Health & Wellbeing

This summer (27-30 July 2023) thousands of transplant recipients, live donors, supporters and donor families will be coming together in Coventry for the Westfield Health British Transplant Games, the flagship event of Transplant Sport, and the biggest celebration of organ donation. 

A total of 20 organisations, from across the UK have come together to show their support of the Games and the gift of life, which has generated a total of over £250,000. The Games would not be possible without the generosity from the supporters which provide a financial, physical and emotional commitment to help raise awareness of the Games and champion the importance of organ donation.

Sports fans in the Midlands who are living with dementia will benefit from a new landmark guide from Alzheimer’s Society.

Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friendly Sports Clubs and Venues guide was created by Alzheimer’s Society’s Sport United Against Dementia Board, which funded a dedicated role at the start of last year, including contributions from the Premier League and other sporting stakeholders.

Residents are being encouraged to ‘lift someone out of loneliness’ during Loneliness Awareness Week which runs from Monday 12 to Friday 17 June.

Loneliness Awareness week is a national campaign run by the Marmalade Trust dedicated to raising awareness of loneliness and reducing the stigma that surrounds it. Sometimes admitting we feel lonely can be hard but it’s important to remember that you really are not alone; many others experience feelings of loneliness too, and that this feeling can pass.

Fundraisers are being invited to lace up their walking shoes, don their safari fancy dress and fundraise with a difference, by taking part in St Giles’s annual Solstice Walk on Saturday, 17th June.

This unforgettable 10k adventure around Lichfield welcomes everyone - families, friends, and children are invited to come together to celebrate.

With temperatures expected to soar in parts of the UK this week, Alzheimer’s Society is providing advice to help the over 84,000 people estimated to be living with dementia across the West Midlands and the UK stay safe and hydrated during the hot spell. 

Dehydration is a common challenge for people living with dementia and memory problems mean they can easily forget to drink enough water. During the hot weather, the charity suggests families and carers can help by; leaving glasses or jugs of water within easy reach, sharing a drink with the person, leaving reminders to drink and providing high water content foods.  

Dear Editor,

During this year’s Dementia Action Week, Alzheimer’s Society highlighted the widespread confusion between the symptoms of dementia and the normal signs of ageing in Birmingham.

This causes many people to avoid mentioning the ‘d word’ – with one in three who noticed symptoms in themselves or a loved one waiting more than a month before voicing their concerns.

Failing mental health services that do not improve, whether run by private firms or the NHS, could be shut, a Care Quality Commission chief has said. It follows the watchdog judging as "inadequate" three child wards at the Priory Group's biggest hospital.

The wards at Cheadle Royal, near Manchester, "did not always provide safe care", the CQC found. Priory Group has disputed the CQC's finding, saying it does not accurately reflect the quality of the service.

With over 3,500 volunteers involved in Parkinson's UK, these generous and devoted people really are at the centre of everything they do. They couldn’t function in the way they do without volunteers, and Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June) is the perfect time to let them know how much they are valued.

It was a volunteer called Mali Jenkins who founded Parkinson’s UK, then known as the Parkinson’s Disease Society, in 1969. They are now the UK’s leading charity supporting people affected by the condition, and volunteers are essential to helping us transform the lives of people with Parkinson’s. 

The Kaleidoscope Plus Group, the Midlands-based leading mental health charity, will be holding an exciting Midlands Knockout Challenge, a thrilling fun event as part of their #FeelGood50 campaign. The one-of-a-kind challenge aims to bring communities together across the Midlands while raising awareness and vital funds to support the charity's essential mental health services.

The Dyslexia Awards are back for the eighth year – and it’s time to think about who you want to nominate. The awards, which celebrate dyslexics and those who go the extra mile to support them, are presented at a celebration event in the West Midlands in the autumn.

Nominations for the nine categories are now open, and awards founder Elizabeth Wilkinson urged everyone who knows, is related to or who works with dyslexics to get involved. She said: “I know from experience how amazing dyslexics are, and yet every year I am blown away by the content of the nominations received.

The COVID-19 pandemic reminded the world that infectious diseases respect no borders. For 75 years, the WHO (World Health Organisation) has directed and coordinated international health work.

“The United States believes that multilateralism, the United Nations, the World Health Organisation are essential — not just as an effective international COVID-19 health and humanitarian response, but also building stronger global health capacity and security for the future,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

PureGym is supporting the lifesaving research funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) through the help of the West Midlands’ preloved items. The gym is taking part in a nationwide initiative with their charity partner to help fund the BHF’s ground-breaking research into heart and circulatory diseases.    

Over 340 donation boxes have been installed in PureGyms across the UK, encouraging members and non-members to donate good quality preloved items such as clothes, small household items, electricals, accessories and shoes. Items donated will be sent to their local BHF shop, helping to turn preloved possessions into the next medical breakthrough. So far, the initiative has diverted 1.98 tonnes of preloved items from landfill- which equates to 20,100kg of CO2 emissions avoided.

"The horse has bolted now, they are addicted," says Chris, a high school teacher in New South Wales. He's talking about students in his class, teenagers, who can't stop vaping.

He sees the effect of the candy-flavoured, nicotine-packed e-cigarettes on young minds every day, with children even vaping in class. "The ones who are deepest into it will just get up out of their seat, or they'll be fidgeting or nervous.

People are being invited to raise vital funds for Diabetes UK this summer by joining a walking challenge taking place in Birmingham for the first time. The Birmingham Wellness Walk 2023 will take place on Sunday, 2 July, and is a perfect opportunity to improve your fitness while enjoying a scenic walk, meet people and raise funds for Diabetes UK along the way.

Staff at Jubilee House, a new £9m luxury all-inclusive care home in Leamington Spa, welcomed their first residents with an official red ribbon cutting event to mark its official opening. The new home is forecast to bring an estimated 150 jobs to the region once at full capacity.

Cutting the ribbon were Alison Partridge and John Ackerman, the first residents to move into the home. The ceremony was met with cheers and applause.

With Memorial Day fast approaching, Americans are starting to think about their much-needed summer vacations, and hotels are gearing up for what could be a very busy travel season. But more guests mean greater interaction between people and surfaces, which can elevate the risk of germs spreading throughout the hotel.