We are very pleased to announce the launch of our replica football shirts.
Not only do we have the home shirt but also the away, goalkeeper, hoodie, coat, tee shirts etc…. all supplied by the brilliant Sportybits.co.uk
Anything you purchase gets a donation made to BTC so not only are you supporting the team but also the charity.
Take a look at the range here
As we approach the beginning of the 20/21 grassroots football season we are very pleased to announce that we have a new team to add to our existing Adult mens and womens teams.
We have a brilliant new under 15s boys team managed by Dean Thomas. We look forward to seeing them grow and hopefully have a great first season.
We are committed to adding more boys and girls team as soon as we can. If you know of a team or players looking for a new home then please contact us ASAP.
Today we have agreed to join the fantastic One Lottery system.
So from today you can buy tickets at just £1 each to be entered into our August draw where you could win £25,000!!!
So as they say ” You have to be in it to win it ” get your tickets here
With the help of our brilliant kit suppliers Sporty Bits, we have been able to produce an amazing Balls to Cancer football kit available in various colours.
We have produced this kit in answer to calls from our supporters for a kit they can wear to support the charity.
The kits are available to buy here
Our ambassador, Former Benefit Street and Celebrity Big Brother contestant Dee Kelly kicked off her new agony Aunt /chat show back in June 2020. The show goes out LIVE on our Facebook page here & YouTube channel here
Dee will be chatting to anyone and everyone about everything and interviewing a celebrity guest (we drop on her) every week!
So be there don’t miss out on what is always a fun night.
You got a problem yo She’ll solve it.
PREVIOUS SHOWS…
25th June First Show
2nd July (Guest Matt LeTissier)
9th July (Guest Steve Clamp)
16th July (Guest Annette Badland)
23rd July (Guest Ricky Rayment)
30th July (Guest Thomas Turgoose)
6th August (Guest Ricci Guarnaccio)
13th August ( Dee Kelly )
20th August ( Neil Razor Ruddock )
27th August (Shane Nolan)
3rd September (Charlie Lawson &Annette Badland)
10th September (Andy Whitaker)
17th September (Kellie Maloney)
24th September (Tim Healy)
1st October (Michael Starke)
8th October (Antony Costa)
15th October (Matt Hoy)
22nd October (Scott Lyons)
29th October (Deano Baily)
5th November (Cat Simmons)
12th November (Tim Hogarth)
19th November (India Willoughby)
26th November (Sean Heydon)
3rd December (Dee Kelly )
10th December (Cheryl Baker)
17th December (various guests)
7th January 21 (Ritchie Neville)
14th January (Hughie Maughan)
21st January (Rodney Marsh)
28th January (Nick & Royston)
4th February (Noel Clarke)
11th February (Cheryl Fergison)
18th February (Richard Ashton)
25th February (Mel Eves)
4th March (Trevor Michael George’s)
11th March (Jason Maza)
18th March (Ben Hanson )
25th March ( Kavana )
1st April ( Wayne Lineker)
8th April (Dominic Matteo)
15th April (Laurence Fox)
22nd April ( Apache Indian)
29th April (Andy Buchanan)
6th May (Les Dennis)
13th May (Honey G)
20th May ( Paddy Wallace)
27th May (Harry Visinoni)
3rd June (Sian Reeves)
10th June (Vicki Michelle)
17th June (Monty Panesar and Leo Goldenchild)
24th June (Tom Varndell) 1st Anniversary with surprise guests Fat Scottie and Ricci Guarnaccio
1st July BTC FC Manager (Larry Adeyanju)
8th July (Dee and Madge )
15th July ( Akeem Griffiths)
22nd July (Auntie Dee & Friends)
29th July ( Matt Jarvis )
5th August (Stephen K Amos )
12th August (Dean Windass)
19th August (Professor Karol Sikora)
26th August (Robin Windsor)
2nd September (Stuart Wolfenden)
9th September (Scott Kyle)
16th September (Sian Reeves) take 2
23rd September (Raurie “NoHun” Williams)
30th September (Dee chats to the BTC Family)
The 2.2 million people who have been self-isolating in England during the pandemic will no longer need to shield from 1 August.
