Out of England’s nine regions, the North West has claimed the most medals and medalists so far in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
It may have been postponed for a year due to the pandemic, but after nearly two weeks of inspiring and record-breaking sporting action, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is proving to be a pretty successful Games for Great Britain.
Team GB are currently sitting in 5th place on the international medals table.
As of the end of day 11 of competition on 3 August – already having been dubbed as ‘Super Tuesday’ – 55 English Olympians have come out of at least one event with a place on the podium, and that figure has already climbed as day 12 kicks off.
But the region that has the most to shout about so far is the North West, with 13 out of the 48 Tokyo 2020 athletes born there claiming medals, and when we drill it down even further into counties and city regions, Greater Manchester is the most common place where this year’s medallists were born.
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How brilliant is this?
13 out of the 48 Tokyo 2020 athletes born in the North West have claimed medals so far / Credit: Twitter (@TeamGB) Bolton’s Jason Kenny’s silver medal win yesterday made him Britain’s joint most-decorated Olympian / Credit: Twitter (@TeamGB)
These include Bury swimmer and double gold medallist James Guy, triathlete Georgia Taylor-Brown, BMX cyclist Charlotte Worthington, sailor Stuart Bithell, rower Josh Bugajski, cyclist Jason Kenny, and the most recent medallist – Keely Hodgkinson.
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That’s not the only achievement for the North West at Tokyo 2020 so far either, as in the overall awards too, the region is storming ahead with 17, aided in part by the heroics of multi-medallists Guy, Taylor-Brown, and Cheshire swimmer Luke Greenbank.
Other successful northern counties and regions with multiple medalists so far include Yorkshire and The Humber – West Yorkshire, in particular – and Cheshire.
What an achievement – and with four days of action left, it’s only set to better.
Arrest made after 14-year-old boy found in critical condition on Market Street
Daisy Jackson
An arrest has been made after a teenage boy was found unresponsive on Market Street in Manchester city centre.
Detectives believe that the boy, 14, was approached by seven males who stole a designer jacket from him.
Following the altercation, he went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.
Thankfully, the teenager is continuing to recover well.
Detectives from Manchester City Centre Criminal Investigation Department confirmed that an 18-year-old male was arrested yesterday, Thursday 20 February.
He has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and remains in police custody.
Detective Inspector Mark Astbury of GMP’s City Centre Criminal Investigation Department, said: “We hope the victim can continue his recovery following what must have been a terrifying ordeal for him.
“Officers are fully investigating all aspects of this shocking incident that has left a man with serious injuries in hospital.
“Our work doesn’t stop here, we are continuing to investigate this incident and information from the public plays an incredibly important role in our investigations and I ask that the community keep talking to us and keep sharing their concerns with us so our teams can act.”
If you have any information, contact GMP 101 or 0161 856 4305 quoting log 2854 of 16/2/25.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials
Emily Sergeant
Trials are currently underway to see if comedy could be an alternative to antidepressants as a way to reduce NHS costs.
UK tech company Craic Health has secured important funding for its ‘comedy on prescription’ project that’s aimed at helping the Government work with the comedy industry, communities, and organisations on comedy-based social prescriptions in the hope that they can solve financial struggles within the NHS.
The groundbreaking scheme uses stand-up shows and workshops to help people who are isolated, lonely, and vulnerable.
Craic believes comedy is an ‘untapped opportunity’ to improve health and wellbeing, and has a goal to make comedy easier to access, so that it can help communities experience its mental health and social benefits.
To achieve this, the company has started trialling Comedy-on-Prescription experiences in the UK – starting in London, with the potential for expansion – which includes things like curated comedy panel game show events and workshops, and general stand-up comedy shows at some of the capital’s world-famous venues.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“Mental health issues like loneliness, isolation, and stress are more common than ever,” the company explains.
“So much so that it’s projected that by 2030, mental health problems, particularly depression, will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally, [but] in this challenging world, comedy stands out as a universal language that breaks barriers.
“Research shows that comedy and laughter have powerful effects – they bring people together, create positive connections, and make life more enjoyable.”
Craic Health says that social prescribing, of which Comedy-on-Prescription is a part of, is all about inclusivity, which makes it making it suitable for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
Its focus is on personalised support, tailored to individual needs and preferences.
Emily Sergeant -
4th August 2021 
