Category: Health & Wellbeing

By Elliott West

“No one wants to hear the word ‘Cancer’. Especially men who think they need to tough out any problems. We’re working to remove the stigma around men talking about their health”.

Charity mission

Introduction

One of the most daunting pieces of news someone can receive in life is a cancer diagnosis. Yet for many men, abnormal changes to their bodies would rather be ignored, hoping that the problem will go away naturally. This put-off is probably the worst decision you could make. If cancer isn’t caught early, it can have devastating effects, spreading to other organs and making the likelihood of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy being effective, less likely. Cancers such as breast, prostate or testicular have a good success rate when diagnosed early.

So it was very refreshing to hear about a charity called ‘One For The Boys’ that specifically promotes awareness for cancer in men. One that aims to break down the stigma of masculinity and machoism by normalising speaking out about problems and working in local communities across the globe to educate men on the danger signs of cancer, how to spot them and what actions are needed when you become aware of them. This is an internal conflict that men need not have and a crucial difference between life and death. It’s so important to make your health a priority and face the problems head on – for yourself and for your loved ones. A new and open approach but a manly one. So don’t stay silent, be loud and open.

The Voice of Reason 

“I’m too busy to go to the doctor.” “I can tough it out.” “Cancer’s not something that would happen to me.”

Quote from the website.

With celebrities Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Firth, David Walliams and Lewis Hamilton all pledging their support, the charity has produced excellent awareness videos like ‘Love The Glove’ with Samuel L. Jackson, the charity chairman to promote testing for prostate cancer, ‘In The Nip Of Time’ to check male nipples for strange lumps or bumps, ‘The Silent Interview’ to encourage men to do the manly thing and talk about cancer and a One For The Boys leaflet campaign. Samuel has also been UK shows like The Graham Norton Show to promote the campaign. So important and poignant is this cause that the charity has attracted a whole host of partners like Asprey, GQ, Hackett and Air New Zealand, this charity means business and uses a powerful hash #SaySomething to spread its message across its various social platforms.

The Inspiration 

This charity was born from a personal place. Sofia Davis, the founder, was inspired to set up the foundation after she saw the tragic impact of cancer, and wanted to do something to address the fact that men are more likely to die of cancer than women. Her friend Simon died of cancer and wanted to do something to help his brother Ali heal. After researching male cancers, Sofia found that most cancer campaigns focused on women and very few supported or educated men. She wanted to bring some blue to a very pink world and so ‘One For The Boys’ was born. A charity that now organises numerous events such as charity balls, golf events and karaoke to raise awareness and money for male cancer.

By Elliott West

“I think that my dad was really quite tough with me at times”.

Rick Stein

Introduction

Rick Stein is best known for being one of the most famous chefs on British television. His television career spans over forty years since he first appeared on a Keith Floyd cookery programme in 1985. A show where Keith mistakenly calls him Nick. A culinary professional whose knowledge of fish is second to none and whose restaurant chain spans from Padstow, Cornwall to London. A lover of poetry and literature, Stein has fronted thousands of hours of cookery programmes spanning across the globe and written numerous cookery books. His latest venture is his stage tour, An Evening with Rick Stein which will tour the country from March and Rick Stein’s Food Stories on the BBC.

However, what is little known about Rick is his relationship with his father Eric. A man who suffered from bipolar disorder polar disorder and committed suicide when Rick was only 18 years old. A troubled relationship that Stein believes was mainly due to his father seeing much of himself in his son. Eric whose childhood spanned the First World War, received prejudice for his German roots and was often called a “filthy Bosch”.

A Mental Hell

Growing up in the leafy and affluent Walton-on-Thames, Eric grew up in the shadow of the news that the liner Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat in 1915. Ignorance of this news caused many locals to be suspicious of the Stein name. It was a look-over-your-shoulder moment with many cruel looks, whispers, hurling missiles and a tirade of insults in the street. A human being is vulnerable to abuse and this must have left deep mental scars on Eric for the rest of his life.

