Introducing the BLF team
Dianne Frances - Support and Development Manager
Marilyn Crump - Development Officer
Christine Reid - Regional Assistant
There are also volunteers who support our work in the region.
Dianne Frances
I manage the resources available to the region such as the budget and the staff team, ensuring that we will achieve our targets for the year. I also work with colleagues in other regions to ensure that we in the south west are playing our part in, for instance, BLF campaigns and Breathe Easy Week.
I am responsible for writing and consulting on our regional strategies each year so that our work fits with the national strategy. There are some allowances made for regional differences but the aims of the BLF are the same across the country. I work with the south west regional committee on these strategic aspects of our work and they offer support and advice for the team. The committee meets 4 times a year to discuss progress on the regional plan and other work though the majority of members support BLF throughout the year in different ways.
Approximately half of my time is spent researching into and working with primary care trusts and other organisations so that the BLF can influence services for people with a lung condition. We recruit and train BLF user representatives, usually patients or carers, and support them to become involved in local forums where they can influence services on behalf of the BLF and people with a lung condition.
email Dianne
Marilyn Crump
My role is to support the existing Breathe Easy Groups across the South West and to develop new ones. Breathe Easy Groups usually meet once a month in a local community venue, with the aim of providing support, advice and information for anyone living with a lung condition. In order to establish a new Breathe Easy Group, we need the support of a Health Care Professional, usually a Respiratory Nurse, who can recruit potential candidates – patients, carers or anyone interested in helping - who would be able to organise and run the groups on a regular basis. If you’re a Health Care Professional who would be interested in working with us to set up a group, please do get in touch, we’d love to hear from you! I also work with other agencies to establish and develop links with organisations that can provide support to people living with a lung condition; for example local authorities, who provide structured activities such as walks, which are tailored to people who may have difficulty breathing.My work also involves attending events and meetings around the region to promote the BLF and BE network and I support our BE Group members in participating in these activities.
email Marilyn
Christine Reid
My role is probably the most varied as I support and assist the BLF staff team, the Breathe Easy Groups and the general public in a wide variety of ways. If you telephone the South West office general number, you will get through to me first as I am the regional receptionist as well! If you are not sure who you want to speak to, I can point you in the right direction.Marilyn and I work together as much of our work is related to the groups in some way. I work with volunteers to promote BLF and its services through promoting BLF literature and our newsletter. If you are not sure who to speak to, then I am the first person to contact.
email Christine
Volunteers
John and Mollie Dickson and Amy Mitchell are volunteers in the office in Bristol.Their work is mainly administration. John comes in regularly to help with mailings, photocopying, making up information packs, anything that we need him to do. However, John will not touch a computer, no matter how we tried to persuade him that he would get used to it. Amy is our IT volunteer, working on databases and spreadsheets updating information about the work in the region and she will also put labels on envelopes if asked.Mollie comes into the office when we are really busy and also helps out at events such as the BLF conference and network days.
Marion Burfield is our first volunteer with a title of BLF representative.She was the chair of a Breathe Easy group until recently and stood down after 5 years. She is now working alongside us to promote the BLF to other local organisations and agencies.
