Bryson Recycling is encouraging households across Northern Ireland to recycle as much as possible this winter in an effort to support its ‘£1 a Tonne’ campaign in aid of the Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke Association (NICHS).

Bryson will donate £1 to NICHS for every tonne of recycling received through its kerbside box collection service between the start of December and the end of March 2010. The money raised will go towards the work done by NICHS to help support those affected by chest, heart or stroke-related illness.

NICHS follows in the footsteps of local charities including the Simon Community and Sport Relief which have received thousands of pounds in funding through Bryson Recycling’s ‘£1 a Tonne’ campaign, which is run every winter in aid of a different charity.

The funding will assist with rehabilitation for those suffering from stroke, cardiac and chest illnesses, as well as providing essential medical equipment for patients with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) who suffer from respiratory diseases like chronic bronchitis, asthma or emphysema. Bryson’s donation will also help maintain the advice helpline NICHS operates for patients and carers, and will provide support for research undertaken by local hospitals and universities to identify new treatments and cures. Also set to benefit from the funding is the health promotion work done by NICHS to help prevent chest, heart and stroke illness.

Launching the £1 a Tonne campaign, Claire McCallum, Communications Manager at Bryson Recycling, commented:

“We’re proud to be supporting NICHS with this year’s £1 a Tonne recycling campaign. Chest, heart and stroke-related illnesses are the most common causes of death in Northern Ireland, so we hope to provide valuable assistance to NICHS in its work towards preventing these illnesses and supporting patients and their carers. 

I would encourage all households with a Bryson kerbside box to make an extra effort over the coming months to fill it with recyclable materials in order to support an extremely worthwhile cause.”

Vanessa Elder, Fundraising Manager at NICHS, said:

“More than 7,000 people die here each year as a result of chest, heart and stroke-related illness, and respiratory disease is leading cause of severe disability in Northern Ireland. NICHS provides vital assistance to people living with these illnesses and to those who care for them, so Bryson’s support is very much appreciated.

Over the last year funding has proven more challenging than ever to secure, with many of us less able to afford financial donations than in the past. However the ‘£1 a Tonne’ campaign gives people the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution without giving cash, so I hope that everyone with a Bryson kerbside box will make the most of the collection service and recycle as much as possible.”