HOPEThe Edwardian

MEET OUR TEAM

Stefan Wilkinson-Hill - Music

Carly Ann Park - Editor

Rachael Bourke - Climate Change

Vlad Makar - Christian Theology

Lucy Hunter - History

Charlotte Olmos - Book Review

Ria Ann Sam - Health and Well-being

Sophie Warrington - Sports

Shade Obiti - Wishful Thinking

National Poetry Announcement

Go, Jacinta! As a College family, we are all so proud of you and wehope your poem will inspire others in many ways. Her poem is onthe next page of the magazine to read and enjoy.

Her phenomenal poem and 'Top 100' other poems in thecompetition will be published online as a celebration of thesacrifices made over the last year by millions of workers. CeciliaKnapp (Young People's Poet Laureate for London), along withtwo judges, were more than impressed with Jacinta's winningentry. Cecilia Knapp even offered her personal congratulations.

A big congratulations to Jacinta W (Year 10) on winning firstprize in the 'Poetry for Good' - Growing Word category poemcompetition.

Life SupportShe was oxygen; transparent.

Like the infinite windows she wipedInfinite like the spiraling stairs she scrubbed

Which made her dizzy looking up

She was oxygen; lethal.Eloquent and valiant and beautifully strong

Vivacity screamed through her humble mumblesWhen provoked into a monoxide of carbon

She was oxygen; exposed.Paperless without a choice in the matter

Wiping diseased desks deprived of protective clothes.Did her voice, her opinion, her thoughts not matter?

She was oxygen; everywhere.In escalators, corridors, toilets, canteens

Molecular, with her mop and bucket and netted hairAnywhere deemed dirty enough to require a clean

She was oxygen; invisible.Discounted, dismissed, disregardedBy the poisonous pontifical people

Parading in a pool of palpable pride.

She was oxygen.She was exploited and unappreciated

If they were on life support, maybe thenThey’d cherish her diligent efforts.

Maybe then they’d treasure her time.

Maybe then they’d prize her profession.

Maybe then they’d realize.

She was oxygen. Crucial.

TABLE OF CONTENTSp

ecia

l tha

nks to

VladMakar for helping editing the magazine and

Miss Digney!

Stefan's Soundtrack Page 1 - 2Stefan Wilkinson-Hill

How Martin Luther King Jr.Became the Symbol of Hope?

Lucy Hunter Page 3 - 4

The Three Virtues Vlad Makar Page 5

Books That Can EncourageYou To Have Hope

Charlotte Olmos Page 6 - 7

What Hope Do We Have ForClimate Change?

Rachael Bourke Page 8

How Hope Can Help You FeelHappier and Healthier?

Ria Ann Sam Page 9 - 10

Hope in Sport Sophie Warrington Page 11

Hope For a HealthierTomorrow

Shade Obiti Page 12 - 13

Music is one of the purest forms of expression. It

can convey such raw emotion- passion (think

Rachmaninov), torment (think Stravinsky) and

indeed hope. Throughout lockdown, music brought

hope to the lives of so many, offering a sense of

escapism to those struggling with the tough

situation we found ourselves in. I thought I’d use

this short section of the magazine to give some

musical suggestions across the genres, if you want

to be cheered up!

The supergroup consisting of members of bands

such as Blur, Muse and Jet released the album

“You’ve Always Been Here”, a brilliant album of

covers of some of the great songs of the 60s, all

recorded with a great sense of life and new

energy. A particular favourite of mine was the

rocking track ‘Reach Out I’ll Be There’, a cover

of the song of the same name by the Four Tops.

This version is laden with a brilliant bassline

from Bellamy, fantastic pops of brass and a vocal

performance so filled with energy that the song

is carried throughout its 3 minute run time with

a sense of urgency and uplifting joy.

Taking the music industry by storm this year, ‘The

Weeknd’ has had an utterly brilliant period of

releases. His 2019 release “Blinding Lights”

gripped the music scene, with its boppy synths,

catchy hooks and almost enchanting vocal lines. A

sure mood lifter!

