Balls to Cancer Ladies 23/24

we are extremely proud to announce our ladies football team for the 2023/24 season.

Our kits this year are Sponsored by in memory of Ryland Wayne Morris and Home 360 Security Systems.

1 Trinity Martin “Sponsored by Knotty Owl”
2 Hollie Langford – “Sponsored by Ella Sherwin”
3 Louise Chaves “Sponsored by Everyone Active”
4 Sophie Lewis “Sponsored by Simon Rikunenko”
5 Kasia Webb “Sponsored by CDE&F Binksy”
6 Alex Bates – Vice Captain “Sponsored in Memory of Grandad Tunna”
7 Amelia Garrett “Sponsored byTaylormade Boilers & Bathrooms Ltd”
8  Jodie Jones – Captain “Sponsored by Home 360 Security”
9 Chelsea Cope “Sponsored by Simon Rikunenko”
10 Dani Gedling “Sponsored by Simon Rikunenko”
11 Vikki Shaw “Sponsored by Simon Rikunenko “
12 Cath Postin Assistant manager “Sponsored by Top up Teachers”
14 Chloe Teague “Sponsored by Mel Teague”
15 Aminata Nouhou “Sponsored by Simon Rikunenko “
16 Molly Jasper “Sponsored by Jasper Posse”
17  Abi Bond “Sponsored by Green Frog Connect “
18  Katie McBride “Sponsored by In Memory of Nanny Pat”
19 Kanika Grumble “Sponsored by Jolly catering”
22 Stephanie Owen “Sponsored by Dave & Emily Whiteman”
88 Katie Sillwood-Monk “Sponsored by GR8 8”

Coaches
Lorraine Hughes “Sponsored ln memory of Ivan Burkett”
Amy Timbrell “Sponsored by Simon Rikunenko “
Luke Timbrell “Sponsored by Simon Rikunenko “
Mark Bates- Manager “Sponsored by Paul, Michelle & Piper”

Blackpool Scooter Weekender 2024.

We are very excited to announce that our friend’s at The IN Crowd Blackpool and the Old Bastards Scooter Club are holding a fantastic Scooter rally/Weekender at the Fleetwood Rugby Club between the 7th and 9th June 2024.

It’s set to be a great weekend of live music, DJs and ride outs to raise funds and awareness of Balls To Cancer!

We will be there and hopefully a few of our celebrity friends will be joining us!

For more information and tickets please contact Shaun from the IN Crowd on 07706 858253.

We are looking for bands and DJs who are willing to donate their services to help make the weekend a massive success.

Could your business help sponsor the event so we can cut down on costs so more money raised can come to the Charity.

Aspartame hazard and risk assessment results released

Assessments of the health impacts of the non-sugar sweetener aspartame are released today by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Citing “limited evidence” for carcinogenicity in humans, IARC classified aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans (IARC Group 2B) and JECFA reaffirmed the acceptable daily intake of 40 mg/kg body weight.Aspartame is an artificial (chemical) sweetener widely used in various food and beverage products since the 1980s, including diet drinks, chewing gum, gelatin, ice cream, dairy products such as yogurt, breakfast cereal, toothpaste and medications such as cough drops and chewable vitamins.“Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally. Every year, 1 in 6 people die from cancer. Science is continuously expanding to assess the possible initiating or facilitating factors of cancer, in the hope of reducing these numbers and the human toll,” said Dr Francesco Branca, Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, WHO. “The assessments of aspartame have indicated that, while safety is not a major concern at the doses which are commonly used, potential effects have been described that need to be investigated by more and better studies.”The two bodies conducted independent but complementary reviews to assess the potential carcinogenic hazard and other health risks associated with aspartame consumption. This was the first time that IARC has evaluated aspartame and the third time for JECFA.After reviewing the available scientific literature, both evaluations noted limitations in the available evidence for cancer (and other health effects).IARC classified aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) on the basis of limited evidence for cancer in humans (specifically, for hepatocellular carcinoma, which is a type of liver cancer). There was also limited evidence for cancer in experimental animals and limited evidence related to the possible mechanisms for causing cancer.JECFA concluded that the data evaluated indicated no sufficient reason to change the previously established acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 0–40 mg/kg body weight for aspartame. The committee therefore reaffirmed that it is safe for a person to consume within this limit per day. For example, with a can of diet soft drink containing 200 or 300 mg of aspartame, an adult weighing 70kg would need to consume more than 9–14 cans per day to exceed the acceptable daily intake, assuming no other intake from other food sources.IARC’s hazard identifications are the first fundamental step to understand the carcinogenicity of an agent by identifying its specific properties and its potential to cause harm, i.e. cancer. IARC classifications reflect the strength of scientific evidence as to whether an agent can cause cancer in humans, but they do not reflect the risk of developing cancer at a given exposure level. The IARC hazard evaluation considers all types of exposures (e.g. dietary, occupational). The strength-of-evidence classification in Group 2B is the third highest level out of 4 levels, and it is generally used either when there is limited, but not convincing, evidence for cancer in humans or convincing evidence for cancer in experimental animals, but not both.“The findings of limited evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and animals, and of limited mechanistic evidence on how carcinogenicity may occur, underscore the need for more research to refine our understanding on whether consumption of aspartame poses a carcinogenic hazard,” said Dr Mary Schubauer-Berigan of the IARC Monographs programme.JECFA’s risk assessments determine the probability of a specific type of harm, i.e. cancer, to occur under certain conditions and levels of exposure. It is not unusual for JECFA to factor IARC classifications into its deliberations.“JECFA also considered the evidence on cancer risk, in animal and human studies, and concluded that the evidence of an association between aspartame consumption and cancer in humans is not convincing,” said Dr Moez Sanaa, WHO’s Head of the Standards and Scientific Advice on Food and Nutrition Unit. “We need better studies with longer follow-up and repeated dietary questionnaires in existing cohorts. We need randomized controlled trials, including studies of mechanistic pathways relevant to insulin regulation, metabolic syndrome and diabetes, particularly as related to carcinogenicity.”The IARC and JECFA evaluations of the impact of aspartame were based on scientific data collected from a range of sources, including peer-reviewed papers, governmental reports and studies conducted for regulatory purposes. The studies have been reviewed by independent experts, and both committees have taken steps to ensure the independence and reliability of their evaluations.IARC and WHO will continue to monitor new evidence and encourage independent research groups to develop further studies on the potential association between aspartame exposure and consumer health effects. 

