Latest news with #outdooreducation
BBC News
24-05-2025
- BBC News
Wiltshire neurodiverse students on John O'Groats to Lands End cycle
A group of neurodiverse students are taking on a 1,000 mile (1,609km) cycle challenge from John O'Groats to Lands End. The 12 students, aged between 14 and 16, are from Appleford School in Shrewton, Wiltshire. They live with dyslexia, ADHD, autism or other difficulties and want to complete the challenge to prove they can achieve "extraordinary things".They will be leaving John O'Groats in Scotland on 19 June and aim to cycle between 70 (112km) and 80 miles (128km) a day back down to their final destination in Ball, the school's head of outdoor education, said: "I think something on this sort of scale will remain with these students for a long time, if not for life." Mr Ball said many of the students faced "significant education struggles" before they began learning at Appleford. However, he added many of them "thrive" outside, with some students having completed previous long distance physical challenges. Student Freya suggested the challenge to Mr Ball following a cycle from Devizes to Westminster. She said she "loves" a challenge and was most looking forward to getting a suntan on the journey next month. Jess, who is also taking part, said she had not cycled since she was a child. "Since this has started, we go out as a school most weekends... I cycle to school now which is about 20 miles (32km)," she said. "We're going to cycle, stop at a hostel and then carry on in the morning on repeat for 14 days," Jess added. Mr Ball credited the "fantastic" students for their hard work so far. "Their enthusiasm and determination is second to none," he said. "To be able to have the support of the school, to organise something like this and to give the students the opportunity, I'm very, very grateful for that."
The Sun
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Woman, 39, had 13 organs removed after food poisoning at work party triggered incurable ‘jelly belly' diagnosis
REBECCA Hind was forced to have thirteen organs removed after food poisoning from a work party lead to her being diagnosed with a rare and incurably 'jelly belly' cancer. The 39-year-old contracted food poisoning at a work Christmas meal in 2018, but continued suffering with sickness for weeks after her colleagues recovered. 11 11 11 After several visits to her GP and the hospital months on, a scan eventually showed masses in her abdomen. Biopsies revealed a one-in-a-million cancer - the same type that claimed the life of Audrey Hepburn - which had fused to the surface of several abdominal organs, forming solid tumours and stopping them from working. Rebecca's cancer was found to be advanced, and she underwent two surgeries to remove thirteen organs that had been taken over by cancer. She was left her needing to take up to 60 tablets a day for her body to continue functioning. But months afterwards, Rebecca got the devastating news that the surgery hadn't eradicated the cancer, and she was told it was incurable. She doesn't know how long she has left to live but is doing her best to enjoy what time she has left. Fitness fanatic Rebecca, a former outdoor education instructor, had began noticing unusual weight gain around her stomach in 2018 - but she simply continued exercising to try to lose it. Then following a work Christmas meal in December 2018, Rebecca and several colleagues were left sick with food poisoning. While they all soon recovered, she was still unwell two months on. Rebecca was eventually referred to Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle, where a CT scan showed cancerous masses in her abdomen. These were later revealed to be pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) - and Rebecca learned it had spread widely to other organs by a jelly-like cancerous liquid called mucin. Rebecca, from Eden Valley, Cumbria said: "After our Christmas 2018 work meal, a few of us were unwell - but whilst others recovered quickly, I remained ill eight weeks later. "The GP had given me several rounds of antibiotics but nothing worked. "But after a CT scan and biopsies, I learned I had PMP - and that it was widespread. 11 11 "They surgically removed some diseased organs, and administered eight rounds of chemotherapy, but some disease remained. "Then I had a second surgery so I was dealing with the life-changing effects of the surgery, and then I learned the cancer had returned and was incurable. "It was heartbreaking. "But I've just got to try to get on with life, and deal with whatever comes my way." Rebecca's stomach swelling had been the characteristic 'jelly belly' associated with PMP, a result of the mucin gathering in her abdomen. The cancerous liquid had fused to the surface of lots of her organs to form hard masses, limiting her organs' ability to function. Rebecca said: "By the time they found it, I was pretty much riddled with it." 'An assault on the body' In April 2019, she had a surgery at The Christie Hospital, Manchester to remove her appendix, navel, lesser omentum - a layer of tissue attached to the stomach and liver - and six litres of mucin. When tests later showed the cancer was a high-grade and more aggressive form of PMP, which latches onto many organs, Rebecca tried eight rounds of chemo, but it didn't shrink the cancer enough. She travelled to Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital in November 2019, where specialists performed an extreme and lengthy procedure - dubbed 'the mother of all surgeries' - in a bid to remove all the abnormal tissue. Symptoms of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare cancer. It usually starts in the appendix. But it can start in another part of the bowel, the bladder or the ovaries. The tumour usually grows slowly, but as it grows, it can spread from where it started into other parts of the tummy area. PMP cells attach to the layer of tissue that lines the inside of the abdomen called the peritoneum. The peritoneum covers and protects the organs in the abdomen, such as the bowel. It also makes gaps around the organs, which are called the peritoneal space. PMP cells make a jelly-like substance called mucin, which collects in the peritoneum. This is why PMP is sometimes called 'jelly belly'. PMP may not cause any symptoms in its early stage. Symptoms of PMP include: A gradual increase in waist size A hernia (a bulge on the tummy wall) Loss of appetite Unexplained weight gain Tummy pain (abdominal pain) Pelvic pain A change in bowel habit – for example, diarrhoea, constipation or leaking (incontinence) Source: Macmillan Cancer Support During the 12-hour surgery they removed her greater omentum, gall bladder, spleen, large bowel, womb, uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, and rectum. They also removed a portion of her stomach and small bowel, and the surface layer of her liver and both sides of her diaphragm. Rebecca said: "I went through a surgical menopause aged 35 - it was an assault on the body. "As part of the surgery I had a heated liquid form of chemotherapy - known as HIPEC - to target any remaining cancer cells and they formed an ileostomy. "I was in hospital recovering on and off for months after." 