TV star on ‘ horrific disease’ which made him support charity
WHEN he was asked to play a man diagnosed with mesothel ioma, actor Jonathan Watson admits he had never heard of the deadly disease.
“For all that I was born and bred in Glasgow and had heard of asbestos poisoning, I soon realised everything I knew was just the tip of the iceberg,” he explains.
“Phyllis, from Action on Asbestos, came to talk to all of the cast and she was absolutely fantastic. I had no idea what a horrific disease it is, and how it impacts on families and communities – and that there is still no cure.”
Action on Asbestos, which has been providing free practical and emotional support to those affected by mesothelioma, lung cancer and other asbestos and work- related diseases and injuries for more than 35 years, stands to benefit from a £ 16,000 cash pot donated by the owners of The Glasgow Times.
Jonathan, who is best known for his long- running Scottish football parody sketch show Only an Excuse, and his role as irritating neighbour Colin in Two Doors Down, was awarded honorary membership of the charity in 2020.
He first became aware of Action on Asbestos when director Phyllis Craig visited the cast of Fibres, Frances Poet’s play about the devastating legacy of asbestos and the often hidden story of women with mesothelioma.
The play, directed by
Jemima Levick, proved such a hit that the original cast and crew reunited to turn it into a film, with the support of Stellar Quines, the Citizens Theatre, Performing Arts Venue Relief Fund, Action on Asbestos and Thompsons Solicitors.
Phyllis was on hand to provide information to the cast, and Jonathan says it was an eye- opening experience.
“Many people think the problem of asbestos poisoning died out when men stopped working on the shipyards, but that’s not the case,” he says.
“There has been a resurgence, particularly from people who worked in the construction industry in the 70s, 80s and even 90s, who are finding their work is now coming back to haunt them.”
Since that initial meeting Jonathan has remained in touch with Phyllis and her colleagues, speaking up for them when he can and raising awareness of the work they do.
“Action on Asbestos is fantastic,” he says. “In addition to providing counselling and support groups, they help families in a number of ways and I’m absolutely delighted to hear they will receive some funding from Cash for Charities. That money will allow them to keep doing this valuable work.”
For more information, call the free Action on Asbestos helpline 0800 089 1717.
People power will determine how a fantastic £ 16,000 cash pot is spent in Glasgow.
The Glasgow Times is giving local charities the chance to share in the money and it is down to our readers to decide.
Ten Scottish charities – Action on Asbestos, Galashiels Foodbank, East Lothian Roots and Fruits, Greenock Medical Aid Society, Fermanagh Brightstarz, Fairway Fife, RSABI, Cancer Support Scotland, Sense Scotland Touchbase Ayrshire and Finding Your Feet – will each get a proportion of the money.
To determine how the £ 16,000 is allocated, readers are invited to collect tokens which will appear in our newspapers every day during November until the closing date.
You can then post your tokens to Glasgow Times Readers’ Choice Cash for Charity Nominations, 125 Fullarton Drive, Glasgow G32 8FG. You can also hand them in at the Action on Asbestos head office at 245 High Street, Glasgow, G4 0QR.
Tokens must arrive by the closing date of Sunday, November 20.
Each token collected will then be used to allocate cash to the nominated charity. So, if your favourite good cause collects 50% of all tokens collected, it will receive £ 8000.
Newsquest terms and conditions apply where relevant to the grants process. More tokens are included in today’s newspaper – so get collecting and support your favourite charity.