A leading asbestos management consultancy lit up its Northampton office in blue on Friday 4th July 2025 to mark Action Mesothelioma Day and shine a light on mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

Acorn Analytical Services joined other businesses charities and organisations from all over the UK to ‘Go Blue For Meso’, lighting up homes, offices and landmarks in blue lights to raise awareness of the disease, the dangers of asbestos and to acknowledge and pay tribute to those who have lost their lives to mesothelioma.

The national #GoBlueForMeso campaign was created in 2022 by leading mesothelioma charities Mesothelioma UK and Action Meso to run in conjunction with Action Mesothelioma Day, which falls on the first Friday in July every year. Those who take part in the big light up are added to a national map of blue landmarks on the Action Meso website.

Acorn Analytical Services marks Action Mesothelioma Day each year, typically with the team wearing blue and paying a fee to do so to raise funds for the two charities. The company has also raised thousands of pounds for Mesothelioma UK through various fundraising events including a 24-hour cycle challenge. This year, the team has pledged to complete 10 charity challenges over the course of the year to raise more funds for the charity, which supports individuals and families affected by mesothelioma.

Managing director, Sam Savage, said: “Unfortunately asbestos and mesothelioma are still prevalent in the UK, despite the use of asbestos being banned in construction in 1999. Over 2,700 people in the UK are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year, which is completely preventable with the correct asbestos management procedures and training in place for businesses and workers.

“Action Mesothelioma Day is such an important day to recognise in our industry, and we are proud to have played our part and literally shine a light on the disease and the very real dangers of asbestos.”

According to Action Meso:

• Asbestos is still in around 85% of schools, 90% of hospitals and many other public and private buildings.
• More people die from exposure to asbestos than die in road traffic accidents per year.
• Of the 2,700 people per year who are diagnosed with mesothelioma, the majority die within six months of diagnosis and 60% die within a year. Fewer than 10% of people with mesothelioma survive beyond three years in the UK.

A spokesperson for the Action Meso campaign said: “Because the use and import of asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999, many people assume it’s no longer a problem, but they couldn’t be more wrong. If you’re in a school, hospital or other building built before 1999, then there’s a good chance you are less than 10 metres away from asbestos. The Go Blue for Meso campaign aims to make more people aware of what mesothelioma is, and the ever-present dangers of asbestos. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos, the fibres are so small that thousands of them would fit onto a pin head, so it really is a silent killer.”