To celebrate Chinese New Year, East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) has joined with Gable Events to launch the sixth East Anglian Dragon Boat Festival. The 2011 Festival takes place on Sunday 8th May at Nicholas Everitt Park, Oulton Broad in Lowestoft and is one of the largest and most eagerly anticipated team events in the region. Up to 50 crews representing companies, organisations, clubs and groups of friends from all over East Anglia are expected to battle it out over the 200m race course watched by several thousand spectators.

Dragon boat racing has an ancient Chinese history and the Festival is a re-enactment of a tragic event that took place more than 2,000 years ago in the kingdom of Chu. Legend has it that falsely accused of treason and exiled by jealous rivals in the government, despairing warrior poet, Qu Yuan, threw himself into the Mi Lo River. Local fishermen rowed out to save the drowning poet and tried to rescue him from vicious fish by beating the water with their paddles. But their attempts failed and every year in Hong Kong a Tuen Ng (Dragon Boat) Festival is held as a mark of respect for the fishermen’s frantic efforts and to commemorate the tragic death of Qu Yuan. The dragon boat’s fierce looking dragon’s heads were added later to ward off evil spirits and in Hong Kong special dumplings are eaten to represent the dumplings that were thrown in to the river to stop the fish eating the mighty Qu’s body.

According to the Chinese calendar, 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit which bodes well for participants in the Dragon Boat Festival as it is considered the luckiest sign in the calendar. It also symbolises great ambition, talent and diplomacy, so the winning teams should be gracious in their victories! No previous experience is required to take part in the dragon boat racing, just plenty of team spirit so why not take up the challenge? Thankfully, you don’t need the physical strength of a Steve Redgrave or the athleticism of a Jessica Ennis to be successful as teamwork and timing will win the day. The dragon boats, racing equipment and qualified helms are provided and each crew is guaranteed a minimum of three races. The Festival offers a full day of fun on land as well as water with plenty of activities on the bankside to entertain teams and spectators between races. The event is supported by BBC Suffolk and BBC Radio Norfolk, Waveney District Council and the Lowestoft Journal.

EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. They provide care and support wherever the family wishes – in families’ own homes, in hospital or at one of their hospices in Ipswich, Milton and Quidenham. Danielle Gravestock, Corporate Fundraiser at EACH, comments: “This year we need to raise £4 million in donations to deliver our services amounting to £11,000 a day, every day of the year. The money raised through the generosity of the teams taking part in the Dragon Boat Festival is very important to us and will go towards the one-to-one nursing care and support that is so vital to life-threatened local children and their families”. The top fundraisers for EACH will win the charity trophy plus a full day of spa, gym use and lunch kindly donated by the Marriott Sprowston Manor in Norwich.

Carol Lester, Director of Festival organisers, Gable Events, adds; “The Festival is a great chance for companies and organisations to try something completely different, promote themselves to a large local audience, network with local companies and potential clients and raise money for EACH. It is also a fantastic team building opportunity - what better way to get to know what makes your colleagues and competitors tick?! We expect the Festival to be as popular as ever this time around so we recommend teams get their entries in early to guarantee a place”.

For further information and an entry form please visit


www.dragonboatfestivals.co.uk/eastanglia or call Gable Events on 01780 470 718.

NHS Norfolk health trainers are the people who can help. Based in Norwich, Thetford and King's Lynn, they work hard to support people across the county lead healthier lives.

To coincide with National Obesity Week, King’s Lynn Health Trainers are at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, today until 3pm in the main foyer, and then at Tesco, Hardwick, tomorrow from 9.30am until 3pm.

The team will be promoting healthy eating and increased physical activity. They will be asking people to complete a short questionnaire to gauge their current levels of physical activity, and referring them for further support as necessary.

Vicky Mitchell, Health Trainer Co-ordinator for the King's Lynn area, said: "Health trainers provide the additional information, support and motivation to help people achieve the health improvements they have decided to make. Anyone considering changing their lifestyle and behaviours to improve their health should contact us."

The Norwich Health Trainers are holding an event in Anglia Square on January 29 from 9am to 5pm which aims to support people around healthy eating and physical activity issues. They will also be in the foyer at ASDA on February 3 from 11am to 3pm.

Visitors will be able to gain advice and support from Health Trainers, undertake mini lifestyle assessments including having their Body Max Index (BMI) measured and take away freebies, including the Change4Life money off voucher book for ASDA.

They will then be given advice on how to achieve a healthier and more active lifestyle. NHS Norfolk's Joy of Food team will demonstrate the art of cooking healthy food. There will be taster demonstrations too.

Becky Mazzei, Health Trainer Co-ordinator for the Norwich area, said: "Norwich Health Trainer Service works with people who wish to make healthy lifestyle changes and need a little extra support to make it happen. Making small changes to your lifestyle can be very rewarding and help to reduce stress and anxiety, increase self confidence and help you live longer.

