Love Your Lungs Week
June 29 - July 5
About Love Your Lungs Week
Love Your Lungs Week 2026 takes place from Monday 29 June to Sunday 5 July 2026. The annual campaign is led by Asthma + Lung UK and dedicated to raising awareness of lung conditions, encouraging people to look after their respiratory health, and raising funds for research, advice, and support for the millions of people in the UK who live with conditions such as asthma, COPD, and lung cancer.
What is Love Your Lungs Week?
Love Your Lungs Week is the flagship public awareness week of Asthma + Lung UK, the UK charity formed by the merger of the British Lung Foundation and Asthma UK. The week brings together patients, families, employers, healthcare professionals, and supporters to highlight the importance of healthy lungs, share practical advice, and fundraise for the charity’s work. The 2026 campaign focuses on workplaces and includes a programme of fundraising challenges for in-person, hybrid, and remote teams.
When is Love Your Lungs Week?
Love Your Lungs Week 2026 runs from Monday 29 June to Sunday 5 July 2026. The week is held in late June and early July each year. Dates are confirmed annually by Asthma + Lung UK, with public-facing materials and corporate fundraising packs released in the spring.
Why Love Your Lungs Week Matters
Lung conditions are the third biggest cause of death in the UK after heart disease and cancer. Asthma + Lung UK estimates that 1 in 5 people in the UK will develop a lung condition during their lifetime. Asthma alone affects 5.4 million people, while around 1.2 million live with diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with many more undiagnosed. Despite this scale, lung health receives a small fraction of the research investment given to comparable diseases, and air pollution continues to make matters worse, particularly for children. Love Your Lungs Week is a chance to draw attention to all of this and to fund the work that improves outcomes.
How to Get Involved in Love Your Lungs Week
Asthma + Lung UK provides free resources, social media graphics, and fundraising packs. Try one or several of the following:
- Sign up your workplace – Register with Asthma + Lung UK as a corporate supporter and access ready-to-go fundraising activities for in-office, hybrid, and remote teams.
- Take a daily walk challenge – Many participants take part in a step or distance challenge across the week, with sponsors donating per kilometre or per day completed.
- Quit smoking or vaping – The single biggest step you can take for your lungs is to stop smoking. Use the week as a deadline and access free NHS quit support.
- Test your lung age – Asthma + Lung UK and many pharmacies offer simple peak flow or spirometry tests that estimate lung age. Knowing where you stand is a strong motivator.
- Improve your home air quality – Ventilate rooms regularly, avoid burning candles or incense in confined spaces, and consider an air purifier if you live in a high-pollution area.
- Talk to your doctor about a cough – A cough lasting more than three weeks is a red-flag symptom that warrants assessment. Use the week as a prompt to make the appointment you have been delaying.
- Donate or fundraise – Direct donations to Asthma + Lung UK fund the helpline, research grants, and patient advocacy. The charity’s website includes a JustGiving template to make fundraising easy.
- Campaign for cleaner air – Air pollution is a major driver of lung disease. Support clean air zones, school streets, and local active travel schemes that reduce pollution at source.
History of Love Your Lungs Week
Love Your Lungs Week was launched by the British Lung Foundation in 2014 to bring more public attention to respiratory disease, which had long been under-represented in mainstream health awareness campaigns. The first campaign focused on the basic statistics of lung disease in the UK and encouraged people to take a free online breath test.
In 2020 the British Lung Foundation merged with Asthma UK to create Asthma + Lung UK, the UK’s leading charity for the country’s millions of people with lung conditions. The merged charity continued the campaign under the same name, building it into a high-profile annual fixture with corporate partners, hospital trust supporters, and celebrity ambassadors.
Recent campaigns have widened the focus beyond individual lung conditions to include the wider determinants of lung health, particularly air pollution and the effects of childhood exposure to dirty air. The week sits alongside other key dates in the lung health calendar, including World Asthma Day in May, World COPD Day in November, and World Lung Cancer Day in August.
Noteworthy Facts About Love Your Lungs Week
- Love Your Lungs Week was launched in 2014 by the British Lung Foundation, which became Asthma + Lung UK after merging with Asthma UK in 2020.
- Around 12 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with a lung condition during their lifetime, according to Asthma + Lung UK.
- Asthma affects approximately 5.4 million people in the UK, including more than 1.1 million children.
- Lung disease is the third biggest cause of death in the UK after heart disease and cancer.
- Air pollution is linked to 36,000 deaths a year in the UK and is a major contributor to lung disease at all ages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Love Your Lungs Week?
Love Your Lungs Week is the annual UK awareness and fundraising week run by Asthma + Lung UK, focused on lung health and respiratory conditions including asthma, COPD, and lung cancer.
When is Love Your Lungs Week in 2026?
Love Your Lungs Week 2026 runs from Monday 29 June to Sunday 5 July 2026.
Who organises Love Your Lungs Week?
The week is organised by Asthma + Lung UK, the charity formed in 2020 from the merger of the British Lung Foundation and Asthma UK.
Spread the Word
Help raise awareness by sharing Love Your Lungs Week with your friends, family, and followers. Use the hashtags #LoveYourLungsWeek and #LoveYourLungs2026 on social media. The more conversations we have about lung health, the more lives are improved.
Related Awareness Days
- World COPD Awareness Day – The global day in November dedicated to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- World Wellbeing Week – The wider wellbeing week running in late June, encompassing physical and mental health.
- Sun Awareness Week – Another major UK summer health awareness week run by the British Association of Dermatologists.
Links
2026 Awareness Days Wall Planner
Every key awareness day at a glance. Perfect for offices, staff rooms, and team planning.
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