A special fundraising event to celebrate the life and legacy of Sarah Harding is being held in her hometown of Stockport next month.
The late singer – who was one fifth of one of the UK’s most successful girlbands, Girls Aloud, before she sadly lost her life to breast cancer at just 39-years-oldback in September 2021 – grew up in the Greater Manchester borough of Stockport, and attended high school and college there, as well as working several jobs, all before she auditioned for Pop Stars: The Rivals in 2002.
Greater Manchester was already a big part of Sarah’s life, but following her breast cancer diagnosis in 2020, it became even more important, as she was treated at The Christie hospital in Manchester.
Her final wish before she sadly passed was to find new ways of detecting breast cancer early when it is more treatable.
The BCAN-RAY (Breast Cancer Risk Assessment in Younger Women) study was then launched in her legacy, and is supported by Sarah’s family, friends, and Girls Aloud bandmates, as well as Dr Sacha Howell – who was Sarah’s consultant at The Christie.
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A Sarah Harding commemorative plaque is being unveiled at special fundraising event in Stockport next month / Credit: The Christie (via Supplied)
But now, to go one step further in honouring Sarah’s life and music legacy, a special plaque will be unveiled on High Street, close to the Little Underbank in Stockport, next month, and the grand unveiling will be part of the new ‘Stockport Music Map Tour’, created and hosted by John Barratt, who is renowned for his work promoting Stockport’s rich musical heritage.
The tour will start at midday outside Thread Bar on Market Street, with an introduction by John, who’ll walk everyone to the site of the plaque – which will be located next to the Sarah Harding mural, created earlier this year by street artist Degsy on the side of the former Royal Oak on 11 High Street.
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Then, following the plaque unveiling, John will conduct a Stockport Music Map walking tour around the sites of other commemorative plaques and significant locations that have played a pivotal role in Stockport’s vibrant music history.
Those on the tour will get to remember Sarah’s formative years in Stockport, before she went on to achieve global success with Girls Aloud.
Funds will be donated to both The Christie Charity and the Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal / Credit: The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
A Girls Aloud-themed party will then take place after the tour at Thread Bar, as well as showing screenings of the band’s performances, and 20% of the bar’s takings on the day are to be donated to both The Christie Charity and the Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal.
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“Sarah was such a huge part of Stockport’s story, and her journey from here to the global stage is truly inspiring,” event organiser, John Barrett, commented.
“We’re honoured to celebrate her legacy while supporting The Christie Charity, and the Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal. This event is all about fundraising for The Christie Charity, keeping Sarah Harding’s memory alive here in Stockport, and continuing her mission to promote early detection of breast cancer in young women.”
John is hoping that the event can be made into an annual occasion, if it proves to be successful this year.
The Sarah Harding Plaque Unveiling and Walking Tour will take place in Stockport on Sunday 6 October.
Tickets for the event are £15 each, which includes a Christie wristband and pin badge, the plaque unveiling, guided music tour, and entry to Thread for the party, and you can grab yourself some here.
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Any further donations to The Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal can be made here.
Featured Image – The Christie (via Supplied)
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NHS releases list of first conditions set to be eligible for new ‘online hospital’
Emily Sergeant
The first conditions that are set to be eligible for video appointments via the new NHS online hospital have been revealed.
In case you hadn’t heard, back in September of last year, the Government has announced that the NHS would be setting up an ‘online hospital’ known simply as NHS Online – which will not have a physical site and instead digitally connect patients to expert clinicians anywhere across the country.
Ultimately, this means patients can be seen faster than normal, as teams triage them quickly through the NHS App and let them book in scans at times that suit them at centres closer to their home.
NHS Online – which will begin to see its first patients in 2027 – is expected to deliver the equivalent of up to 8.5 million virtual appointments and assessments in its first three years, according to the NHS, which is four times more than an average NHS trust.
And now, the NHS has selected nine ‘common’ conditions which will be the first to be treated by the NHS Online service.
📲 Introducing NHS Online 📲
A new digital hospital will transform healthcare.
From 2027, you'll be able to get specialist care:
✅ straight to your home via the NHS App ✅ faster than a traditional hospital appointment ✅ wherever you live in England
Women’s health issues, including severe menopause symptoms and menstrual problems that can be a sign of endometriosis or fibroids, will be among the conditions available for online referrals, as will prostate problems like prostate enlargement and a raised prostate specific antigen (PSA) level, along with eye conditions including cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.
NHS Online will also provide support for other painful and distressing conditions, such as iron deficiency anaemia and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
So, how will NHS Online work then? Well, when a patient has an appointment with their GP, they will have the option of being referred to the online hospital for their specialist care instead, and then from there, they’ll be able to book directly through the NHS App.
Once referred to the online hospital, patients will have the ability to see specialists from around the country without leaving their home or having to wait longer for a face-to-face appointment.
The NHS has released a list of the first conditions set to be eligible for the new ‘online hospital’ / Credit: Nordwood Themes (via Unsplash) | rawpixel
If they need a scan, test, or procedure, then they’ll be able to book this in at a time that suits them at Community Diagnostic Centres closer to home.
Patients will also be able to track their prescriptions and get advice on managing their condition at home too.
“We’ve selected nine common conditions which the NHS Online service will initially provide support for when it launches next year, including some women’s health issues as well as prostate problems,” commented Professor Stella Vig, who is the National Clinical Director for Elective Care at NHS England.
“We know that these conditions can be painful and difficult to cope with so providing faster, more convenient access to diagnosis and treatments will have a real and positive impact on people’s lives.”
Junk food adverts are now banned on TV before 9pm in the UK to ‘protect’ kids’ health
Emily Sergeant
Junk food advertisements are now banned on television before 9pm in the UK in a bid to help protect children’s health.
In what is being considered a ‘landmark’ move by the Government, as of today, adverts for less-healthy food and drinks will be banned on television before 9pm and online at all times, as part of world-leading action that is expected to remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year, and reduce the number of children living with obesity by 20,000.
It’s also expected that this ‘decisive’ action will deliver around £2 billion in health benefits over time.
According to the Government, evidence shows that advertising influences what and when children eat – shaping their preferences from a young age, and ultimately increasing the risk of obesity and related illnesses.
At the start of primary school, 22.1% of children in England are overweight or living with obesity, and this rises to 35.8% by the time they leave.
Junk food adverts are now banned on TV before 9pm in the UK / Credit: Alan Hardman | Kobby Mendez (via Unsplash)
This change is part of a range of measures that the Government is taking to ‘lift children out of poverty’ and help give them the ‘best start’ in life – with other measures being the introduction of the Healthy Food Standard, and giving local authorities the power to stop fast food shops opening outside schools.
“We promised to do everything we can to give every child the best and healthiest start in life,” explained Health Minister Ashley Dalton, as the junk food advert ban comes into force.
“By restricting adverts for junk food before 9pm and banning paid adverts online, we can remove excessive exposure to unhealthy foods – making the healthy choice the easy choice for parents and children.
“We’re moving the dial from having the NHS treat sickness, to preventing it so people can lead healthier lives and so it can be there for us when we need it.”
Featured Image – Karolina Kołodziejczak (via Unsplash)
Emily Sergeant -
18th September 2024 