Thwarted ambition may also have contributed to Eric’s demeanour. When he was 18, Eric won a place at Oxford to study medicine but was denied his place when his family strings were pulled. Instead, Eric was encouraged to ditch the idea and work in the family business, a distilling and chemical company. Clues to the cause of his mental illness. So worried was his wife Dorrie about her husband’s condition that she used to hide all the knives and tablets in the house due to his erratic behaviour.

Dorrie had her ghosts in her closet. A woman who got married at a very young age. Hitched to escape an unhappy family home where her father Frederick was an adulterer and a drinker. A self-made businessman who married Mary, a missionary’s daughter. A relationship that Mary’s father Henry Parkes would have disapproved of. A Wesleyan who travelled to China in 1962. A man who based himself in Canton and lived in the community. As a Westerner, he was treated with mistrust and suspicion. A country that was rife with disease led to him burying two children. A scandal that led to Henry being petitioned and returning to Britain.

The Tragedy 

In 1965, Eric Stein was out walking with Rick’s sister Zoe. Walking near their family home, the two neared Trevose Head, a National Trust beauty spot. Suddenly their father ran towards the cliff and jumped to his death. Eric who had just retired from his role as Managing Director at Distillers Company, was involved in the marketing of the controversial birth defect drug Thalidomide. Rick later learned that this was the last of several suicide attempts which ultimately led to Rick moving to Australia where he worked in an abattoir and a naval dockyard before travelling to New Zealand and Mexico. A death that Rick believes has made him want to be more like Eric’s positive side. He has now forgiven his father but still thinks that their relationship would have been closer if he had lived longer.

By Elliott West

“I just thought, it can’t be cancer – it’s not in my family. It was only due to the perseverance of my friends that I went for a mammogram and I was really shocked when they told me the lump was 14cm.”

Breast cancer survivor

Introduction

Being a woman is far from easy. Unlike men, women have to endure periods, pregnancy and the menopause. Mammograms and smear tests are a must but sadly some decide to avoid these vital tests through fear and it can lead to a devastating cancer diagnosis. I wish in this piece to concentrate on breast cancer which can lay dormant and undetected for years. A lump is treated as a cyst and pain is shrugged off as something that will pass. Breast cancer is a ticking time bomb and has to be defused at the earliest possible moment. If not it can spread at an alarming rate. That’s why it is so important for women to be familiar with their breasts, regularly check their breasts, and be familiar with how they look and feel so they can detect any changes.

Anyone who has been affected by cancer directly or indirectly will know how it can turn your life upside down. Yet in so many cases now due to the advancement of medical science, this diagnosis is far from being finite. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy can reverse these nightmare scenarios and have produced so many cancer survivors, especially in the area of breast cancer. You can never guarantee cancer won’t return but the joy of hearing that bell ring to denote an all-clear after five years is extremely touching and emotional.

Keeping Abreast 

The warning signs of breast cancer could be a lump in the breast or underarm, irritation to the breast tissue, redness or flaky skin in this area. Yet sometimes cancer lays dormant, deep under the breast tissue, small in size with no signs. Yet due to oestrogen, it can suddenly spring to life and become a potentially deadly grade-3 cancer. It can spread to becoming precancerous cells in the milk ducts and in some cases, the lymph nodes. However, if it avoids the lymph nodes and they remain clear, there is an excellent recovery rate.

Being given a cancer diagnosis, especially in breast cancer more often than not, causes the individual to radically change their way of life and thinking. This may involve a change in diet, giving up smoking and more healthy life with regular exercise. Yet the devastating news that Trisha Goddard now has terminal breast cancer, detected in a recommended mammogram sustaining a fall at home, shows that cancer can disappear and reappear. So I can not highlight enough the importance of regular mammograms. They are the crucial screenings that could save a life. It may seem undignified having to get undressed in front of a stranger but putting it off, could lead to stopping a lifesaving result. die from breast cancer in the UK – that’s nearly 1,000 deaths each month, 31 each day or one every 45 minutes. Breast cancer is the 4th most common cause of cancer death in the UK. Yet the survival rate during and after the five years is 86%. Around one in seven women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Worrying statistics but beatable.

