This is co-ordinated by Elizabeth Hart who is a retired social worker. She knows from personal experience the social isolation and challenge of being affected by indoor pollution such as chemicals and perfume. The Campaign started as the Chemical & Perfume Sensitivity Network to provide information locally. It went national with the production of badges (see below). Media and individual enquiries should be directed to the national organizations listed below. Please do inform us of any products which have helped you and we will consider including them on the website.
The Campaign will focus on reducing perfumed products used in our environment and raising awareness about their effects on a significant number of people. Elizabeth is supported by Ribble Valley Council for Voluntary Service who administer the finances for the Campaign.
To contact the Campaign, write to Ribble Valley CVS or e mail: fragrancefreeair@googlemail.com. Please put 'CPFA -not spam' in the subject line of your e mail.The aims of the campaign, at this early stage, are to:
To buy badges send One Pound for each badge (inc p&p) to Ribble Valley Council for Voluntary Service, 1 Swan Mews, off Castle Street, Clitheroe, Lancs BB7 2BX. Cheques/postal orders should be made payable to Ribble Valley CVS. See picture of badge below.
USEFUL ORGANIZATIONS AND INFORMATION:
1. FRIENDS OF THE EARTH,26-28 Underwood Street, London N1 7JQ (020 7490155) www.foe.co.uk info@foe.co.uk. They have a lot of information about chemicals, campaigns and safer products on their website. Search under 'Living' section. Their funky book, Save Cash, Save the Planet, has a lot of useful information.
2.WOMEN'S ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK, POBox 30626, London E1 1TZ (020 7481 9004) www.wen.org.uk. health@wen.org.uk WEN has produced Getting Lippy, a briefing on cosmetics, toiletries and the environment; Pretty Nasty, a report on phthalates (a common synthetic perfume ingredient) in European Cosmetic Products; a cosmetics information pack that includes DIY recipes, and published a web-list of companies that say they don't use phthalates or parabens in their cosmetics and toiletries.
3. ALLERGY UK, Unit 3 White Oak Sq, London Rd, Swanley, Kent BR8 7AG. www.allergyuk.org Have fact sheets on Chemical Sensitivity and how to avoid harmful chemicals. Search for 'Household Hints'. Also helpline for those needing support and advice about perfume and chemicals 01322 619898).
4. NATIONAL FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S INSTITUTES, 104 New Kings Rd, London SW6 4LY. (020 7371 9300) www.womens-institute.org.u. Campaigns officer: Farah Nazeer f.nazeer@nfwi.org.uk. Web page has information about their Simple Solutions booklet (One Pound) offering non-chemical alternatives for personal and household use.
5. WORLDWIDE FUND FOR NATURE (WWF), Panda House, Weyside Park, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1XR (01483 426444) www.wwf.org.uk See their joint campaign with NFWI and Co-operative Bank for safer chemicals and health on their website.
6. CHEMICAL FREE (MCAFI - The UK support group for Multiple Chemical and Food Intolerance) founded by Nicki Graham who
has M.E. and chemical sensitivity. Ten pounds p.a. Informative website, free electronic
newsletter and notice board. Chemical Free Ltd, MCAFI, 56 Gaping Clo, Hitchin,
Herts SG5 2JE. www.chemicalfree.co.uk.
info@chemicalfree.co.uk. (The Campaign for Perfume Free Air is affiliated to MCAFI)
7. EAST LANCS ME/CFS SUPPORT GROUP ( The Campaign for Perfume Free Air is affiliated to it) www.eastlancsme.org.uk. support@eastlancsme.org.uk.
8. BRITISH LUNG FOUNDATION www.lunguk.org. Produces leaflet on indoor pollution.
9. ACTION AGAINST ALLERGY, P.O.Box 278 Twickenham TW1 4QQ www.actionagainstallergy.co.uk. AAA@actionagainstallergy.freeserve.co.uk Produce informative leaflets, quarterly magazine, advice and website. They cover all aspects of allergy and chemical/perfume sensitivity.
10. ASTHMA UK www.asthma.org.uk 020 7786 4900
11. MIGRAINE ACTION ASSOCIATION, 6 Oakley Hay Lodge Business Park, Great Folds Road, Great Oakley, Northants NN18 9AS (01536 461333) www.migraine.org.uk. info@migraine.org.uk. Information, advice, support for those whose migraines are triggered by perfume.
12. THE HEALTHY HOUSE LTD. www.healthy-house.co.uk. 01453 752216. See website or send for brochure of wide range of items to help with chemical and perfume sensitivity
13. SWARTHMOOR HALL, Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 OJQ (01229 583204) www.swarthmoorhall.co.uk. This historical conference centre is run by the Society of Friends (Quakers).The warden, Bill Shaw, has worked closely with Elizabeth to make their adapted bungalow (the Muller Unit - self-catering, 4 star) available for those requiring low perfume, organic accommodation for short private stays.
14. CHEMICAL REACTION, c/o Europe Environmental Bureau, Boulevard de Waterloo 34, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium. Chemical Reaction aims to enable EU citizens and NGOs to take part in the the democratic process to improve the new EU chemical legislation REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals)by making the process more transparent and providing information and actions at key political moments. See informative website: www.chemicalreaction.org. info@chemicalreaction.org
15. MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY multiplechemicalsensitivity.org support@multiplechemicalsensitivity.org. This informative website is compiled by Eco Organic Paints. Lists other useful web sites.
16. CAMPAIGN FOR FRAGRANCE-FREE HEALTH CARE IN THE US www.massnurses.org/health/articles. Several informative articles by Peggy Wolff - a holistic nurse in private practice, counselling those with environmentally related conditions. For article about her Campaign, enter the title of this entry and search. See also Peggy's website: www.peggywolff.com. She hopes to have a kit in the near future to download for those wishing to advocate for fragrance free health care. Useful for those needing to take on their local health centre or hospital.
17. FRAGRANCED PRODUCTS INFORMATION NETWORK (USA) www.fpinva.org. Highly recommended for information and inspiration.
BOOKS: 'GET A WHIFF OF THIS Perfumes (fragrances) the Invisible Chemical Poisons' by Connie Pitts. Pub 2003 - available through Amazon.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - feel free to copy and use the posters and icons below. Please contact The Campaign for Perfume Free Air if you wish to reproduce Graham Williams's article.
To spread the word about the badges, it would help if you could print off the revised badges poster and display in your local health shop, health centre, hospital.
Download "A risk analysis of air freshener sprays and perfumed chemical cleaners"
Download Revised CPFA badge poster
Download specimen letter to PPI
Download Poster Share The Air (in colour)
Download Poster Share The Air (black and white)
Download There's Trouble in the Air
Download How We Lost Our Sense of Smell by A.S. Byatt