Stefan's Soundtrack

Page 1

Stefan Wilkinson-Hill

Pop: Blinding Lights (The Weeknd)

Rock: Reach Out I’ll Be There (Jaded Hearts Club)

Film Scores: Yoda and the Force (John Williams – Star Wars)

Funk/Soul: Sir Duke (Stevie Wonder)

Classical: Zadok the Priest (Handel)

Bear with me for this pick! Now I know there’s so

many brilliant film scores out there, but just listen to

this track by John Williams and tell me you don’t

get chills! Indeed, the opening section is restrained

and odd- you can almost feel the strange energy

around you. However, from around 2:30 when we

hear Yoda’s theme passed to the oboes, and flutes

fluttering- we can feel the build. Suddenly strings

fill our ears, the brass comes in, and we can

absolutely picture this master raising the ship out of

the water. Regardless of your persuasions regarding

Star Wars (I’m looking at you Freddie Mercury!), I

do feel this piece of orchestration touches you

regardless! Just maybe turn off before the imperial

march plays at the end- far less hopeful!

Jazz: Giant Steps (John Coltrane)

Is there anything more uplifting than an organ,

arpeggiated strings and a whopping great choir?

Actually, don’t answer that question! A stupendous

use of harmony from Handel teases us constantly

with the resolution, before finally exploding into a

brass filled choral blast of epic proportions. A great

day starter, mid day motivator or end of the day

treat-- Though I don’t advise a before bed listen,

unless you fancy dreaming of a coronation, only to

be rudely awoken by the choir proclaiming

“rejoice”!

Fancy listening to what Wii music would have

sounded like had it been written in 1960? Well,

John Coltrane is your man with this most

harmonically ridiculous of pieces. The

outrageousness of the chord progression is

fantastic as it hops about the circle of fifths. My

particular favourite moment is listening to the

pianist struggle through his improv- wrestling

with the chords- only for Coltrane to immediately

pick back up with a mind bending saxophone solo.

Absolutely maddeningly fun!

From the first line of brass, it's clear that Stevie

Wonder has created the perfect groove. Lyrics

talking of the brilliance of music itself, references to

the greats of jazz, a shout chorus to rival one of

Ellington himself, and a masterful use of chromatic

harmony- this song is bound to cheer you up! You’ll

feel it all over! (Please allow me that pun!)

Page 2

Martin Luther King Jr. started out as a CatholicBaptist minister in Atlanta, Georgia- one of theSouthern, “Bible Belt” states of America, which, atthe time, forced its African-American citizens tolive under horrific Jim Crow segregation laws.The laws separated white and black Americans inevery aspect of their lives: schools, housing,public transport, water fountains and prettymuch anything else you can think of! King, alongwith others in his community, felt as though thissystem of injustice and discrimination needed tochange, and, it was, in fact, his strength anddetermination that enabled the movement tobecome so impactful. Following a trip to India,King met with the renowned father of non-violent protest, Mahatma Gandhi, who inspiredhim, along with his strong Christian beliefs, tobegin his peaceful yet effective civil rightscampaign.

The first incident where America witnessedMartin Luther King’s leadership was during theMontgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, following thearrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to give up herbus seat to a white man. King and E.D Nixonplanned and led a boycott of public transport inMontgomery, Alabama, which lasted for 385days- during which time, King was subject tohorrendous personal abuse, was arrested and hishome was even bombed by a white supremacyterrorist. Despite angry protestors gatheringaround his house, King subsequently spoke out tohis supporters, preaching to them:

These are the words spoken by the greatlyadmired Civil Rights pioneer Martin Luther KingJr. King, who is remembered today for hisunbridled passion and determination inadvancing the position of African-Americans allacross the USA, and, technically, the world. Butwhat is it that makes King so special? And whatdid he do which ignited a huge, unprecedentedsense of hope amongst Americans?

“We must accept finitedisappointment but neverlose infinite hope”

“I want you to love our enemies. Begood to them, love them, and let themknow you love them”

“If I stop, this movementwill not stop”

How Martin Luther King Jr.Became the Symbol of Hope?

Lucy Hunter

This astounding reaction demonstrates King’sprofound compassion and belief in non-violence.King followed by saying that:

providing hope and reassurance to blackAmericans that he will continue to fight for andprotect them, and will not stand down.

