Congratulations to Kate Bingham, wife of our own Jesse Norman, MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire.

Kate Bingham has today (16 May) been appointed chair of the UK’s Vaccine Taskforce – the group set up by the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Business Secretary and Health Secretary to lead UK efforts to find and manufacture a COVID-19 vaccine.

This is a cross-government role and Kate Bingham will report directly to the Prime Minister.

Kate Bingham is a leading figure in the life sciences sector and her appointment will enable the Vaccine Taskforce to accelerate the development of a safe and effective vaccine, one of the long-term solutions to controlling the coronavirus pandemic and saving lives without social distancing or contact tracing in place.

Kate will co-ordinate the work already underway across Government, academia and industry to rapidly develop vaccines, and ensure that as and when a viable one becomes available, it can be produced in mass quantities and safely administered to the public – both in the UK and around the world.

The Taskforce is ensuring the work being done to find a vaccine in the UK complements and supports global efforts. The UK is a leader in the global response, committing £250 million to the international drive to develop a coronavirus vaccine through the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and hosting the upcoming global pledging conference for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, on June 4th.

Kate is uniquely qualified for the role, having worked in the biotech sector in the UK and internationally for 26 years – most recently as Managing Partner at SV Health Investor. Her work has led to the launch of six drugs for the treatment of patients with inflammatory and autoimmune disease and cancer.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma, who has been tasked with ministerial responsibility for the government’s work on vaccines said:

Quote

Discovering a vaccine is going to be vital in the plan to defeat COVID-19. Kate’s appointment as chair of the UK’s Vaccine Taskforce will give us exceptional leadership and focused energy as we seek to make this essential breakthrough.

We stand firmly behind the work of Kate and the Taskforce as they lead efforts to discover and mass produce a COVID-19 vaccine that could save millions of lives in the UK and around the world.

Chair of the Vaccine Taskforce Kate Bingham said:

Quote

Our immediate aim on vaccines is two-fold: to ensure everyone in the UK that needs to be vaccinated against COVID-19 can be as soon as practicable. Secondly, to ensure adequate global distribution of vaccines to bring the quickest possible end to the pandemic and the economic and social damage it causes.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:

Quote

We are determined to harness the UK’s world leading scientists and institutions to discover and develop a vaccine to tackle this global virus.

Kate’s work will be critical to this effort. She has an excellent track record in the biotech industry, and brings vast experience working with drug and therapeutic discoveries which gives us a head start in finding and manufacturing a COVID-19 vaccine.

Government Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said:

Quote

All vaccines that come into development are long shots and to stand the greatest chance of making a crucial breakthrough we need we need great leadership. That is exactly what Kate Bingham will bring.

There are many vaccines worldwide in development and its vital that the UK continues to play its leading role in trialling potential vaccines and stands ready to get behind any viable vaccine candidates.

About Kate Bingham

Kate is temporarily stepping back from her full time role as Managing Partner at SV Health Investors, a leading international life sciences venture capital firm to take on this role as Chair of the Taskforce. At SV she is responsible for biotech investments and activities in the UK and serves or has served on the boards of companies in the UK, US, Ireland, Sweden and Germany. Her investments include small-molecule drug discovery and development projects, biotherapeutic development projects, and drug discovery platforms in a broad range of clinical areas.

Kate played a leading role in setting up the UK’s Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF) and serves on the DDF Investment Committee. The DDF was created by six leading pharmaceutical companies (Biogen, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Takeda), together with the UK Department of Health and Alzheimer’s Research UK. Launched with initial commitments of £70m it now has £250m to invest in new potential disease modifying therapeutics for dementia.

Prior to joining SV, Kate worked in business development for Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company in Cambridge, MA and at Monitor Company, a strategy consulting firm. She has an MA in Biochemistry from Oxford University (First class) and studied on a Kennedy Scholarship at Harvard Business School (MBA Baker Scholar).

Jesse Norman

In 1992 Hereford and South Herefordshire MP Jesse Norman married The Honourable Kate Bingham, daughter of The Lord Bingham of Cornhill, the former Lord Chief Justice. They have two sons and one daughter.