(Via World Health Organisation)

Howden Coffee and Balls to Cancer: A Collaboration Worth Drinking to

Howden Coffee, UK-based coffee specialists, has partnered with Balls to Cancer in an effort to further raise support for those living with, and affected by cancer. With every purchase made by their customers, Howden Coffee will donate 5% of their sales to Balls to Cancer, supporting the mission of raising awareness and supporting those affected by cancer.Eliott Spencer, Founder of Howden Coffee, shared his thoughts on the partnership, saying, “We wanted to find a way to give back to the community and make a meaningful impact. We believe that partnering with Balls to Cancer is the perfect way to do this, as we are able to support their amazing work and make a difference to the lives of those affected by cancer.”The partnership between Howden Coffee and Balls to Cancer is a beneficial collaboration for both parties that allows coffee lovers to get more than just a bag of coffee. Howden Coffee are able to give back to the community while allowing more people to support charities in a truly convenient way. Howden Coffee are committed to making a difference and supporting causes that matter. Through the partnership, Balls to Cancer can become even more able to provide support and care to those in need.Cancer is a disease that affects millions of people around the world, and partnerships like this are crucial to making sure that the valued support provided by Balls to Cancer gets the backing to grow and continue the invaluable work carried out. The partnership between Howden Coffee and Balls to Cancer is a shining example of how businesses can make a difference. Through this partnership, there is the ability to raise awareness about cancer, support those affected by the disease, and make a meaningful impact in the lives of individuals and families. With every bag of coffee sold, Howden Coffee are able to support the mission of Balls to Cancer and provide help to those in need.To get your coffee fix while supporting an amazing charity, visit Howden Coffee and make a difference.

Could you Sponsor a football team?

Balls to cancer currently has three football teams a mens team, under 18s boys team and a ladies team. All three of them are looking for sponsors for the new season.

We have many sponsorship options available starting from £150 upto the main shirt sponsor at £950.

The main sponsor will get in return a free shirt, a write up here on our website with links to their business, weekly mentions on our social media.

The smaller sponsors will get a mention on our team write up on our website and a monthly social media mention.

So if you can help any or all of our teams please contact us today

Help us to raise the funds needed to keep our holiday homes open

Since December 2022 we have been desperately trying to raise funds for our two beautiful holiday homes in Burnham on Sea. These holiday homes are a place where families or individuals with cancer can go for respite during treatment absolutely free. For some this is a break from Chemotherapy and the stresses, strains, pains and sickness that come with it. For some it is there first family holiday and others their last.

These holidays are a vital break for these families and we need your help to keep them open.

Sadly like every other part of our daily lives the costs have gone through the roof way beyond what we anticipated with fees, cleaning, repairs etc…. so we are in danger of having to close them.

We need to raise £20,000 and we’re a long way off so if you see this please, click the link and make a donation here

Thank you

Risk of cervical cancer found to be twice as high in women with mental illness

Women with mental illness, neuropsychiatric disability, or substance abuse are less likely to go for gynecological smear tests for cervical cancer and run more than twice the risk of developing the disease. The findings are presented in The Lancet Public Health by researchers from Karolinska Institutet, who stress the importance of proactively approaching these women as a preventative measure against cervical cancer.

