Letters - Monday, July 26, 2021

Whether people are right that the proposed Channel 4 sell-off is “politically motivated” I cannot say, but reading through the Government’s consultation paper there seems little logic in its thinking.

With an important base in Leeds, it’s now a great contributor to the northern economy. It commissions work from many independent producers, something the Government should be supporting.

A likely purchaser would be American, without any commitment to the north or independent producers.

These proposals should be quietly dropped.

Roger Backhouse

via email

Why on earth does this Government want to sell Channel 4 when it isn’t broken?

Can it not learn from the mistake when it sold East Coast Main Line... only to buy it back and rename it LNER?

There are more pressing things to sort than this.

On the same subject, sad to see Morrisons being taken over by a foreign company – Sir Ken Morrison will be turning in his grave.

Jarvis Browning

via email

VIRUS

Detached from reality

Last October Boris Johnson showered praise on frontline NHS workers for their “courage and dedication” during the pandemic.

At the same time it has been alleged that he was telling his aides that he “did not buy all this NHS overwhelmed stuff”.

The most disturbing thing about this allegation is that it implies we have a leader who is lethally detached from reality.

The evidence that the NHS has been and will be overwhelmed is so stark that many staff members were unable to sleep, haunted by the dread of the next day’s work.

Their fears were borne out by the numbers: 300 deaths a day by the end of October; 600 by late November; 1,500 by late December.

Following ‘Freedom Day’, there are no longer any meaningful government efforts to contain Covid.

Numbers of Covid admissions are doubling every two weeks and life-saving surgeries are being cancelled.

This is before having to contend with influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, hypothermia, icy pavements and other seasonal emergencies.

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson (pictured) tries to banish the virus with more pompous, delusional bluff and bluster.

John Prance

Lancashire

APPEAL

Singing for the Brain initiative

Many of your readers will recognise how powerful music can be; the way it can evoke memories and emotions, uplift, calm or comfort us. There are around 17,000 people living with dementia in Lancashire and we want more to benefit from Alzheimer’s Society’s popular Singing for the Brain initiative.

It is an uplifting and stimulating group activity, built around familiar and new songs, with fun vocal warm-ups.

By uniting people affected by dementia through song, Singing for the Brain helps to reduce social isolation, improve quality of life, wellbeing and mood – which has never been needed more, as many people have significantly deteriorated from the knock-on effects of lockdown.

Alzheimer’s Society is expanding the way we provide support in the community and your readers could play an important part in helping us reach more people affected by dementia.

In addition to our Singing for the Brain groups, we are now offering bespoke training to care providers, organisations or individuals across the UK, with an interest in music, to run their own group and become a Singing for the Brain delivery partner. We have seen and heard many times how music memory is often retained when other memories are lost.

Even in advanced stages of dementia, music can help tap into long-term memories – for some, this can mean they can communicate through singing when no longer able to do so through speech.

I’d like to urge your readers to find out more, and register their interest, by visiting alzheimers.org.uk/singingforthebrain

Tara Edwards

Alzheimer’s Society Lancashire Area Manager

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