Sunshine Radio in Breach Of Broadcasting Code in relation to gender identity during a broadcast on the 16th September 2019, 07:45 on the Paul Ellery in the morning show.

Type of case: Broadcast Standards
Outcome: In Breach
Service: Sunshine Radio
Date & time: 16 September 2019, 07:45
Category: Generally accepted standards

Summary: This programme featured potentially offensive statements about gender identity which were not justified by the context. In breach of Rule 2.3 of the Broadcasting Code.

Introduction 

Sunshine Radio is a local radio station serving Hereford and Monmouthshire with music, speech, local news and information. The licence for the service is held by Sunshine FM Limited (“Sunshine FM” or “the Licensee”).

Paul Ellery in the Morning is a daily light-entertainment programme that includes discussions of news of the day.

Ofcom received a complaint that a presenter talked in a mocking manner about singer Sam Smith coming out as non-binary,1.

After playing a Sam Smith track during the programme, the presenter Paul Ellery said:

Quote

I can’t get over this that he [Sam Smith] says he doesn’t identify with being male or female, so in future we have to call him ‘they’. And I heard somebody on – I think it was on BBC News Channel over the weekend saying, ‘the easiest way to find out, Sam, if you’re male or female or they, is to take your clothes off – there we go you’re definitely a boy!’.

• 1. Stonewall defines the use of the term ‘trans’ as “An umbrella term to describe people whose gender is not the same as, or does not sit comfortably with, the sex they were assigned at birth. Trans people may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms, including (but not limited to) transgender, transsexual, gender-queer (GQ), gender-fluid, non-binary, gender-variant, crossdresser, genderless, agender, nongender, third gender, two-spirit, bi-gender, trans man, trans woman, trans masculine, trans feminine and neutrois”.

Ofcom considered that the material raised potential issues under Rule 2.3 of the Code, which states:

Quote

In applying generally accepted standards broadcasters must ensure that material which may cause offence is justified by the context...Such material may include, but is not limited to, offensive language, violence, sex, sexual violence, humiliation, distress, violation of human dignity, discriminatory treatment or language (for example on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation, and marriage and civil partnership). Appropriate information should also be broadcast where it would assist in avoiding or minimising offence.

We therefore sought comments from the Licensee about how the programme complied with this rule.

Ofcom also requested information from the Licensee about the content on BBC News referred to in the programme. The Licensee could not find it.

Response

Sunshine FM described the programme as a live, unscripted “one man show” and stated that there was no production team or “backroom staff” involved in its broadcast.

The Licensee said that the comment about Sam Smith’s gender was part of a “throw away short link” and was not intended to offend listeners. However, it added that after reviewing the programme, the presenter’s view was that his comment was “misjudged” and had the potential to have caused offence.

Sunshine FM said that the presenter would not have deliberately sought to offend the LGBT community. It added that Paul Ellery had undertaken compliance and legal training, in addition to him attending daily meetings to review content.

In response to Ofcom’s Preliminary View, which was to record a breach of Rule 2.3, the Licensee said that the presenter had resigned from Sunshine Radio. Ofcom also provided the presenter with the opportunity to make representations in this case but he did not provide any.

Decision

Reflecting our duties under the Communications Act 2003, Section Two of the Code provides protection for members of the public from harmful and/or offensive material.

Ofcom takes into account the audience’s and the broadcaster’s right to freedom of expression set out in Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights when considering whether a broadcaster has provided listeners with adequate protection from offensive material in a programme.

Ofcom has also had due regard in the exercise of its functions to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, to advance equality of opportunity and to foster good relations between those who share a relevant protected characteristic – such as gender reassignment – and those who do not.

Rule 2.3 requires that in applying generally accepted standards, broadcasters must ensure that potentially offensive material is justified by the context. Context includes, but is not limited to, the editorial content of the programme, the service on which the material was broadcast, the time the material was broadcast and the extent to which the nature of the content can be brought to the attention of the potential audience (for example by giving information).

Ofcom first considered whether the broadcast contained material which could be considered offensive.