“If you can’t make it to the event then please call us to discuss how we can support you.”

Meanwhile, Thetford Health Trainers are holding a ‘New Year New You’ community event on January 29 at the Methodist Church (opposite Specsavers) in Tanner Street, Thetford, from 10am to 2pm.

Anyone can come along on the day to sign up to the service. There are lots of fun activities planned, including demonstrations of special ageing software.

Visitors will be invited to have their photo taken and entered onto the software which can then show them what they could look like in the future if they move up the obesity scale or carry on smoking. NHS Norfolk's Joy of Food team will also be at the event, to offer hints and tips on how to eat more healthily.

Sarah Lynam, Health Trainer Co-ordinator for the Thetford area, said: "The service could help you to make a significant lifestyle change and is here for anyone who is keen to change an aspect of their life, and is looking for support.

“National Obesity Week is the perfect time for people to find out more about the service health trainers offer in all areas. Contacting us could be the difference in helping you achieve your goal."

Health trainers work on a one-to-one basis with their clients to help them set and achieve their own personal health improvement goals, such as reducing their alcohol consumption, stopping smoking, adopting a healthy diet or increasing the amount of exercise they take.

The Health Trainer Service is free, and aimed at anyone aged over 16 who is looking to make a healthier start in 2011. It is funded by NHS Norfolk and is staffed by Health Trainers who are recruited from the local community.

While they are not personal trainers or physical instructors and do not give medical advice, the trainers provide free motivation, encouragement and bespoke support to people who want to make changes to their lifestyle.

Call the King's Lynn Health Trainer Service on 01553 782629. People living in Norwich can call 01603 625093 and in Thetford call 01842 757341.

To find out more about the Health Trainer Service, visit the NHS Norfolk website at www.norfolk.nhs.uk and click on "Your Services".

For more details about National Obesity Week 2011, visit: www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk

On Wednesday 2nd February 2011, Active Norfolk will be hosting a tournament at Cromer Sports Centre for businesses throughout North Norfolk. The tournament is part of a new initiative called Fit4Work which aims to get employees in Norfolk more active and will be the first of several tournaments around the County.

The tournament:
- offers the opportunity for organisations to enter and enjoy fun and competitive sport
- is open to business organisations of all sizes
- will start at 7pm and run until around 10pm

Sports on offer on the night will be:
- 5-a-side football
- badminton (men’s & ladies singles / mixed doubles)

Prizes will be up for grabs on the night and businesses will have the opportunity to win a free place in this year's Active Norfolk Corporate Games.

Entrance is only £10 a team for 5-a-side football (5-7 players) and £2 per person for the badminton competition.

Similar tournaments will be taking place around Norfolk over the coming months - details to follow.

Crossing the road can be a complex business (particularly if you've seen the Jon Pertwee 'Splink' film), so the COI (Central Office of Information) employed the cast of Dad's Army in a campaign promoting pelican crossing etiquette. This is one of the funnier COI films, which often used scare tactics to alarm their audiences into compliance.

Water was removed during Monday and the damaged jacks have been repaired. After final testing this afternoon, pool refilling will commence this evening, Wednesday 26th January. This will take 20 hours after which the water needs to be treated and brought up to temperature. Everything should be ready for normal opening on Friday.

Director of Sportspark, Keith Nicholls said: “Our engineers and staff are working around the clock to ensure the pool is ready for our swimmers as soon as possible. We hope to be open as usual on Friday morning. We have notified regular user groups of the update and apologise for the inconvenience caused to our customers as a result of this problem.”

Customers are advised to check the ‘latest news’ section of the website, www.sportspark.co.uk for updates.

The RSPCA is urging drivers to slow down during the winter to avoid collisions with deer.

There has been more than 3,000 collisions in Norfolk and Suffolk involving deer in a two year period.

The RSPCA have released new figures that show the two counties had the second and third highest levels of crashes caused by the woodland animals in England.

This news has prompted the charity to warn motorists using county roads to slow down and look out for deer, particularly during the dawn and dusk hours.

The National Deer-Vehicle Collisions Project by the Deer Initiative found that between 2003 and 2005 there were 1,620 reported incidents in Norfolk and 1,461 in Suffolk, with 119 causing human injury.

Nationally, about 60,000 deer are hit by cars every year, causing about £17m in vehicle damage, injuries in around 700 cases, and killing up to 15 people a year.

Those who drop in will find a range of activities and information to help them give their own babies the healthiest start.

Members of the Young Fathers Project will be cooking a healthy lunch and there will be activities such as baby massage and a baby gym. Please bring your children and babies with you.

Health professionals will also be on hand to answer questions and offer advice or support.

Start4Life aims to support parents in breastfeeding, weaning and activity for toddlers. It is closely allied to Change4Life. It communicates 6 key behaviours designed to build healthy habits from day one.

