Colt Foundation is set up by Deed of Charitable Settlement.

First grant awarded, for £15,500 to the Back Pain Association.

Dr David Denison is appointed the first Scientific Adviser, leading to our long-term association with the Royal Brompton Hospital/National Heart and Lung Institute and our interest in respiratory medicine.

Green College Conference, convened by Professor Sir Richard Doll and supported by the Colt Foundation, leading to the formation of the British Occupational Health Research Foundation, and a general revival of interest in occupational health research.

Long term support committed to Dr Anthony Seaton at the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh – £100,000 p.a. for five years. This is the start of a long association with Dr Seaton, and also with Dr Ken Donaldson.

Grant awarded to Jonathan Gale at the University of Bristol for research into hearing, leading to a PhD and subsequent postdoctoral research. The start of a long association with the Hearing Research Trust (now Defeating Deafness).

The start of the Colt Foundation PhD Fellowships.

The Colt Group undertakes a capital reconstruction, resulting in a reduction of the Colt Foundation’s holding of Ordinary Shares, and acquisition of Redeemable Preference shares, redemption of which provided £4,150,000 for investment in marketable securities in 1996.

Long term funding awarded to Kings College London to support students on an MSc course in human and applied physiology.

Agreement with Professor Malcolm Harrington to support the Institute of Occupational Health in Birmingham.

Long term support of the National Heart & Lung Institute at the Royal Brompton Hospital is agreed with Professor Anthony Newman Taylor for a study based in Ashford, Kent, into “Why asthma is becoming more common”.

Jerome O’Hea takes over as Chairman of the Colt Foundation from his brother, Alan O’Hea, who had been Chairman since 1978.

First grant to Napier University for research on the molecular toxicology of particle-related lung disease. This leads to the formation of ELEGI (Edinburgh Lung and the Environment Group Initiative) in 1997, and a Foundation grant of £150,000 towards the cost of refurbishing a laboratory to accommodate ELEGI, known as the ELEGI/Colt laboratories.

Tim Ault (son of Mary Ault), Clare Gilchrist (daughter of Alan O’Hea) and Peter O’Hea (son of Jerome O’Hea) appointed Trustees.

Professor David Coggon agrees to become a Scientific Adviser to the Foundation.

Professor Sir Richard Doll formally opens the ELEGI/Colt laboratories in Edinburgh.

Colt Foundation Day is held at the Royal College of Physicians in London, at which all major project grant holders, and all Foundation-supported students give presentations of their work to an audience which includes all the major stakeholders in the world of occupational health research in the UK. The Wellcome Trust provides an assessor.

Jerome O’Hea retires as Chairman of the Trustees, but remains a member of the Board of Trustees.
Patricia Lebus is appointed Chairman.

Retirement of Mary Ault, one of the founder Trustees.
Juliette O’Hea (daughter of Jerome O’Hea) and Natasha Lebus (daughter of Patricia Lebus) appointed Trustees.
Professor David Coggon agrees to serve as a Trustee of the Foundation, and Professor Anthony Newman Taylor agrees to become a Scientific Adviser.

A grant of £308,000 is awarded to Professor Raymond Agius with a view to creating a centre of excellence in occupational health research at the University of Manchester.

A five year Colt Professorial Fellowship is awarded to Professor Ken Donaldson to enable him to remain as co-Director of ELEGI at the University of Edinburgh.

A grant of £139,068 is awarded to Professor Jon Ayres at the University of Aberdeen for work entitled “Occupational and environmental exposures and health: linking human exposure methodology, mechanisms and epidemiology”.

Professor Anthony Newman Taylor agrees to serve as a Trustee of the Foundation.
Professor Ken Donaldson agrees to become a Scientific Adviser to the Foundation.
Patricia Lebus retires as Chairman of the Trustees, but remains a member of the Board of Trustees.
Walter Morison is appointed Chairman.

A further ten-year Colt Professorial Fellowship is awarded to Professor Ken Donaldson to enable him to remain as co-Director of ELEGI at the University of Edinburgh.

Professor Sir Richard Doll dies in July.

A second Colt Foundation Day is held at the Royal College of Physicians in London. All major project grant holders give presentations of their work, and all the major players in the world of occupational health research are invited to attend, as well as all students currently supported by the Foundation.
A grant of £202,595 is awarded to Dr Paul Cullinan at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College for work entitled “Does FEV1 predict capacity to work in an ageing population?”

Retirement of Tim Ault as a Trustee. The Board of Trustees is very grateful for his contribution over a long period of time.

A grant of £107,452 is awarded to the University of Aberdeen for work entitled “Workplace health surveillance for occupational skin diseases – diagnostic accuracy and reliability of a teledermatology tool”. The work is led by Dr Finlay Dick, with Dr Markus Steiner, Dr Sean Semple, Professor Jon Ayres, and Dr Anthony Ormerod.