Legal Eagles’ Marathon Trek to Help Victims of Deadly Asbestos

Legal eagles are gearing up for a gruelling 24-hour hike to help victims of deadly asbestos.

Madelene Holdsworth, and Natalie Lamb are taking part in the Bullock Smithy Hike, covering 56 miles of stunning Peak District scenery in the space of just 24 hours.

Sponsorship money raised will go to the Greater Manchester Asbestos Victims Support Group to support people diagnosed with illnesses such as mesothelioma, an incurable cancer, as a result of being exposed to the toxic dust.

As part of the industrial disease team at law firm Slater and Gordon, both Madelene and Natalie experience firsthand the vital work of the group in helping members and campaigning for better research and treatment as well as the removal of asbestos from workplaces and homes.

The client in the first case I worked on recently died as a result of exposure to asbestos so that will be my motivation.

Head of the national team at Slater and Gordon, Madelene, a mum-of-two, said: “We regularly see how these terrible diseases can irreparably impact on people and their families. The saddest thing is that in most cases it could have been avoided if they had been aware of the dangers, but many employers turned a blind eye and now innocent workers are now paying the price.”

Natalie, a paralegal who is also based at the firm’s Mosley Street office, added: “The client in the first case I worked on recently died as a result of exposure to asbestos so that will be my motivation.

“It is a really challenging walk, but we feel ready to meet it head on.”

Asbestos, also known as “the hidden killer”, is a group of minerals made up of fibres with heat resistant properties and was banned in the UK in 1999 due to its cancer-causing properties. Inhaling asbestos fibres can cause diseases which lie dormant in the body for decades so the damage is only realised much later.

Many buildings still contain asbestos, and so even today people could still be exposed to the deadly dust and fibre, which kills around 2,500 people in Great Britain every year.

The fundraising hike sets off from Hazel Grove on September 2, returning the following day. You can sponsor the team at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/NatalieLamb2