Learn.Earn.Develop

World Health Day 2020
2020-04-06
In this International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, World Health Day 2020 will shine a light on the vital role played by nurses and midwives in providing health care around the world, and call for a strengthening of the nursing and midwifery workforce.
On 7 April, “dawn to dusk” advocacy events will be held around the world to mark World Health Day. One of the main events will be the launch of the first ever State of the World’s Nursing Report 2020. The report will provide a global picture of the nursing workforce and support evidence-based planning to optimize the contributions of this workforce to improve health and wellbeing for all. The report will set the agenda for data collection, policy dialogue, research and advocacy, and investment in the health workforce for generations to come. A similar report on the Midwifery workforce will be launched in 2021.
Goals

Trigger a wave of public appreciation for the work of nurses and midwives and the part they play in delivering health care
Raise the profile of nurses and midwives within the health workforce
Catalyze support and investment in nurses and midwives

Call to action
General public

Show nurses and midwives your appreciation for their work and thank them for what they do to keep us healthy.
Call on local leaders to do more to support nurses and midwives and make investments that enable them to work to their full potential.

Policy-makers

Invest in nursing and midwifery education and employment so universal health coverage becomes a reality everywhere.
Strengthen and pay more attention to nursing and midwifery influence and leadership: health services will improve as a result
Take steps to improve gathering of workforce data in order to better target resources and make changes where they are needed most.

Health Workers

Show your respect for nurses, midwives and other fellow health workers
Listen to their views and explore their ideas.
Engage nurses and midwives in decision making.

What you can do
Thank a nurse and midwife
Just imagine how powerful it would be if all the health workers in your area were thanked with a flower, card or a tweet. Share your photos on social media using the hashtag #SupportNursesAndMidwives. Make sure to personalize your messages.
Send a letter
Sending a letter can be the first step to getting the attention of leaders and other politicians, if you are a nurse/midwife, share your concerns with the people who make policies that can make a difference.
Develop a petition
Petitions are a great way to demonstrate wider support for change. Gather signatures, submit your request to the authorities, and publicize it as widely as you can.
A day in the life of a nurse / midwife
Want to know what it’s like to be a nurse or a midwife? See if you can spend time alongside a nurse or midwife in your community. Learn more about them, their life saving work and become an advocate for them. Nurses and midwives are vital to our future, we need millions more.

IBS Awareness Month 2020
2020-04-01 07:00 - 2020-04-30 16:00 (Europe/London)
April is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness Month in the UK, where 1 in 5 people will experience IBS at some point in their lives1.
But despite the prevalence of IBS, and the general increase in awareness, there is still embarrassment and uncertainty surrounding the disorder.
You can develop IBS at any age, but symptoms often develop between 20 – 30 years of age.
For more information, please visit the event website: https://pageandpage.uk.com/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs-awareness-month/
Reference:
1-4 ‘April is IBS Awareness Month: Facts for sufferers’, BMI Healthcare, [online]. Available at: https://www.bmihealthcare.co.uk/health-matters/womens-health/ibs-facts-for-sufferers#gdpr-out (Accessed 18.4.19)

Bowel Cancer Awareness Month 2020
2020-04-01 07:00 - 2020-04-30 16:00
April’s Bowel Cancer Awareness Month is a fantastic annual event set aside to increase awareness of bowel cancer and raise funds towards treating this condition. It is driven by various charitable organisations including the Beating Bowel Cancer and Bowel Cancer UK, who have merged with the main aim of ensuring that there would be no victim of Bowel Cancer by 2050.
Just to mention, Bowel Cancer is the second biggest UK’s killer cancer. This shouldn’t be the case since it is treatable and curable, especially when diagnosed at an early stage. Early diagnosis for Bowel Cancer and any other type of cancer saves lives. This is the reason why April has been set aside to educate the public and raise awareness of Bowel Cancer symptoms.
For more information, please visit: http://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/

Stress Awareness Month
2020-04-01 07:00 - 2020-04-30 16:00
Stress Awareness Month has been held every April, since 1992.
During this annual thirty day period, health care professionals and health promotion experts across the country will join forces to increase public awareness about both the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic.
To learn more, visit the Stress Awareness Month Website: https://www.stress.org.uk/national-stress-awareness-month-2018/