'Enjoying' time left Rebecca has to stick to a restricted diet taking a electrolyte fluid solution with food supplements. She takes a daily cocktail of 50 to 60 tablets including codeine, Imodium and hormone replacement therapy. But, heartbreakingly, in summer of 2020, Rebecca learned that the cancer hadn't been eradicated. She participated in a clinical trial in 2022 aimed at targeting the genetic mutation associated with the cancer, but it made her too unwell. By then, Rebecca's treatment options had run out and her cancer was labelled incurable. She is now trying to experience as much as she can, as well as raising awareness of PMP. 11 11 11 Rebecca said: "I'm trying to do things to have a 'normal' life - but with modifications. "I turn 40 this year and I want to say yes to everything - I've been surfing, in a hot air balloon and dog sledding so far. "My latest challenge is Chris Hoy 's 'Tour de 4' 90km cycle to raise money for Pseudomyxoma Survivor, a specific PMP charity, the patron of which is Audrey Hepburn's son. "The message I want to get across is when you have a stoma or an incurable diagnosis, things will be incredibly difficult. "My daily life is a rollercoaster - but with the right attitude, you can still achieve a lot. "And more importantly, enjoy whatever time you have."
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pods at centre near Lake District's Coniston Water approved
PLANS for six self-contained glamping pods in the Lake District have been approved by the national park authority. The full planning application was for a site at The Raymond Priestley Centre, Hoathwaite, Torver, which is near the Coniston Water shoreline. It was approved with conditions on Thursday (May 8) and, as well as the pods, an existing yurt would be retained at the centre. According to a planning statement the applicant was the University of Birmingham and the site is set far back from the main road link to Coniston and Torver. The report states: 'The University of Birmingham have been visiting The Raymond Priestly Centre since 1947. 'Max Hadders, who lectured at the university on the physical education course in the 1940s, suggested the site when the PE department considered making outdoor activities part of the recreation scheme for their first-year students.' According to the report the centre continues to provide a 'quality learning resource' which supports undergraduate and postgraduate learning. It adds: 'PhD research projects have collected data from groups using the centre have been important in the world of outdoor education to validate the role outdoor learning has in student learning. 'Throughout the centre's 70 years of work with students the surrounding natural environment has been a significant factor in making a visit to the centre a special experience. To this end investment in facilities that are considerate of the location are imperative.' According to the report the addition of the pods will also work to further enhance the Lake District's 'long tradition of tourism and outdoor activities, which are recognised as special qualities of the national park'. It adds: 'This builds on the existing contributions of The Raymond Priestley Centre to the national park.' Relating to the installation of the pods it was proposed that, to minimise the environmental impact on the site, the preferred method would be to use ground screws. The report adds: 'This would eliminate the need to pour large concrete rafts into the ground for each pod. This would cause the least amount of disruption to the existing ground as possible.'
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
OSU buys over 3,000 acres of research forest northwest of Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon State University, in partnership with the Trust For Public Land (TPL), has officially acquired 3,110 acres for a new research forest just north of Portland for conservation and recreation purposes. According to TPL, the forest area is found within the proximity of Forest Park in the Tualatin Mountains, contains 40 miles of protected trails, as well as over 20 miles of creeks. TripAdvisor names 3 Oregon hotels among best in the US in 2025 The land – which TPL and OSU refer to as the Tualatin Mountain Forest – will be managed by the College of Forestry at OSU and serve as 'living outdoor classrooms' for students and 'living laboratories' for OSU, as well as other institutions to research forest resilience, habitat restoration, timber production and wildfire risk reduction. Eventually, OSU intends to also open use of the Tualatin Mountain Forest to the public for outdoor recreation and explore partnerships with K-12 schools for nature-based education programs. 'The Tualatin Mountain Forest will offer incredible opportunities for educational programming, public access, and the co-identification of research and management priorities with Tribes, including the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, on whose ancestral lands the forest is located,' said Tom DeLuca, dean of the OSU's College of Forestry. East Portland's new Parklane Park bursts to life He added, 'We're so thankful to our partners who helped establish the Tualatin Mountain Forest as an OSU Research Forest. This forest gives us the rare chance to research and demonstrate new and different approaches to active management, and to showcase how timber harvest, research and access to nature-based recreation and education can beautifully support our economies, urban communities and our understanding of forest ecosystems.' Along with TPL and OSU, the partnership coalition also includes Metro, Oregon Department of Forestry and other local community organizations. But OSU is the primary owner of the acreage. With the acquisition of the Tualatin Mountain Forest, the College of Forestry now manages 10 research forests across Oregon, totaling more than 18,000 acres. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
