IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION ‘LUNG TRUCKS’ IMPROVE CANCER DIAGNOSES

The roll out of ‘lung trucks’ in England means people in deprived communities are now more likely to get an early cancer diagnosis, figures reveal.

The mobile screening units (pictured) have been deployed in supermarket car parks since 2018, and are now at 43 sites across England. New data from the NHS suggests they have diagnosed more than 1,700 cases of lung cancer. 76% of cases in deprived areas were spotted at stage one or two, compared to just a third in 2018.

TOYMAKER (SOMEWHAT) STEPPING UP

Mattel’s Barbie has been aiming to represent diversity in its dolls for some time now. The dolls currently have representations of 35 skin tones and 9 body types, and include dolls with various abilities and a range of occupations.

The American giant’s latest launch is a Barbie with Down’s syndrome to “celebrate inclusion”. Ellie Goldstein, a British model with Down’s syndrome, was chosen as an ambassador for the new Barbie.“When I saw the doll I felt so emotional and proud,” Goldstein wrote on Instagram. “It means a lot to me that children will be able to play with the doll and learn that everyone is different.”

The Barbie’s launch coincides with Goldstein’s appearance on the cover of Vogue. If only Mattel could do better when it comes to sustainability; aiming to reduce plastic packaging by 25% per product by 2030 is simply not good enough.

Pack Your Cossie For A Dip In The Seine

The River Seine has been closed for swimmers since 1923 due to unacceptable levels of pollution in the iconic waterway but, just over a century later, the waters are due to be safe again for swimmers in 2024, just in time for the Summer Olympics. The major clean-up has been so successful that native species, including salmon, are now returning.

Greece Focussing On Accessibility

Describing access to the sea as an inalienable human right, Greek tourism authorities are retrofitting 287 beaches across the country with self-operating wheelchair ramps. ‘Self-operating’ means that wheelchair users can operate it by themselves without assistance from anyone, offering a flexible freedom rarely found in difficult terrain such as beach sand.

So far, the Seatrac system has been installed on 147 beaches. The scope of the project goes beyond beaches though, as seen at the Acropolis of Athens which is equipped with a wheelchair elevator. Many other sites are also receiving renovations to make wheelchair-bound visitors more welcome, including bathrooms, sidewalks and walkways, snack bars, and other amenities.

The government of Greece created a website for all the info needed to plan a wheelchair-included trip to the beaches of Greece, including a map of all the beaches nearby equipped with the Seatracs.

Our Dna Map Diversified

It’s hard to believe that, up until now, the benchmark for everyone’s DNA has been against that of the genetic material of just one man but progress has been made. Scientists have announced that they have updated the template using data from 47 people, including women, from people across four continents. The new DNA map –dubbed the pangenome – better reflects human diversity and could lead to new drugs and treatments that work for a wider range of people.

Social Media Inspired More Kids To Read

British and Irish children read almost a quarter more books last year. The 2023 What Kids Are Reading report, compiled by educational software provider Renaissance, surveyed 1.3 million kids and found they read more than 27m books in the last academic year, up 24% on 2020-2021.

However, it also sounded a note of caution, recognising that reading comprehension declined in the transition from primary to secondary school, and suggesting older readers need to take on harder books more suited to their age.

The news coincides with a resurgence of bookshops in the UK, and a record year for the UK publishing industry.

In March this year, Kreston Reeves achieved B Corp status, sending a strong message to staff, clients, and stakeholders of the firm’s commitment to being a sustainable and socially conscious adviser.

ALISON JONES and JENNIFER WILLIAMSON

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