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To continue, arguably the most famous andimpactful protest in American history: The Marchon Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 wasled by King and inspired by his ideals andteachings. This protest, and its impact becamethe physical embodiment of all that King strivedto do. On the 28th August 1963, over 250,000people- black and white- gathered together infront of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.Firstly, even the location was significant, as ittook place in front of a statue of the presidentwho abolished slavery of black Americans-Abraham Lincoln, and it was near the WhiteHouse, to attract the attention of PresidentKennedy and Vice President Johnson. The eventalso attracted huge media attention, and manycelebrities. However, by far the most famousthing to happen at the March was Martin LutherKing’s “I Have a Dream Speech”, where he clearlyset out the demands of the African-Americancommunity: a truly inspirational and brave callfor civil rights and equality. A line whichsummarises the speech is:

The impact the March on Washington had uponthe nation was profound: shortly afterwards,King met with Kennedy and Johnson and theydiscussed what would become the provisions forthe monumental Civil Rights Act of 1964 and theVoting Rights Act of 1965. These two pieces oflegislation, both inspired by King, would makediscrimination bases on race illegal, and enableAfrican-Americans to vote. It is important to notethat the Civil Rights Act would then go on tooutlaw discrimination based on sexualorientation, and gender identity- showing theimpact King has had on other groups as well.Additionally, King was made Time Magazine’sMan of the Year in 1963- becoming the first blackperson to do so, and received an honourableNobel Peace Prize in October 1964.

Even after his assassination in 1968, King stillremains a powerful symbol of peace, equality andhope all around the world, as many aspects offreedom enjoyed by previously oppressed groupsof society becoming possible thanks to hisunmatched bravery and commitment. In America,Martin Luther King Jr. day is now a nationalholiday in January to celebrate his birthday andcommemorate his outstanding work and honourhis legacy. Many landmarks are named after himall over the world to remember him, and to showhow far his impact has spread: such as a churchin Hungary, a forest in Israel, a school in Ghanaand over a thousand streets! To conclude,although it is difficult to summarise all of MartinLuther King’s achievements into one article, Ihope that you have a greater understanding andappreciation of just how innovative, progressiveand powerful his actions were, and the extent towhich he gave hope to people all around theworld!

“I have a dream that my four childrenwill one day live in a nation wherethey will not be judges by the colour oftheir skin but by the content of theircharacter”

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Lastly, it is Charity. Such theological virtueelaborates how we love God above all thingsfor his own sake and our neighbours asourselves for the love of God. Charity upholdsand purifies our human ability to love, hencethe fact that it is linked in with divine love.Its main focus is to allow humanity to be ableto appreciate and respect those around us tobecome morally better people as well assatisfy, not just ourselves, but others aroundus too.

Firstly, we will look upon Faith. Faith is thetheological virtue by which we believe in Godand believe all that God has said and revealed tous. This virtue enables Christians to have astrong bond and belief in God. Christian thinkershave such ability to get closer and betterunderstand God as part of their religion. As aresult, it leads to such believers to seekknowledge and do God’s will for their ownbeliefs.

To summarise this altogether, these virtuesgain humanity the possibility of bonding withGod, putting own trust in God andappreciating God to come across as rolemodels for other Christians in thecommunity as well as to get into heaven.Henceforth, becoming well known as thethree virtues within the theological beliefs.

Faith, Hope and Charity are the three virtuesassociated with Christian Theology believed tohave derived from the grace of God. Suchtheological virtues help to conduct oneself in amorally good manner to become a better person.This article will look further into each of thevirtues as well as what they are.

Next up is Hope. Allowing the desire to be in thekingdom of heaven and eternal life. AllowingChristians to place their trust in God during anytasks and situations they may come across.

Essentially, it is aiding the explanation forGod allowing humans to experience andexpose their feelings as well as happinessthat inspires man’s activities to do good toget into heaven.

Vlad MakarThe Three Virtues

Page 5

Hope is continuously expressed in the novel through itsthemes, issues and characters. Atticus Finch is anoptimistic lawyer who hopes to win in his defence,despite knowing that he cannot succeed because anAfrican-American wouldn’t win against a white man.He is from the higher class and defends the lower classand still has the anticipation to win. The Finch familyhas hope as Atticus teaches his children to be acceptingand have open-minds, and the racism and prejudice thatthey witness sparks a hope for change and for a worldthat will one day be equal and fair. Atticus knows that hecan never lose this hope and tries to teach his childrenthe same:

