NHS Blood and Transplant is rallying for a new kind of English hero during the World Cup – as there is a need for blood donors, particularly O negative, B negative, male, or black donors with the rare subtype Ro.

Potential donors are encouraged to register and to book an appointment at a local donor centre and if they cannot get an appointment, look to book it for when the tournament has finished.

Whilst it can be difficult to get an appointment during busy periods, donor centres have the most appointment availability.

England stalwarts Shilton (125 caps), whose wife worked in the NHS for more than 20 years, and former Birmingham player Seaman (75 caps), are well known for the saves they’ve made for their country and are now calling upon the nation to ‘Save England’ off the pitch, by donating blood to help save lives.

There is still a need for O negative or B negative blood donors as stocks of these groups tend to fall during certain times of the year such as bank holidays, summer and Christmas. We need to increase the proportion of donors with these groups to meet demand. Anyone who has those blood groups will be able to get a priority appointment.

25,000 male donors are needed now to step forward. Men’s blood is particularly useful to make plasma and platelets used to stop bleeding after injury or surgery. Men are also able to donate more frequently and are more likely to have lots of iron and so can donate more regularly than women. Despite this, 2 in 3 new donors are women.

Black donors with the rare subtype Ro are also in high demand. This blood type is more prevalent in the black community and is used to treat the 15,000 people in the UK who suffer from sickle cell disease. Often people needing Ro are treated with O negative because there is a shortage of Ro blood to treat patients.

Peter Shilton says: “I wish I could have donated when I could do – but hope this encourages those that still can.

“It doesn’t need the ‘hand of god’ to save lives – everyone can do it. A blood donation can save or improve up to three lives and it shouldn’t take more than an hour of your time.”

David Seaman added: “We want everyone to know that they can save the people around them. It can’t be overemphasised how important each donation is. Therefore, please support your country in a way that can make you the heroes off the pitch.”

Mike Stredder, Director of Blood Donation at NHS Blood and Transplant says: “To meet our patients’ needs at all times, we need 700 new donors every day to follow in the footsteps of these goalkeeping legends and help save their country.

“There is a particular need for O negative and B negative donors as these are vulnerable blood groups that often run low on stocks at various times of the year, so anyone who knows they have one of these blood groups please do come forward to donate.

“If you can’t get an appointment to give blood during the World Cup, don’t worry. The need for blood is constant so we encourage anyone who can’t get one now to book for a future date.

“If you live or work near to one of our fixed site donor centres, please book an appointment to give there.”

Please go to www.blood.co.uk to find out if you can donate, register as a donor and book an appointment at your local donor centre. Giving blood is simple and an hour of your time can help save up to three lives. If you can’t book an appointment straight away, please don’t worry, we need blood donors every day so please book an appointment in the future. Save a life. Give blood #Giveblood.

A Weight Watchers Diamond Leader is celebrating 20 years of sIimming service in Stoke.

Liz Archibald, who lives in Mere Park, near Stoke on Trent, was presented with the award by Sheila Bradshaw, area service manager for Weight Watchers in front of colleagues on Saturday 10^th February.

She received a gift voucher for £300 and has treated herself to a new Vivian Westwood Watch and matching earrings.

Liz joined weight Watchers as a member at the age of 37 after having her second child as she didn't want to be the old, fat mum in the playground.

Liz said ‘At Weight Watchers I learned for the first time how to lose weight without feeling hungry & deprived, I discovered how to cook & enjoy foods that I'd never previously heard of! I lost about 1.5lbs every week while still having a takeaway at the weekend with a couple of glasses of wine & the WW chocolate bars meant that I could still have a chocolate fix without gaining weight.’

Liz reached my goal within 5 months having lost 2 stone on the points plan & was inspired by Weight Watchers so decided to apply to become a Coach as she wanted to share her knowledge & help others achieve their own goals.

Liz added ‘Weight loss is a journey but I believe it should be fun too. At the meetings we share what works, what doesn’t, how to create amazing plates of food & how to laugh about the silly stuff!’

