The Dr Benjamin Angel Foundation

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust

Benjamin suffered from Cystic Fibrosis (CF).  The Cystic Fibrosis Trust (www.cftrust.org.uk) is a charity of which Anthony was for 8 years Honorary Treasurer and Ruth a Patron and which we have been supporting for many years to find a cure for CF. The Foundation has helped establish the Dr Benjamin Angel Senior Lectureship at the Department of Gene Therapy, National Heart and Lung Institute. Benjamin worked there for a six months during his gap year prior to university on ways of increasing gene transfer efficiency to the lung, and was a co-author of a paper published in the Gene Therapy journal. The Department is participating in gene therapy trials that we hope will lead to a cure.

Professor Eric Alton writes:

“The Department of Gene Therapy, National Heart and Lung Institute had the pleasure of hosting Dr Benjamin Angel for a 6 months study period during his year off prior to University. Benjamin worked on ways of increasing gene transfer efficiency to the lung, and was a co-author on a paper we published in Gene Therapy. Given this, and of course his long-term association with the Royal Brompton Hospital, we felt it might be a fitting tribute to establish the Dr Benjamin Angel Senior Lectureship in his memory.

This named post has been established for a 5 year period. The post focuses on a topic that Benjamin worked on whilst with us, namely ways to increase the efficiency of delivering a normal copy of the CF gene into CF airways. Specifically, the focus is on translational science, in line with the aims of the UK CF Gene Therapy Consortium.

The proposal was aimed at establishing a senior post over a reasonable duration for a number of reasons. It has become very clear to the Consortium that whilst each member of our team is highly valued, it is the relatively few senior scientists which provide the glue holding the fabric of the Consortium together. We very much rely on their experience and wisdom, and once found we are very keen to retain their services. Unfortunately, job security is poor in these posts with contracts often for only 2-3 years. This, in turn, leads to a higher than desirable staff turnover. We believe that such a 5 year post, not only provides stability for the postholder and the Consortium, but is also helpful in encouraging the University to consider longer term funding at the end of a satisfactory 5 year tenure. Funding is at a scientific Senior Lecturer level.

The post is administered through the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, as part of the funding to the UK CF Gene Therapy Consortium, and might serve as a prototype for similar initiatives at the other centres within the Consortium."

The Learning Centre at Stanmore

The Foundation sponsors The Learning Centre at Stanmore (www.stanmore-slc.org.uk) which promotes adult education and runs weekly programmes on a wide variety of topics.

Its programme states:

"Benjamin was born and grew up in the Stanmore community. It was here that he had so many happy memories of coming every Shabbat, first to the children's service and then to the main shul, of being with his family, of celebrating his Barmitzvah and later his Aufruf. It was in Stanmore where, after having married his beloved Louise and moved to Hampstead to be near his job at Royal Free Hospital, Benjamin wanted to bench Gomel, the prayer after recovering from serious illness, just a few months before he died on Erev Roshanah 5766, aged 26 years.

Benjamin was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when a few days old, but despite this condition, lived a remarkable life.

He excelled both academically and as a sportsman. At the Royal Free he combined his insight, humility, intellect, charm and humour to make a unique doctor, admired by patients and colleagues alike. The knowledge that he might not have as much time as everybody else gave him a joie de vivre and the determination to make the time he had really count. He undertook research into CF both in the UK and the US, and co-authored several published papers. He developed computer systems to help in patient care and an internet-based teaching system for doctors that won him a prize at University College. In Jewish circles he was Chairman of Stanmore FZY and the Publicity Officer at Cambridge J-Soc. He had a love of Judaism, its traditions and all things Jewish.

Golf, food, music and travel were also his passions – but none more so than enjoying his role as a wise and loving husband and a wonderful son, big brother and grandson.

May we all be inspired by Benjamin and continue, as he did, to challenge and push ourselves always.

“Do not say, 'when I am free I will study', for perhaps you will not become free” (Pirke Avot)

CF is the most common fatal hereditary genetic disease among the Jewish population. It can be avoided by a simple test. For more information visit www.cftrust.org.uk."

One Family

OneFamily (www.onefamilyfund.org) is a charity which provides direct financial, legal, and emotional assistance to victims of terrorism in Israel. We have sponsored  families, offering regular monthly financial support or making one off donations

The families we have supported include:

• Family 1: The husband was killed by a Palestinian gunman in 2001. Leaving a wife with cancer and six children. The wife has now died and the children are looked after by her sister, whose husband is a gardener with 5 children of his own. Many of the children need help in school or with therapy.

• Family 2: The husband was shot at twice by terrorists while driving a bus before, on a third occasion, his bus was attacked and several passengers killed, some dying in his arms. He is now traumatised and unable to work. He is under psychiatric care and his wife is struggling to make ends meet and look after the family's two children.

• Family 3: The husband (injured in a terrorist attack in 1976) has heart disease and lung problems. His wife was traumatised by a bus bomb in 2003 and lost her job. Both need expensive medications not fully covered by the State.

• Family 4: An elderly couple both of whom were injured in the Park Hotel bombing at Pesach 2002. They suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the husband's pension plan has gone bankrupt. Their friends have drifted away from them and they lead very lonely lives.

• Family 5: A husband and wife with three children, the oldest son was severely injured in the head, lungs and spine, and left paralysed from the waist down, in a suicide bombing in Hadera in 2005. Both parents now devote their lives to supporting their son and need financial support.