Health & Wellbeing

Dorridge resident Andy Foote has completed the world-renowned 500-mile Camino de Santiago walk across northern Spain, raising over £20,000 for The Brain Tumour Charity. Andy’s son Joseph was diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of two. Despite multiple operations and a worldwide search for effective treatment, he died in 2007 at the age of nine. Andy set up The Joseph Foote Trust in 2001, shortly after his son was diagnosed. He was determined to raise money for research into brain tumours as a way of helping Joseph and others affected by the disease.

Five members of Action for Blind People's Senior Management Team to climb three mountains in 24 hours. A team of five from sight loss charity, Action for Blind People, will be taking on the remarkable challenge of climbing three of the UK's highest mountains to raise money for one of the charity's vital services. Kyla Townsend from Birmingham will be climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Mount Snowdon in 24 hours with her colleagues Mike Thornicroft, Paul Morrison, Tom Reck and Carolyn Fletcher.

Staff and volunteers from Alzheimer’s Society embraced the UK’s first ever Cupcake Day, in association with woman&home on Thursday 16 June, with a touch of confectionery mimicry. They chose to support Cupcake Day through the commission of cupcakes that resembled a local landmark and settled upon the iconic design of Birmingham Bullring. Everyone is encouraged to bake, sell or buy cupcakes at events up and down the country.

This week (13th – 19th June 2016) is Men’s Health Week, an annual awareness campaign led by The Men’s Health Forum – a national charity which aims to improve the health of men and boys. But why the big fuss over men’s health? Some health problems, including cardiovascular disease, are more common in men than women. But despite these health issues, men often feel embarrassed to get help from their GP. In fact, on average, men go to their GP half as often as women.

Eye Department patients at Birmingham Children’s Hospital ‘raised their glasses’ in celebration of the hospital’s charity reaching its £300,000 Eye Believe target. Closing the appeal, rather fittingly, on World Orthoptic Day, over five thousand patients will now benefit from the makeover every year. In desperate need of the overhaul, the transformation will see the addition of a brand new play area with an interactive floor and toys suitable for children with impaired vision.

Patients suffering from the most common form of heart rhythm disorder who are admitted to NHS hospitals over the weekend face a higher risk of dying over the next five years than those admitted during normal hours, according to a new study. The research was led by Dr Rahul Potluri, founder of the ACALM study unit at Aston University and was presented at the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) Conference on 6-8 June.

A young patient currently being treated at Birmingham Children’s Hospital for an aggressive brain tumour is the inspiration behind a one-off variety performance being held at the New Alexandra Theatre on Sunday 26 June. Two-year-old Fergus Scholefield, whose doctor dad works at the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer at the end of last year.

The 21st June marks International Day of Yoga, when large-scale yoga classes and celebrations are set to take place around the world, including the UK. India Tourism and the High Commission of India are inviting UK-based yoga enthusiasts to take part in the celebrations at Potters Fields Park (next to Tower Bridge) in central London on Sunday, 19th June 2016.

Thanks to generous donations to the Liver Foundation at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, QEHB Charity has funded a Research Fellow, Dr Daniel Patten, who is undertaking vital research to help liver patients access treatment before their diseases develop. Daniel, a 29 year old from Burnley, Lancashire, moved to Birmingham three years ago to begin work at the Centre for Liver Research, University of Birmingham as a Research Technician, following a PhD in Medical Microbiology at the University of Huddersfield.

Women who have had a diagnosis of ovarian cancer from across the UK will put their questions to world-renowned experts at the UK’s leading ovarian cancer conference. The ‘Ask the Experts’ conference, organised by Target Ovarian Cancer, will take place in Birmingham on Tuesday 14 June 2016. Every year, 678 people are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the West Midlands, and 422 lose their lives.

Diabetes UK is calling on Black people who have Type 2 diabetes to take part in a major survey. The UK’s leading charitable funder for diabetes research wants to gather the opinions of thousands of people with Type 2 diabetes, to help them find out what the biggest questions and concerns are about Type 2 diabetes that people living with the condition want scientists to answer.

The reality of diets is that the vast majority fail and the process involved seriously disappoints those who embark on them, according to new research and an expert panel debate from XLS-MEDICAL. Only one third of diets attempted are seen as successful, and almost half of those spoken to admit to realising a diet is failing within the first month of trying, which suggests weight conscious UK consumers live with way too many setbacks when trying to tackle one of life's most prevalent health challenges. 

Legendary Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne paid a surprise visit to Birmingham Children’s Hospital on Thursday to show his support for the charity’s £3.65 million Star Appeal to build the UK’s first Rare Diseases Centre for children. The famed Prince of Darkness used his return to his home city to revisit the leading paediatric hospital that is close to his heart.

A major charity initiative is urging workers across the West Midlands to ‘down tools’ at lunchtime and get walking to help protect their wellbeing. A UK-wide survey commissioned by the National Charity Partnership, a collaboration between Diabetes UK, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Tesco, found that heavy workloads, stress and workplace culture is stopping nearly half of all office workers in the region (48 per cent) from regularly getting outside for a lunchtime stroll.

A councillor who shed over eight stone in a high profile weight loss challenge will put his experience of battling fitness problems to good use as the City of Wolverhampton Council’s new Public Health champion. Councillor Paul Sweet, who was appointed Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing last week, fought a personal battle against the bulge as part of Wolverhampton's Call to Action to tackle obesity in the city - dropping from 22st 9lbs to 14st 8lbs in just over a year, after previously tipping the scales at 29st 4lbs.

Muslim diabetics in Birmingham have been urged not to put their health at risk by fasting during the forthcoming month of Ramadan. Throughout Ramadan (2016: 7 June to 6 July) most Muslims are required to refrain from eating and drinking during daylight hours. But diabetics are exempt from this if fasting would put their health at risk. (Speak to your Imam for more information)