World Autism Awareness Week
2020-03-29 - 2020-04-04
World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognised day taking place on 2 April every year. In the week of 30 March – 5 April surrounding this day, we encourage the public to take part in World Autism Awareness Week – a full seven days where people across the UK take part in activities to raise money and awareness for the National Autistic Society.
How can I get involved?
There’s plenty of ways to raise awareness of autism and fundraise during World Autism Awareness Week. Click on the links below to get your awareness and fundraising resources.
Sign up for your fundraising pack to find out four easy ways to get involved in the week, from our 7k for 700k challenge to holding a Spectrum bake sale and more!
SIGN UP FOR YOUR PACK
Do you work in a school? Find out here how they can get access to lots of free age-appropriate learning resources to teach students more about autism.
We’ve also created resources for workplaces to learn more about autism and how to better support their colleagues. Find out more here.
Why we need your support
We’ve come a long way in raising awareness about autism but there’s still more to be done. We need the public’s support to raise vital funds to continue running campaigns and influencing government decision making, training and sharing knowledge with professionals working with autistic people, and so much more – and that’s where you come in.

£5 could pay for a recently diagnosed adult to call our helpline for support and advice
£40 could pay for a parent of an autistic child to have an hour long telephone consultation with our Education Rights Service
£200 could fund our Parent to Parent service for a day.

Autism at Work
Only 16% of autistic people are in full-time employment and this needs to change. With small adjustments and better understanding, it could be easier for autistic people to find employment, put their talents to good use and thrive in the workplace.
Learn how your workplace can get involved: https://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/world-autism-awareness-week/form-organisational.aspx

Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal 2020
2020-03-01 08:00 - 2020-03-31 16:00
Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal has been raising awareness and funds since 1986.
Every March, millions of people across the UK show their support for our work, simply by giving a donation to wear a daffodil pin.
Without this generosity, thousands of families across the UK wouldn’t be able to make the most of the precious time they have left together.
https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil

Brain Tumour Awareness Month
2020-03-01 - 2020-03-30
March 1st – 31st is Brain Tumour Awareness Month.
This was started by Brain Tumour Research with the aim of raising awareness and sharing powerful statistics to raise awareness of brain tumours and the need for greater research funding.
March is also the month of Wear A Hat Day, Brain Tumour Awareness’ biggest campaign. Wear A Hat Day returns on Friday 27th March 2020.
Brain Tumour Research is the only national charity in the UK dedicated to funding continuous and sustainable scientific research into brain tumours. Their vision is to find a cure for brain tumours and our to build a network of experts in sustainable brain tumour research.
To find out more about this year’s campaign or how you can fundraise or donate, click here.

Endometriosis Awareness Month
2020-03-01 - 2020-03-30
Every March Endometriosis Month takes place across the world, with the aim of increasing awareness and highlighting the symptoms of this debilitating condition that affects an estimated 176 million women worldwide.
Endometriosis can have a devastating effect on the quality of life of sufferers of this condition due to the painful symptoms that the disease carries and the fact that it is the biggest cause of infertility in women. Although this is a condition that affects 1 in 10 women, the average diagnosis can take up to 7 and a half years, and with this unacceptably long diagnosis time, the main focus of the event is to raise awareness of the symptoms of Endometriosis with the goal being more women receiving diagnosis and treatment earlier.
Find out more about the symptoms of Endometriosis here. You can also get involved in the chat on twitter using the hashtag #EndometriosisAwarenessMonth

Self Injury/Harm Awareness Day SIAD 2020
2020-03-01
SIAD occurs on 1st March every year, and has done so for over 18 years. SIAD is an international event that is recognised across the globe.
LifeSIGNS is proud to have supported Self-Injury Awareness Day for well over a decade, and we’re the number oneresource for SIAD material.
Raising awareness about self-injury is incredibly important. Awareness leads to understanding and empathy, banishing judgement and fear, and reducing the number of people who feel alone and suffer in silence.
Raising awareness is about educating people who do not self-injure, and reaching out to people who do.
https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/self-injury-harm-awareness-day-siad-2020/