Whilst mothers are important target audience, Start4Life's website has a special section for partners and supporters, at www.nhs.uk.start4life

Andy Wood, Fathers Project Worker at MAP, said: "The project aims to help young fathers to engage with their own children.


"Research shows that young children feel more protected if there is a positive attachment to their father as well as their mother. In later life the research shows girls are more likely to form positive relationships and boys are more likely to avoid trouble if they have a positive relationship with a father figure in their life.


"The Young Fathers listened to a talk from NHS Norfolk on the importance of giving your children the healthiest start in life and they decided to organise this event to spread the word."

The Young Fathers Project is organising two similar Start4Life events on February 24 and March 24.

MAP can be contacted at www.map11-25.org or phone 01603 766994.

Funding to help the fathers put on the event has been provided by NHS Norfolk through a successful bid for funds from the Department of Health.

Deborah Garrod, NHS Norfolk's Maternal, Infant Nutrition & Breastfeeding Co-ordinator said: "I am really pleased to be able to work with MAP and the young fathers and have been impressed by their commitment and enthusiasm in putting this event together.


"It would be great to see lots of people there, supporting their efforts and taking away the Start4Life messages.”


"Both parents have an important role in ensuring children eat healthily, have the exercise they need and are encouraged to lead lifestyles which promote good health."

Other groups which want to follow suit and put on a Start4Life event can apply to NHS Norfolk. Applications can be made by health professionals and groups which support families. Funding might, for example, cover the cost of refreshments or crèche facilities etc., at events which specifically promote or support Start4Life.

Deborah said: "Sometimes a small amount of funding and the support we can give can make it possible to achieve something new."

For further information about hosting an event, please email Deborah Garrod at deborah.garrod@norfolk.nhs.uk or call her direct on 01603 257267.

Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust has been shortlisted in two categories of the 2011 Patient Safety awards; Communicating Patient Safety and Patient Safety in Mental Health.

This is an excellent achievement as the 2011 awards saw an overwhelming number of entries which excelled in quantity and quality, and the impressive number of nominations highlights that the profile of patient safety is continuing to increase.

Sarah Robson, Deputy Director of Nursing and Patient Safety at Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust said:

‘The Trust takes patient safety very seriously and as a result we are constantly looking at new ways in which we can improve our delivery of care in the safest ways possible. It is a great accolade to be shortlisted for two categories this year, and well deserved recognition for the staff involved for all their innovative practice.’

A great deal of pioneering work is being undertaken across the NHS that improves patient safety and empowers staff to make this a priority. The Patient Safety Awards are run by the Health Service Journal and the Nursing Times, as they aim to recognise the best examples of this work, and to disseminate it more widely within the healthcare community so that it can be replicated or adapted for use elsewhere.

The winners will be announced on Wednesday 9 March 2011 at The Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, London at a prestigious awards ceremony.

A mechanical fault occurred in the pool over the weekend. Engineers have been on site stripping down part of the jacking mechanism to repair it. However in order to complete this task the water level must be lowered. When the water level is reduced the water circulation and cleansing system has to be shut down which unfortunately means the pool cannot be used.

The whole pool remains closed whilst repairs are being carried out to the moving floor jacks. A mechanical fault occurred in the pool over the weekend. Engineers have been on site and are in the process of repairing it.

However in order to carry out repairs the water level must be lowered by 1.2 meters to gain access to the jacks. This will take until late Monday evening to complete. Repair work will commence on Tuesday subject to no unforeseen problems being discovered. It is anticipated that pool refilling and heating will commence on Wednesday. This would allow the pool to re-open on Thursday 27th January.

Sportspark has notified regular user groups and apologises for any inconvenience caused to swimmers. We would advise users to check the latest news section of our website, www.sportspark.co.uk for updates.

We are asking people who work with or identify with personality disorder, their carers, families or close friends to create a piece of art on a postcard, that we can professionally print as part of a campaign postcard.

From all the images sent, 5 finalists will be selected by a panel of service users and experts in the field of arts and health. Each selected image will be printed on a new postcard with information about PD on the reverse. As a set of 5, they will be distributed nationwide by Emergence as well as throughout the region to services, groups and the public as part of an awareness raising campaign.

Each of the 5 finalists will be fully acknowledged in their preferred name on the postcards, and will receive a framed set of the 5 selected postcards to keep.

All Information submitted will be handled under the data protection act and will not be passed onto a third party without your prior consent. All artists selected will be contacted within 10 days of the deadline.


1. You can order a set of blank postcards which have explanatory notes on the reverse, together with a freepost addressed envelope from admin@emergenceplus.org.uk or telephone 020 8233 2854.

2. Please create your Artwork on the blank side under the theme: What Personality Disorder means to me...

3. Complete the details on the reverse and return to Emergence. Deadline; 7th February 2011.

A collection of clips taken along side my photographic projects during July to December 2010.

For a high res image go to: www.wildaboutimages.co.uk
© Paul Bunyard