The UK’s youngest patient to ever be treated using a pioneering NHS cancer therapy right here in Manchester is celebrating a milestone anniversary this week.
Teddy Slade – who lives in Stockport, and has recently celebrated his fourth birthday – was just 18 months old when he was diagnosed with a rare and “terrifying” brain tumour that left his family “devastated”, but after he underwent surgery to remove the tumour, he was given a pioneering form of treatment named proton beam therapy at the then newly-opened centre at The Christie in Manchester for six and half weeks.
Proton beam therapy is a specialist form of radiotherapy that targets cancers very precisely by increasing success rates and reducing side effects, according to NHS England, which makes it an ideal treatment for certain cancers in children who are at risk of lasting damage to organs that are still growing.
The therapy has been funded on the NHS since 2008, but patients previously had to go abroad to get their treatment, and it was only when The Christie’s £125 million centre opened in late 2018, that patients could be treated in the UK.
Teddy was officially the youngest patient in the country to be treated at the UK’s first NHS high energy centre at The Christie.
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And now, it’s a very different story.
Now, three years after the groundbreaking therapy was made available on the NHS in England, Teddy only requires regular check-ups to monitor his progress, and is described as being “a funny, little, cheerful character” who is enjoying pre-school, and living a full and normal life.
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Teddy was given pioneering proton beam therapy The Christie in Manchester / Credit: The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
Reflecting back on her son’s shocking diagnosis and how far he’s come, Teddy’s mum, Amy Slade, said: “It was a huge shock when Teddy was diagnosed as he was so young and to be told he had a brain tumour was absolutely heartbreaking.
“But the staff at The Christie are amazing [and] the proton beam centre is a place of hope.
“The care that Teddy, and the support our whole family received there, was first-class, and we are so very lucky to have this life-saving medical technology in Manchester”.
Gillian Whitfield – Teddy’s consultant at The Christie – added: “It is great to see Teddy doing so well and we were thrilled to be able to help him here at The Christie.
“Being able to give patients like Teddy this vital proton beam therapy in the UK is fantastic, as it not only reduces the side effects of treatment, but also means families don’t have to travel abroad as many did before the NHS opened the centre here in Manchester”.
Teddy was the youngest patient to be treated at the UK’s first NHS high energy centre at The Christie / Credit: The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
“Since Teddy first received proton beam therapy treatment at The Christie, over 700 patients in the UK, including 300 children, have benefitted from this pioneering treatment in the NHS,” revealed Dame Cally Palmer, NHS England’s National Cancer Director.
“This is a major milestone for the NHS,” she added.
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“It marks the completion of our plans to deliver proton beam therapy in the UK and transform cancer treatment across the country”.
The NHS Long Term Plan aims to save thousands more lives each year by dramatically improving diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and by 2028, the NHS hopes that 55,000 more people each year will survive for five years or more following their cancer diagnosis.
Featured Image – The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
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National Pizza Awards looking for one lucky person to join 2026 judging panel
Emily Sergeant
Job adverts don’t come much better than this, as the National Pizza Awards is searching for one lucky person to join the judging panel at this year’s grand final.
The National Pizza Awards invite chefs from across the hospitality industry each year to submit their signature recipes in a bid to claim the coveted title of National Pizza of the Year title, providing a platform for the UK’s ultimate pizza professionals to showcase their recipes on a national scale.
Hosted by Dine Out magazine finalists face off in a live cooking showdown in front of a hand-picked panel of industry judges.
On top of a signature round, competitors take part in a technical challenge that sees them construct the best dish from a selection of ingredients, with the winner being named National Pizza Chef of the Year.
The National Pizza Awards is looking for one lucky person to join its 2026 judging panel / Credit: The Manc Group
And this year, you could play a part in picking the winners.
That’s right – the National Pizza Awards has launched a nationwide search for a new judge, and the only catch (if you can even call it a catch) is that the judge will need to sample 16 of the UK’s best pizzas in a single day as chefs battle it out for the title.
It’s a tough gig, but someone’s got to do it, and if you want to be that someone, entries are now open for you to enter.
Pizzas are judged on how the they’re made, the flavour profile, how they’re cooked, the aesthetic and presentation, and the texture, quality, and consistency, as well as the choice of ingredients.
To be in with a chance, you’ll simply just need tag your favourite pizza place in the Instagram competition post, and then if that place enters the awards and makes it through to the final cook-off, you’ll be entered into a draw to become that all-important guest judge this November.
The same team behind the annual Alton Towers run is bringing a new race to Flamingo Land
Danny Jones
Following the success of Run Alton Towers, the same team is bringing a brand-new running event to another Northern attraction with the first-ever Flamingo Land race.
Knowing how popular its forerunner is (pardon the pun), this one is already well on course to sell out.
The inaugural Alton Towers run first took place in November 2021, and now half a decade later, RunThroughUK – the biggest and fastest-growing race organiser in the country – is recreating the format over at Flamingo Land.
Landing next month, the beloved UK theme park and zoo will be joining them in holding two different distances, and you can still be part of it.
Hosted within the grounds of the wider Flamingo Land Resort, the unique route takes participants through the zoo, passing plenty of incredible animals, before continuing through the theme park alongside some of its biggest rides and amusements.
Located in Kirby Misperton up in North Yorkshire, they will be holding both 5-kilometre and 10km runs around the venue.
With the promotion and sporting events company having already comfortably proved they can hold a slick and seamless running event throughout the 500-acre plot, there’s set to be even more jam-packed sights to see as you jog zip through the slightly smaller and multi-purpose park.
As always with RunThrough dates, runners of all abilities are welcome; whether you’re chasing a personal best or simply looking for a different kind of race route, you’re sure to have a memorable time.
And yes, for those wondering: just like with its Staffordshire counterpart, you do get to stay and enjoy all the rides, wildlife and more as part of your entry fee afterwards.
Even better still, not only will every runner be treated to accurate chip timing, a fully marked course, enthusiastic marshals and support from spectators, but you also get a unique finisher’s medal.
Oh yeah, and you get all of your race pictures for FREE, as is standard with RunThrough events. Belter.
With race day not far away, the final places are filling fast for what promises to be one of the UK’s most unique new running events – not to mention one we fully expect to become another annual addition.
Taking place on Saturday, 5 September 2026, you can secure your bibs for the 5/10k running race HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
4th February 2022 
