Sanofi has announced the three patient groups that will share £50,000 as part of its bursary scheme.
Older People’s Advocacy Alliance was the recipient of the gold bursary award, picking up £25,000. The money will help its efforts to support, promote and develop the provision of independent advocacy services for older people.
Kath Parson, chief executive, Older People’s Advocacy Alliance said: “This money will enable us to train older people affected by cancer to themselves become trainers able to deliver advocacy training to local health and social care commissioners.
The winner of the silver bursary award of £15,000 was TB Alert, which works to tackle tuberculosis (TB) in the UK and the developing world.
The first recipient of the smaller patient group award was Findacure, which receives £10,000 to help it promote the search and development of treatments for extreme and rare genetic disorders.
The smaller patient group award is open to organisations with incomes of £300,000 or less.
Nick Sireau, co-founder and chairman of Findacure said: “Patients with fundamental diseases often suffer from isolation and lack of access to treatments. Our one-year pilot peer-to-peer mentoring scheme for nascent patient organisations will be a major step forwards to helping them overcome this.”
Sanofi’s Patient Group Bursary Scheme was launched in 2011 and has so far supported the work of 11 organisations.
Dr Mark Toms, medical director of Sanofi UK and Ireland, explained why Sanofi launched the scheme.
“Advocacy groups play an important role in championing the needs of patients and Sanofi UK is committed to supporting groups who strive to improve care and empower patients through the Sanofi Patient Group Bursary Scheme.”