Opus Energy helps to power research into motor neurone disease

Opus Energy's MD and his shooting team

Opus Energy, a business-to-business energy supplier, sponsored a one-day shooting event last week which raised over £56,000 for The Heaton-Ellis Trust, a charity set up to fund research into a cure for motor neurone disease.

The 4th Heaton-Ellis Shooting Challenge was held on Friday 25th May 2012 at The Royal Berkshire Shooting School where 23 teams took part in 10 competitive clay pigeon shooting drives. An auction was also held, with prizes including: a day’s entertainment at the British Grand Prix, a 4-night skiing and polo trip in the snow at Klosters, a track day at Silverstone racecourse, tickets to the Paralympic Games at the Olympics, a helicopter lesson, and rugby tickets to the Autumn Internationals at Twickenham.

Through Opus Energy’s sponsorship of the event, £56,512 was raised on the day for the Heaton-Ellis Trust to fund research into discovering causes and cures for motor neurone disease, led by Professor Christopher Shaw at King’s College London.

For every £1 that was raised a further £3 will be contributed by the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA), the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association, and the Medical Research Council (MRC) in the gene hunting effort.

Charlie Crossley Cooke, Managing Director of Opus Energy, said: “Opus Energy has supported the Heaton-Ellis Trust’s shooting events over the previous two years, raising over £111,000 for the Trust. We’re always thrilled by everyone’s generosity.”

Christopher Shaw, Professor of Neurology and Neurogenetics, commented: “Money from the Trust is helping fund research into the genes that cause motor neurone disease. This means that my team can stay focused on their vital research, with the ultimate aim that one day we will find a cure for this devastating disease.”

(PICTURED from left to right: James Johnston, Tim Paton, Charlie Crossley Cooke (Managing Director of Opus Energy) and Simon Eyers. Courtesy of Jill Hamilton.)

Last year’s shooting event raised £55,000. Further details are on the Opus Energy Website.

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Prudential reveals pensioners fail to count the cost of ill-health in retirement

Prudential has revealed research which shows that despite the ongoing debate about the need to fund long-term care for the elderly, only one in five people planning to retire this year have made financial provision for ill-health in retirement.

Prudential's 'Class of 2012' study into the finances and expectations of those planning to retire this year shows that just 20 per cent have set money aside for any care needs. This drops to 16 per cent among those aged 65 plus.

Prudential's research also found that less than half (45 per cent) of this year's retirees have planned for the fact that they may need more income in retirement as they get older.

However, funding long-term care has never been more important. Although average life expectancy for men over the age of 65 is 17.6 years, and 20.2 years for women, healthy life expectancy is just 9.9 years for men and 11.5 years for women.

Vince Smith-Hughes, retirement expert at Prudential, said: "People retiring this year realise that living longer may mean they will need a higher income as they get older, but few of them have made the connection between the risk of ill-health, and needing money to pay for healthcare.

"Although life expectancy is increasing, healthy life expectancy is flat-lining. With the average person now working until they are aged 63.4, people are enjoying fewer healthy years in retirement.

"Spending the first few years of retirement trekking in the Andes and running around after grandchildren may be a reality for some, but it is important not to forget that health will worsen as pensioners get older.

"Making financial provision for the possibility of ill-health in retirement should be an integral part of the retirement planning process."

Across the country, those planning to retire this year in Wales are the most likely to have prepared for the risk of ill-health in retirement (32 per cent), while those in the East of England (7 per cent) are the least prepared.

The Government is currently considering recommendations from the Dilnot Commission on the Funding of Care and Support which, in July 2011, proposed that an individual's contribution to social care should be capped at £35,000, with any additional costs funded by the State.

Big BBQ helps beat Big C.

In gardens all around the UK this summer men will congregate around the grill marvelling over their sausages. What men don’t love talking about though is their health and yet each year there are 37,400 men diagnosed with a male specific cancer.

Orchid, the male cancer charity, and celebrity chefs, the Fabulous Baker Brothers (Tom and Henry Herbert) are calling on men across the UK to fire up their BBQ’s and get their bangers out this June or anytime during the summer months to host their own ‘Big BBQ’ and raise awareness of male cancer.

With plenty of occasions to get the great British Summer underway, such as National BBQ Week (May 28th – June 3rd 2012), the Diamond Jubilee bank holiday weekend (2nd June – 5th June 2012) and Father’s Day (Sunday 17th June), Orchid’s ‘Big BBQ’ initiative aims to get men fired up about their health and encourage them to get together with family, friends and colleagues during June to be the BBQ King and raise much needed funds for Orchid as well as awareness of testicular, prostate and penile cancers, highlighting signs and symptoms and encouraging self checks.

Organising a BiG BBQ couldn’t be simpler – visit www.the-big-bbq.co.uk to download a comprehensive information pack, which includes posters, celebrity chefs barbecue recipes, games and top tips on everything you need to make your BiG BBQ a BiG success.

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Introducing New Springfield Collasense

Undenatured Collagen Type-II Clinically Proven To Be More Effective Than Glucosamine & Chondroitin

According to a recent study, Glucosamine & Chondroitin might no longer be the joint favourite for arthritis as undenatured collagen type-II was shown to be more than twice as effective in relieving joint pain and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis in a first comparing study.

