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Health

CancerCare 'Lights to Remember'

Local Cancer and Bereavement Charity Holds Unique Remembrance Event For The Public

A local charity who helps people affected by cancer and bereavement is inviting people to pay tribute to lost loved ones at a special remembrance event.

CancerCare North Lancashire and South Cumbria are hosting ‘Lights to Remember’ on Friday 25th April 2025 from 7pm at their Slynedales Centre in Lancaster. The grounds around the historic building, where many clients receive support after a cancer diagnosis or after losing a loved one, will be lit up with personalised candles bearing a name and a message.

The evening will have opportunities for reflection as well as contemplative live music. A team of CancerCare therapists will also be in attendance on the night should attendees feel the need to talk to someone.

‘Lights to Remember’ is kindly sponsored by Birchall Blackburn Law for the second time. Last year’s event was titled ‘Lights on the Lawn’ and it was rebranded for 2025 to encourage people who might not be able to attend the evening to use the charity’s online dedication wall. Here you can leave a photograph and a lasting message to a lost loved one, and the CancerCare team can place your light for you on the night.

‘Lights to Remember’ is for everyone who has experienced loss, not just those who have used CancerCare’s services. The event is free to attend, though there is an option to donate to CancerCare so they can continue to support children and adults affected by cancer or bereavement.

For more information, click here.

Eleanor Sweeney from Caton attended ‘Lights on the Lawn’ last year. Eleanor’s late husband Peter was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2019. Peter was supported by CancerCare’s Lancaster Centre via one-to-one counselling prior to 2020, continuing his sessions over the phone during the Coronavirus pandemic. Peter sadly died in May 2023.

New Playground Design

Date For Work To Start On The New Playground!

Although still awaiting final confirmation, all the hard work and effort of the fundraising group, together with the sponsors, donors and everyone involved in making this happen, will finally come to fruition next month.

Installation of the new playground is due to take place at the end of March, with removal of the existing playground taking place during the week before. While this will unfortunately mean that the playground will be closed from 24th March – and therefore over the Easter holidays, the other suggested installation date was not until September which would mean no new playground for the Summer holidays either.

Check out the fantastic new layout below, it will be well worth waiting for! An accessible playground for the future and for all children.

Playground PreviewDownload

Age Without Limits, Centre for Ageing Better – Campaign and Micro-grants

Age Without Limits, Centre for Ageing Better’s campaign to challenge ageism, is running its second annual Age Without Limits Day on Wednesday 11 June 2025, with the theme “Celebrate Ageing. Challenge Ageism“. It is a day for us all to come together and take action to end ageism – as individuals, with friends and family, in our communities and in our workplaces.

Micro-grants:
As last year, micro-grants are available to community groups and local voluntary sector organisations, big or small, based within Age-friendly Communities.
Grants of up to £500 are available, with an additional £150 to cover anything needed to make the event or activity more accessible. All events and activities will need to respond to the theme “Celebrate Ageing. Challenge Ageism”.

For inspiration of events and activities applicants could host, please read this blog and case studies from the March 2024 Age Without Limits Day. 

To apply, organisations or groups must fill in the application form and email it to grants@ageing-better.org.uk by

The application form, as well as an Information Document which all applicants are strongly advised to read before applying can be found on the Age Without Limits website by clicking here.

New Hospital Consultation

Public Invited to Help Shape the Future of Healthcare in Lancashire and Cumbria

Members of the public are being invited to “help shape the future of healthcare” in Lancashire and South Cumbria by giving feedback on the proposed sites for two new hospitals.

The sites for replacements for Royal Preston Hospital and Royal Lancaster Infirmary were announced on 2nd December2024 but, while the land has been acquired, the NHS said it “remains open to alternative suggestions”.

Kevin Lavery, chief executive of NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, said: “We are eager to hear people’s thoughts on the proposed sites, how they could affect you, and any concerns or suggestions you may have. Two new hospitals on new sites are an exciting prospect, but no final decisions have been made.”

He added: “This is your chance to help shape the future of healthcare in Lancashire and South Cumbria. Feedback is vital as we continue to refine our proposals and ensure we are meeting the needs of our diverse communities.”

A series of public engagement events have been lined up for people to say how the proposed locations may impact them:

Monday 3 February, from 17:30 to 19:00, Lancaster Town Hall

Wednesday 12 February, from 17:30 to 19:00, Morecambe Football Club

Friday 14 March, from 10:00 to 11:30, Lancaster University

Thursday 20 March, from 10:00 to 11:30, Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal

Professor Silas Nicholls, chief executive of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This phase of public engagement is crucial in ensuring the replacement for Royal Preston Hospital meets the needs of our local communities.

North West Ambulance Service Ready For Winter

With winter fast approaching, North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has announced plans to deal with the anticipated rise in demand for NHS and ambulance services, and ensure it continues to deliver high-quality care while supporting patients and staff during this peak period.
Over the past year, the service has recruited over 280 new staff members to the Paramedic Emergency Service, Patient Transport Service, and NHS 111 service. These additional recruits strengthen NWAS’s capacity to provide timely and appropriate care to those who need it. In addition, since February 2024, 32 new emergency vehicles have been added to the fleet, bringing the total up to 553 ambulances. All these vehicles will be available to respond to patients across the North West this winter.
Frontline staff are also being supported. To help them manage the increased demand, volunteers will be deployed to assist with staff welfare – offering refreshments at hospitals during peak times and helping to move equipment, staff, and vehicles around the region.
Over the last 12 months, NWAS has remained one of the top-performing ambulance trusts in the country. Fewer patients have experienced long delays, and they continue to work closely with local hospitals to reduce handover times, freeing up crews and ambulances to respond to new emergencies.
Dan Ainsworth, Director of Operations, emphasised: “We’re here for you this winter, as always, and our comprehensive plans will help us to maintain the high-quality care you expect. Winter brings unique challenges and increased demand, but we’re as prepared as possible.

