We have supported the charity, South West Asbestos Support and Awareness Group (“SWASAG”) for several years now and continue to attend their monthly support group meetings in Plymouth and Truro as a member of their legal panel. This year, the charity also started holding monthly meetings in Exeter at Voco Zeal Exeter Science Park.

The meetings remain as popular as ever with new mesothelioma patients and their families joining all the time, demonstrating the tragic asbestos legacy of the region. It is always a pleasure spending time with them and seeing them create lasting friendships with each other. The medical support they receive from Christine Jones, Lung Cancer Nurse Specialist at Derriford Hospital and Mesothelioma UK Nurse, is invaluable as is the practical and emotional support from two of the charity’s trustees, Julie Pleau and Helen Rowe, who set up the charity in memory of their late father, Mike Moncini, who died from mesothelioma in 2018. We and the other members of SWASAG’s legal panel attend to have a friendly chat and to offer legal advice on potential or ongoing claims.

Since the last edition of Airborne in Spring 2025, the charity has hosted their annual event at Home Park Stadium in Plymouth to mark Action Mesothelioma Day. This year, it fell on Friday 4th July. Our solicitor, Olivia Hanna, attended the event for which our team sponsored a butterfly release in memory of all those who have lost their lives to mesothelioma and to offer hope to those fighting the dreadful disease. This year saw a slightly different set-up whereby those attending took part in a quiz. There was also a raffle to raise funds for Mesothelioma UK.

Olivia and our Senior Associate, Laura Wilkinson, also attended the charity’s annual Christmas lunch at Carlyon Bay Golf Club on 1st December. It is always a lovely opportunity to catch-up with everyone in a more relaxed setting and spread some festive cheer over some delicious food and bubbles!

As well as working for incredible clients and helping them to achieve life-changing outcomes, our team regularly have the opportunity to collaborate with amazing charitable organisations.

In April and July this year, our London team spent the day volunteering at St. Joseph’s Hospice in Hackney. The hospice’s ‘mission’ is to provide compassionate, specialist palliative care to people in the diverse community of East London who are living with life-limiting illnesses. Care is provided free-of-charge to those who need it.

As part of the hospice’s mission, they aim to treat each person as unique, encouraging and enabling them to reach their full potential until the end of their life. They listen to patients and their families so that they can work together to manage pain and distress and cater for their individual needs whether physical, mental, social or spiritual. Whilst St Joseph’s receives some NHS statutory-funded income, they primarily rely on charitable donations to carry out their amazing work.

We were joined by staff from HASAG, a charity dedicated to helping people suffering from asbestos-related diseases and their families. They provide a complete source of help and support for those living in the South of England.

We took part in crafting activities with the patients, spending time chatting and learning more about their lives and experiences. We also hosted a quiz for the patients and played a few rounds of bingo. We were then given a tour of the hospice to learn more about the vital work it does and how others can get involved.

We received the following feedback from Zenab Ali, the Day Hospice Manager, following our visit to the Hospice in July:

“We are so grateful for their time, energy, and warmth — their presence truly made a difference. The postcard activity was a great success, and the patients were genuinely moved by the opportunity to write heartfelt messages to their loved ones. The team helped create such a joyful and comforting atmosphere, and their kindness did not go unnoticed.”

Many of our clients receive hospice care, both at home and as inpatients, so we know first-hand the impact that hospices can have on them and their families. As part of legal claims, we can claim back the non-NHS funded care provided to clients. This principle was established in the case of Drake v Foster Wheeler Ltd [2010] EWHC 2004.

We know how difficult it is for hospices to meet their fundraising targets each year, with some needing to fundraise as much as 70-80% of their income, amounting to millions of pounds. We are so pleased that we are able to help our clients contribute to these targets, as by recovering hospice costs, we enable hospices to carry out more amazing work and reach a greater number of people in need.

The question remains whether other charitable organisations should be able to recover the non-NHS funded care they provide to our clients.

In a recent case brought by our Personal Injury team, it was successfully argued that Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance were entitled to their costs in transferring a client to hospital after an accident.

A very relevant example to the work that our Mesothelioma and Asbestos team do, is the counselling and bereavement support provided by amazing charities such as HASAG. In addition to this, HASAG also employ specialist mesothelioma nurses that provide advice on symptom control. This undoubtedly reduces the burden on the NHS, but recovering these charitable costs in a legal claim is currently not possible. This does raise the question as to whether the principle established in Drake v Foster Wheeler Ltd should be expanded to take into consideration the wide-ranging support that our clients often receive from charitable organisations.

READLEY Asbestos and Mesothelioma Support Group, in association with Mesothelioma UK, held a charity ball in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 8 February 2025.

The Las Vegas-themed event was attended by our Partner, Michael Wolstencroft, and Associate, David Hughes.

The event included a gala dinner, a casino, and some fantastic entertainment from none other than Elvis himself! The evening was a raging success and raised much-needed funds for Mesothelioma UK.

The Mesothelioma Memorial Garden in Swindon’s Queen’s Park was originally opened in 2003 but was renovated and re-opened in October 2024. Members of our team attended the re-opening, as featured in our last edition of Airborne.

On Friday 26 September 2025, our team hosted a memorial ceremony in the garden in conjunction with Swindon Town Council, in honour of Mesothelioma Awareness Day.
Sadly, Swindon has a very high incidence of mesothelioma due to its rich industrial history at the railway works. Locally, mesothelioma is often nicknamed ‘The Swindon Disease,’ as it has impacted so many in the town.

We were joined by Stan Pajak, former Mayor of Swindon who opened the garden in 2003, who spoke about the terrible price so many have paid for the success in the railway industry. He highlighted our duty to pay tribute to those who have died.

Lynne Squibb, co-founder of HASAG, a dedicated charity that supports those with an asbestos-related disease and their families, was also in attendance. Lynne’s father had worked his entire life on the railways in Eastleigh and, like many, went on to develop mesothelioma. Sadly, he only survived 10 months after his diagnosis and, after his death, Lynne and her sister, Diane, were inspired to start the charity. It fundraises and campaigns for more research and better treatment and care for those with an asbestos-related disease, but also provides support to patients and their families, including home visits, assistance with benefits and signposting for legal claims.

A dove release took place to remember those that had been lost, with the Mayor of Swindon, Councillor Fay Howard, amongst those to release a dove. Alongside her stood a number of loved ones who had been affected in some way by ‘The Swindon Disease’.

Families and friends were able to leave messages on white paper doves, which hung on a tree in the Mesothelioma Garden.

Attendees were later able to enjoy refreshments and take the opportunity to share stories with others.