The Big Give Christmas Challenge, 5-9th December
One in six people live with the daily pain and suffering of arthritis, which affects people of all ages and is the biggest cause of pain and disability in the UK. Arthritis rarely kills but it takes people’s lives away, preventing them from working and even doing simple things like going up and down stairs and making a cup of coffee. The chances are, it will either affect you, or someone you know.
For many living with arthritis, their only treatment is taking painkillers, which is why Arthritis Research UK is highlighting the urgent need to find a breakthrough.
Now you can help make double the difference. For a few days only, between 5-9th December, The Big Give Christmas Challenge is offering you a chance to double the value of your gift to help those living with arthritis. Donations made to Arthritis Research UK via the Big Give Christmas Challenge at the website below will be matched by the Challenge sponsor, pound for pound.
All the money raised through the Challenge will go towards the research taking place at the Arthritis Research UK Pain Centre in the University of Nottingham. The scientists are researching how pain is transmitted between the joints and the brain, in order to develop better pain relief for the millions of people suffering from arthritic conditions.
Dean Collier from Nottingham was 38 years old when he was diagnosed with osteoarthritis seven years ago. At the time he was working as a tram conductor and started suffering from pain in his right knee. As the pain from standing for long periods of time was unbearable, Dean was moved to driving the trams and later to an engineering role. However, the pain got so bad that Dean had to give up work. “I was at rock bottom at that point, it felt as though suffering from the pain had robbed me of my life”, he says.
“Initiatives such as the Big Give Christmas Challenge will not only raise vital funds for the Arthritis Research UK Pain Centre in Nottingham, but also highlights the need for better pain management for millions of other people like me.”
The Arthritis Research UK Pain Centre Director, Professor David Walsh comments; “The Pain Centre has produced some really important discoveries in its first year. We’ve found out more about how nerves in the joint and cells in the spinal cord are activated as arthritis pain develops. The next four years will see us building on these strong foundations to deliver the results needed to transform understanding and treatment of arthritic pain.”
The charity is hoping to raise money towards the £500,000 it costs each year to fund the Arthritis Research UK Pain Centre in Nottingham.
Campaigns & Issues
National Horror Service
A COUNCIL leader condemned NHS chiefs of a scandal-hit hospital after she was rushed to A&E with suspected tuberculosis (TB) before being dumped in a filthy side room - for EIGHT HOURS. Councillor June Griffiths, who is chairman of Bromsgrove District Council, was taken to Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, Worcs., after coughing up blood at home.
She was taken by blue-lights to the A&E department after paramedics said she may have potentially fatal and highly contagious tuberculosis (TB).
News
WRVS becomes Royal Voluntary Service as it marks 75 years
1.3 million over 75s will need support in future to stay independent
Today, 75 years on from its founding as the Women’s Voluntary Services, WRVS is dropping the W from its name and relaunching as the Royal Voluntary Service with a pledge to help two million older people over the next 10 years.
The decision to change its name comes as the charity recognises the need to meet the demands of an ageing population and to be more visible to men as well as women. And fresh research reveals the scale of this need – 26 per cent of over 75 year olds say that they think they will need support in future in order to stay living independently in their own homes, with almost a third of men (29 per cent) stating that is the case.
Competitions & Fun
Win a set of fully restored Doctor Who DVDs
Directed by Gordon Flemyng and now fully restored, Dr. Who & The Daleks (1965) was the first big screen film adaptation of British TV's most iconic sci-fi hero, and was the first time Doctor Who was ever seen in colour!
British film legend Peter Cushing plays everyone's favourite Timelord, and having invented the TARDIS, a strange machine capable of travelling into other dimensions, the Doctor and his three young accomplices set forth on a quest through time and space.
Reader Offers
Win a prize at home or away in this month's prize draw with Silver Travel Advisor!
Enter now and you could win a prize at home or away! How about a 7 night break for 2, with flights included, in beautiful Slovenia? Or a trip to London’s glitzy theatreland, staying in a 4* hotel? Both fabulous treats which must be won!
Silver Travel Advisor is a friendly website packed with advice, tips, information and honest reviews written by and for silver travellers (aged over 50). A team of advisors are on hand to answer queries (for free), and you can share your own experiences too.
Health & Wellbeing
Top tips to keep your older parents in their own home
Each year hundreds of thousands of people face the almost imponderable question: would my elderly parent be safer and better cared for if they moved into a care home?
There is no single right or wrong answer, because everyone’s situation differs. But the choices can be stark: the upset and expense of leaving one’s home against the reassurance of having care on hand 24/7. So – if they do wish to stay put - how can you best enable someone to retain their independence and remain in their own home? The advice website www.myageingparent.com has put together a step-by-step guide for any family facing this dilemma, written by a leading expert in the field of elderly care, Chris Moon-Willems, who founded ‘Relative Matters’ having worked with Social Services and the NHS for over 30 years.
Property & Finance
Tax credit claimants warned over scam emails
Tax credits claimants are being warned by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in the run-up to the renewal deadline about scam or “phishing” emails sent out by fraudsters.
Tax credits claimants are being warned by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in the run-up to the renewal deadline about scam or “phishing” emails sent out by fraudsters.The warning comes as HMRC has launched an advertising campaign to remind claimants to renew their tax credits or their payments might stop.
Leisure and Lifestyle
Discover a great country pub!
WHAT IS more relaxing than eating in a quintessentially English country pub this spring?
Sunday lunch, family day out, a quiet drink or a big celebration it can be a memorable occasion in a pub full of character. The smoking ban makes such a difference making a pub a perfect place for eating and some offer fabulous accommodation for overnight stays.
They can be a destination in themselves as they often reflect the local area, food and customs. Country Pubs are part of what make Britain great and have been an important part of British culture since Roman times.
Travel
Flying the flag for the best English beaches
Keep Britain Tidy names England’s 147 award-winning beaches for 2013
From Whitley Bay to Clacton, Margate to Torbay, England boasts some of the best and cleanest beaches in the world.
Today, Keep Britain Tidy is announcing the winners of the 2013 Blue Flag and Seaside Awards. In total 55 beaches have gained the Blue Flag and 113 have picked up the new Seaside Award (formerly Quality Coast Award).
It’s the best free paper there is! Keep up the good work