Close to Home

It is important to realise that breast cancer can affect a partner, wife or family member. Cancer doesn’t care who it takes out and can be ruthless if it chooses to be or I’d allowed to be. The good news is that the survival rate is high and if caught early, even higher. Don’t ignore the signs, get checked be brave, and accept the treatment if required. I can’t applaud enough the work and care Macmillan nurses do to help and care for breast cancer patients and the dedication and love they give to their patients. This is a scary and worrying time for all involved and this brilliant organisation makes this life-changing experience so much easier.

By Elliott West

Your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.” 

Confidence quote

Introduction

Confidence plays a massive part in how we as human beings function in society. To coin an old advertising slogan from Mars, it affects how we “work, rest and play”. Whether it is social interaction in friendships, relationships or in the workplace, eye contact and body language expose a lot about the inner self and soul of an individual. If you have been hurt in your life and hold the bumps and scars of living, it is very easy to put up barriers to try to brick up your vulnerability. It is scary to get out of your comfort zone and the natural default key is to become an introvert, playing it safe and preferring to dodge the slings and arrows of life. This is in no way the wrong option the wrong option. It is natural to want to protect yourself but sometimes you have to take a deep breath, take a risk and dive into the deep end of the pool, hoping that you will swim rather than sink.

It is alright to doubt yourself if in the endgame you become stronger as a result. Life is confusing and it certainly isn’t a walk in the park. As a man, I think it is important to be able to cry when things become too much. Crying is a strength, not a weakness. It is a natural, emotional release and these tears are from your heart, a beautiful expression and something that you should never be ashamed to do. Tears don’t always lead to happiness but even if they don’t, it is not good to bottle up emotions. Always turn to a loved one and talk about it because a problem shared is a problem halved.

Being Me

I have always struggled with confidence throughout my life. I often seek reassurance from my friends and family to prove my worth. I get very anxious when faced with new challenges despite being able to do many of these things very well. People say that I am kind, funny and a brilliant writer but I know like everyone else, I have many faults. I keep my thoughts to myself, bottle up emotions, can be selfish and express my thoughts probably too often. That doesn’t make me a bad person but just shows I am an imperfect human being.

I find life a constant struggle but who doesn’t? There are plenty of bumps in this shaky life road. Life isn’t easy but you have to make the most of it because in the end it is short and you only get one shot at it. I definitely need to learn to be more confident and have faith in myself. I have to do that by myself because ultimately it is only you who can improve yourself. We live in a choppy ocean but I must start believing that there will be sunny and happy days. Like a flower, I must blossom and can’t believe I will wilt and fade either.

Seizing the Opportunity 

Anyone who is reading this may think that this is just another life coach exercise and how can you preach from the pulpit when you lack self-confidence yourself? Well, I am writing this not to just to help others but to try and help myself. To give myself a life kickstart and start breaking down that wall that I have building around myself for far too long. I get far too anxious even before I set foot in my workplace and that is intensified by having days off and holidays. I have to believe that I wouldn’t be in the position I am in the workplace if I couldn’t do it. I had to go through a recruitment process to get the role and I was considered to be one of the best candidates on the day. Thousands of people applied for it and I won the race.

I know I need to sometimes pause and look in life’s virtual mirror and say to myself, yes you can and stop climbing into the dark pool of despair. I try to be a good person but I know I need to try harder and stop becoming deflated when things don’t go my way. I must also learn to not plunge myself into self-purgatory every time I make a mistake. We as human beings are naturally flawed and don’t always make the right life choices.

With my writing, I must start believing that I have a natural talent and that I am good at what I do. Also to not become deflated when I publish a piece and it doesn’t get many views. I wrote it because I was inspired to. It came from the heart and I don’t need praise all the time even if it is nice when it happens. I am already successful because people love to read my writing and that is a wonderful feeling but I need to get out of my comfort zone and find the path to getting to the next level. Whether that is by writing a book or getting the necessary qualifications to become a journalist and writing for national newspapers. Freelance or writing for others, I can achieve that goal of being a recognised writer.

By Elliott West

“Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong using a paddle and plastic ball with holes. It is a game that is appropriate for players of all ages and skill levels. Rules for pickleball are simple, making it a great introductory sport.”.

