Vaccines are rolled out to the over-23s
ONE DAD WILL KAYAK THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF RIVER WHILE THE OTHER WILL RUN ALONGSIDE ON THE BANK, TO FUND-RAISE FOR THE BRITISH HEARTH FOUNDATION
ALL people over 23 in England can now book a Covid jab and the County Council is urging younger people to come forward and book their vaccination.
This follows Monday’s confirmation from PM Boris Johnson that the final stage of the road map will be postponed until July 19 at the earliest.
The four-week delay will allow the Government to meet its aims of having all adults having at least the first dose of the vaccine by the end of July. The reliance of younger people coming forward promptly is seen as vital for this to happen.
On top of over 23s, the council wants to remind people aged 18-22 who live or attend schools in Leek or Cheddleton there is a final chance to book onto the pop-up vaccine clinic which closes tomorrow.
Dr Richard Harling (pictured), Staffordshire County Council’s director of health and care, said: “We must bounce back from the disappointment of the four-week delay confirmation and put all our efforts to ensure Staffordshire is in a great position when the Government reviews the data in two weeks.
“I would say to the younger generation – it’s your duty to come forward and get your jab. We are so tantalisingly close and there is still plenty left of the summer to fight for.”
The below people can now book their vaccination appointments: You are aged 23 or over
You will turn 23 before July 1 You are at high risk – clinically extremely vulnerable
You have a condition that puts you at higher risk (clinically vulnerable)
You have a learning disability You are a frontline health or social care worker
You get a Carer’s Allowance, get support following an assessment by your local authority or your GP record shows you’re a carer
Over-23s do not need to wait to be contacted by the NHS – people can book their vaccine by visiting the NHS Book a coronavirus vaccination website or calling 119.
More and book via www. staffordshire.gov.uk/leektesting
TWO dads who are running and kayaking along the entire length of the River Trent to raise funds in memory of family members who has died from heart attacks will pass through Burton as part of their mega challenge.
Bob Bayman will kayak down the River Trent while friend Lawrence Bate runs along the riverbank alongside him, with the duo covering a combined distance of 378 miles (600km) in six days this month. They will be raising money for the British Heart Foundation (BHF), which raises funds for vital research aimed at eventually making heart attacks a thing of the past.
The duo have named their challenge “The Trent Descent” and will be raising money to remember family members who have died from heart attacks.
Bob, 55 from Bottesford in Leicestershire, said: “I was only 20 when I lost my dad so suddenly. Dad was 74 at the time but we would all remark how active he was and how he was young at heart. Losing him came as a real shock to our family.
“The British Heart Foundation was pivotal in helping us understand what had happened to dad and I’ll always be grateful for the information and support we received.”
Lawrence, 53, added: “When Bob suggested we canoe along the River Trent for a good cause, I thought it sounded like a brilliant idea. “Then I saw the single-person kayak he had bought, so in jest I asked if he expected me to run alongside him. It was only after saying that when it struck me that it would be a real challenge to run 300km in a week, and then it became a matter of when and how we would do it.”
The duo will start their challenge at Biddulph Moor in the Staffordshire Moorlands on Saturday before making their way through Staf
Then I saw the singleperson kayak he had bought so in jest I asked if he expected me to run alongside him. Lawrence Bate
fordshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire including through Burton town centre, with the Trent flowing through the town, and then on to Nottingham, before reaching the Humber estuary.
Bob said: “It’s going to be pretty cramped in the kayak and the conditions on the water could prove tricky along the way.
“Although it’s quite nervewracking, I’m also really excited to be taking part in this challenge and raising money towards the BHF’S vital research on what is such a milestone year for the charity.”
Lawrence, who is from Surrey, added: “This will be one of the most physical challenges I’ve ever taken part in.”
Fundraising manager at the British Heart Foundation Paula Scaife said: “It’s amazing to see the incredible lengths Bob and Lawrence are going to raise funds for the BHF, and we’ll certainly all be cheering them on along the way.
“This year, the BHF is marking 60 years of funding pioneering research to save and improve lives. Covid-19 dealt a brutal blow to our work and caused our investment in new research to be cut in half last year.
“We can only fund this life saving research thanks to the generous support of the public, so in our 60th year, we urgently need more people to help us.”
To donate to their challenge, go to www.justgiving.com/fund raising/thetrentdescent