During the programme the presenter:

• repeated a remark he said he had heard from another source conflating Sam Smith’s gender and their sex at birth. In our view, it would have been clear to listeners from the presenter’s tone and the manner in which he was discussing this subject (“I can’t get over this...”) that he endorsed the discriminatory and dismissive remarks to which he was referring; and,
• referred to Sam Smith using the masculine pronouns “he” and “him” and said that they were “definitely a boy” despite the fact that it had been widely reported – and the story that the presenter was discussing referred to the fact – that Sam Smith was identifying as non-binary and had requested that people use the pronoun “they” when referring to them.

We considered that these comments had the potential to cause offence as they sought to ridicule Sam Smith’s non-binary status. In addition, by referring to Sam Smith using the incorrect pronoun, the presenter appeared to ignore and undermine Sam Smith’s publicly stated gender identity.

As set out above, potentially offensive comments and material can be broadcast, but the Code requires them to be justified by the context in which they are presented to the audience. Ofcom therefore went on to consider whether this content was justified by the context.

Paul Ellery in the Morning is a daily light-entertainment programme which includes discussion of news of the day. Ofcom acknowledged that listeners would therefore be likely to expect a range of personal views across a variety of subjects, some of which may be contentious or attract strong opinions from the presenter. We recognise the importance of broadcasters, in line with the right to freedom of expression, being able to discuss issues surrounding gender identity, including those relating to people who identify as non-binary. However, when discussing sensitive issues, particularly those linked to people with protected characteristics, it is important sufficient context is provided so as to comply with Rule 2.3.

In this case, the comments made by the presenter about Sam Smith were brief, which may have limited the potential for offence to some extent. However, they did not form part of a serious or considered discussion about issues related to gender identity and, at no point were his comments challenged, scrutinised or otherwise contextualised. Furthermore, the tone of the presenter’s comments was mocking, dismissive and flippant towards Sam Smith’s announcement that they were identifying as non-binary.

Noting that we only received one complaint from listeners about the presenter’s comments, we considered that the above factors established the potential for the comments in question to cause offence.

Given the strength of the presenter’s views on gender reassignment which had the potential to cause offence to listeners, and in particular, to members of the trans community, we considered that these comments were likely to have exceeded listeners’ expectations of content on this local radio station. We therefore considered that there was insufficient context to justify the potentially offensive references to Sam Smith’s gender.

We acknowledged the Licensee’s position that the comments were not intended to offend listeners, and the presenter’s acknowledgement that they were “misjudged”. However, regardless of the intent, in our view the comments had the potential to cause offence for the reasons set out above.

Ofcom was concerned by Sunshine FM’s submission that other than the presenter, no other members of a production team or “backroom staff” were involved in the broadcast of the programme. We acknowledged the steps the Licensee has taken to improve compliance prior to the presenter’s resignation, including the presenter undertaking compliance training and attending daily meetings to review content. However, given all of the above, our Decision was that the content exceeded generally accepted standards, in breach of Rule 2.3 of the Code.

Breach of Rule 2.3

Gloucestershire Constabulary have confirmed human remains found off a road in the Forest of Dean were a woman.

Earlier today officers were been granted a 36-hour magistrates' extension to continue questioning two people who were arrested on suspicion of murder.

Overnight a 12-hour custody extension had been granted for both the woman aged in her 20s and from Birmingham and the man aged in his 30s and from Wolverhampton.

The further 36-hour extension was granted at around midday today and means they can remain in custody for further questioning.

Forensic testing is ongoing to establish the identity of the victim after human remains were found by police shortly after 11.30pm on Tuesday 12 May.

Police granted more time to question suspects in murder investigation

Gloucester Police gave the following update:

Quote

Shortly after 10.30pm on Tuesday 12 May a member of the public reported suspicions to police about a vehicle due to its manner of driving.

It had been travelling on the A4136 near Coleford and officers in the local area were advised.

The vehicle was located by police a short while later and two people were spoken to.

Two suitcases were found to contain human remains and two people, a woman aged in her 20s from Birmingham and a man aged in his 30s from Wolverhampton, were subsequently arrested.