Definition of Pickleball.

Introduction

Pickleball is a sport that has taken the USA by storm. First invented as a children’s backyard game in 1965, it reminds me of the 80s craze of Swingball with a heavy leaning towards tennis. Played with a hollow plastic ball and paddles on a miniature-sized tennis court, it is now the most popular sport in Washington, becoming the official state sport in 2022. The beauty of Pickleball is that it can be played in a singles or doubles version and has led to a tribe following with both young and old eager to give it a go.

Played indoors and outdoors, this has quickly become a professional sport with several ex-baseball and American Football players ready to take the plunge and try and make a second career out of it. The beauty of Pickleball is that it can be played at a relaxed or frenzied pace This is a community sport that brings friends, neighbours and work colleagues for a few hours. It burns off calories and gets your muscles working. Now played in all 50 US states with 58 member countries taking part in International Championships with a National Championship played in Palm Springs, California since 2018.

The Lightbulb Moment

This game was first devised when the Pritchard and Bell families returned from golf on a Saturday afternoon in 1965. Initially wanting to play a family game of badminton, this was quickly abandoned when they couldn’t find the shuttlecock. So the two families challenged their children to devise a new game they could play to while away the hours. Their adult children started experimenting with different balls, racquets and even table tennis paddles on the badminton court.

The five-foot net was lowered to hip level to accomodate driving the ball. Initially played with a Wiffle ball, this was then changed to the Cosom Fun Ball with the table tennis paddles replaced with durable plywood paddles, first made in a basement workshop. This was a game that spread like wildfire through word of mouth. First through friends, families and neighbours of the inventors to going wider afield. A sport that spread from the Pacific NorthWest to Arizona, California, Hawaii and Florida. The first Pickleball tournament was held in 1976 at the Southcenter Athletic Club in Tukwila, Washington.

The Downside

Pickleball does have some drawbacks. It’s very noisy to play with the ball producing a sharp popping noise when it hits the racquet. This has caused a number of US households close to courts complaint about the noise. Some parks have had to ban the game because of the number of complaints but it hasn’t quelled the enthusiasm for this game. Trauma-inducing or not, the noise has been outweighed and this continues to be a sport that grows year on year.

Pickeball has also seen a sharp rise in injuries with players sustaining knee, back and shoulder complaints as a result of rigorous play. Rather than giving it up, these players have taken one for the team, seen out the injury and come back with vengeance to play this sport that can be highly energetic if you let it be.

By Elliott West

“Mental illness is a very powerful thing. If it is with you it is probably going to be there until the day you die. I am trying so hard to break mine, but it is not easy. It is my toughest fight ever”.

Frank Bruno

Introduction

I will always praise someone who talks openly about their mental health illness. It’s not only an important part of public awareness but also the start of the self-healing process. That’s because speaking to someone is vital. For far too long, mental health has been seen by society as a stigma, the cognitive secret that is preferred to be hidden behind lock and key, shameful and something that people would rather ignore than face. I am sick of hearing about political parties of all persuasions promising the earth on addressing mental health but it’s a political football that those with power prefer to kick into the nearest hedge when push comes to shove. This essential form of health care has far too long been underfunded with only pharmaceutical giants reaping the profits. A scandal that sadly remains one with no one with any true clout, prepared to tackle this issue head-on.

Talking Frankly

Frank Bruno is a star in his own right. A working-class man, a child of the Windrush generation, Franklin Roy Bruno grew up in a Britain where racial discrimination was rife and the police were seen as the enemy. Removed from his London upbringing due to the swirling temptation of bad ways at the request of his parents, Frank spent his early youth in a Sussex borstal, an institution that punished bad behaviour and rewarded good behaviour. Yet Frank holds no grudges for this life experience and rather praises the way that made him the disciplined man he is today. A highly successful heavyweight boxer whose career ran from 1982-1996 and had an iron punch that won him 40 of his 45 fights.