Walk All Over Cancer
2020-03-01 - 2020-03-30
Walk All Over Cancer is a fundraising and activity challenge that occurs annually every March in aid of the charity Cancer Research UK. Participants are challenged to a sponsored walk of 10,000 steps every day during the month, and all proceeds from the fundraising are donated to the charity.
Cancer Research UK funds research into cancer treatment and prevention across the world, working to develop new cancer drugs and provide the latest cancer information about cancer treatment and prevention to both health professionals and the public.
Participants can share details of their progress using the hashtag #walkallovercancer and walks can be either solo or walkers can challenge their friends and family to join them, or even take part with local walking groups. The NHS recommends 10,000 steps per day for optimum health, however with increasingly sedentary lives, many people do not reach this amount, and so the challenge is an opportunity to improve your own health as well as raise money for a good cause. By taking 10,000 steps per day, walkers will achieve 150 miles by the end of the month.
Anybody interested in getting involved in Walk All Over Cancer will find further resources including free printable materials and information on fundraising and tracking steps at www.cancerresearchuk.org.

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
2020-03-01 - 2020-05-30
When a woman is diagnosed at the earliest stage, her chance of surviving ovarian cancer for five years or more doubles from just 46 per cent to more than 90 per cent.
However, nearly half of GPs mistakenly believe symptoms only present in the later stages of the disease, and less than a third of women in the UK are confident they know the symptoms.
This year, tens of thousands of symptoms leaflets were read, thousands of cakes were baked, hundreds of outlandish outfits worn and more teapots brewed than we could count all with one aim in mind to get more women diagnosed at the earliest stage. Your fundraising means we will be able to do more to improve early diagnosis, fund more life-saving research and provide much-needed support.
https://www.targetovariancancer.org.uk/tags/ovarian-cancer-awareness-month

Rare Disease Day 2020
2020-02-29
Rare Disease Day takes place on the last day of February each year. The main objective of Rare Disease Day is to raise awareness amongst the general public and decision-makers about rare diseases and their impact on patients’ lives.The campaign targets primarily the general public and also seeks to raise awareness amongst policy makers, public authorities, industry representatives, researchers, health professionals and anyone who has a genuine interest in rare diseases.
Building awareness of rare diseases is so important because 1 in 20 people will live with a rare disease at some point in their life. Despite this, there is no cure for the majority of rare diseases and many go undiagnosed. Rare Disease Day improves knowledge amongst the general public of rare diseases while encouraging researchers and decision makers to address the needs of those living with rare diseases.
Rare Disease Day events are down to hundreds of patient organisations all over the world who work on a local and national level to raise awareness for the rare disease community in their countries. Since Rare Disease Day was first launched by EURORDIS and its Council of National Alliances in 2008, thousands of events have taken place throughout the world reaching hundreds of thousands of people and resulting in a great deal of media coverage. We especially thank our official Rare Disease Day partners, the National Alliances. These are umbrella organisations who group together several rare disease organisations in a given country or region. Click on a logo of one of the National Alliances to go to their website.
The campaign started as a European event and has progressively become a world phenomenon, with the USA joining in 2009 and participation in 94 countries all over the world in 2018. Hundreds of cities continue to take part in Rare Disease Day and we hope even more will join in 2018.
Some countries have decided to raise rare disease awareness further, for example, Spain declared 2013 as the National Year for Rare Diseases. The first Rare Disease Day was celebrated in 2008 on 29 February, a rare‚date that happens only once every four years. Ever since then, Rare Disease Day has taken place on the last day of February, a month known for having a rare‚number of days.
https://www.rarediseaseday.org/

World Encephalitis Day 2020
2020-02-22
World Encephalitis Day on February 22 is a global awareness day where individuals and families affected by encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) come together to shine a light on the condition.
The sixth annual World Encephalitis Day is led by the Encephalitis Society and will celebrate and honour the millions of people affected by encephalitis across the world.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Seventy eight per cent of people across the world do not know what encephalitis is.*
This is something we MUST change to achieve our vision of a world which is aware of encephalitis, its consequences and the support available.
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?
Join us in raising awareness of encephalitis on World Encephalitis Day on Friday, 22 February.
You are our most important resource. You have the power to help us bring about change and save lives.
https://www.encephalitis.info/pages/category/wed2018

