Health Matters: Campbell calls for change

Leeds Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust recently coordinated an event with guest speaker Alastair Campbell, to raise awareness with regional employers about mental ill-health.

Chief executives and managing directors from across the Yorkshire and Humber region were invited to the event, which was brought about following the anti-stigma work of the Trust around Time to Change.

Time to Change is England's biggest campaign to challenge the stigma around mental health.

Alastair Campbell is one of the key celebrity endorsers for the national campaign. The former 10 Downing Street strategist and anti-stigma campaigner talked about his personal experiences of mental ill-health and employment.

Reflecting on the events, Alastair Campbell said: "Change will only come if we work for it.

"I was genuinely heartened by the reaction of businessmen and women to the messages we were trying to communicate about the need for attitudes to change."

Dress sense

This year's Jeans for Genes Day takes place on Friday and will be the campaign's 15th anniversary.

It started in 1996 to raise money for research into chronic granulomatous disorder – a rare genetic condition which leaves children with no resistance to bacterial or fungal infections. A beautifully simple idea, it invites people to leave their uniforms and suits at home and, in return for a donation, wear their jeans to work or school.

The charity has raised 35m to fund research into a wide range of genetic disorders which affect an estimated one in 25 children born in the UK.

The money has also helped to provide care, support and equipment for children and families across the UK.

The target for this year's Jeans for Genes Day is 2.5m. Free fund-raising packs are available at www.jeansforgenesday.com or by calling freephone 0800 980 4800.

Cancer study

More than 150 doctors, nurses and healthcare workers from all over the country attended a head and neck cancer study hosted by two West Yorkshire hospital trusts.

Called "Ahead of the Game", the conference focused on surviving and living with head and neck cancer.

The event, at Ainley Top, was organised by Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's Macmillan nurse specialists, Sarah Cost and Caroline Salt, along with their Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust counterpart, Michelle Beaumont.