About the fund

June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund is a UK registered independent charity. Since we were set up in 1997, our supporters have raised well over £1.4m for a wide range of research projects and activities supporting people with mesothelioma. We also campaign to raise awareness of the disease and the risks of asbestos.

The Fund is run by six volunteer trustees; we spend a minimum of money raised on administration (less than 1%).

We have supported the campaign for delivery of the Mesothelioma Charter and for a worldwide ban on asbestos, exposure to which is the only known cause of mesothelioma.

During the 1960s asbestos was a very popular industrial material. Not only is asbestos a flexible and strong material but it is also fireproof and so was considered an extremely useful building tool, even though the dangers of exposure to asbestos have been known since 1899.

JW Roberts, a Leeds based asbestos manufacturer let asbestos escape from the factory into the surrounding residential area.

The asbestos dust covered the local streets and nearby school, exposing many innocent residents to the dangerous mineral. One such resident was June Hancock, who grew up and went to school in the area. June was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 1994 and decided to take action against Turner & Newall (T&N PLC), the parent company of JW Roberts.