To help us help you, consider getting your flu and COVID-19 vaccines if you haven’t already, keep your medicines cabinets stocked up, order repeat prescriptions in advance, make use of local pharmacies, and visit 111.nhs.uk for advice on non-urgent conditions.”

FREE Thermal Imaging Survey for Arnside Residents

Sustainable Arnside offered this FREE service last year and are offering it again this year to people who are interested in understanding the areas of their home they can insulate better and, in the long run, save money – which I guess is most likely all of us!

Thermal imaging can identify cold spots in your home, such as draughts around windows and doors, missing and defective insulation, water ingress, damp, and cold bridges. It can indicate both quick fixes and areas that require professional advice and support you on your journey to make your home warmer, healthier, cheaper to heat and lower your home’s carbon footprint.

The thermal imaging camera detects the heat emitted by objects and shows it in a colour-coded way – the colder areas are shown in blue and the warmer ones in red.

This year, alongside our amazing army of volunteer thermal imaging surveyors, we are working with two of our Cold to Cosy Homes home energy advisors to provide coverage of the whole of Cumbria. Anyone is eligible for the home survey. Both advisors and volunteers are trained to the same standard and will be offering the same basic thermal imaging survey.

Among the community groups volunteering to offer surveys to their friends and neighbours is Sustainable Arnside. Collectively, these fabulous volunteers will allow at least ten times as many households to benefit from thermal imaging surveys than if Cumbria Action For Sustainability worked alone. They have also provided high spec FLIR cameras which are calibrated to give accurate readings.

The window for conducting thermal imaging is late October as the weather turns colder, through to end of March, before the weather warms up. All surveys are carried out by volunteers in collaboration with Cumbria Action for Sustainability

To register your interest or for further information, contact: thermalarnside@gmail.com

To visit the CAfS website, click here.

Sustainable Arnside Thermal Imaging
Sustainable Arnside Thermal Imaging

An Opportunity to take part in research with Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust are offering people the opportunity to take part in important research by completing the surveys below if they apply to you.

• Maternal Wellbeing and Mental Health – for 18 years and over who are pregnant or have given birth in the last 12 months. This survey aims to capture the effects that life events have had on your experiences of pregnancy.

• Trauma – for 18 years and over who have life experience of trauma in child or adult. This survey is trying to understand the impact of trauma on mental health.

Maternal wellbeing postcard 1 (A4 Portrait) Maternal onlyDownload
Trauma postcard 1 (A4 portrait) TRAUMA onlyDownload

North West Ambulance Service Appeal: Use NHS 111 online for non-urgent health concerns

North West Ambulance Service is highlighting the benefits of an online service that could provide quicker health advice for people who need it this bank holiday weekend.

Callers to the NHS 111 phone line often find there are longer wait times to speak to a health advisor during the bank holiday as demand traditionally rises when access to their GP is restricted. Earlier this month, during the early May Bank Holiday weekend (4th-6th May 2024), the North West NHS 111 service saw a 46% increase in calls compared to the previous week.

Patients seeking help through NHS 111 online (111.nhs.uk) will answer the same questions as if they were speaking to someone but without the wait.

111.nhs.uk can help you with:

  • Where to get help for your symptoms if you’re not sure what to do
  • How to find general health information and advice
  • Where to get an emergency supply of your prescribed medicine
  • How to get a repeat prescription
  • Getting emergency dental appointments

You can also access it through the NHS app. 111 online is not suitable for queries regarding patients under 5. You should still dial 111.

Paul Johnston, 111 Senior Service Delivery Manager, said, “Demand is always high on the 111 service during bank holidays as the public has less access to other healthcare options, such as their GP. We try to ensure we answer as many calls as possible by increasing staffing levels, but some callers will still wait longer than usual. We also expect the number of people calling 999 to increase in the days after the bank holiday, so we also urge patients to ONLY call 999 in life-threatening emergencies (see below) so as to keep ambulances available for those who need them.”

You should call 999 if you or someone else experiences:

  • Signs of a heart attack like pain like a heavy weight in the centre of your chest
  • Signs of stroke, such as your face dropping on one side
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Heavy bleeding that won’t stop
  • Seizures
  • Or sudden and rapid swelling of the eyes, lips, throat or tongue.

Dr Paula Cowan, Medical Director for Primary Care at NHS England – North West, said: “This is an extremely busy time for NHS staff and we are extremely grateful for them working tirelessly over this bank holiday weekend and the days after, to ensure all those that need care receive it. The public can help us by using the right service for their needs, including 111 online for quick and easy medical help. NHS 111 online can help with the same problems as the 111 phone service and is a fast and convenient alternative. You can answer questions about your symptoms on the website or in the NHS App and get advice about what to do next. This includes getting a call back from a clinician if you need one.”