From 6 July, they will be able to meet up outdoors, in a group, with up to five others and form ‘support bubbles’ with other households.
The measures can be eased because infection rates are falling, the government says.
Support packages will remain until the end of July to help people transition.
Those who are shielding and live alone in England – including single parents who are shielding – will be able to create a support bubble with one other household of any size.
This follows the ‘social bubble’ rules which were introduced earlier this month for anyone living alone and single-parent households.
People shielding will also be able to meet in groups of up to six outdoors while maintaining social distancing rules.
Still shielding: ‘The novelty has certainly worn off’
Extremely vulnerable people who are most at risk from becoming ill from coronavirus will no longer need to shield in England.
That means they can return to work, if they can’t work from home, as long as their workplace is COVID secure .
However, they should still follow social distancing guidelines when outside their homes and wash their hands regularly to reduce the risk of being infected.
The changes mean those shielding will no longer be eligible for statutory sick pay – unless they develop coronavirus symptoms, or someone they know develops symptoms, and they are told to self-isolate and cannot work from home.
Free essential food boxes will stop being delivered, but support from NHS volunteers and local councils is still possible.
They will still qualify for priority slots for online shopping and will be offered help with medicine deliveries and getting to medical appointments.
The UK government says the advice can be relaxed because the chances of encountering the virus in the community continue to fall – one in 1,700 people are estimated to have the virus now, down from 1 in 500 four weeks ago.
The government says it has worked with clinicians, GPs, charities, the voluntary sector and patient groups on the changes.
But some charities are criticising the relaxing of the advice, saying many of the people they support do not feel it is safe to stop shielding.
“We know how difficult this period has been and the impact shielding has had on many people’s mental health,” says Dr Jenny Harries, deputy chief medical officer.
“We believe it is the right time to relax some of the advice so people can start to regain a degree of normality once more in their daily lives.”
But she added the advice on shielding could change again “if there are any changes in the rates of infection that could impact on this group”.
As the country went into lockdown, around two million people were sent letters by their GPs telling them not to leave home and to avoid contact with others.
This was to protect them from the virus because they were considered to be most at risk from Covid-19.
Among the list of people who should be shielding are solid organ transplant recipients, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, pregnant women with heart disease and people with severe respiratory conditions such as cystic fibrosis and severe asthma.
Over half of those shielding are under the age of 70; more than 90,000 are children.
Since the start of June, people shielding in England were told they could go out once a day – to meet one person from another household while adhering to social distancing.
From the beginning of August, that shielding advice is to be completely relaxed.
The NHS will keep the shielded list, in case more advice needs to given to this group in future.
Northern Ireland has already said people will no longer need to shield from 31 July.
But officials say this pausing of the advice will only happen if the rate of community transmission remains low.
People who are shielding and living alone in Northern Ireland will also be able to form a support bubble from 6 July with one other household.
Until then, people shielding across the UK are advised to stay at home as much as possible and to practise social distancing when they go outside.
In Scotland, the advice applies to around 180,000 people and is in place until at least 31 July.
Meanwhile in Wales, almost 130,000 people are shielding and the Chief Medical Officer for Wales says the current guidance runs until at least 16 August.
Source : BBC
NHS England figures show that a total of 79,573 urgent cancer referrals were made by GPs in England in April 2020, down from 199,217 in April 2019
Cancer experts have warned thousands of patients who could have been saved may die unless the Government provides urgent help, after figures show the number of people sent for urgent cancer investigations has plummeted by 60 per cent due to the coronavirus pandemic.
NHS England figures show that a total of 79,573 urgent cancer referrals were made by GPs in England in April 2020, down from 199,217 in April 2019. Urgent breast cancer referrals showed an even bigger drop: down from 16,753 in April 2019 to 3,759 in April 2020, a fall of 78 per cent. The number of people in England who had to wait no more than two months from GP referral to first treatment for cancer was also down 20 per cent – from 13,519 in April 2019 to 10,792 in April 2020.