Our new plan "Flex" has changed the way many of us think about food, I have never eaten so well & our members feel the same. Healthy is the new skinny.

Liz is now 4 stone lighter than she was in my 20's and coaches 6 meetings a week.

She’s a triple diamond Coach & for the last 20 years she has never gone over her goal weight. The ripple effect has also ensured her family have grown up with a good knowledge of how to lead a healthy life.

‘I am now older (that's ok I can dye my hair) but I never was the fat mum in the playground.’ Explained Liz.

Representatives of government, diplomats, celebrities and religious leaders will help the Commonwealth kick-off a new cricket initiative next month.

Dubbed Peace at the Crease, the programme will use the popularity of cricket as a tool to promote peace, bring communities together and support progress and development.

This new initiative will be launched in London at an inter-faith match at Lords Cricket Ground on 6 July, and will include a series of special exhibition matches. The first match is sponsored by Ganador Sports and the UK Asian Business Council and is between the Vatican XI and a multi-faith Commonwealth team at the Indian Gymkhana Club on 9 July 2018.

Describing Peace at the Crease as a big win for the promotion of peace and development, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said, “One of my fondest childhood memories is standing on a home-made pitch, cricket bat in hand, heart pounding with excitement, praying to hit a six. And through the years, I have witnessed for myself how, when used strategically, cricket and sports in general can be a tool to bring people together and to break down barriers.

She added, “We have seen how well-designed sport for development and peace initiatives can contribute to healing and post-conflict reconciliation processes. So on July 9th there will be two teams but one goal, to bowl-out inter-communal and other tensions and to hit a six for peace, inclusion and community cohesion.”

Participants of the Peace at the Crease exhibition matches will play for ‘Commonwealth Cricketing Cups’. These matches will feature special initiatives and modifications aimed at maximising the best qualities of cricket. These include:

• Selecting Commonwealth Cup winners and Players of the Match will take into account how players promote and demonstrate commitment to Commonwealth values, as well as runs scored and wickets taken;
• Combining teams from diverse backgrounds and groups that cut across national, ethnic and religious divides;
• Creating forums at matches to encourage community leaders to pledge support for the Commonwealth’s shared values and peace-building efforts, and agree strategies to advance the use of sport and cricket as a community development tool;
• Profiling organisations that are effectively using specially designed cricket-based methodology in peace-building and community development initiatives;
• Fundraising activities to support Commonwealth peace-building initiatives.

“This new cricket initiative is not only helping us to boost our work in this area, it is also a platform to promote and fundraise for other important related initiatives such as our Faith in the Commonwealth programme, which is creating a group of young people as change agents for interfaith understanding and global citizenship.”

Welcoming the initiative, Kamal Prabhakar of Ganador Sports said, "We are excited about creating the Commonwealth Cricket Cup to spread the message of peace, harmony and equality through the game of cricket.”

The organisers of a popular fun run at the University of Birmingham which is being held for the fifth time on Sunday 21 October to raise money for charity Parkinson’s UK are calling for people across the West Midlands to sign up to take part.  Online registration is now open for the under 11s 2km event and 5km for older runners.

Bud’s Run is the brainchild of former UK Athletics Marathon Coach Bud Baldaro, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2009, and has been based at the University for over a decade. He is determined to use his love of running to help fund research into this long-term condition.  His event has already raised over £75,000 for Parkinson’s UK – and he hopes that runners can smash the £85,000 barrier this year.

Although very much a family fun run, previous Bud’s Run events have attracted athletics stars both past and present. They include world marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe, middle distance legend Steve Cram, Olympian Sara Treacy and 1500m World Championship Silver Medallist Hannah England.

Hannah England will once again be supporting Bud’s Run and joined Bud and his daughter Becky Baldaro Booth at a launch event last week.

Speaking at the event Hannah said: “I love Bud's Run there's a great buzz about the campus. Mum and dad can join their children in running the 2k or run the 5k!  It's a great day for a great cause.

