Campaigners say:- "20,000 voices cannot be ignored!"

"ENOUGH is enough." These are the words etched onto paper by over 20,000 people in an open letter, published by Target Ovarian Cancer, urging the Government to take action on the ovarian cancer awareness crisis; a disease which kills 11 women every day. Target Ovarian Cancer campaigners marched to Number 10 Downing Street to amplify the voices of thousands of people who have signed the open letter demanding that the Government take urgent action to save lives. This momentous milestone; the 1st time thousands have come together to call on the Government in this way; comes following the alarming findings of the charity's latest research which revealed that 4 out of five2 women could not name the key symptom of ovarian cancer, persistent bloating. This is in addition to the Ovarian Cancer Audit Feasibility Pilot which revealed 14% of women diagnosed in England between 2013 and 2018 died within 2 months of diagnosis, and 30% died within the 1st year. The open letter has been led by Target Ovarian Cancer; the UK's leading ovarian cancer charity that improves early diagnosis, funds life-saving research and provides much needed support to everyone affected by ovarian cancer.

As there is no current effective screening process for ovarian cancer, knowing the symptoms:- persistent bloating, abdominal pain, feeling full quickly, and needing to wee more urgently - is essential to survival and early diagnosis. Annwen Jones OBE, Chief Executive of Target Ovarian Cancer, said:- "At Target Ovarian Cancer, we know that there is a huge crisis in ovarian cancer awareness and diagnosis and are overwhelmed by the strength of support our open letter has received. It's extremely sobering to see over 20,000 people come together to demand that the Government take immediate action to save lives. 20,000 voices cannot be ignored. The reality is that too many people are dying as not enough is being done to make the symptoms of ovarian cancer known. The reality is that diagnosis is coming too late because of this. The reality is that we need the Government's support to reach anyone who could be diagnosed early with this disease in order to save lives."

The open letter tells the Government what is needed to combat the crisis: dedicated ovarian cancer symptoms awareness campaigns across the UK. 1 supporter who joined fellow Target Ovarian Cancer's campaigners is Annie Griffin, who was diagnosed with stage Ia mucinous ovarian cancer - a rare type of ovarian cancer - in 2020. Annie added:- "If we don't share our ovarian cancer experiences with our MPs how will they know what we go through? How can we expect change if we don't speak up? The weeks and months that it took to get diagnosed and finally understand what was wrong with me took their toll. I genuinely thought it was middle age, perimenopause, and fibroids. Nothing rang alarm bells, and I don't want that to happen to other women. That's why we need more awareness around ovarian cancer, that's why I'm on a mission to help make that happen."

The charity was outside Westminster, on behalf of 20,000 people, demanding the Government take urgent action on the ovarian cancer awareness crisis.  Della Ogunleye, 60 from London, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2019, also attended the open letter hand in, added:- "Target Ovarian Cancer amplifies our voices. Together, we can reach places and have conversations that we may not be able to achieve alone. The saying goes, if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together. We need greater awareness of symptoms now. By standing together our voices will be louder."

To find out more about Target Ovarian Cancer or access its support line visit:- TargetOvarianCancer.Org.UK.

Urgent warning after spate of electric bike and scooter fires

A Merseyside family was lucky to escape with their lives when an electric bike caught fire in the front room of their Huyton home last week, in the 1 of the most recent serious incidents attended by Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service (MFRS) involving electric bike and scooter batteries. MFRS has issued an urgent warning following a spate of fires caused by electric bikes and scooters and is urging users to be aware of the significant risks involved in charging, storing and obtaining lithium-ion batteries. The two-storey terraced home of the family of 6 was left severely damaged by fire and is now unliveable, while all family members were treated for smoke inhalation and the youngest child needed treatment at Alder Hey Children's Hospital. Had the fire happened while the family were sleeping, the outcome may have been very different. In another incident in St Helens last week, a 2 storey terraced house was also left uninhabitable after an electric scooter being charged in a 1st floor bedroom caught fire in the early hours of the morning. Importantly, the home's hard wired smoke alarms actuated, allowing the sole occupant to escape unharmed.  3 weeks ago in a Hotel in Hatton Garden, Liverpool, 2 casualties suffered smoke inhalation and minor burns to their bodies after an electric bike on charge in their Hotel room caught fire. Both occupants were taken to Hospital by ambulance and later discharged.

This rise in serious incidents involving electric bikes and scooters has coincided with the increased popularity of their use. MFRS is advising those who use them to adhere to the following important fire safety and prevention advice:-

►  Do not charge electric bike or scooter batteries unsupervised and never while you are asleep; switch off chargers at night or when fully charged.

►  Follow the manufacturer's instructions when charging.

►  If possible, charge electric bike or scooter batteries somewhere outside of your home, eg external garage.

►  If charging in the home, ensure smoke alarms are fitted, working and are regularly tested.

►  Do not store electric bikes or scooters in escape routes around the home, or in communal areas (or main exit route areas) of high-rise properties.

►  Always purchase electric bike and scooter batteries from reputable suppliers and ensure any purchases meet correct and up to date safety standards.

►  Do not use conversion kits, as standard push bikes converted into electric bikes pose a higher safety risk due to batteries and chargers often sourced from different suppliers.

MFRS Area Manager for Prevention Mark Thomas said:- "Electric bike and scooter batteries have become a major source of fires in the home here in Merseyside. We're urging those who use electric bikes and scooters to protect themselves and their loved ones by adhering to the advice before we see a real tragedy occur. Fires caused by electric bike and scooter batteries are aggressive and can develop quickly, which is why it's so important to ensure they are not charged unattended and always close to working smoke alarms. The incidents we've attended recently here in Merseyside could have been fatal if the occupants were asleep or if the properties didn't have working smoke alarms fitted. Don't let it happen to you."