Dragon Boat Race Festival sees funds raised for Better Lives charity
For the fourth year, staff and supporters competed in the race.
Funds raised are set to support extra activities for patients and carers.
The Care Trust raced three boats (one of which was sponsored by Coral Windows and Conservatories), and raised more than £5,000.
Each dragon boat team had 16 paddlers, and a drummer to coordinate rhythm and timing.
Teams raced 200 metres, from just beyond Saltaire's cricket pavilion to Roberts Park.
For more information about the Better Lives charity's work, or to get involved in its fundraising events, visit https://www.bdct.nhs.uk/opportunities/support-our-charity/
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Government ‘has very small window to avert resident doctors' strike'
There is a 'very small window of opportunity' for the Government and resident doctors to reach an agreement to avert strike action, the Resident Doctors Committee (RDC) has said. A five-day walkout is scheduled to start next week and could cause significant upheaval to the NHS in England. Co-chairs of the RDC – part of the British Medical Association (BMA) – said they had an 'open and frank' conversation with the Health Secretary on Thursday afternoon, but no resolution was reached. After the meeting Wes Streeting reiterated that 'we cannot move on pay after a 28.9% pay rise' but the Government is looking at ways to improve resident doctors' working lives. RDC co-chairs said working conditions are being considered but a pay deal is 'probably the simplest solution'. Neither the RDC or the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed a date for the next talks. Asked if they would meet with the Health Secretary on Friday, Dr Ross Nieuwoudt told reporters: 'Well, if Wes Streeting is free I'd be happy to.' His co-chair Dr Melissa Ryan said: 'The advantage of being a doctor is that we're used to working all hours of all days, so we said we're available at any moment to continue our talks.' Dr Nieuwoudt added: 'We have a very small window of opportunity over the next few days to avert strike action. 'Talks today have been constructive, they're a first step, it was a very high-level discussion, we're looking forward to more discussions to hopefully avert strike action.' After the meeting, Mr Streeting said in a statement: 'We had a constructive conversation with the BMA (British Medical Association) today and we'll be having further conversations in the coming days to try to avert strike action. 'While we cannot move on pay after a 28.9% pay rise, we are working on areas where we can improve working lives for resident doctors. 'Strikes have a serious cost for patients, so I am appealing to the BMA to call them off and instead work together to improve their members' working conditions and continue rebuilding the NHS.' Ahead of the meeting at Portcullis House, it was put to the RDC co-chairs that the public was 'broadly on-side' for the previous round of strikes but support is now 'waning'. Dr Ryan responded: 'I think that the public is behind us in the sense that they want to see doctors paid fairly, they want doctors to be in the NHS, doctors retained, because ultimately they want good care'. On Tuesday, NHS leaders said there was no extra money to cover industrial action by resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors. The last round of strikes, which also included walkouts by other health workers, came at an estimated cost of £1.5 billion to the NHS in England. Some 1.5 million appointments, procedures and operations were postponed as a result of the stoppages. On Thursday, The Times reported that it had seen an audit which found that five patients died as a result of disruption linked to strikes by junior doctors in 2023 and 2024. One prevention of future death report detailed how 71-year-old Daphne Austin, who had a kidney injury, died after getting 'no medical input' on one of the strike days because the consultant who was covering was in charge of 25 patients. Another states that 60-year-old John Doyle died of 'natural causes against a background of missed opportunities to diagnose and treat cytomegalovirus infection, together with the impact of the resident (formerly junior) doctors' strike on the provision of consistent patient care'. Asked if they recognise the report in The Times as true, Dr Nieuwoudt said: 'The evidence that we've seen, the evidence over the past few years, is that the processes that we have in place in order to maintain patient safety are robust and they've been working well, they've been the processes that have been in place since 2016 and over 11 rounds of industrial action.' He added: 'What you're seeing, instead of resident doctors in the hospitals, is the most highly trained and specialised doctors looking after acute patients. 'We just need to ensure that the (NHS) trusts are picking up their responsibility of cancelling elective services and moving those consultants over to where they're needed, which is protecting the patients in acute setting during industrial action.' The strikes ended last September when resident doctor members voted to accept a Government pay deal worth 22.3% on average over two years. The 2025/26 pay deal saw resident doctors given a 4% increase plus £750 'on a consolidated basis', working out as an average rise of 5.4%. Government officials said these two increases equate to a 28.9% pay rise. But the BMA said resident doctors need 29.2% to reverse 'pay erosion' since 2008/09. Earlier this month, the union announced that resident doctors in England would strike for five days from 7am on July 25.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Gtech MD's £100k breast cancer fundraising bid