Random Acts Of Kindness Day 2020
2020-02-17
Celebrated on February 17th, National Random Acts of Kindness Day has grown in popularity each year. It is celebrated by individuals, groups and organizations, nationwide, to encourage acts of kindness. It is a favorite day to many, as people everywhere are enjoying doing these acts of kindness.
YOU’RE A WORLD CHANGER. WE CAN TELL.
JOIN THE #RAKTIVIST MOVEMENT
So, you want to be a RAKtivist™? Your awesome status and street cred just skyrocketed. RAKtivists are the limbs of our organizational body. You are the daily doers, movers and shakers; reaching out to others and not just talking the talk, but using those limbs to walk the walk.
The world needs more people like you.
https://acts.kindness.org

International Epilepsy Day 2020
2020-02-10
International Epilepsy Day is a special event which promotes awareness of epilepsy in more than 120 countries each year. Every year on the second Monday of February people join together to celebrate and highlight the problems faced by people with epilepsy, their families and carers.
This is a day for everyone, no matter where you are, no matter how small your group or large your area, no matter whether you focus on the medical or the social aspects of the disease. We want you to help us celebrate International Epilepsy Day! Let’s speak with one global voice.
The Day is a joint initiative by the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE).
https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/international-epilepsy-day-2020/

Time to Talk Day
2020-02-06
Time To Talk Day brings the nation together to get talking and break the silence around mental health problems. View our short video to see what we got up to in 2019 and watch this space for our plans for Time To Talk Day next year – which will take place on 6 February 2020
Too often, people who experience a mental health problem are also expected to take the lead on talking about mental health in the wider sense. Time To Talk Day encourages everyone to talk about mental health.
Mental health problems affect one in four of us yet people are still afraid to talk about it. For people with mental health problems not being able to talk about it can be one of the worst parts of the illness. So by getting people talking about mental health we can break down stereotypes, improve relationships, aid recovery and take the stigma out of something that affects us all.
Since Time To Talk Day first launched in 2014, it has sparked millions of conversations in schools, homes, workplaces, in the media and online.
https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/

World Cancer Day 2020
2020-02-04
At the start of the millennium, 4 February was declared World Cancer Day. It began with six cancer experts who convened in Paris in 1999. With the year 2000 imminent, the group was determined that the global challenge of cancer would not be forgotten in the new century.
Together, the six leaders – Drs David Kayat, Peter Harper, James F. Holland, Gabriel N. Horobagyi, Lawrence H. Einhorn and Sandra Swain – drafted a Charter that outlined a vision for addressing the impact of cancer on “human life, human suffering and on the productivity of nations”.
The Charter highlights the need for access to quality care, funding for cancer research, greater understanding and above all respect and dignity for all individuals living with the disease.
The final article set out the idea for an international awareness day:
“Recognising the declaration by all appropriate institutions that February 4 shall be marked as ‘World Cancer Day’ so that each year, the Charter of Paris will be in the hearts and minds of people around the world.”
This document became known as the Charter of Paris Against Cancer.
On the 4 February 2000, the Charter was signed by then President of France, Jacques Chirac and then General Director of UNESCO, Kōichirō Matsuura.
Read the full text of the Paris Charter (PDF)
A growing, global movement
The Charter has been adopted by international cancer organisations around the world. Under the guardianship of the Union for International Cancer Control since 2006, World Cancer Day has grown into a positive movement for everyone, everywhere to unite under one voice, building an alliance against “fear, ignorance and complacency.”
20th anniversary
Since the creation of World Cancer Day, we have witnessed incredible progress in many areas, from increased political will, technological advancements, research breakthroughs, and greater public understanding of the disease. However, in 2019 the World Health Organization included Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs), including cancer, as one of top ten threats to public health. There is still much more to be done.
2020 marks the 20th anniversary of World Cancer Day. It will be a year to ignite action to accelerate the reduction of unnecessary cancer deaths and to achieve equal access to cancer care for all.
Join us on 4 February, 2020.
https://www.worldcancerday.org/20thanniversary

