Dr Alice Willson - Spine Challenger North guest blog — Mums for Lungs 18th March 2026 In this guest blog, Dr Alice Willson writes about her experience running the 160 mile Spine Challenger North ultramarathon in January.

We’re in awe of Dr Alice Willson, a paediatrician and Clinical Fellow at the @rcpch.bsky.social, who recently ran the Spine Challenger North ultramarathon. She finished in an amazing third place, all while raising money for us and two other charities. Read her blog and be inspired! 👇 💥

Mums for Lungs: School Streets Webinar Join us to find out about School Streets and how we can support you to campaign for one at your school.

Wishing you had a calmer, safer school run, with less traffic and #AirPollution at the school gates?

Join us on Tuesday 28th April at 8:15pm to hear all about #SchoolStreets. You'll leave inspired to get the ball rolling with one at your school!

Publications and downloads Read more about Greater Manchester's vision for cycling and walking with in-depth publications and resources.

Fantastic to see #SchoolStreets progress in Greater Manchester in the 2025 #ActiveTravel Annual Report.

Our 2024 election campaign, with local GM groups, led to @andyburnham.bsky.social pledging to deliver 100 School Streets by 2028.

And now?
33 in place, with plans for 80 by 2027 & 100 by 2028!

It's “an absolute scandal that having a bit more money gets you not just a nicer high street – it gets you a longer life expectancy, it gets you cleaner air."

We need more MPs advocating for #CleanAir and addressing the inequalities in people's exposure to pollution across communities.

Mums for Lungs: School Streets Webinar Join us to find out about School Streets and how we can support you to campaign for one at your school.

Wishing you had a calmer, safer school run, with less traffic and #AirPollution at the school gates?

Join us on Tuesday 28th April at 8:15pm to hear all about #SchoolStreets. You'll leave inspired to get the ball rolling with one at your school!

So much useful information- do take a look #SchoolStreets

Domestic wood burning is creating huge health harms to you, your family and your neighbours. Great interview today with @jemimavivien.bsky.social @mumsforlungs.bsky.social

Radio London - Listen Live - BBC Sounds Listen live to Radio London on BBC Sounds

Our founder @jemimavivien.bsky.social spoke to BBC Radio London earlier about the consultation on solid fuel burning, which closes tomorrow.

"People would not be buying a log burner or running an open fire in their home if they understood what it did to their health, right?"

Listen from 07:17 👇.

Campaigns catch-up March's monthly meeting will include updates on our campaigns and how you can get involved, and celebrate our Clean Air Crowd.

Join us next Tuesday, 17th March at 8:15 PM on Zoom for our March volunteer meeting!

We'll share updates on our campaigns - including wood burning, the #LocalElections, the #Dieselgate trial and the #CleanAirCrowd - and explore ways you can get involved.

Register your spot at the link. 💚

We’re hiring — Mums for Lungs Mums for Lungs is expanding our work to West Bromwich. We are seeking a dynamic, community-minded Spokesperson to lead local campaigning efforts .

We're hiring!

Mums for Lungs is expanding our work to West Bromwich, and we're seeking a dynamic, community-minded Spokesperson to lead local campaigning efforts.

Apply by 13th April.

#WestBromwich #Campaigning #Jobs

Environmental Audit Committee chooses air pollution for its next inquiry — Mums for Lungs 8th January 2026 We’re delighted to have contributed to ensuring that the Environmental Audit Committee chose air pollution for its next inquiry.

There are 4 days left to submit evidence to the @commonseac.parliament.uk #AirPollution inquiry. You have until 3rd March to submit evidence. 🙏

Really excited to be a part of this campaign. Kids need Clean Air! @mumsforlungs #CleanAirCrowd

'Working hard used to get you a house, a nice life, holidays' The Green Party secured a big win in the Gorton and Denton by-election

Congratulations to Hannah Spencer!

We were pleased to hear Hannah speak about #AirPollution in her acceptance speech. As a candidate, she committed to working to clean up the air for GM's children, and we look forward to working with her as an MP on this. 👏

Coloured paper on a table, with pens spread around. A piece of red card has hearts drawn on it, and letter tiles spell out the words "Love your lungs".

Happy #ValentinesDay! We've been doing some crafting 😍 .

If you love your lungs, and are interested to know how dirty air affects them, then come along to our introduction to #AirPollution session on Tuesday 24th Feb at 8:15pm.

Book your free spot here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/introducti...

Idling — Mums for Lungs Idling is a frustrating and unnecessary source of air pollution. Many parents in our network have repeatedly witnessed it happening outside schools, in town centres, playgrounds and at hospitals.

NEW: We've revamped our idling flyer with updated facts and statistics.

Over 50,000 of these have been sent out since we first launched this nearly 5 years ago! You can join the party by downloading or ordering some for free below.
#AirPollution #Idling

Responding to the DEFRA wood burning consultation — Mums for Lungs Read our guidance on how to respond to DEFRA’s wood burning consultation - deadline 19th March. This is a critical moment to get your voice heard by the government.

NEW: Have your say on DEFRA’s solid fuel burning consultation.

If you're affected by #WoodBurning, this is a critical moment to get your views across to the government. We've created some guidance to help you respond - the deadline is 19th March. Please share far and wide!

#AirPollution #Health

💚 Join the #CleanAirCrowd! 💚

We’re bringing people together across the country to take part in a 7-day #AirPollution challenge, from Sat 28th Feb to Fri 6th March.

