Latest news with #Bristol
BBC News
3 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Young Bristol athlete set to compete in MMA world championships
A 13-year-old from Bristol has been chosen to represent England at the Junior MMA (mixed martial arts) World Championships in Abu Thomas, from Lyde Green, won gold in the Youth C category at the 2025 IMMAF (International Mixed Martial Arts Federation) European Championships in Serbia in started jiu-jitsu at the age of nine and was headhunted by a coach from Great Britain young athlete, who trains at Roger Gracie Bristol said he feels confident about representing his country. Speaking to BBC Radio Bristol, he said: "There's no pressure on my shoulders. I've trained for this, so what's the point for me to feel pressure for?" Cairo has been competing in jiu-jitsu since 2022 and said he has hopes of turning professionally one said he was spotted by one of the Great Britain coaches at a Junior MMA competition in November."It's always been a mind game for me," said Cairo."For most of these kids my age, they started from when they were around four or five years old."I thought I started way too late. But when I started to fight kids way more experienced than me, I started to realise that if I've got the right mindset and if I train hard enough, I can still beat these kids and compete with them." Sports England, which provides funding for community sports clubs and organisations, does not recognise MMA as having a fully established governing means that the funding channels for grassroots and elite sports do not yet include junior MMA mum, Leilani-Chyna Thomas, has set up a GoFundMe page to to try and get the £6,000 needed to take part in the said she was incredibly proud of her son, describing him a "talented, hardworking young athlete"."I know that Cairo will go to the top. One thing about him is that he sets goals and achieves goals."As a single mum, she said she felt jiu-jitsu would be a positive driving force in her son's life, allowing him to stay focused and giving him the skills to defend himself, if needed. "There's not a lot for kids to do nowadays," explained Ms Thomas, recalling how there were more youth clubs around when she was young."All that pent-up energy for kids, all they can do is muck around and get themselves into trouble."I'd rather him channel his energy into something that'll help him when he's older." Clayton Chamberlain, co-founder of Roger Gracie Bristol, said Cairo is one of the most talented athletes he has met in his 40 years of MMA."Cairo has been with us for nearly a year now. From the moment I met him, I could tell he was a special kid."I've met thousands of people through martial arts but I could just tell he had something different about him."He's solely focused on one thing. I have every belief that he's going to be able to get it."
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
'Banana bridge' reopening after year-long closure
Bristol's so-called "banana bridge" will reopen at midday after £1.4m in repairs. Langton Street Bridge - given its nickname because of its shape and colour - was closed to pedestrians and cyclists in May 2024. The bridge's structure, masonry and decking have been repaired and a handrail installed. Its renovation was paid for from a £16m fund secured from the previous government for a programme of eight bridge repairs along the New Cut of the River Avon. Councillor Ed Plowden, chair of Bristol City Council's Transport and Connectivity Committee, said he was "delighted" the bridge is reopening. "The refurbishment has safe-guarded this Grade II listed structure for many years to come," he added. The council said the work had been completed five months earlier than scheduled, though the road closure on York Road continues while the sides of the New Cut are shored up. A group of local residents said a better approach to maintaining the bridges would be more monitoring of potential problems, to avoid so many routes over the river being shut for so long. Ed Hall, from Friends Of The New Cut, said: "They've not maintained this. They've allowed trees to grow along the edges of the New Cut. "These bridges are the major carbon-free ways that thousands and thousands of people use to cross the river." Bristol City Council has been contacted for comment. The following bridge works have been completed as part of the project: Langton Street Bridge, finished in 2025 New Brislington Bridge on Feeder Road, repaired in 2024 Gaol Ferry Bridge, completed in 2023 The following work is still ongoing: Bathurst Swing Bridge was closed in the spring and will be shut for up to two years Sparke Evans Parke Bridge linking Paintworks with Avonmeads was shut in October 2023 for up to two years Vauxhall Bridge closed in October 2023 for up to three years The following repairs are still to come: Bath New Bridge, twin crossings on Bath Bridges Roundabout near Temple Meads Bedminster Bridge, twin crossings which form a roundabout Crucial footbridge reopens after repairs overran Bridge closure having big impact on businesses City bridge closed as final repairs get under way Bristol City Council
BBC News
4 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Bristol 'banana bridge' to reopen after £1.4m of repairs
Bristol's so-called "banana bridge" will reopen at midday after £1.4m in Street Bridge - given its nickname because of its shape and colour - was closed to pedestrians and cyclists in May bridge's structure, masonry and decking have been repaired and a handrail renovation was paid for from a £16m fund secured from the previous government for a programme of eight bridge repairs along the New Cut of the River Avon. Councillor Ed Plowden, chair of Bristol City Council's Transport and Connectivity Committee, said he was "delighted" the bridge is reopening."The refurbishment has safe-guarded this Grade II listed structure for many years to come," he added. The council said the work had been completed five months earlier than scheduled, though the road closure on York Road continues while the sides of the New Cut are shored up.A group of local residents said a better approach to maintaining the bridges would be more monitoring of potential problems, to avoid so many routes over the river being shut for so Hall, from Friends Of The New Cut, said: "They've not maintained this. They've allowed trees to grow along the edges of the New Cut."These bridges are the major carbon-free ways that thousands and thousands of people use to cross the river."Bristol City Council has been contacted for comment. The following bridge works have been completed as part of the project:Langton Street Bridge, finished in 2025New Brislington Bridge on Feeder Road, repaired in 2024Gaol Ferry Bridge, completed in 2023The following work is still ongoing:Bathurst Swing Bridge was closed in the spring and will be shut for up to two yearsSparke Evans Parke Bridge linking Paintworks with Avonmeads was shut in October 2023 for up to two yearsVauxhall Bridge closed in October 2023 for up to three yearsThe following repairs are still to come:Bath New Bridge, twin crossings on Bath Bridges Roundabout near Temple MeadsBedminster Bridge, twin crossings which form a roundabout