Yet bubbling beneath the surface of this former boxer who has a highly likeable character and an infectious laugh, lies his continual personal fight of his own. A battle against Bi-Polar Disorder or Manic Depression as it used to be known. A chemical imbalance in the brain that takes the sufferer to ultimate highs and lows, ending Frank’s marriage and being sectioned under the 1983 Mental Act to Goodmayes Hospital in Ilford. A place where he was heavily medicated to the point where he was left zombified and left dribbling at the mouth.

Despite two formal sections, Bruno remains positive and sees this time as an important part of his healing process. Seeing the media not as an enemy but as an entity that followed him through the good and bad times. Now he tries to live his life the right way, still training and coaching budding boxers of the future. A champion of mental health, Frank has used his notoriety to good effect, visiting television studios and talking to the press about its sheer importance. An illness that comes in so many different forms, from the mild to the severe. One that in some cases leads to suicide and for others with counselling and the right medication, the promise of an almost ordinary life.

The Frank Bruno Foundation 

Based in Northampton, the Frank Bruno Foundation was set up in 2017 to provide a safe environment for the young and old with mental health issues. This foundation seeks to understand the issues being faced and provides a 12-week well-being and non-contact boxing programme that is complemented by a need-led wrap-around support service. This programme is available to anyone over the age of 13 and some even as young as 10 with a referral. Help that can be offered thanks to the referral of a professional, friend or self-referral.

The Frank Bruno Foundation supports participants in building self-esteem, confidence, resilience and discipline and applying such skills to their daily lives. They also continually campaign to raise public awareness of mental health and counter the stigma that surrounds it. This is done via social media platforms and charity ambassadors to encourage anyone facing mental illness to talk openly about their daily struggles and to not feel discriminated against.

This foundation is born out of Frank’s wanting to give something back to the community. A mental health experience that has given him the courage to speak out about Bi-Polar Disorder and empowered him as a direct result. This had become a life focus for Frank and filled him with determination, dignity, humility and humour and humility as a result. Not that he didn’t have this in abundance before. Frank’s quest is truly inspiring and will hopefully lead to changes in mental health care in the near and distant future.

By Elliott West

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, just feed one”.

Mother Teresa

Introduction

Going to a food bank is not a chosen act, it is a necessity. It takes a brave person to pluck up the courage to visit one and it is deeply worrying that this is not only used by the very poorest in society but by teachers, soldiers and other people in professional roles. The Cost of Living Crisis has put an additional squeeze on many, struggling to pay their utility bills and having to make the agonising choice to heat or eat. There is a growing number of people who are locked in poverty and are living in food poverty. Amazing work is done behind the scenes by charities such as The Trussell Trust whose mantra is to Stop UK Hunger. The charity highlights that one in seven are facing hunger across the UK and they delivered a staggering 3 million emergency food parcels in the past 12 months. A sad fact that many are struggling to survive on this economic tightrope.

The Bleak Landscape

It is estimated that 1.2 million people in the UK are currently using food banks but that figure could be considerably more. This is a rise of 41,000 and a massive jump from 2010 when it was in the tens of thousands. Yet the current Conservative government has failed to tackle the problem, turning a blind eye to it and preferring to brush this political hot potato under the carpet. One Conservative minister, Johnny Mercer, in media interviews even had the audacity to say that these individuals choose to use food banks. A man who was given his wife a pay rise of £45,000. This is a clear example of how some politicians are detached from reality and just don’t get it! It is not as if going to a food bank fills your fridge, freezer and cupboards, it merely provides you with essentials. This is not a place someone wants to visit but sometimes there is no other option. This is desperation street in full technicolour.

Anyone who has to use a food bank will first go to a Citizen’s Advice Bureau, GP, school or church where your situation is discussed with an adviser. You will be asked a number of questions to determine whether you are eligible and if you are, you are given a voucher for the nearest food bank. This will grant you a minimum of three days worth of emergency food that is non-perishable and nutritionally balanced. This is short-term food support for the homeless, unemployed or employed where their pay is insufficient to meet their needs. A crisis that has been heightened in recent times by the 54% energy cap rise in April 2023. Thankfully there are a lot of generous people out there donating food and household goods individually and through various companies. There are 900 food banks currently in the UK with donation points at all the high street supermarkets such as Tesco’s and Sainsbury’s.