“You can have your face painted before the run, bacon sarnies and cake afterwards, and you get a goody bag for your efforts too.

“So please join us and help us raise money to beat Parkinson’s.”

Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition for which there is currently no cure and it affects 145,000 people in the UK, including over 12,000in the West Midlands.

Parkinson's UK is the leading charity driving better care, treatments and quality of life for those with the condition. Its mission is to find a cure and improve life for everyone affected by Parkinson's through cutting edge research, information, support and campaigning.

Parkinson’s UK estimate that there are more than 40 symptoms of the condition.  As well as the most widely known symptom - tremor - these range from physical symptoms like muscle stiffness to depression, anxiety, hallucinations, memory problems and dementia, but Parkinson’s affects everyone differently.

Gayle Kelly, Parkinson’s UK Regional Fundraiser, said: “It was great to be at the launch and to see how much love and respect everyone has for Bud.  Now the registrations are open I hope that lots of people will sign up and help to raise money for Parkinson’s UK to help Bud reach his £85,000 goal.”

The City of Wolverhampton Council will be showcasing the help and support which is available to enable people to live independently for longer in a new social media campaign.

#12DaysOfIndependence, which launched on the council's Twitter page www.7905d1c4e12c54933a44d19fcd5f9356-gdprlock/wolvescouncil, will feature real life case studies and profile a range of services for adults with long and short term health conditions and care needs.

Councillor Sandra Samuels OBE, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Adult Services, said: "I fully endorse the campaign. There are many ways in which the council and other organisations are helping people in Wolverhampton to live as independently as they can, whether by supporting them to live in their own home, by helping them into work or training or by overcoming barriers they may face.

"Our #12DaysOfIndependence campaign is about highlighting the many ways that people with physical or learning disabilities and older people can become more independent, and how we are helping people exceed their own expectations about what's possible."

During the campaign, short films will highlight the support available from specific schemes, such as the council's award-winning employment support service Enable, which is helping people into paid work and training, and how people are being helped to live in their own homes through supported living programmes.

It will also highlight the help and support available to help people remain independent for longer from a wide range of local organisations, including Adult Education Wolverhampton, Action For Independence, Wolverhampton Home Improvement Service, Telecare, Wolverhampton Wheelchair Service, the Neville Garratt Centre for Independent Living, Ring and Ride, the Carer Support Team and Meals on Wheels.

Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity is inviting its big hearted supporters to join them in taking on the ride of a life time – the SACA Charity Bike Ride 2018 – and help raise vital funds for the 90,000 sick kids and their families cared for at the hospital every day.

Taking place on 28-29 July, this epic two day challenge will see supporters cycle an incredible 126 miles from Birmingham to London. Every year a children’s charity is selected as the ride’s beneficiary and this year, the money raised by the SACA Charity Bike Ride 2018, will be donated exclusively to Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity. Keen cyclists looking for a new challenge in support of the Charity should sign up quick, as registrations for this once in a lifetime event close on 16 July.

Serena Daw, Public Fundraising Manager at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “The annual SACA Charity Bike Ride is a key fundraising event in the Birmingham Calendar, so to be chosen as charity partner is fantastic.

“The money raised will support our mission to raise the vital funds needed to make a real difference to all who use the hospital’s services, offering them the best experience possible. This is such an important cause, so we urge any cyclists seeking a challenge to take on the ride and support our brave children.”

The SACA Bike Ride 2018 sets off from Birmingham (Smethwick) and continues through Coventry, Daventry and Milton Keynes, before reaching a centennial milestone in Luton. After an overnight stay, the ride continues in the morning and passes through St Albans, Radlett, Elstree and Harrow, reaching its final destination in London (Southall). Registrations for this incredible event close on the 16^th July, so any cyclists keen to take part should do so quick before it’s too late!

Team members from SACA commented: “All of us at SACA are excited and proud to be able to raise money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity as part of our Birmingham to London charity bike ride this year. The work of the charity aligns with our ethos of supporting endeavours that focus on the wellbeing of children in the UK.”