They remain in police custody following a 36-hour extension granted by magistrates at around midday today, Thursday 14 May.

A vehicle was also seized.

Investigating officers believe there is one victim, a woman, and forensic examinations are ongoing to confirm her identity.

Senior Investigating Officer DCI John Turner said: "The nature of this incident is distressing and we're working around the clock to fully understand what has happened.

"Someone's life has been lost and our priority is to identify the victim and get answers for her family.

"Searches have taken place in the surrounding area for evidence gathering and contrary to media reports no remains have been found as part of these searches.

"Our Major Crime Investigation Team is working in collaboration with the West Midlands Police homicide team to carry out further enquiries."

Photograph: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans/Rex/Shutterstock

We have acquired this old postcard recently and thought it was quite interesting..

The caption on the card says, "Hereford, Cathedral from the River Bank" It is printed and has been postally used dated September 15th 1908, what is written on the reverse is fascinating... see here >>>  https://hfd.news/2rd

Car parks around the Hills and Commons will be open from Wednesday (13th May) in response to recent Government coronavirus advice.

Following the announcement of the Government on Sunday 10th May, which allows people to travel to exercise, the Malvern Hills Trust will be reopening its car parks.Duncan Bridges, CEO of the Malvern Hills Trust said “

Quote

We have made the decision to reopen our car parks around the Hills and Commons as we are expecting to see an increased number of visitors to the Malvern Hills following the announcement.

We appreciate that some local people have concerns relating to the re-opening of the car parks but the alternative of visitors parking on the verges and along roadsides next to properties puts more people at risk as well as causing damage our local green spaces.

Over the recent Bank Holiday, we saw increased numbers of visitors to the Hills, despite the lockdown, which resulted in vehicles being parked on verges and on the open commons.

The Trust are urging people to keep their travel to a minimum, stay local where they can, and avoid crowding in ‘honey pot’ locations such as British Camp. 

Mr Bridges added

Quote

We are asking the public not to rush to visit the Hills, as we do not want to see a repeat of the Bank Holiday crowds

The organisation is also encouraging people to take the necessary precautions such as washing their hands, to stay safe and to keep up to date with the latest Government advice relating to access in the countryside.

“It is important that those who choose to exercise here follow the social distancing guidelines for their own safety, the safety of their family and the safety of the wider community.”

The car parks have been closed since the 27th March in response to the Government’s lockdown to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

Further information regarding the reopening of car parks, visiting the Hills and car park passes can be found on the Trust’s website 

STAY SAFE

Please do your bit to keep people safe and healthy and to stop the spread of the virus.  We’ve provided some further information on how you can keep yourself and others safe when exercising on the Malvern Hills and Commons in line with official Government advice.

Walking

• Explore some of the lesser known paths and avoid the more popular areas to minimise contact with others. As a walker you have a right of access over land under our care so you have lots of opportunities to find your own space. 
• Stay at least 2 metres away from others. Please be generous with space when passing people on paths. 
• Be polite and considerate to others. If you’re more mobile and able to, please step aside to allow cyclists or wheelchair users through where space is limited, to make sure everyone is at a safe distance from each other
• If walking with your dog please keep it under effective control and do not let your pet run up to other visitors. Please keep your dog on a lead near livestock as there are lambs around the countryside and it is important that you keep the sheep safe.  
• Look out for ground-nesting bird signs and keep yourself and your dog to the paths in these areas to avoid disturbing these vulnerable birds.

Cycling

• Use a bell or call out in plenty of time to alert other visitors to your approach.
• Stay at least 2 metres away from others to keep yourself and other safe.
• Be polite and considerate to others. You may need to stop and dismount or wait when passing other visitors in order to maintain a safe distance.
• Please keep your speed down and consider your abilities so you don't take risks that might cause you to require assistance from an already overstretched NHS.
• The byelaws still apply so please keep to bridleways and permissive paths (map)

Running

• Explore some of the lesser known paths and avoid the more popular areas to minimise contact with others.
• As you're more likely to be breathing hard and sweating, please take extra care to keep your distance.
• Be polite and considerate to others. You may need to slow down or stop to keep your distance to allow others the time to move aside to maintain a safe distance of 2 metres.