With one daily action, it couldn't be easier to get involved and share the #CleanAir love!

Sign up now: bit.ly/clean-air-cr...

Clean air grants failing to electrify Manchester’s taxis Less than a third of taxi drivers receiving grants from Greater Manchester’s Hackney Support Fund are to use the money to buy a zero emission vehicle, Clean Cities have found. In an update on their in...

How does this ensure GM meets NO2 requirements in the fastest way possible? Only a third of taxis so far approved to be upgraded will be zero-emission. These petrol/diesel taxis will be on the road for years to come. GM's leaders are failing to protect children’s lungs. @andyburnham.bsky.social

Number of US-style ‘battering ram’ pickup trucks on UK roads has nearly doubled in a decade Exclusive: Campaigners say ‘menacing vehicles’ are putting children at risk owing to their large front blind zones

"No parent wants their kids in daily danger, yet we’re allowing these trucks to become normal on our streets.”

Registrations of the most commonly sold pickup trucks have risen by 92% in just over a decade, an extremely worrying trend. #AirPollution #Carspreading

This #CleanAirNight, a reminder that wood smoke isn’t a “nuisance”—it’s a serious public health issue.

Childhood smoke exposure linked to cognitive decline in later life - AirQualityNews A new study suggests that growing up in households reliant on solid fuels such as coal, wood and plant waste may have lasting consequences for brain health, with measurable cognitive impairment…

A new study has examined the long-term relationship between early childhood exposure to indoor #AirPollution and cognitive performance in adulthood.

"Individuals exposed to indoor air pollution from solid fuels during childhood performed significantly worse on cognitive tests later in life".

#GreaterManchester, would you like a calmer, safer, less polluted journey to school? #SchoolStreets reduce traffic and #AirPollution - win!

We're keen to hear from people in #Bury, #Oldham, #Rochdale & #Tameside who are interested. Get in touch with Liz at manchester@mumsforlungs.org if that's you!

59 hours, 43 minutes and 18 seconds! What an incredible achievement - congratulations Alice. We hope you enjoyed a LONG sleep after smashing the Spine Challenger North yesterday! 💪 🥳

A pink poster with white text that says "#CleanAirNight. If you can smell wood burning, you're breathing in harmful air pollution". There is a green Mums for Lungs logo bottom right and a QR code bottom left. Small text at the bottom says "For information on how air pollution from burning damages our health, see: Royal College of Physicians: A Breath of Fresh Air report".

We're running a poster campaign for this year's #CleanAirNight (next Thursday, 22nd!).

Let's create a buzz about the #AirPollution & #Health impacts of burning wood by putting a poster up on 20th Jan, then sharing a photo with us on 22nd!

Deadline to order: Thurs 15th, 6pm. bit.ly/m4l-canposte...

A white woman wearing glasses and a Mums for Lungs t-shirt, standing in front of a wood-panelled backdrop. She is holding a card with the number 609 on it, representing her number for the Spine Challenger North race.

The amazing Dr Alice Willson is taking part in the Spine Challenger North, raising funds for us, @thegreenrunners.bsky.social & Oldham Foodbank. Alice is currently on the Pennine Way - go Alice!

Track the route: live.opentracking.co.uk/spinechallno...

Donate: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding...

Wood Is Not a Carbon-Neutral Energy Source Treating it as such – and supporting it with subsidies, as the UK and many other EU member states do – is a flawed path to climate action.

Burning wood damages our #Climate.

👍 Planting a new tree is great but...
👎 ...it takes decades of growth before that new tree is mature enough to absorb the carbon emitted from the one burnt last night.
#WoodBurning #AirPollution

Three posters about the air pollution impact of wood burning. "Like smoking cigarettes, burning wood damages our health". "Wood burning harms". "A wood burning stove is six times more polluting than an HGV".

If you're concerned about wood burning, join us in putting up posters in your area to help inform people about the #AirPollution impacts of burning.

#WoodBurning is still a vastly underestimated and misunderstood source of pollution.

Order your free posters here: bit.ly/wbposterform

ASA rules against Stove Industry Alliance over misleading claims - AirQualityNews The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned two advertising claims by the Stove Industry Association (SIA) after ruling that the trade body misled consumers about the environmental impact of…

The @adstandards.bsky.social has found claims made by the Stove Industry Association about wood burning stove emissions to be "misleading and unsubstantiated".

There is so much misinformation out there about #WoodBurning and #AirPollution. We're very pleased to see the truth come to light.

The areas of Greater Manchester where you're at risk just by breathing MEN INVESTIGATION: Although strides have been made to improve air quality in Greater Manchester, a number of areas are still masked in dangerous emissions. One campaign group has called it a 'public h...

Greater Manchester’s children are still breathing some of the most polluted air in the UK. Meanwhile, car ownership continues to rise in #Manchester. This is a public #Health emergency, and we need a clear plan to bring #AirPollution down in line with @who.int recommendations.

Make polluters pay for poisoning our children 10 years ago it was revealed that many diesel cars were being fitted with illegal technology that means they emit levels of toxic gases (NOx) exceeding testing and legal limits. These emissions…

Help us get this to 20,000 and beyond!

#Dieselgate car manufacturers have never properly been held to account in the UK.

Let's change that. Sign and share!