Former Leeds Rhinos star Rob Burrow has thrown his weight behind a fundraising appeal to create a new centre for motor neurone disease in Leeds.
The ex-professional rugby player has inspired many in his own battle with the disease, now he wants to help others suffering from the life-limiting condition.
He's putting his full support behind a fundraising appeal by Leeds Hospital Charity, which is hoping to raise £5m to build the Rob Burrow Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Care Centre.
Mr Burrow said: “Imprisoned in the brutality of MND, my vision is that people diagnosed with MND hear the news in a calming and tranquil sanctuary.
"I envisage a beautiful, welcoming building that is user and family friendly. A place where patients feel comfortable to bring family members into a safe and homely environment for them, with signs of hope and optimism.
“For carers of those with MND it is important to know that their loved ones are in the best possible place.
The Leeds Rhinos Foundation has already pledged £50,000 towards the new centre / Image: Rob Burrow Instagram
"Something every MND sufferer and their families deserve. Although the news won’t be any better, it will be easier to come to terms with in a purposely built care centre that meets the needs of every MND patient.”
The Leeds Rhinos Foundation has already pledged £50,000 towards the new centre.
Rob Burrow is currently treated at MND at Seacroft Hospital, as well as around roughly 80 other patients in Leeds.
However, bosses have since decided that the facilities could do with an upgrade.
Mr Burrow has since set out a vision that the new centre will be a "calming and tranquil sanctuary” for sufferers, providing an elevated quality of care for those living with MND.
Rob Burrow recently released his autobiography Too Many Reasons To Live / Image: Rob Burrow Instagram
If proposals are effective, it will bring together all of the area's MND services under one roof - giving patients access to a range of different holistic support all in one place for the very first time.
This is set to include speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, diet and nutrition advice; with patients able to easily access consultants from Neurology, Palliative Care and Respiratory medicine at the new centre.
“We want to provide a safe haven for our patients and their families – a peaceful environment that reiterates to them that they have the best possible care, helping them ‘live in the now’, a serene place that instils hope and courage," said Dr Agam Jung, Consultant Neurologist who leads the MND team at Seacroft Hospital.
Feature image -National Television Awards.
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Bus operator partners with Leeds hospitals to help mums-to-be make vital appointments
First Bus is partnering with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to support vulnerable women during pregnancy.
The bus operator is providing an incredible 1,000 day tickets to help vulnerable mums-to-be make appointments.
The free travel passes can be provided by maternity teams to women mainly from minority or disadvantaged communities, helping them to attent important check-ups and appointments.
A recent review of records estimates that 100 pregnant women every month struggle to make hospital appointments as they have no access to funding support or face other barriers to transport.
Image: Supplied
First Bus will provide 100 day tickets per month until March 2027 for midwives to distribute to women based on travel needs following a financial assessment which is carried out during their initial appointment with the maternity team.
Nada Abdul-Majid, Specialist Midwife Health Equity at the Trust, said: “I’ve seen first-hand how women struggle to get to their hospital appointments if they don’t have enough money to use public transport.
“Our Haamla team carry out home visits to these vulnerable women however, it is important that families are able to travel to the hospital for scans, doctors’ appointments, labour and obstetric emergencies.”
Zoe Hands, Managing Director of First Bus Franchising which includes the West Yorkshire region, said: “Supporting communities in the areas we serve means, where we can, being able to assist people in all stages of life. Nothing can be more important than helping to ensure the health and welfare of mothers-to-be and the benefits this will bring to their newborn children.
“We’re pleased to be working in partnership with the Trust and seeing the positive impact our travel support can make to the lives of vulnerable women in Leeds.
“We’re really grateful to First Bus for providing these tickets for women so they can receive maternity care without worrying about the cost of travel to and from appointments,” added Nada. “This will make a real difference to mothers and babies.”
Channel 4 is looking for adult virgins with ‘intimacy issues’ for next series of hit reality show
Emily Sergeant
Channel 4 is back looking for more adult virgins to take part in the potential next series of its hit reality show Virgin Island.
If you’re unfamiliar with Virgin Island, it’s unlike anything ever seen on TV before.
First hitting screens back in 2024 and having run for two successful seasons now, Virgin Island follows the journey of a group of adult virgins who are whisked off to a Mediterranean island retreat to learn life-changing skills in the art of intimacy.
Working with leading international therapists, the aim is to help the young people overcome their fears and insecurities when it comes to intimacy and sex.
Channel 4 said it chose to commission the show after a recent study into intimacy found out that one in eight British 26-year-olds is, apparently, still a virgin.
A casting call for the new series on the Channel 4 website reads: “Are you a virgin and do you need help and guidance with your fears and insecurities around intimacy and sex? Double Act Productions is casting adults for a potential second series of Virgin Island.”
You just need to be over 21 years of age to take part in the show.
Fancy it then? Or know someone who may be up for the ride? Applications for the potential next series of Virgin Island are now open, and there’s still plenty of time left to put your name down.
You can find out more and register your interest here.
Georgina Pellant -
7th September 2021 
