The ELF team is made up of its leadership, committees, volunteers and staff - working together to improve lung health. Meet the team here!
Content Table
The ELF Council sits at the top of the organisation and oversees everything that ELF does. Three committees work under the Council. These include the Patient Advisory Committee (PAC), the United Patient Advisory Group (UPAG) and the Professional Advisory Committee (PrAC). The ELF office carries out the day-to-day work of ELF and is based in Sheffield (UK) and Brussels (Belgium).
Find out moreThe ELF Council is the organisation’s main controlling body. They are responsible for the work plan, activities and financial control of ELF. The Council work to guide the foundation and provide an overview of its activities.
Phil Taverner is the Chair of the European Lung Foundation and began his 3-year mandate in September 2026 during the ERS Congress. Phil lives with asthma, bronchiectasis and a heart condition. With a background in social and community work in both the UK and New Zealand, Phil worked for local authorities and national charities before moving into public health research with the UK's National Institute for Health Research. Phil's advocacy journey has spanned a wide range of roles to raise awareness of the needs of patients and carers, the value of lived expertise in driving research and care, and the importance of collective action to ensure better lung health for all.
Helen Parks is the Co-Chair of the European Lung Foundation and began her term in September 2026 during the ERS Congress. Helen lives with asthma and became involved with ELF following her experience of COVID-19 in 2020. A former teacher from Belfast, Northern Ireland, she has played a leading role in patient advocacy through the ELF Council and as Chair of the United Patient Advisory Group (UPAG). Helen is particularly passionate about empowering patients to shape their care, encouraging young advocates to become involved in lung health, and raising awareness of the impact of tobacco, vaping and nicotine on young people.
The Patient Advisory Committee is made up of European respiratory patient organisations, with members representing different conditions, to ensure all lung conditions are represented equally. The aim is to develop a united voice of respiratory patient organisations across Europe.
Hall Skaara, a Norwegian national, was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in 2005. He holds a master’s degree in computer science and previously worked at a large international computer company. In 2012, he retired from his regular job and is now a project manager at PHA Europe. His responsibilities include advocacy and managing the Bel Air Center, among other tasks.
The United PAG is made up of representatives from individual PAGs. Its purpose is to discuss and work on issues that are cross-disease, such as breathlessness; share ideas and best practice; provide support to each other; and help drive the ELF agenda and strategy.
The ELF office is based in Sheffield in the UK and Brussels in Belgium. The team take care of the day-to-day running of ELF, they plan our events, coordinate our work with patients and healthcare professionals, and produce the materials on our website. If you contact us, via the website or our social media channels, this is the team you will reach.
