle Bone Society and Tommy’s share £50,000 to help better the lives of patients throughout the United Kingdom

On friday 5th July, leading healthcare developer and distributor, Sanofi were delighted to announce the winners of its 2013 Patient Group Bursary scheme. We were delighted to have won top spot – the gold bursary of £25,000! Brittle Bone Society and Tommy’s were also winners of the silver and bronze awards.

In order to win the grants, entrants had to make stand-out cases to demonstrate  'innovation,  ambition  and  an  overwhelming  commitment  to  delivering improvements in patient empowerment and information Patient Group Bursary scheme highlights  our enduring  commitment  to improving  care and empowering patients. Now in its third consecutive year we still continue to be impressed by   the   passion   and   unrelenting   tenacity   of   patient   groups   in   delivering   exceptional programmes that make a lasting difference to the lives of patients across the UK” commented Steve Oldfield, General Manager of Sanofi UK and Ireland.

As winners of the gold bursary, we propose to use the funding  to build on our existing workshop and support group programme and roll out a series of even further enrinched peer-to-peer  support  groups  in partnership  with Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust.

Lynne  Regent,  our CEO, commented:   “We  are  thrilled  that Anaphylaxis Campaign has been awarded the Gold Sanofi Patient Group Bursary award. This key  project  will  help  us  to  empower  and  inform  parents  of  severe  food  allergic  children, through increasing knowledge and understanding of the condition and its management, and reducing feelings of isolation, depression and anxiety.” The panel of expert judges who met at the end of May 2013 to decide on the three winning entries was chaired by Ian Weatherhead, Communications  Director of Sanofi UK and Ireland, and included Baroness Jolly, Baroness Neuberger and Baroness Howarth.

Baroness  Judith  Jolly  commented:  “I was  delighted  to be invited  to help  judge  the  2013 Sanofi Patient Group Bursary Scheme. As the only UK wide charity meeting the needs of the growing number of people at risk from severe allergic reactions, the proposal submitted by Anaphylaxis Campaign will have both a real and positive impact on patients, as well as their families. The charity's programme is a shining example of successful collaboration between a research-based trust and a patient group."

Ian  Weatherhead,   Communication   Director  for  Sanofi  and  Chair  of  the  judging  panel commented: “The Patient Group Bursary is an important part of our efforts to focus everything we do at Sanofi on the needs of the patient. Having received over 80 entries, we were thrilled with the level of response from the patient group community, and delighted that the initiative has been so well received. Given the impact of the recent NHS reforms, we at Sanofi believe that patient groups have a more important role than ever before in championing the needs of individual patients and driving up the quality of their care and we will continue to do everything in our power to support them.