National Apprenticeship Week 2020
2020-02-03 - 2020-02-07
National Apprenticeship Week is an annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships across England and is a time to recognise and applaud apprenticeship success stories across the country.
Apprenticeship employers use the opportunity to promote the success of their apprentices and highlight the huge benefits to other employers, of all sizes, who are thinking of taking on an apprentice.
Apprentices across the country will also be celebrated throughout the week, with engagement and events in schools and colleges. Many current and former apprentices will go back to school to tell their story, attracting the next generation of apprentices, so they too can fire up their future career.
Throughout the 13 years, National Apprenticeship Week has brought together apprenticeship supporters from across the country, with MPs, ambassadors, apprentices, training providers and top employers involved in recognising the value and importance of apprenticeships.
For NAW2020 we want even more people to get behind the week, to build on last year’s success, which included:

Over 1250 events taking place across England;

NAW2019, National Apprenticeship Week and #BlazeATrail all trending UK wide on Twitter over the course of the Week;

Over 30,000 unique visits to the NAW resource pages on GOV.UK;
And a hugely successful #askanapprentice day with employers, including TUI, Bentley Careers, Siemens UK, AXA Insurance and Cisco all getting involved.

Anne Milton, Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills said:
“I am thrilled that National Apprenticeship Week 2020 will take place during early February 2020. It’s a chance to celebrate apprentices and the brilliant work being done by schools, the FE sector and employers across the country to promote the huge benefits of apprenticeships.
“Apprenticeships offer people of all ages and backgrounds a high-quality route to skilled employment with the option to train at every level in a range of exciting professions like aerospace engineering, data science, teaching, law, nursing, and fashion.
“This year we had over 1250 events and 1900 articles and features in publications from the Financial Times to Cosmopolitan. I would encourage employers, training providers, schools, apprentices and our ambassador networks to start considering how they will get involved in National Apprenticeship Week 2020. We want next year to be even bigger and better reaching even more people and employers so they understand the advantages apprenticeships bring”.
For more information about NHS apprenticeships in Northampton, please visit our Northamptonshire NHS apprenticeships page.

Children’s Mental Health Week 2020 - Find your Brave
2020-02-03 - 2020-02-09
From 3-9 February 2020 schools, youth groups, organisations and individuals across the UK will take part in Children’s Mental Health Week. This year’s theme is Find your Brave.
Bravery comes in all shapes and sizes and is different for everyone. Bravery can be about sharing worries and asking for help, trying something new or pushing yourself outside your comfort zone. Finding your Brave can build your confidence, self-esteem and make you feel good about yourself.
Life often throws challenges our way. Bravery isn’t about coping alone or holding things in. It’s about finding positive ways to deal with things that might be difficult, overcoming physical and mental challenges and looking after yourself.
We all have times when we need to Find our Brave.
Around three children in every primary school class has a mental health problem, and many more struggle with challenges from bullying to bereavement. Whether you’re someone who works with children, a parent or carer, passionate about spreading the word, or keen to raise vital funds for Place2Be, you can get involved and help us reach as many people as possible.
About Place2Be

Place2Be is a children’s mental health charity that provides counselling and mental health support and training in UK schools, using tried and tested methods backed by research.
We believe that children should not have to face mental health problems alone.
Last year, Place2Be worked with 639 schools in England, Scotland and Wales, reaching 364,080 children and young people.
In the same year, over 300 schools took part in our in-depth ‘Mental Health Champions’ programmes, equipping school leaders, teachers and staff with the skills and confidence to support pupils’ mental health.
1,661 child counsellors took part in our training – from introductory sessions to our Masters programme, building an ever-growing body of professionals who specialise in working with children and young people.

