Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Bangladeshi community in Yorkshire raise £2,000 for Parkinson’s with saree walk

The day was about more than fundraising

Bangladeshi community Yorkshire

Traditional sarees in blue and white marked the occasion

Parkinson’s UK

Highlights

  • Charity walk at Clumber Park united 38 participants across generations
  • Traditional sarees in blue and white marked the occasion
  • Over £2,000 raised for Parkinson’s UK

Sarees and solidarity at Clumber Park

Members of the Bangladeshi community in Yorkshire gathered this summer for a colourful charity walk that raised more than £2,000 for Parkinson’s UK.

The event, held on 26 July at Clumber Park in Worksop, was organised by the Dhaka Medical College Alumni Association UK (DMCAA UK). Thirty-eight participants, from children to grandparents in their 60s, walked in coordinated blue and white sarees – colours reflecting Parkinson’s UK – turning the park into a vibrant celebration of culture, unity, and purpose.


Families walking for a cause

The day was about more than fundraising. It brought together families across generations, with children not only joining the walk but also being recognised with certificates for their involvement. After the walk, the community enjoyed a picnic, where younger participants shared their reflections on the importance of giving back.

Dr Mahjabin Islam, Consultant Neurologist and NIHR Sheffield BRC Doctoral research fellow at the University of Sheffield, described the event as a milestone:

“This was our first large-scale fundraising effort, and it was such a rewarding experience. Seeing families, from the youngest to the eldest, come together in our cultural attire for such an important cause was very special. We are proud that our community could unite in this way to support Parkinson’s UK.”

Bangladeshi community Yorkshire It was organised by the Dhaka Medical College Alumni Association UKParkinson’s UK

A growing need for awareness

Parkinson’s is the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world, affecting 166,000 people across the UK. With over 40 symptoms, ranging from tremor and pain to anxiety, the condition has no cure.

Ailsa Dragan, Community Fundraiser for Yorkshire at Parkinson’s UK, praised the effort:

“We’re so grateful to Dr Islam, the DMC Alumni Association UK, and everyone who both organised and took part in the walk to make it such a great success.”

For the organisers, the walk was both a cultural celebration and a commitment to supporting those living with Parkinson’s – and a reminder that small community-led efforts can make a meaningful difference.

More For You

South Asian women

Research shows that South Asian women often enter menopause earlier

iStock

South Asian women and menopause: Breaking generational silence

Kiran Singh

Highlights

  • October marks Menopause Awareness Month, with World Menopause Day on 18 October.
  • South Asian women often face earlier menopause, more severe symptoms, and higher health risks.
  • Cultural stigma and silence leave many women isolated and unsupported.
  • The Sattva Collective CIC is the UK’s first organisation focused on South Asian women and menopause.
  • Founded by coach Kiran Singh, it provides safe spaces, resources, and monthly Midlife Circles.
  • Plans underway for a Midlife & Menopause Summit in October 2026.
  • Awareness is key: “Silence leads to shame. Awareness leads to empowerment.”

This October, the world observes Menopause Awareness Month, with World Menopause Day on 18th October. For many South Asian women, this is more than a health milestone, it is an opportunity to finally challenge silence, stigma, and cultural barriers that have silenced generations before us.

Menopause is universal. But its impact is not. Research shows that South Asian women often enter menopause earlier, with more severe symptoms and higher risks of diabetes and heart disease. Yet in many South Asian communities, menopause remains an unspoken subject, whispered about in kitchens, dismissed as “just part of ageing,” or hidden entirely.

Keep ReadingShow less
Stratus Covid symptoms

The new ‘Stratus’ Covid strain is testing UK defences

iStock

From scratchy throats to hoarse voices: Understanding the new Covid strain spreading across UK

Highlights

  • New Stratus strain linked to hoarse voice among UK cases
  • Experts say no increase in severity, vaccines remain effective
  • Reduced testing makes tracking variants increasingly difficult

Noticing the subtle signs

Across England, some people are reporting a hoarse voice alongside mild cold-like symptoms — a subtle signal of the new Stratus Covid strain. With its two offshoots, XFG and XFG.3, this variant is quietly becoming a larger part of UK infections.

Unlike previous waves marked by fever or loss of smell, the Stratus strain is drawing attention for more understated changes, prompting doctors to remind the public that even minor symptoms can indicate infection.

Keep ReadingShow less
Salman Khan

The actor lived with the condition for over seven years before undergoing surgery in 2011

Getty Images

Salman Khan recalls living with trigeminal neuralgia, the ‘suicide disease’

Highlights

  • Salman Khan recalls years of excruciating facial pain before undergoing surgery in 2011
  • Condition, often called the “suicide disease,” can be triggered by simple activities like eating or brushing teeth
  • Neurologist explains causes, symptoms and available treatments

Salman Khan’s struggle with facial nerve pain

Bollywood actor Salman Khan has once again spoken about his battle with trigeminal neuralgia, a neurological condition that causes sudden, stabbing facial pain. Appearing on a talk show with former co-stars Kajol and Twinkle Khanna, Khan described how the condition first surfaced in 2007 while filming Partner.

Khan said even light touches, such as co-actor Lara Dutta brushing a strand of hair from his face, could set off waves of pain. “It used to happen every four or five minutes. It would take me more than an hour to eat a meal. I couldn’t chew properly, I had to force myself through the pain just to finish,” he recalled.

Keep ReadingShow less
psychological distress

Lifestyle factors linked with psychological distress

iStock

Heart attack survivors with psychological distress face greater risk of relapse

Highlights:

  • Persistent psychological distress up to 12 months post-heart attack can raise risk of recurrence by nearly 1.3 times.
  • Between one-third and half of survivors experience depression, anxiety or PTSD.
  • Interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy, medication and stress-reduction can improve recovery and quality of life.

Psychological distress and heart health

Persistent psychological distress following a heart attack could increase the risk of another cardiac event by nearly 1.3 times, researchers have found.

A review by the American Heart Association (AHA) reported that 33–50 per cent of heart attack survivors suffer symptoms such as depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These mental health issues, the researchers said, can significantly affect both physical recovery and long-term health outcomes.

Keep ReadingShow less
menstruation

The findings come from a UK survey of more than 12,000 women

iStock

Heavier bleeding and iron loss linked to long Covid in women, study finds

Highlights:

  • Survey of more than 12,000 UK women finds heavier, longer periods linked to long Covid
  • Symptom severity rises and falls across the menstrual cycle, worsening during periods
  • Tests reveal inflammation in womb lining and hormonal changes, but no damage to ovaries
  • Iron deficiency risk may exacerbate fatigue, dizziness and other common long Covid symptoms

Study highlights link between long Covid and menstrual changes

Women with long Covid are more likely to experience longer and heavier periods, putting them at increased risk of iron deficiency, researchers have found. The findings come from a UK survey of more than 12,000 women, which also showed that the severity of long Covid symptoms fluctuated across the menstrual cycle and often worsened during menstruation.

Findings from UK survey

Between March and May 2021, 12,187 women completed an online survey. Of these, more than 1,000 had long Covid, over 1,700 had recovered from the virus, and 9,400 had never tested positive. The study revealed that women with long Covid reported heavier and longer periods, as well as more frequent bleeding between cycles, compared with other groups.

Keep ReadingShow less