The Bell Jar depicts the story of a young college studentnamed Esther Greenwood who is selected as a guesteditor of a magazine in New York for a month, but findsher time there to be unfulfilling whist struggling withissues of identity and the status quo. The novel ispartially based on Plath’s own life, and is celebrated forits darkly funny and razor-sharp portrait of a societywhich refuses to take women’s aspirations seriously.The Bell Jar can often be regarded as being quite adepressing book, as Plath herself battled withdepression before her suicide. It deals with explicitinterpretations of suicide, self-harm and mental illness;however it doesn’t ever really show a lack of hope. Agreat deal of troubling things happen to Esther but inthe end she still lives. She falls, gets help, increasinglygets better, and the ambiguity of the final page lets usimagine a future for her external to her sufferings. Itgoes to show that all those who suffer with depression oranxiety can still maintain hope, and the noveltranscends what we all know as sadness and reflects itback on us, helping us to understand and sympathisemore. Periods of depression and loss of identity doesnot always mean that there is an incapacity for hope.

In Atwood’s near future novel The Handmaid’s Tale, aChristian fundamentalist regime called the Republic ofGilead has staged a military coup and established atheocratic government in the United States. The regimetheoretically restricts everyone, but in practice a fewmen have structured Gilead so that they have all thepower, especially over women. The novel follows the taleof a handmaid under the name of Offred, who is offeredonly one function by the regime: to breed. If shedeviates, she will be hanged at the wall or sent out to dieslowly of radiation sickness. However, even thisrepressive state cannot obliterate desire- neitherOffred’s nor that of the two men on which her futurehangs.

To Kill a Mockingbird is about a lawyer’s advice to hischildren as he defends an innocent black man chargedwith the rape of a white girl. Told through the youngeyes of Scout Finch, Harper Lee explores theirrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in theDeep South during the Great Depression. Theconscience of Maycomb, Alabama steeped in prejudice,violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of oneman’s struggle for justice.

Books That Can EncourageYou To Have Hope

“I wanted you to see what real courageis, instead of getting the idea thatcourage is a man with a gun in his hand.It’s when you know you’re licked beforeyou begin, but you begin anyway and seeit through no matter what.”

Charlotte Olmos

The Bell Jar- Slyvia Plath

To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee

The Handmaid’s Tale

Page 6

Offred describes the horror of Gilead as she experiencesit from day to day, and the act of telling her storybecomes a rebellion against her society. Gilead seeks tosilence women, but Offred speaks out, even if it is onlyto an imaginary reader, to her presumed dead husbandLuke, or to God. Gilead denies women control of theirown lives, but Offred’s creation of a story gives her, asshe puts it, “control over the ending”. Most importantly,Offred’s creation of a narrative gives her hope for thefuture, a sense that “there will be an ending… and reallife will come after it”. She can hope that someone willhear her story, or that she will tell it to Luke someday.Offred finds the only avenue of rebellion available in hertotalitarian society: she denies Gilead control of herinner life, which is something that all of us can havecontrol of if nothing else.

Set in the mid-1800s, escaped slave Sethe is haunted bythe violent trauma slavery wrought on her former life atSweet Home plantation in Kentucky. Her dead babydaughter, whose tombstone bears the single word,Beloved, returns as a spectre to punish her mother, butalso to elicit her love. Sethe faces a constant strugglewith the past, mainly grappling with her inability to findforgiveness for herself for the murder of her child. Herregret and overwhelming emotions about this actioninhibit her ability to live in the present, as well asnegatively impacting her sense of self-worth.Throughout the novel, Morrison suggests that there ishope to move on from the struggles of the past. Sethehad previously felt that her “best thing” was her childrensince they didn’t endure her past hardships, howeverMorrison implies that there is hope for her to move pastthe emotional impacts that these hardships have had onher life, as Sethe is able to come to the conclusion that

Gone with the Wind is a story about civil war,starvation, heartbreak, death, and slavery. Disaster isfrequently brought up again and again, however therelentless determination of the principal character,Scarlett O’Hara provides a useful lesson of nevergiving in. O’Hara is depicted to be one of the mostruthlessly optimistic characters in literature. Shemaintains a headstrong hopefulness of marchingblindly into the future, as her society collapses aroundher. Mitchell carefully analyses the nature of humanresilience, and holds up hopefulness as the critical toolfor getting through the worst times. Paradoxically,hope is also Scarlett’s Achilles heel. She clings on to thedream of her great unfulfilled love, Ashley (who has nointerest in her), for years- wilfully ignoring any othercourse to happiness. Her focus on tomorrowconstantly pushes good deeds into an intermediatefuture. Nevertheless, during bleak and helpless days, itis Scarlett’s belief that tomorrow will be better thatfeels endlessly and gleefully hopeful...