Tinnitus Awareness Week 2020
2020-02-03 - 2020-02-09
Tinnitus Week 2020 takes place from 3- 9 February in 2020 and as the theme for this has not yet been confirmed, here’s a little about the 2019 campaign – Tinnitus and Isolation.
We often hear callers to the helpline, or delegates at events speak about how alone they feel with the condition, so we decided that during Tinnitus Week, we’ll be trying as hard as possible to reach even more people in new ways, in the hope of helping them feel less isolated. Here are some of the details of what’s going to be happening:
HELPLINE – On Tuesday 5 February, as a one off, for the first time ever, we’ll be keeping our helpline open overnight, in order to be available to speak to people with tinnitus who are struggling and can’t sleep. So if you find you need to speak to someone that night, please call and speak to one of our friendly team
PODCAST – On Wednesday 6 February, we are really excited that we’ll be sharing our first ever podcast, talking about how relationships can be affected by tinnitus and how to combat any issues that might arise.
SOCIAL TIPS – On Thursday 7 February we’ll be sharing ideas from people with tinnitus about how to ensure the condition doesn’t impact on social situations, hoping to inspire those who may be struggling, to keep getting out, meeting friends and not letting tinnitus take over
SUPPORT GROUPS – And on Friday 8 February, we’ll be highlighting the amazing support available across the UK at over 100 tinnitus support groups.
Please help us reach more people with our digital assets
We’ve designed this image, which we hope you will use on social media to show your support. The image can be downloaded by right clicking on the link or saving the image, and is for use during Tinnitus Week (4-10 February).
We’d love you to share your tinnitus message on social, along with this image and the hashtag #TinnitusWeek. The message could be about:
How you manage the condition
Thanking someone who has helped you
Reassuring others that they aren’t alone
Please remember to use the hashtag #TinnitusWeek so we can look out for it and share, like or Retweet.
You can find us via BritishTinnitusAssociation on Facebook/Instagram and @BritishTinnitus on Twitter. If don’t follow us, please do, as we regularly post and it’s a great way to find out what’s going on in the tinnitus world.
Facebook frame
During Tinnitus Week, we will have a Facebook frame which you can use to show your support for the week. We hope our supporters and followers will use this frame to help raise awareness.
Twitter profile image
During Tinnitus Week, you can use the profile image we have produced, to help us raise awareness of the week and show your support. This image can be downloaded below by right clicking or saving to your device.

Sexual Abuse & Sexual Violence Awareness Week 2020
2020-02-03 - 2020-02-09
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
We’d love you to join us and add your voice to thousands of people across the UK saying #itsnotok.
You can join the conversation on social media using #itsnotok and follow us @itsnotok2020. You can even add our Facebook cover and Twitter banner to your profile to show your support.
You can go to a local event and meet like minded people.
Or how about organising your own event? Check out our suggestions for events or read about past events for inspiration.
If you are an organisation you can recycle or create a campaign with the #itsnotok logo and hashtag to promote awareness of your services, prevention, support etc. as well as participate in social media conversations and involve your local media and community.

http://sexualabuseandsexualviolenceawarenessweek.org/

Raynaud’s Awareness Month
2020-02-01 - 2020-02-29
Together, we can create a better world for people with Scleroderma and Raynaud’s.
We need you to continue to raise your hands and help increase awareness and understanding of Raynaud’s and why it is important that everyone knows the signs and symptoms to look out for.
Get involved in Raynaud’s Awareness Month 2020 in February, click here for information on some of the things that you can do.
https://www.sruk.co.uk/get-involved/raynauds-awareness-month/

Dignity Action Day #DAD2020
2020-02-01
Dignity Action Day #DAD2020 is an annual opportunity for health and social care workers, and members of the public to uphold people’s rights to dignity and provide a truly memorable day for people who use care services.
Dignity Action Day gives everyone the opportunity to contribute to upholding people’s rights to dignity and provide a truly memorable day for people receiving care. Dignity Action Day aims to ensure people who use care services are treated as individuals and are given choice, control and a sense of purpose in their daily lives.
Dame Joan Bakewell, Dignity in Care Ambassador said:
“Dignity Action Day highlights a more respectful way of behaving towards vulnerable people. The very old and the very young clearly need our respect, but it wouldn’t do any harm to spread the dignity message across the population then we can all benefit.”
Supporting Dignity Action Day will:

Raise awareness of the importance of Dignity in Care
Provide someone with an extra special day
Demonstrate that everybody in the community has a role to play in upholding Dignity in Care
Remind the public that staff have a right to be treated with dignity and respect too
Provide a great community networking opportunity.

