Sanofi Patient Group Bursary winners announced

Sanofi is delighted to announce the winners of its 2013 Patient Group Bursary scheme: Anaphylaxis Campaign (Gold – £25,000), Brittle Bone Society (Silver – £15,000) and Tommy’s (Bronze – £10,000). The three charities made stand-out and ultimately winning cases to demonstrate innovation, ambition and an overwhelming commitment to delivering improvements in patient empowerment and information.

“The 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.

Anaphylaxis Campaign, who have been awarded the Gold bursary of £25,000, propose to use the funding to roll out a series of peer-to-peer support groups in partnership with Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust.

Lynne Regent, CEO at the Anaphylaxis Campaign 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.”

The Brittle Bone Society, who were awarded the Silver grant of £15,000, propose to use the funding to set up a new scheme to address gaps in support for young people born with the rare condition Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) – specifically the 11-15 year old age group.

Patricia Osborne, CEO at the Brittle Bone Society commented, “We are extremely grateful to have been awarded the Silver Sanofi Patient Group Bursary Award. Our new landmark COOL BONES campaign aims to build confidence, offer good quality information and boost and empower youngsters’ skills to help foster a sense of contentment and preparedness for a future living with OI. We strongly believe that this unique resource will help provide essential support to help young people deal with issues surrounding their OI.

Baroness Julia Neuberger commented, “I was very impressed with the Brittle Bone Society’s programme. For the first time in the UK, a support group will specifically address the feelings of alienation and isolation felt by young people with OI. The strength of the charity’s proposal is that it will educate and empower young people – ensuring that they feel part of the larger OI community, as well as playing a more active role in supporting the charity’s local Voluntary Support Groups across the UK and Ireland.”

Tommy’s propose to use the Bronze award of £10,000 to roll-out their Making Maternal Mental Health Matter programme.

Jacqui Clinton, Health Campaigns Director at Tommy’s, commented: “Despite the fact that up to 15% of pregnant women experience a mental health problem during or after their pregnancy1, mental health issues are too often left unrecognised and untreated. We are delighted that Sanofi is supporting this much-needed programme, which will help ensure that women are better informed on how they can look after their own mental wellbeing in pregnancy.”

Baroness Valerie Howarth, commented: “Tommy’s programme addresses a real unmet need in seeking to improve pregnancy outcomes and the health of babies. The charity’s innovative approach to informing and empowering women to look after their mental health and well-being will be a welcome and much needed initiative in anti-natal care, giving both mums and babies the best possible start together.”

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.”