Ep 32. Sarah Woolnough, CEO Asthma + Lung UK: Breath is life!

“It’s terrifying not being able to breathe… and that’s informed a lot of our strategic thinking and our positioning, because nobody should have to struggle to breathe and we can do so much better for people with lung conditions.”Sarah Woolnough is the CEO of the newly rebranded charity Asthma + Lung UK.Poor lung health is the 3rd biggest killer in the UK and yet only 2% of publicly funded medical research goes towards this cause. Asthma + Lung UK is here to change that. And be the driving force behind the transformation of the nation’s lung health.Sarah talks about her learnings from leading the collaborative journey of the re-brand process. She also shares her personal experiences, being a first-time CEO, joining the organisation during lockdown and being a busy mum of 4 young children. Recorded May 2022. Guest Biography Sarah Woolnough is the CEO of Asthma + Lung UK, the charity leading the fight to improve care and support for everyone with a lung condition. Sarah has a background in policy and communications, having spent many years as Executive Director of Policy, Information and Communications at Cancer Research UK, has worked in the civil service, Parliament and at the membership organisation, Sport and Recreation Alliance. Sarah also has extensive non-executive experience. She is Co-Chair of the NHS England National Respiratory Board, which directs NHS England’s efforts to improve outcomes for those with lung disease. She sits on the Board of the Accelerating Access Collaborative, a key government initiative aimed at encouraging swifter adoption of new technologies and treatments to tackle ill health. She is Trustee of mental health research charity MQ, a member of the Richmond Group of health charities and a previous trustee of ASH, the Association of Medical Research Charities, the National Cancer Research Institute and Bliss, the special care baby charity.Sarah is passionate about improving outcomes for all those with a lung condition and reversing the historic lack of investment in lung research. Sarah has led several successful public health campaigns and is a vocal campaigner for clean air.Sarah was nominated as Charity Leader of the Year in the Charity Times Awards shortlist for 2022. Linkshttps://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/