RSK and Virtus Energy are delighted to have teamed up to enable a special donation to be given to a fantastic lung cancer charity. Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation is the new owner of ‘Ernie’ the electric van, which was donated to the charity to mark Clean Air Day on 20th June.
Virtus Energy has had a close relationship with the charity since 2023, when it loaned the team one of its electric vans to help operate its Let’s Talk Lung Cancer roadshow events, which is held in partnership with NHS England and helps improve understanding and awareness of potential symptoms as well as encouraging people to have early screening for lung cancer.
In addition to the roadshows, 50 other awareness raising events took place across England in 2023, with locations including Liverpool, York, Birmingham, Manchester, Swindon and Kent. The events aimed to start more open and positive conversations about lung cancer, raise awareness of symptoms, including the three-week persistent cough, challenge disease misconceptions and encourage those experiencing symptoms to seek help by contacting their GP – regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or smoking history.
The roadshows and community engagement activities have been a great success, with a collective uptake of lung health checks at 45% compared to 35% when they first started. Of the 3,965 lung cancers diagnosed during the programme activity,75% were caught at early stage.
With lots of other important events in the pipeline, RSK and Virtus Energy are delighted to have now donated the van to the charity on a permanent basis to ensure its good work can continue.
James Varney, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Virtus Energy, said:
“Virtus Energy is a B Corp certified business that is committed to supporting organisations to deliver their sustainability commitments. We are proud to donate one of our own company vehicles to Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation to assist them in reducing their carbon footprint whilst delivering their Let’s Talk About Lung Cancer roadshow events. In addition to the van, we are also offering electric vehicle drivers an opportunity to order an EV charger install, via Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation affiliate page, and in return a tree will be planted and £50 will be donated to the charity for each installation (offer applies to England and Wales only)”.
Paula Chadwick, Chief Executive at Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said:
“Community engagement is a vital part of our work at Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. With a subject matter as emotive and complicated as lung cancer, often a face-to-face conversation is what’s needed. It allows us to address individual concerns and anxieties, challenge someone’s misunderstanding around the disease, validate a person’s symptoms and provide advice, support and encouragement to take action. We are incredibly grateful to Virtus Energy for donating ‘Ernie’ the electric van to enable us to deliver this essential work across the UK. Whilst we will never be able to truly measure the success of this activity, I know we are saving lives.”
We look forward to seeing Ernie out on the road again!
