Wednesday, August 10, 2011
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Get more health news at: telegraphandargus.co.uk/health
NEWS
Have your say on gay pride event
Organisers of Bradford Pride (pictured) will be holding a public meeting next month for those interested in being a part of next year’s event. The meeting will offer people the chance to influence what happens, or have their group represented on the day. The public meeting will take place at the Midland Hotel, Bradford, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm on Thursday, September 15. The organisers are seeking interest from individuals, groups and organisations who wish to be involved in the event. For more details, contact (01274) 727759 or 727779 or e-mail rachel@equitypartnership.org.uk.
IN BRIEF Buyers wanted Bradford house-hunters are invited to take part in a new TV property show. ITV1 wants people to take part in Drive To Buy, which gives them the chance to view and make offers on properties they visit on the show’s Drive To Buy bus. Anyone looking to buy a house before October can contact Renegade Pictures for an application form. E-mail drivetobuy@renegadepictures. co.uk, or phone (0207) 4493298.
Summer party The Down Syndrome Training and Support Service is holding a summer party on Saturday from 10am to noon at Haworth Road Methodist Church. Activities at the event include a bouncy castle, a fire engine and party food.
Chaplain dies A former Bradford Cathedral chaplain has died after a long battle with cancer. The funeral of the Reverend Malcolm Goldsmith, who was chaplain to Bishop Roy Williamson, was held at St John’s Church in Edinburgh on Saturday.
Allotment group wins top trophy for efforts Judges of the Manningham and Girlington in Bloom 2011 contest were so impressed by this allotment they awarded it a top trophy. The trophy went to Bradford Action for Refugees Group for all its hard work and toil on the soil at Scotchman Road allotments in Manningham. Lettuce, radishes, chard, spinach, strawberries and carrots are just some of the produce the group is harvesting. Jane Robinson, of Bradford Community Environmental Project (BCEP), said: “It’s only been their second season on the plot and they’ve done really well. They deserve to be feeling very proud of themselves.” Anyone interested in finding out more about other allotment projects across the city should call BCEP on (01274) 223236.
WINNERS: Bradford Action for Refugees, pictured at Scotchman Road allotments, who won the trophy for the Best Allotment in the Manningham and Girlington in Bloom competition
Special clinics set up for booster jabs Health chiefs say school holidays are best time to get children vaccinated by Claire Lomax Health Reporter Parents are being urged to make sure their children are fully vaccinated against infectious diseases before they start school. The summer holidays are the perfect time to give children the protection they need when they start school, say Bradford district health chiefs, and many GPs are holding special clinics in the run-up to the new school term. All children should receive a pre-
school booster jab to protect them against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and polio, and another jab to protect them against measles, mumps and rubella. The two vaccinations are given at the same time at a GP practice after the age of three years and four months. Children will already have been given these jabs as a baby at the ages of two, three, four and 13 months, but need a booster to prolong their immunity through their childhood. Linda Scott, immunisation and vaccination lead for NHS Bradford and Airedale, said: “It is really important to give children as much protection as possible before they begin to mix with other children at school and are exposed to more diseases. “The pre-school immunisations will top up your child’s level of antibodies to keep them protected. It will also be a
chance to make sure your child’s other immunisations are up to date. “The jabs will also help prevent children becoming unwell and missing time from school during the winter months as a result of mixing closely with their classmates. If more parents have their children vaccinated, then more children will be protected against catching an illness and this lowers the chance of an outbreak of the disease.” For facts about vaccines visit nhs.uk/Planners/vaccinations/Pages/ Vaccinesforkidshub.aspx. e-mail: claire.lomax @telegraphandargus.co.uk
HAVE YOUR SAY Have you already had your child fully vaccinated? Click on ‘Your Say’ at telegraphandargus.co.uk
Keep donating during summer People in Bradford considering giving blood this summer have been reminded of the continuing need for blood in local hospitals. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has also warned of an increase in people not turning up for their allotted blood donation time slots. An NHSBT spokesman said: “Over the summer, blood stocks can dip due
to people not turning up for appointments or going away on holiday. “At this time of year, we are particularly appealing to donors in the Keighley area to keep their appointments. Donors who haven’t already booked, but are able to, should please do so now.” Darren Bowen, lead donor relations manager for NHSBT, said: “We realise that people have
busy schedules over the summer when the schools break up and families go away on holiday. “It can be easy to forget about appointments to donate blood, but we are asking people to attend if at all possible, and if they can’t come, then please let us know. “In Yorkshire, we need to collect 1,800 units of blood every week to help patients in hospital, so if
donors can’t keep their appointment, we need to make sure we can offer it up to someone else." Anyone aged over 17, weighing more than 50 kg (7st 12 lbs) and in general good health can potentially become a blood donor. There is no upper age limit for donors who have given blood in the last two years. For more details, call 0300 1232323, or visit blood.co.uk.
Anniversary collection for charity A national charity is looking for people in Bradford to join in with its 25th anniversary celebrations this October, by filling up collection buckets to support the thousands of people struck by meningitis each year. The Meningitis Trust is planning a nationwide bucket collection across the UK for its anniversary and has a fundraising target of £25,000. Jo Killick, community development officer at the Trust, said: “This is a fantastic, fun way to celebrate our anniversary, while raising lots of money to make a huge difference to the lives of people affected by meningitis.” If you want to be part of the Meningitis Trust’s biggest collection ever, call 0845 1204530, or e-mail events@meningitis-trust.org and leave your full details.
Get messy at picnic events People are invited to “messy church picnics” being held throughout August in Queensbury, Bradford. There will be fun and games at the events, where people are asked to bring their own food and drinks. They will be at the Holy Trinity Church, West End, starting tomorrow and running every Wednesday until August 31, from 11.30am. If the weather is wet, the picnic will be an indoor event. If it is fine, the group will head to the park.