Please follow these tips to keep yourself and the local community safe during this difficult time.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The trust have put together some answers to questions about accessing the Malvern Hills which you can read here. They are expecting a number of enquiries at the office so please bear with them at this time.  

A 45 year old man from Leominster has been convicted of assaulting a paramedic.

William Stevens from West Street, Leominster, was sentenced at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday 1 May to twenty weeks for assaulting an emergency worker, four weeks for racially abusing an emergency worker and 2 weeks for criminal damage.

Stevens was arrested on 1 December 2019 after paramedics and police officers attended the property (which contains several flats) following concerns for the safety of one of the residents. While at the address, Stevens grabbed the paramedic by their throat and punched them in the face. He further racially abused a detention officer whilst in Hereford custody.

Chief Inspector Ross Jones said

Quote

This case shows that people who assault officers or paramedics will be arrested, investigated and put before the court. West Mercia Police will not tolerate attacks on emergency service personnel and I welcome the prison sentence handed down.

Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer, Nathan Hudson, said: 

Quote

No-one should ever get injured because they were assaulted at work, yet that is exactly what happened in this case.  What is particularly appalling is that the paramedic was there to help a patient in need but got attacked while trying to do so.

All too often, ambulance staff who have been assaulted feel let down by the judicial system, so I am pleased that the Magistrate took such a tough stance on this occasion. We know the public are outraged every time something like this happens, so hopefully such tough action will be replicated by other courts and also serve as a warning; we will always push for those who attack our staff to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

STOLEN SIGN! The temporary Canary Bridge banner has stolen.

The bridge has been named, not re-named, as a gesture of thanks to the thousands of men and women who worked at Rotherwas during WW1 and WW2 as part of the VE Day 75th anniversary celebrations.

Rotherwas Munitions Factory Project would appreciate their sign back.

If anyone has any information to the whereabouts of this sign please drop us a message in confidence and we will make sure it is returned. Thank you.

All Nurses are Super Heroes in our book.

Happy #InternationalNursesDay #NursesWeek

A car crashed into the the end of a terraced house in New St Leominster just after 9pm last night.

A very lucky escape for the family, a woman and two children who were in the property at the time but fortunately they were upstairs at the time of the incident and escaped unharmed.

Leominster fire crews were quickly on the scene and the isolated electric and gas supply to make property safe while carrying out a structural assessment.

Photo - HW Fire Leominster

Video: Sunshine Radio

A Special Tribute to the Special Air Service on this 75th VE Day

We thought we would create something to end this national day of celebration with a tribute to honour our local boys here in Hereford

Herefordshire Council are advising that it is already taking 2 hours to access the household recycling site, please consider whether your journey is essential.

Do not visit unless it is essential 

• Essential means you must only visit if waste or recycling cannot be stored at home safely or disposed of safely by other means.

By this we mean the waste cannot be stored without causing risk of injury, health or harm. There is no other reason the journey will be considered a legitimate purpose for travel. If you can temporarily store your waste or recycling in a way that does not pose a risk to yours or others safety or human health, then you must do so.

Do not visit the site if you or a member of your household are unwell, as you should be following the Government guidance on self-isolation. This means you should not visit if you are:

• Extremely vulnerable and are remaining at home for shielding purposes
• Symptomatic with coronavirus (COVID-19)
• In a 14-day household isolation

The site is now open 8.00am to 6.00pm and 7 days per week.

We have had these photographs of the bunting and flags that have been put up in various roads and streets in Hereford today and wanted to share them with you. 

How good on these! More photographs HERE

Please add photos of your street 

Happy 94th Birthday to Sir David Attenborough, you continue to be an inspiration to us all.

Amazing work created by the Pupils at the Aconbury Centre on Ross Road (Part of Herefordshire Pupil Referral Service) showing their appreciation for all Key-Workers with this brilliant mural.

Try this simple calculation to see what you will be doing this weekend ...

Police Seize £20k of Cannabis from Van in Hereford
 

The Police Operations Patrol Unit said:

Quote

Vehicle stopped in Hereford, it was on a delivery of sorts...