In May 2020, the WHO approved a global strategy for eliminating cervical cancer as a women’s health problem. Part of the strategy is a requirement that 70 percent of women are screened for the disease at least once before age 35 and twice before age 45.According to the researchers, inequality of care is one of the major hurdles to this objective.”Our study identified a high-risk group that needs extra attention if we’re to succeed in eliminating cervical cancer,” says one of the study’s first authors Kejia Hu, postdoc researcher at the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institutet.The observational study included over four million women born between 1940 and 1995. From this population, the researchers calculated the risk of cervical cancer and precancerous cervical lesions as well as participation in screening programs for cervical cancer, comparing women diagnosed by a specialist with mental illness, neuropsychiatric disability, or substance abuse with women without such diagnoses.”Our results suggest that women with these diagnoses participate more seldom in screening programs at the same time as they have a higher incidence of lesions in the cervix,” says Dr. Hu. “We thus found that they have twice the risk of developing cervical cancer.”An elevated risk was observed for all diagnoses, but the greatest association was noted for substance abuse. Women with mental illness should be made more aware of the need to undergo regular gynecological screening, according to the researchers:”It would lower their risk of cancer,” says one of the paper’s authors Karin Sundström, senior researcher at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet. “Similarly, if healthcare professionals are more aware of the cancer risk in these patients, they can step up preventative measures and consider how these could be delivered to potentially under-served patients.”The strength of the study lies in the sheer size of the cohort and the length of the time-span period over which the participants were studied. One limitation is that the researchers did not have full data about other risk factors for cervical cancer such as smoking, hormonal contraceptives, and sexually transmitted diseases.

Processed red meat intake linked to increased incidence of blood cancers

Processed red meat intake is associated with an increased incidence of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in a Japanese population, according to a study published online March 7 in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine.

Yoshimitsu Shimomura, M.D., from the Graduate School of Medicine at Osaka University in Japan, and colleagues examined the association between AML/MDS incidence and meat, fish, or fatty acid intake using data for 93,366 participants from the Japan Public Health Center-based prospective study. Participants were followed for 1,345,002 person-years.The researchers identified 67 AML and 49 MDS cases during the follow-up period. Increased intake of processed red meat was associated with an increased incidence of AML/MDS, with a hazard ratio of 1.63 for the highest versus the lowest tertile. No associations were seen for intake of other foods and fatty acids with AML/MDS.”Our results showed that a higher processed red meat intake was associated with an increased incidence of AML/MDS,” the authors write. “On the other hand, other intakes of interest had a null association with the incidence of AML/MDS.

All hormonal contraceptives increase breast cancer risk: 

All hormonal contraceptives carry a slightly increased risk of breast cancer, including the increasingly popular progestogen-only pills, according to a study published on Tuesday.

The researchers who carried out the study stressed that the increased risk of breast cancer needs to be weighed against the benefits of hormonal contraceptives, including the protection they provide against other forms of female cancer.Previous studies have established an increased risk of breast cancer from two-hormone, or combined, contraceptives that use both estrogen and progestogen.While the use of progestogen-only contraceptives has been on the rise for well over a decade, little research had been performed previously on their links to breast cancer.The study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, found that the risk of a woman developing breast cancer was about the same for hormonal contraceptives using both estrogen and progestogen as for those using just progestogen.According to the study, women taking hormonal contraceptives have a 20 to 30 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer than those who do not use them.The findings are similar to those published previously, including in a vast 1996 study.The risk remains about the same regardless of the delivery method—oral pill, IUD, implant or injection—or whether it is a combined pill or progestogen alone.Taking into account that the likelihood of breast cancer increases with age, the authors of the study calculated how much absolute excess risk is associated with hormonal contraceptives.For women taking hormonal contraceptives for a period of five years between the ages of 16 to 20, it represented eight cases of breast cancer per 100,000, they said.Between 35 and 39 years old, it was 265 cases per 100,000.’Very small increase in absolute risk'”Nobody wants to hear that something that they’re taking is going to increase their risk of breast cancer by 25 percent,” said Gillian Reeves, a professor of statistical epidemiology at the University of Oxford and a co-author of the study.”What we’re talking about here is very small increase in absolute risk,” Reeves said.”These increases in risk for breast cancer have to, of course, be viewed in the context of what we know about the many benefits of taking hormonal contraceptives,” she added.”Not just in terms of birth control, but also because we know that oral contraceptives actually provide quite substantial and long term protection from other female cancers, such as ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer.”The study also confirmed, like others, that the risk of breast cancer declines in the years after a woman stops using hormonal contraceptives.Stephen Duffy, a professor at Queen Mary University of London who did not take part in the study, described the findings as “reassuring in that the effect is modest.”The study involved data from nearly 10,000 women under the age of 50 who developed breast cancer between 1996 and 2017 in the United Kingdom, where the use of progestogen-only contraceptives is now as widespread as the combined method.Reeves said there were several explanations for the growing use of progestogen-only contraceptives.They are recommended for women who are breast-feeding, who may be at risk of cardiovascular problems or smokers above the age of 35.”It might just be because women are taking hormonal contraceptives possibly into later years now,” Reeves said.”So they are naturally at higher risk of those other conditions for which risk is increased with combined contraceptives.”

Do you have space for our Clothes recycling unit?

Balls to cancer have teamed up with local clothes recycling company Green Global Recycling to help raise funds.

Over the last few years we have grown to know them very well and are very quick and efficient at collections.

One of the main problems we’ve heard about with collection units is “they are always full and over flowing and look a mess” well with Green Global Recycling this is not a problem, they regularly check them and if you see a problem they will rectify it normally same day.

So rest assured if you have one they will keep it tidy for you.

Get in touch with them today and tell them Balls to cancer sent you.