On Dignity Action Day we ask health and social care workers to promote dignity in their place of work. We also asks members of the public to promote dignity for people in their communities.

Below is a flyer and resource packs with ideas for health and social care staff and members of the public as to how to take part in Dignity Action Day
See the Dignity Action Day Memory Book to give you further inspiration
Once you have decided what you are going to do you, add your pledge or activity to the website to inspire and encourage others.

https://www.dignityincare.org.uk/Dignity-in-Care-events/Dignity_Action_Day/

Blue Monday 2020
2020-01-20 08:00 - 17:00
The third Monday of January has been awarded the gloomy title due to a combination of post-Christmas blues, cold dark nights and the arrival of unpaid credit card bills.
Apparently, a university professor managed to precisely calculate the most depressing day of the year, using the following formula:

Where weather=W, debt=d, time since Christmas=T, time since failing our new year’s resolutions=Q, low motivational levels=M and the feeling of a need to take action=Na. ‘D’ is not defined in the release, nor are units.
Supposedly the date was calculated by using many factors, including: weather conditions, debt level (the difference between debt accumulated and our ability to pay), time since Christmas, time since failing our new year’s resolutions, low motivational levels and feeling of a need to take action.
However, all may not be as it seems here, as it turns out this was in fact a PR stunt by Sky Travel.
Read all about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Monday_(date)

Sugar Awareness Week 2020
2020-01-20 - 2020-01-26
Action on Sugar are pleased to announce that this year’s Sugar Awareness Week will take place from the 20th-26th January 2020
Sugar Awareness Week will be an opportunity to celebrate the success of food industry, government and NGOs’ progress so far, and discuss the future for sugar and calorie reduction and it’s place in the government’s Childhood Obesity Plan.
If you would like to get involved by running a Sugar Awareness Week event in your area, please email us: sugar@qmul.ac.uk
Keep your eyes peeled for more information…
In the meantime, join the debate on Twitter and Facebook: #sugarawarenessweek #actiononsugar
http://www.actiononsugar.org/sugar-awareness-week/sugar-awareness-week-2019/

CERVICAL CANCER PREVENTION WEEK
2020-01-20 - 2020-01-26
Do you know how cervical cancer can be prevented? During Cervical Cancer Prevention Week we want as many people as possible to know how they can reduce their risk of the disease and to educate others.
When? 20-26 January 2020
Where? You can raise awareness, fundraise or campaign in your local community, at home, school, university, your GP surgery or hospital. Read on to find out how you can get involved!
How can you reduce your risk of cervical cancer?
We want to ensure all women and people with a cervix know how cervical cancer can be prevented. This means:

Attending cervical screening when invited
Knowing the symptoms of cervical cancer and seeking medical advice if experiencing any
Taking up the HPV vaccination if aged 11-18
Knowing where to find support and further information

2
Women lose their lives to the disease every day

9
women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every day

75%
of cervical cancers can be prevented by cervical screening (smear tests)

How can you get involved?
There are lots of different ways to get involved during Cervical Cancer Prevention Week.
Raise awareness

Order our popular resources including leaflets, posters, factsheets and more!
Hold an awareness day: use our free materials to hold an awareness stand, talking to others about the campaign week.
Share your story: if you have been personally affected by cervical cancer or abnormalities, talking about your experience in the media can encourage others to take action.
Use newsletters, the media, noticeboards and intranets to share messages about cervical cancer prevention
Use social media: join the conversation on social media and let your followers know how cervical cancer can be prevented.

Fundraise

Host a fundraising event to mark the awareness week!
Make a donation: We rely on your support to reach more women with the message that cervical cancer can be prevented
Fundraise at your stand or event: Already raising awareness? Order some fundraising materials to raise money at the same time.
Get in touch with our team on fundraising@jostrust.org.uk for ideas and help getting started.

Campaign

Contact your MP to ask them to join us in working to increase uptake of cervical screening in your local area.
Get your workplace to sign up to Time to Test to ensure female employees have the time to attend cervical screening
Join our #SmearForSmear campaign to help us spread the word about the importance of smear tests in preventing cervical cancer.

Work in general practice or healthcare?

