Asthma UK and The British Lung Foundation rebrand as Asthma + Lung UK

Our funder, Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation have today rebranded as Asthma + Lung UK – and launched a new strategy, committing to transform the nation’s lung health by challenging misconceptions about lung conditions, driving greater investment in respiratory research, and campaigning for cleaner air and better care for people with lung conditions such as asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

The charity, which supports the 12 million people in the UK who will have a lung condition in their lifetime through its helpline, support groups, tailored website health advice and campaigning and research work, now has a striking new logo. Featuring a pink and orange cross with white writing in Söhne font, it is representative of the coming together of the two former lung charities to create one organisation fighting for people’s right to breathe and was created by Pentagram design consultancy.

New Brand

Asthma + Lung UK says its new strategy and brand is urgently needed to shine a spotlight on the ‘shameful’ state of the UK’s lung health, which has persisted for decades despite all of the work done by those working in the field, and drive investment into more research on lung conditions. Lung disease is the third biggest cause of death in the UK and yet less than 2% of publicly funded research is spent on lung research. There are still misconceptions about lung disease which stop people from being able to protect themselves and prevent them from coming forward for diagnosis and treatment. This means many die or lose precious years of their lives struggling with lung disease when they could be living well.

To mark the launch of the new brand, Asthma + Lung UK has released a new strategy called Fighting for Breath with a mission to transform the nation’s lung health, and a news story which reveals that more people die from lung conditions in the UK than in the rest of Western Europe and that hospital admissions have doubled in the past 20 years. There will be a new website, social media activity and support from celebrities including fitness expert Rosemary Conley, TV and radio presenter Toby Anstis and Love Island star Priya Gopaldas. In the coming weeks there will be new adverts on the radio, digital platforms and billboards across the UK.

Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation joined forces to become a partnership in January 2020. Shortly after, the pandemic struck and demand for the charity’s help through its helpline soared by 400% and its website by 500%. Since then, as well as supporting people with lung conditions through health advice pages on its website, which have been viewed more than 35 million times, and taking 45,000 calls from people on its helpline, the charity launched a website to support people who have breathlessness caused by Long COVID with health advice and tips.

New Strategy

It says now is the moment for it to launch its new strategy and brand as COVID-19 has firmly placed respiratory disease at the forefront of people’s minds over the past two years, revealing how devastating and terrifying it can be to deal with symptoms like breathlessness. 

More than a thousand people with lung conditions, supporters and staff were engaged to help create the charity’s new name and logo. The charity has new brand values: courage, pushing for better, empowering its people to be their best, listening and understanding, and working as one.

Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of Asthma + Lung UK, said: 

We are so proud to today launch Asthma + Lung UK and our new strategy to transform the nation’s lung health and ensure nobody’s life is limited by a lung condition.

“For far too long the nation’s lung health has been side-lined and neglected, with a woeful lack of research funding and awareness about the seriousness of all lung conditions including asthma, bronchiectasis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). It’s nothing short of a national scandal.

“With our eye-catching new look and important strategy we are determined to fight for a world where everyone has healthy lungs, by campaigning for more research into lung conditions, cleaner air and better access to diagnosis and treatment. Now the time is ripe for everyone to prioritise lung health and consider it on the same footing as major illnesses like cancer and heart disease.

Sarah Woolnough

Asthma + Lung UK website