Dame Deborah James has inspired Andrex, M&S, and more retailers to add bowel cancer symptoms to packs of toilet roll.
Leading toilet roll manufacturer Andrex, and retail giant M&S are two of the first companies to partner with charity Bowel Cancer UK as part of the #GetOnARoll campaign, and in doing so, have both committed to adding the symptoms of bowel cancer and lifesaving information to millions of toilet roll packages stocked on shelves across the UK.
The two companies have also made significant donations to the leading bowel cancer charity – with Andrex pledging a £65,000 donation, and M&S committing a £50,000 sum.
Both Andrex and M&S have been inspired to make the change to packaging by journalist, podcast host, and campaigner, Dame Deborah James – better known as the Bowel Babe – who was diagnosed with incurable bowel cancer back in 2016, which she has since announced is terminal.
Almost half of adults in the UK can’t name a single symptom of bowel cancer. Get behind our new campaign today and ask your supermarket to add them to their loo roll packaging and help save lives: https://t.co/NmjBdWTaeHpic.twitter.com/sxCQY40lwl
Since receiving the tragic news that her cancer was terminal, and setting up the BowelBabe Fund, Dame Deborah has gone on to raise a whopping £6.7 million and counting for Cancer Research UK to raise awareness and “fund clinical trials and research into personalised medicine for cancer patients”.
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She has also been using her final days to support Bowel Cancer UK’s campaign, and encourage other supermarkets and retailers to follow in the footsteps of Andrex and M&S.
“It’s the start of things to come,” Dame Deborah said on Instagram.
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“I think we should do a big shoutout to other companies now saying ‘Come on! Where’s your signs and symptoms?’
“We need like actual information signposted on those loo rolls [and] I’m hoping that lots of the other big brands will now go yeah, hang on, this makes massive sense – this is what we need to be doing and I can’t wait to see that happen.”
Deborah James was presented with a Damehood for services to charity by Prince William last month / Credit: Deborah James (via Instagram)
Bowel Cancer UK says it launched the groundbreaking #GetOnARoll campaign as almost half of adults in the UK can’t name a single symptom of bowel cancer, despite it being the fourth most common cancer, and it says that knowing the symptoms, and acting on them, means that bowel cancer can be diagnosed earlier when it is more treatable and curable.
Fewer than 40% of people are diagnosed with bowel cancer at the earliest stages, and the charity says “we can change this and ultimately save more lives”.
📣 We’re calling for every supermarket to put our signs and symptoms where people need to see them most – on their loo roll packaging.
The charity added: “Changes in bowel habit and blood in your poo are two bowel cancer symptoms that happen while you’re on the toilet so that’s why we’re calling on supermarkets to put symptoms on their own brand loo roll packaging – where people need to see them most.
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“We urgently need to get supermarkets to follow suit.”
You can find out more about the Bowel Cancer UK #GetOnARoll campaign here.
Data reveals Manchester hotel prices have ALREADY surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates
Emily Sergeant
Manchester hotel prices have apparently already surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates, some new data has revealed.
Of course, absolutely nothing is set in stone yet and we are still yet to receive any form of announcement.
But with rumours having been swirling for months now that Oasis will be touring again in 2027, and several videos shared on the band’s social media platforms this week also hinting at that, it’s been revealed that searches for ‘when are Oasis tickets going on sale?’ have soared by 5,000% in the last seven days alone.
After recent data has pointed towards soaring searches for tickets, the experts at SeatPick decided to analyse the average cost of accommodation in Manchester on the suspected concert nights in June 2027 to uncover if prices have surged along with the searches.
Data reveals that Manchester hotel prices have already surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates / Credit: The Manc Group | Simon Emmett (Press Picture)
And lo and behold, it appears that they have.
The ticketing platform has revealed that hotel prices have surged by up to 462% during Oasis’ rumoured concert nights in Manchester.
The rumoured weekend date of 19 and 20 June has experienced the most noticeable price surge – with a two-star hotel costing an average of £216 for just one overnight stay.
The data also reveals that the rumoured finale on the 27 June has just a £95 difference between two-star hotels (£200) and five-star hotels (£295).
“Our analysis uncovered an enormous markup for local accommodation on nights that Oasis is rumoured to perform in Manchester,” explained Gilad Zilberman, who is the CEO at ticket platform SeatPick.
“Being aware of these accommodation costs and additional expenses can help fans plan and avoid being caught off guard by inflated prices on concert nights.
“To find the best deals on hotels, concertgoers should scan budget chains in the city or look slightly outside of the centre in hotspots served by local bus routes or regional trains, such as Salford and Trafford.
“Booking early might also be beneficial for fans dedicated to seeing the band perform.
“You can opt for free cancellation options, in case rumoured dates change, or you’re no longer able to attend.”
Featured Image – Point3D (via Unsplash)
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Aldi confirms ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its 1,000+ stores across UK
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has announced that it’ll, once again, be closing the doors of all of its stores across the UK for 62 hours this year.
Christmas is always known to be one of the busiest periods of the year for the retail industry, and Boxing Day has a reputation for being the ultimate day for shopping deals and discounts in the UK – but this year, just like it has done on several years in the past, Aldi has made the decision to close all of its stores nationwide on this bank holiday.
The supermarket retailer says it wants to thank its colleagues ‘for all their hard work’ throughout the year by giving them some extra time to spend with their families.
This means that all Aldi stores will be closed on both 25 and 26 December.
That’s not all though, as stores will also be closed on New Year’s Day, and will reopen once again on Saturday 2 January 2027.
Aldi has announced a ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its UK stores / Credit: Aldi UK
Opening hours at different Aldi stores across the UK will vary in the lead-up to Christmas, so it’s important to check the times for your local store, but the retailer has confirmed that most branches will be operating extended hours to ‘ensure customers can stock up ahead of the big day’
In the interim period between Christmas and New Year, stores will reopen as usual on Sunday 27 through to Wednesday 30 December, with reduced hours also likely on Sunday and New Year’s Eve.
Speaking on the decision to shut up shop for a full 62-hour period this festive season, Rachel Geary, who is the Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: “Christmas is a special time for our customers, but it is also one of the busiest periods of the year for our teams.
“Our colleagues work incredibly hard to ensure customers can pick up everything they need ahead of the big day.
“We never take that effort for granted. Closing our stores on Boxing Day is one way of saying thank you and giving colleagues a proper chance to rest, switch off and spend more time with the people closest to them.”
Emily Sergeant -
22nd June 2022 