Why not arrange an out of hours cervical screening clinic or event for women to find out more about the test.

https://www.jostrust.org.uk/get-involved/campaign/cervical-cancer-prevention-week

STIQ Day
2020-01-14
STIQ Day has been launched to get people thinking about their sexual health and encourage more people to get regular sexual health checks. No one likes to think they’ve caught a sexually transmitted infection (STI) but without a test you just can’t be sure.
This year STIQ Day takes place on 14th January, a date chosen because many common STIs such as Chlamydia can take two weeks to be detectable. If your festive season included unprotected sex then you should be thinking about getting tested now. Also with just one month to go before Valentine’s Day anyone hoping to enjoy the celebrations to the full should do so knowing that they are infection free and will not be putting someone else’s sexual health in danger.
More and more people in the UK are catching STIs and each year the infection rate is rising. Regardless of how old you are, if you’re gay or straight, if you’ve had one partner or 100 just one unprotected sexual encounter could have put you at risk of catching an STI.
Even if you feel perfectly healthy you could still be carrying something. Often getting routinely tested is the only way that people can detect an infection and the earlier they are tested and treated, the less chance there is of long-term damage being caused.
Getting a sexual health check is easy and shouldn’t be embarrassing or shameful; sex is a normal part of adult life so sexual health checks should be to. It’s a quick, simple process that not only puts your mind at rest but could protect your fertility or even save your life or that of your partner
So use STIQ Day to get smart about your sexual health – visit event website: http://www.stiq.co.uk/

Pagetts Awareness Day
2020-01-11
Paget’s Awareness Day, is an opportunity to raise the profile of Paget’s Disease of Bone and the 11th of January 2020 is the anniversary of the birth of Sir James Paget, whose name was given to the condition. Through research, including that funded by the Paget’s Association, there has been great progress in alleviating the effects of the condition, however, there is still much to be done. It has been estimated that as few as 7% of those who have x-ray evidence of Paget’s disease actually come to medical attention. Wouldn’t it be something if we could find all those suffering in silence who are yet to have their condition acknowledged?
Bone is living tissue and normally renews and repairs itself without any problems. In Paget’s disease, this process is abnormal and impacts on the structure of any bone that has Paget’s. People who have Paget’s disease can sometimes have no symptoms, however, at the other end of the scale, it can be a very painful and disabling condition.
The Paget’s Association is a UK charity supporting patients, funding research and raising awareness of Paget’s disease. We need people to get involved, support Paget’s Awareness Day and in doing so, help us find those suffering in silence who have yet to be assessed by a specialist.
The 11th of January 2020 is the 206th anniversary of the birth of Sir James Paget. He studied Paget’s disease extensively and had his first paper published in 1877. Later, the condition came to be known as Paget’s Disease of Bone.
To celebrate the first ever Paget’s Awareness Day, the Paget’s Association is launching the Paget’s Passport. This is a patient-held record of Paget’s disease. It can be taken to all medical appointments to help improve care and communication by recording key information.
The Association is also promoting a new clinical Guideline that has been developed by experts to provide recommendations for the diagnosis and management of Paget’s disease. It provides direction to professionals, giving them a base on which to make decisions, and facilitates discussion with patients. We want the new Guideline to be used by every single doctor who sees a patient who may have Paget’s disease. Further information can be found on our website.
The Paget’s Association is making great strides to raise awareness of Paget’s disease, but we need people to get involved. Mark the day by wearing blue and green – the colours of the Paget’s Association’s logo. If you like, take a photo and share it on social media, and don’t forget to tell people why you are doing it.
Please support Paget’s Awareness Day on the 11th January and help relieve the suffering of those who are either not yet diagnosed or who are not receiving the help they need. On our website and in our newsletter there are ideas of ways you can help raise awareness.
You can call the Association (0161 799 4646) or even make a donation to help support our work.
https://www.paget.org.uk/get-involved/pagets-awareness-day/

DRY JANUARY
2020-01-01 - 2020-01-31
Dry January challenges you to go alcohol free for 31 days and aims to raise awareness of the effects of alcohol. See our infographic for more information on alcohol awareness.

WORLD AIDS DAY
2019-12-01
World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. Learn more.