The clinical trial compared undenatured collagen type-II with glucosamine and chondroitin on 52 people with osteoarthritis of the knee suffering from joint pain and stiffness, over 90 days. In the collagen group pain decreased by 40% whereas in the glucosamine/chondroitin group pain decreased by 15.4%. According to the Lequesne index (a functional index for the effect of pain during daily activities) collagen type-II was more than three times as effective as glucosamine/chondroitin.

Collagen Type-II could be the answer to help ease aching joints and promote joint health to the 10 million people who suffer from arthritis in the UK. The most common forms of arthritis is osteoarthritis (OA) followed by rheumatoid arthritis (RA). People with arthritis experience painfully stiff joints and decreased mobility.

In osteoarthritis the pain is often the result of wear and tear on cartilage, the protective shock-absorbing layer between joints. When cartilage wears away, joint bones rub together, causing pain and inflammation.

In rheumatoid arthritis the synovial joints are inflamed causing multiple joint destruction, as well as a wide variety of other features except the joints. Rheumatoid joint inflammation results from a deranged immune system attacking the body itself (auto-immune reaction) instead of defending it.

Painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs relieve disease symptoms, but are unable to cure arthritis. Also anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) only slow down disease progression and cannot cure the disease.

New Springfield Collasense with undenatured collagen type-II relieves arthritic symptoms in a natural way. It adds a new mechanism of action to conventional drugs.

How does New Springfield Collasense work?

Collagen is the main structural protein in the connective tissue of the body. The collagen in joint cartilage is made up of 85-90% collagen type-II.
Undenatured type-II collagen exists from a triple helix-structure of three mutually linked (cross-linked) collage fibres. At oral ingestion, specific components of the intact helical structure are recognised by the immune system in the bowel. Repeated oral intake of undenatured type II collagen will positively influence immune cells involved in arthritic joint inflammation followed by decreasing degradation of affected joint cartilage. This results in a reduction of joint pain and swelling
Undenatured colllagen type II is extracted from the breastbone (sternum) of chickens.

Springfield Collasense undenatured collagen type-II 40mg Available from good health stores, and www.natural-alternative-products.co.uk. It is recommended to take one capsule a day before a meal. The RRP is £38.95 for 60 capsules. Not suitable for vegetarians or people with an allergy /hypersensitivity to chickencollasense

Top Tips for Alleviating Arthritis
- Exercise – keep moving. Don’t be afraid to use your joints. Many people become less active when they develop arthritis because of the pain and fear of causing damage. By developing strong muscles, joints become more stable and activities such as walking and climbing stairs are easier. The best forms of aerobic exercise for people with arthritis are walking, cycling and swimming. Build up slowly.
- Hydrotherapy - Gentle exercise can be carried out in hydrotherapy pools. The
warm water soothes joints, relieves stiffness, and promotes better blood circula-tion. The water enables gentle and low impact exercise.
- Home Help – make sure your home is streamlined and easy to use. Re-arrange cupboards and drawers so items are easy to reach. Use lightweight pans, mugs or kettle. An electric can opener, cap gripper, may come in handy. Use equipment with easy-to-use buttons and choose a good mattress to sleep on.
- Posture – Watch your posture, slouching can add strain on muscles and joints. Sit down when preparing food or use a trolley to move heavy items. Shift rather than lift – slide heavy pans along a kitchen top. Change positions often – shift position or stretch every half an hour.
- Watch your Weight - Excess weight compounds the problem by putting extra strain on damaged joints.
- Massage Magic – Massaging the muscles around the joints will help ease pain and help keep you supple. Treat yourself to an aromatherapy massage.

GetLenses.co.uk finds blue eyes are UK favourite

GetLenses.co.uk, the online prescription and colour contact lenses supplier, found in a recent study that 50% of us believe blue eyes are the most attractive.

Results show those who are lucky enough to have naturally blue eyes are considered to be kind, polite and happy, having the ability to remain calm in stressful situations. The study, which surveyed over 2,000 UK residents about their contact lenses, glasses and dating habits, discovered how eye colour affects how we perceive other peoples personalities.

The study found brown eyed beauties project an aura of mystery, are sensible, dependable and practical, with others often confiding in them. Hazel eyes illuminate a lot about a person depending on their mood. With a mix of brown and green, their persona can be perceived differently, with results showing that the browner the eyes the more inviting; whilst those with greener eyes are more mischievous. The study found that those with hazel eyes are generally spontaneous, fun loving and sociable.

As one of the rarest colours, green eyes are perceived as being mystical and conveying freedom. They tend to be affectionate with close friends, but keep their distance when meeting new people. Those with grey eyes are seen to be the creative, imaginative and passionate. The survey found that people with grey eyes are perceived as being strong by nature, making them good leaders.

Brendan O'Brien at GetLenses.co.uk, said: “If our study results revealed your true colours, it’s easier than ever to change them. We see more and more customers opting for coloured contact lenses, even if they have glasses, when they fancy a change of appearance. You can add an air of mystery with striking green or an aura of intrigue with alluring shades of brown. The best bit is you can be back to your old self the very next day.”

GetLenses stock a wide range of coloured contact lenses, including Ciba Vision’s Freshlook Colourblends, which offer a more subtle change to eye colour. For a more noticeable transformation, Ciba Vision’s Freshlook Colors intensifies eye colour – with a wide range of choices from Amethyst to True Sapphire. CooperVision also offer monthly coloured contact lenses.