UKNAR, the UK National Asbestos Register is delighted to announce a partnership with Mesothelioma UK in a bid to support fundraising whilst highlighting the danger of disease resulting from exposure to asbestos.
UKNAR is a new social enterprise which helps dutyholders manage asbestos simply and safely. By uploading their existing asbestos registers into the UK National Asbestos Register database, dutyholders can now provide building occupants, visitors and contractors with instant visibility of all known asbestos in their buildings.
The UK National Asbestos Register operates via UKNAR’s Asbestos SMART system, which allows 24/7, real-time access to the register via a mobile phone or tablet, by simply scanning a unique site-specific QR code.
The new partnership with Mesothelioma UK represents a significant milestone for UKNAR’s ambitions as a newly formed Community Interest Company (CIC) and its commitment to pursuing a social purpose over making profits for shareholders. UKNAR will donate 5% of its license fees to Mesothelioma UK, as well as raising awareness of the charity’s aims in support of key beneficiaries.
Liz Darlison, Head of Services at Mesothelioma UK commented: “We are delighted that UKNAR is keen to fundraise for Mesothelioma UK through the introduction of Asbestos SMART. Having become very familiar with the Register, I am amazed how practical, incredibly easy and affordable the Asbestos SMART system is. It’s a wonder that we haven’t had something like this before in the UK, a national register to protect people against the dangers of asbestos, and sincerely, putting aside the potential income generation for the charity, preventing exposure to asbestos is something that everyone at Mesothelioma UK is delighted to support.”
Andrew Paten, UKNAR Co-Founder comments: “We are thrilled to be joining forces with Mesothelioma UK. UKNAR exists to make information visible, in order to save lives, by protecting people from unnecessary and potentially deadly exposure to asbestos fibres. Two million UK workplaces, schools, hospitals and homes still contain asbestos. Despite improved legislation, there continues to be thousands of accidental disturbances and exposures to asbestos every year. With our joint dedication to asbestos awareness and prevention, we are truly excited to offer practical support to the Mesothelioma UK cause.”
Andy Brown, Co-founder of UKNAR, added: “We are very serious about tackling asbestos and the enormous public health issue it continues to present. By December 2024, our goal is for at least 80% of all public sector buildings which contain asbestos to be on the UK National Asbestos Register.
“Our main focus this summer is getting the UKNAR message out to UK schools, sadly an alarmingly high-risk sector. We have just launched our first Asbestos SMART pilot programme with UK schools. We are looking to onboard 50 schools initially to take part in our school trials.”
If you know a local school that might be interested in taking part in UKNAR’s Asbestos SMART school pilot programme, contact Stuart Towers, email: stuart.towers@uknar.org , alternatively visit https://uknar.org/schools-and-education for more information.