The Spiralling Circle

“You wake up wondering where your next meal is coming from”.

Lofe Chabal

Lofe Chabal has multiple sclerosis and uses a mobility scooter. The 29-year-old whose boiler had broken down, joined a food bank queue at St Andrew’s Church in South-West London. He is just one of a number of people who use the food bank in Earlsfield, choosing to sleep most of the Winter rather than face the freezing cold conditions in his house. This food bank is also visited by a number of staff from nearby St George’s Hospital in Tooting but the organisation is already struggling with funding, having to ditch their cooked breakfasts and replace them with hot drinks and pastries. These people are just surviving, not even living and are part of an expanding chasm between the rich and poor. Where they could once go to the Pound Shop, even this retailer has cut back on costs, selling two toilet rolls instead of four. A shop that now literally short-changes you.

However, despite this woe and desperation, these brave souls remain determined and defiant. Some even want to return to volunteer when they get back on their feet and to help others to make sure this situation doesn’t happen again. Many have young children so it is imperative that their parents get out of this economic trap sooner rather than later. Bringing up a child is an expensive business. The added costs of nappies, milk, clothes and food stack up and school uniform is certainly not cheap. The option of paying for items on a credit card or higher purchase can only be sustainable for so long and when the red letters start landing on the doormat or the bailiffs knocking on your door, the stranglehold of debt becomes too much to bear.

By Elliott West

“I often tell people I have the best job in the world”.

Lois, Jessie May nurse.

Introduction

Snooker prides itself on the importance of the snooker family and one of its most commendable contributions is recognising the importance of charity and the need to give back to the community. World Snooker works in partnership with Jessie May, a specialist organisation with its nurses providing home nursing and respite care for children that have a terminal or a life-limiting condition throughout the South-West of England. A valued organisation that was first established in 1996 and relies on the generosity of support and donations to continue its commendable work.

Giving Back

“It will be a very emotional experience for me”.

Rob Walker

Based in Bristol, Jessie May has a number of nurses who travel on average 70km a week between Bath, Bristol and Swindon to provide palliative, end-of-life and bereavement care for terminally ill children and their families. Currently supporting over 190 children, Jessie May has inspired many to help raise money to help Daniel Cheesman CEO, who recently replaced Chris Dots who held the position for 17 years and his team including Rob Walker who is an MC for World Snooker, has lost three good friends and his son’s best friend who was only 9, in the last 18 months, to run and cycle more than 1000 miles from John O’Groats to Land’s End. This is a charity event that is in partnership with Jessie May and called The Absent Friends Tour 2023, which is in partnership with Jessie May, will raise money for Jessie May and The Brain Tumour Charity.

Rob will leave four bottles of champagne along the course every day so people can celebrate the lives of others and anyone who donates will automatically be entered into a prize draw that offers an all-expenses paid holiday to Uganda. His Just Giving fund has already raised over £11,000 so far for the two charities and currently has a target figure of £25,000. The highly likeable MC, who has a special place for Uganda in his heart, a country that he has visited regularly since 2005 and recently became the official Goodwill Sports Tourism Ambassador in the country. A proud association that intends to recognise by wearing an official Ugandan sports kit. Although he is keen to point out that he is in no way promoting Uganda.

A Helping Hand

“We urge everyone to have a look at what they do and dig deep to support them because private donations are vital to their future.”

Steve Dawson, World Snooker Chairman.

World Snooker has helped Jessie May with vital funding by donating £500 for every century break made at some of the tournaments to a maximum of £10,000. An amount increased after last season’s Cazoo Masters where 30 centuries were made and so the donation was boosted to £15,000. A fund that is critical to Jessie May precisely because their work is vital on helping the children who are not expected to live beyond the age of 19. Work that was severely impacted by the pandemic and numerous lockdowns and crippled their funding. Thankfully Jessie May is now back on course. World Snooker also organises a Jessie May Day where events are arranged through online activities and articles issued to explain to snooker fans what Jessie May is about and the amazing work it does.

Please donate at Rob Walker’s Just Giving page. https://www.justgiving.com/team/robwalkersabsentfriendstour