Health & Wellbeing

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)

WV Active is putting on a jam-packed schedule of activities for children of all ages this half-term. The three City of Wolverhampton Council-run leisure centres, WV Active Aldersley, WV Active Bilston-Bert Williams and WV Active Central, will be holding a variety of sessions to suit children and young people aged from three to 16 from Bank Holiday Monday 30 May to Friday 3 June, 2016.

People in Wolverhampton can now get dementia help and support at the touch of a button thanks to the launch of high tech "smart posters". They feature Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, enabling people with smartphones to either tap the NFC icon or scan a QR code and be instantly linked to websites packed with useful information about dementia.

One brave patient put aside his treatment to get all wrapped up and proudly launch Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity’s fourth annual summer fundraiser – The Big Bandage. Three-year-old Noah Dixey, from Leicestershire, who has a condition called Alagille Syndrome– a rare genetic disorder that affects his liver, heart, kidneys and skin – went bonkers in bandages to encourage others to join in on Friday 8 July and make a donation, just like him.

The UK’s leading dementia research charity Alzheimer’s Research UK and parkrun UK have just launched an inspiring new challenge called Running Down Dementia. Running Down Dementia challenges participants to run 100km over summer 2016 and raise £100 for Alzheimer’s Research UK. The charity launched the challenge on Saturday 14 May with parkrun, which offers free timed 5km runs across the country, as the organisation’s official charity partner.

A canine-crazy Cannock couple has embarked on a 10-week cycling challenge with their two-year-old pup in a bid to raise £10,000 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity’s Star Appeal. Richard Buka and Holly Necchi are setting off on Barney’s Big Bike Ride – a 2,000 mile fundraiser from the Arctic Circle to the Alps with Barney their King Charles Cavalier-Bichon Frise aboard his very own dog trailer.

Over half of people in the West Midlands are putting off seeking a dementia diagnosis for up to a year or more a study carried out by Alzheimer’s Society has found. Dementia is the most feared health condition in the UK, perhaps explaining also why nearly two-thirds of people in the West Midlands surveyed felt a diagnosis would mean their life was over.

Broadcaster Adrian Chiles and former footballer and blood cancer survivor Geoff Thomas joined patients, nurses, clinicians, fundraisers and major local businessmen in celebrating the 10th Anniversary of The Centre for Clinical Haematology (CCH) at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.   Blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia helps fund the CCH and has used this milestone as a springboard for its £3million capital fundraising campaign to help establish the Birmingham Institute of Haematology (BIH).

Cafés across Wolverhampton are serving up help, support and of course a cuppa or two for people living with dementia and their carers – including two during this year’s Dementia Awareness Week. The regular cafés enable people to share their experiences of dementia and find out more about the services available to them in the city. They are run by the Alzheimer's Society in partnership with the City of Wolverhampton Council.

Like many of your readers, I’ve had close family and friends affected by breast cancer. That is why I’m encouraging everyone to take a step forward for women with breast cancer this summer and sign up to a Pink Ribbonwalk to raise vital funds for leading charity Breast Cancer Care.