BBC News
4 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Woman to run race after thinking cancer was freshers' flu
A woman who thought her cancer was "Freshers' flu" will officially start a race raising funds to cure the Pearson was starting university hen she assumed her runny nose, fatigue, and persistent cough were common cold symptoms, but was then diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma."If I'd been born 30 years earlier, that diagnosis could have been a death sentence," Ms Pearson, who underwent chemotherapy, cancer free for nearly 20 years, Ms Pearson, 37, is participating in the Bristol Race for Life in memory of her mum, Jo, who died from lung cancer aged 64. Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that begins in the lymphatic system, a key part of the body's immune defence, according to Cancer Research UK."On the Wednesday of Freshers' Week, I noticed a lump on the side of my neck and just felt really rubbish," Ms Pearson said."I assumed it was just Freshers' Flu. But when it hadn't cleared up after a month, I went to the GP."Initially, Ms Pearson was told to wait to see if her symptoms resolved but was eventually informed, after multiple rounds of blood tests and a biopsy, that she had Hodgkin lymphoma. Despite undergoing six months of chemotherapy, Ms Pearson completed all her first-year university exams, including one taken just hours after a treatment is now the commissioning editor at BBC Science Focus magazine and will be the VIP starter at the Race for Life in Bristol on Sunday."I was devastated when my mum died," Ms Pearson said."She was a smoker, and I know there's a lot of stigma around lung cancer because of that - but it's more complex than people realise. "Everyone deserves compassion and support, no matter how their illness came about."I'm so excited and honoured to be starting Race for Life Bristol. It's a powerful reminder of how far we've come in cancer research - and how much more we can achieve together."
Telegraph
12 hours ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Students offered free rape test kits
Students are being offered free rape test kits to collect and store the DNA of alleged attackers in an effort to combat sexual violence on university campuses. The set includes a swab for alleged victims to use on themselves at home and then send to a testing company, which freezes some of the genetic material in case they decide to report an attack to the police and need physical evidence. However, the creators of the initiative said its main aim was to act as a deterrent to non-consensual sex, because it would mean that any student would know that 'if you don't get consent, your DNA could stay on file'. Katie White, co-founder of not-for-profit organisation Enough, said: 'A lot of people see it as like the breathalyser. The existence of it prevents what it is designed to measure.' Ms White and fellow co-founder Tom Allchurch have piloted the initiative at the University of Bristol, where 8,000 students have been provided with the kits. The pair, who left their jobs to launch the venture with £100,000 from donors, are in talks with other universities, as well as police and crime commissioners, to run similar pilots in other cities. They said it was not a 'criminal justice' alternative to reporting a rape or sexual assault to the police – which users are advised to do if that is their intent. Instead, the duo said it was designed to provide an avenue for 'social justice' where victims report a potential offence that they might otherwise not take any further. The swab, similar to a Covid test pack, comes with a free post envelope to send to a lab which tests half the sample and freezes the remainder. Each student receives a number and DNA result, telling them if the material is male or female, but otherwise all details are anonymous. Each alleged victim is also provided with an encrypted digital account in which they can write down what happened, which could provide contemporaneous evidence if they subsequently decide to report a sexual assault to police. 'Most people who go to the police go a week afterwards,' said Ms White. Students are also advised to consider a checklist of actions such as taking pregnancy and sexual disease tests, while they are further offered access to online therapy videos by an established clinical specialist. Alleged victims are also given the opportunity to make an anonymous statement which can be publicised on social media. Ms White said: 'Ninety per cent of students don't report [sexual violence], they want to forget what happened and move on, rather than feel like they are turning it into a bigger deal. 'Many can be put off by... [the wait for a] trial, on average over two years. They know conviction rates are low, and they also fear that their friends may not believe them.' During the pilot scheme in Bristol, 200 students reported assaults or rapes, compared with just two who reported attacks to the university during the same time frame the previous year. Ms White said others had used the scheme to check if they had been a victim of date rape. A survey of Bristol students found 90 per cent knew about Enough, 70 per cent said they felt it had prevented sexual violence, and 86 per cent said they would report a rape to Enough. Ms White added: 'It is not about replacing criminal justice. It's complementary to it. The only thing that it is an alternative to is inaction. 'We not going to break this cycle of rape and sexual violence going up unless we have a form of reporting that victims are comfortable with and perpetrators feel threatened by.'