Professor Karol Sikora, chief medical officer at Rutherford Health and former head of the World Health Organisation’s cancer program, said: “The bottleneck is in the diagnostic phase. We’ve known that but we didn’t know how big it was going to be and 60 per cent is a very significant drop.
“And it’s because partly people have been too frightened to come forward and speak to their GP, and partly the poor old GPs are faced with a collapsed service: he can’t get an endoscopy or a scan because everything was shut.
“The NHS moved into Covid-19 and did incredibly well. Now, we’ve got to pick up quickly. Cancer doesn’t wait, it doesn’t take Easter off. And there’s still a lot of people out there who’ve got cancer and don’t know it.
“We are going to lose far more people to cancer than we should. I’ve spent my life fighting this relentless disease, the consequences of the delayed treatment and diagnosis we’re seeing will be severe. It’s going to take another national effort – the fightback starts today.”
The NHS has created “Covid-free” cancer hubs in hospitals to provide surgery while private hospitals have signed an unprecedented deal with the health service to treat patients, but it has not prevented a dramatic fall in referrals.
“The dramatic fall in the number of urgent referrals and the drop in people receiving treatment on time in April is hugely concerning. It means that tens of thousands of patients are in a backlog needing vital cancer care.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, said: “These figures show that over the last three months NHS staff have been working incredibly hard to ensure that essential and urgent cancer treatment has been able to go ahead safely for thousands of people.
“But they also show what we have heard already, that many people have put off seeing their GP for possible symptoms due to fear of catching the virus or not wanting to burden staff. Lives are saved if more people are referred for checks, so my message to anyone who has a worrying symptom is: the NHS is here for you and can provide safe checks and treatment if you need it, so please help us help you, and get in touch with your local GP like you usually would.”
Separate figures from NHS England show the number of patients admitted for routine treatment in hospitals in England in April 2020 was 41,121 – a sharp fall of 85 per cent on the equivalent number for April 2019 (280,209).
Source: I News
It causes more premature deaths than drink-driving across the country, and is the leading cause of lung cancer.
Across the UK, there are many areas where a cancerous radioactive gas called Radon can be found – with some locations in higher concentration that others.
Here’s what you need to know.
What is Radon – and how hazardous is it?
Radon is a ‘colourless and odourless’ natural radioactive gas that is formed by the radioactive decay of small amounts of uranium in rocks and soils.
The gas can also be found in water and some building materials, which means it can be detected in homes.
Public Health England (PHE) say every building contains radon but the levels are usually low.
The chances of a higher level depend on the type of ground. PHE have published a map showing where high levels are more likely.
PHE say: “The darker the colour the greater the chance of a higher level.
“The chance is less than one home in a hundred in the white areas and greater than one in three in the darkest areas.”
According to the map, areas including the South West, the Midlands, the Pennines, Cumbria and Northumberland are indicated as hotposts in England.
Much of Wales has also been identified as a hotspot area, plus parts of Aberdeenshire and the Highlands in Scotland.
There are also high levels in various spots across Northern Ireland.
What can we do about radon?
The concentrations in each area can vary from home to home, and all depend on the geological characteristics underneath the building, plus construction details, and also the living styles of the occupants.
Currently, the official advice is that all homes in affected areas should be tested for radon.
Can radon levels vary over time?
Yes they can – the radon levels in a property can vary significantly over time.
This is due to aspects such as weather conditions and seasonal changes. Therefore, it is recommended that tests should run over the course of a three-month period.
How can I carry out a test of my home?
Public Health England offer Home Measurement Packs to check the levels over a three-month period.
They can be bought by visiting: https://www.ukradon.org/services/orderdomestic
How can I check if there is a high risk of Radon in my area?
To check if your area has a high risk of Radon, use the map here: https://www.ukradon.org/information/ukmaps.
Source: Dudley News
A new blood test for cancer that is 10 times more sensitive than existing technology has been developed by Cambridge scientists – potentially paving the way for pinprick tests that can tell whether patients are relapsing.
The scientists developed the approach using personalised genetic testing of a patient’s tumour to search blood samples for hundreds of genetic mutations in tumour DNA released by cancer cells into the bloodstream.