However with £20k worth of cannabis we had to disrupt the journey and have a long chat with the occupant in custody

On VE Day, 8 May 1945, King George VI expressed his relief that the war on the continent had come to an end in a speech to the nation, delivered from a bomb-damaged Buckingham Palace.

The King's Speech

Quote

Today we give thanks to almighty god for a great deliverance. Speaking from our empire’s oldest capital city, war-battered but never for one moment daunted or dismayed – speaking from London, I ask you to join with me in that act of thanksgiving.

Germany, the enemy who drove all Europe into war, has been finally overcome. In the far east we have yet to deal with the Japanese, a determined and cruel foe. To this we shall turn with the utmost resolve and with all our resources.

But at this hour, when the dreadful shadow of war has passed from our hearths and homes in these islands, we may at last make one pause for thanksgiving and then turn our thoughts to the tasks all over the world which peace in Europe brings with it.

Let us remember those who will not come back, their constancy and courage in battle, their sacrifice and endurance in the face of a merciless enemy: let us remember the men in all the services and the women in all the services who have laid down their lives.

We have come to the end of our tribulation, and they are not with us at the moment of our rejoicing.

Then let us salute in proud gratitude the great host of the living who have brought us to victory. I cannot praise them to the measure of each one’s service, for in a total war the efforts of all rise to the same noble height and all are devoted to the common purpose. Armed or unarmed, men and women, you have fought, striven, and endured to your utmost.

No one knows that better than I do; and as your King I thank with a full heart those who bore arms so valiantly on land and sea, or in the air; and all civilians who, shouldering their many burdens, have carried them unflinchingly without complaint.

With those memories in our minds, let us think what it was that has upheld us through nearly six years of suffering and peril. The knowledge that everything was at stake: our freedom, our independence, our very existence as a people; but the knowledge also that in defending ourselves we were defending the liberties of the whole world; that our cause was the cause not of this nation only, not of this empire and commonwealth only, but of every land where freedom is cherished and law and liberty go hand in hand.

In the darkest hours we knew that the enslaved and isolated peoples of Europe looked to us their hopes were our hopes; their confidence confirmed our faith. We knew that, if we failed, the last remaining barrier against a worldwide tyranny would have fallen in ruins. But we did not fail. We kept our faith with ourselves and with one another; we kept faith and unity with our great allies.

That faith and unity have carried us to victory through dangers which at times seemed overwhelming. 

So let us resolve to bring to the tasks which lie ahead the same high confidence in our mission. Much hard work awaits us, both in the restoration of our own country after the ravages of war and in helping to restore peace and sanity to a shattered world.

This comes upon us at a time when we have all given of our best. For five long years and more, heart and brain, nerve and muscle have been directed upon the overthrow of Nazi tyranny. Now we turn, fortified by success, to deal with our last remaining foe. The Queen and I know the ordeals which you have endured throughout the commonwealth and empire.

We are proud to have shared some of these ordeals with you, and we know also that together we shall all face the future with stern resolve and prove that our reserves of willpower and vitality are inexhaustible.

There is great comfort in the thought that the years of darkness and danger in which the children of our country have grown up are over and, please god, forever.

We shall have failed, and the blood of our dearest will have flowed in vain, if the victory which they died to win does not lead to a lasting peace, founded on justice and established in good will. To that, then, let us turn our thoughts on this day of just triumph and proud sorrow; and then take up our work again, resolved as a people to do nothing unworthy of those who died for us and to make the world such a world as they would have desired, for their children and for ours.

This is the task to which now honour binds us. In the hour of danger we humbly committed our cause into the hand of god, and He has been our strength and shield.

Let us thank him for his mercies, and in this hour of victory commit ourselves and our new task to the guidance of that same strong hand.

#LestWeForget

Today is the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day or 'VE Day' when the Allies formally accepted Germany’s surrender, marking a significant date towards the end of the Second World War.

These were some of the newspaper headlines from that special day;

Daily Mail                                                                               Daily Mirror
  
Daily Telegraph                                                                   Daily Express

  
Photographs courtesy of the Press Gazette