A businesswoman is on a mission to raise £100,000 for charities after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Jothie Walford is the Managing Director of Worcester-based tech company G-Tech and five months ago, she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer after discovering a lump near her armpit. "Being told that you have cancer makes your world stop and standstill. When you get your diagnosis you feel really alone all of a sudden and you've got all these treatments coming at you," she said. Since the news Ms Walford received services at the charity Breast Unit Haven and now, with the help of her colleagues at G-Tech, she wants to raise £100,000 for the unit and Macmillan Cancer Support. "It was a very difficult time, and it was the worst news that I received [as] I was fit, healthy and watched my diet so it was a real shock," she said. Breast Unit Haven aims to support cancer patients through their treatment and their recovery. "[The charity] means a lot to me because of the care and the way my treatment emotionally and physically has been handled has made me feel cared for," Ms Walford said. "I wanted to give something back and do something to help the unit alongside research charities." The company, which has also launched a range of pink-coloured products to raise money for the charity, is planning a series of fundraisers, including a Hollywood/Bollywood-themed ball at the Gtech Community Stadium, the home of Brentford FC. For Ms Walford, it is about more than fundraising but an opportunity to share her story and raise awareness of breast cancer in her community. "People don't want to talk about cancer when they're actually diagnosed, especially from my community, being Indian," she said. "I think coming out and talking about it, I'm hoping it will raise awareness and people will understand that it is more common, and it's nothing to be embarrassed about." Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. More on this story Jessie J reveals cancer operation success Dance 'kept me going' during cancer treatment Woman with double mastectomy walks topless for charity Trisha Goddard on 'learning to walk again' after cancer diagnosis New programme to support women after breast cancer Related internet links Gtech Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Am I eligible for 'massively underclaimed' £5,700 health benefit?
Martin Lewis has warned millions of pensioners could be missing out a "massively underclaimed" benefit that can be worth more than £5,000 a year. Lewis highlighted the underutilised attendance allowance earlier this week, which provides money to pensioners with disabilities. Writing in the Money Saving Expert newsletter, Lewis said: "For many older people who are ill or start to face mental or physical disability, life doesn't just get tougher, it gets costlier too. 'That's why 18 months ago we launched our attendance allowance guide and awareness campaign, and successes have flooded in since. Yet it remains massively underclaimed.' A recent study by Policy in Practice found more than a million pensioners could be missing out on the benefit, meaning over £5bn of unclaimed benefits. What is attendance allowance? Attendance allowance – also known as pension age disability payment in Scotland – is a non-means-tested weekly payment to help cover the costs of pensioners who need support with some form of disability. It is designed for pensioners over the age of 66 with a wide range of disabilities to cover the costs of someone assisting them with their day-to-day life. There are two rates available depending on the severity of the disability. They are: The lower rate of £73.90 a week, equivalent to £3,842 a year. This is for people who need help either during the day or the night. The higher rate of £110.40 a week, equivalent to £5,740 a year. This is for people who need help during the day and the night. Crucially, you do not need to actually be receiving care to get the benefit, you only need to have one of the listed disabilities. How do I know which benefits I'm entitled to? There are numerous different services that can tell you if you are possibly missing out on a benefit. You will need to fill in an extensive form that will ask you questions about your income, assets, age, disabilities and dependents. The government has its own calculator you can view here. Citizens Advice also runs its own system that you can fill out online, or you can contact them over the phone. Lewis's MoneySavingExpert website also has a '10 minutes benefit calculator' that you can fill out here. How do I claim the allowance? One of the biggest myths around attendance allowance is who qualifies for it. To qualify, you only need to meet the following criteria: Be over the age of 66 Have a qualifying disability That is it, you don't need to be claiming state pension and as long as you are not earning more than £100,000 a year, you can claim the benefit. There is no defined list of what conditions can qualify you for claiming attendance allowance. Illnesses like Parkinson's, dementia and blindness are almost guaranteed to get you on the benefit, but if you can argue your condition means you need someone else to help you with your day-to-day life you may qualify for it. To claim it, you will need to prove that a doctor or some other medical professional has said you could benefit from outside help. This help could come in the form of assistance with food preparation, getting dressed, or communicating with others. You can also qualify if you need supervision when carrying out tasks. This is usually for people with mental disabilities who may, for example, need to be supervised when taking their medicines. You will automatically get the higher rate if you are terminally ill and not expected to live more than a year. To claim the allowance, you will need to fill out a long form, but someone else, like a family member or carer, can help you with it. You can find it here on the government's website. Once sent, you may have to attend an assessment, but not everyone is required to do this.