The technique is so sensitive that in some cases experts pinpointed a single mutant DNA molecule among a million pieces of DNA. They say it could lead to tests that more accurately determine if a patient is likely to relapse after having treatment.
Detecting circulating tumour DNA in blood samples is known as a liquid biopsy and is a key part of monitoring patients, in particular after they have received treatment, as it can show if it has been successful or if they are at risk of a relapse.
However, the approach is dependent on having a high enough number of mutant pieces of DNA to detect. If it is too low, it could produce a negative test even if patients have residual cancer
The research, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, said that, by analysing the genetic make-up of an individual’s tumour and targeting personal mutations, the biopsies can become more sensitive.
Until recently, liquid biopsies searched for up to 100 mutations at most, but the new technique looks for hundreds and sometimes thousands of mutations in each blood sample, increasing the chances of success.
Researchers hope the approach will eventually mean less blood is required, enabling tests to be carried out on pinprick blood samples carried out by patients at home and sent to a laboratory for analysis.
This would mean patients travelling fewer times to hospital for checks and allow them to be tested more often.
Cancer care in England has faced major disruption during the pandemic with big drops in numbers being seen following urgent referrals by GPs, figures show.
The number of people being assessed by a cancer doctor after referral fell to 79,500 in April – a drop of 60% compared to the same month last year.
Meanwhile, patients starting treatment dropped to 10,800 – 20% below 2019.
The NHS said it had tried to protect services – and some of the impact was due to people not seeking treatment.
NHS England said a number of innovative approaches were being introduced to keep cancer care running.
This has included delivering more chemotherapy in the community and people’s homes as well as creating “Covid-free” wings in hospital to protect patients.
NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said staff had gone to “great lengths” to deliver care.
And he urged people to come forward for treatment amid concerns fear of the virus is deterring people from seeking help.
Figures for elsewhere in the UK have not been published yet.
Charities warned the disruption to services would have a devastating effect.
Thousands of patients have also seen their on-going treatment stopped.
Baroness Delyth Morgan, of Breast Cancer Now, said her charity has been deluged with calls from people worried about not getting treatment.
“It is extremely concerning,” she said.
Lynda Thomas, of Macmillan Cancer Support, said the pandemic had “wreaked havoc” on services.
“Many people with cancer are being left to wait for next steps in fear, worrying about the long-term implications for their health, their families and their future.”
Joanne Addis, 54, from Stockport, was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in 2017 only weeks after having surgery for primary breast cancer.
She has been given a drug called palbociclib ever since to slow down the cancer, but her treatment had to be stopped in April because it left her susceptible to coronavirus.
“I wasn’t happy. It has kept my cancer stable for three years. I try not to think what will happen.
“There are a lot of people like me who’ve had to pause their cancer treatment and not all of us will have good results at the end of this.
“I’m just hoping that the risk of coronavirus drops low enough soon so I can restart my treatment.”
In England – and elsewhere in the UK for that matter – NHS bosses have sought new ways to deliver cancer care.
“Covid-free” wings have been set up in hospitals to allow cancer patients to be treated.
These have been organised by 21 cancer hubs in England with lead cancer hospitals helping to coordinate care.
For example, in London this has been done by the Royal Marsden, Guy’s and St Thomas’ and University College London Hospitals.
There has also been a focus on delivering care in the community and people’s homes – with “chemo-buses” used in some places to allow staff to tour neighbourhoods providing chemotherapy from the back of an adapted van.
A targeted form of radiotherapy has also been rolled out, which requires fewer courses of treatment meaning patients do not have to visit hospital so often.
The figures published also include data for A&E and routine operations.
Routine operations were cancelled en-masse during April to help free up space for the expected surge of coronavirus patients.
Just 41,000 underwent surgery – down from 280,000 in April 2019.
Routine work is now in the process of being re-started, although NHS bosses have said the waiting list could more than double in size by the start of next year as hospitals are struggling to get back to full capacity because of the strain of dealing with the pandemic.
Source : BBC