“you are yourown best thing”

After all...“Tomorrow

is anotherday.”

Beloved- Toni Morrison

Gone with the Wind- Margaret Mitchell

Page 7

As a generation we can do so much to fight climatechange, we have a voice and we are not scared to use it.From young people taking to the streets, to over 12,000people lobbying their MP in June 2019, it was inspiringto see so many people care about our planet in 2019. Aswith a large number of things, climate change protestshad to be cancelled in 2020 but that didn’t stop peoplefrom making a change. A number of online petitionswere set up and hundreds of thousands of peoplesigned them. This shows that people do care about theimpacts of climate change and won't even let a globalpandemic stop them, this gives us hope that worldleaders will notice our concern and help us stop climatechange whilst we can.

Now what can you do to help give us hope forclimate change? Think about these things, whilstyou brush your teeth- Do you leave the tap on? Doyou get someone to drive you somewhere eventhough you could walk or even take publictransport? When you leave your room for a fewminutes do you leave the light on? If you answeredyes to any of these then you are part of theproblem. These may only seem small to you, but ifa large number of people do this then its not such asmall problem anymore! So step up! Takeresponsibility for your actions and help us to helpyou make a difference and give everyone hope fora better future and hope for climate change.

I think we can all agree that the year 2020 was a strangeone, however some positives did come out of it. Thecorona virus pandemic has shaken our sense ofinvulnerability and has reminded all of us that it ispossible for our world to turn upside down in ways thatwe can’t control. People realised that they might not beable to control what the pandemic was doing but thereare other things we can control and take action on, andone of those is climate change. During the course of theyear, we saw carbon emissions fall quite considerably,by around 7% at its peak, due to the fact that no one wastravelling anywhere for a large portion of the year.

More and more countries are moving over torenewable energy, it's cleaner and so much better forour environment- this will massively give us hope forclimate change! It is becoming the cheaper version inmany places allowing more countries to afford it. At aUN General assembly in September, the ChinesePresident announced that China aimed to go

carbon neutral by 2060. Other countries were alsokeen to announce they would try and cut carbonemissions significantly. In the last decade, as cleanenergy technology had grown vastly more efficientand productive utility providers and businessesaround the globe have started to use renewableenergy; this gives our our planet more hope for thefuture and with this, we can slow down the rate ofclimate change.

Rachael BourkeWHAT HOPE DO WE HAVEFOR CLIMATE CHANGE?

Page 8

In November 2021, world leaders will meet inGlasgow for the successor to the landmark Parismeeting in 2015. In Paris, the world agreed to avoidthe worst impacts of climate change by trying tolimit global temperature increase to 2*C abovepreindustrial levels by the end of the centuries.

In a world full of fear, stress, and sadness, it canbecome second-nature to develop a negativeworldview. There seems to be more pain thanyou can heal, more dissent than you canmediate, and more uncertainty than you canmake sense of. In times like these, what optionsare there to comfort yourself and bring forthpositivity?

Hope is the very best reaction for the moment.It’s crucial to our physical and mental health. Itguards against anxiety and despair. And itprotects us from stress: Research shows thatpeople with higher levels of hope have bettercoping skills and bounce back from setbacksfaster. They’re better at problem-solving andhave lower levels of burnout. They havestronger relationships because theycommunicate better and are more trusting.

Hope is a powerful antidote to feelings ofdespair and desolation. A life marked by hope isa life marked by optimism, regardless of whereyou find yourself. It doesn’t mean that you arealways happy or that you can’t feel emotionslike hurt, sadness, or anger, but it does meanthat your view of your circumstances—andthose of the world around you—goes beyondwhat is actually happening.

When you hold onto hope, you begin tounderstand that you are part of a greaternarrative that includes both global andpersonal experiences of joy and suffering.Simply put, hope brings perspective. It cansustain you during the hard times and bringeven more fulfilment to the good times.

How Hope Can Help You FeelHappier and Healthier?

Ria Ann Sam

The difference between those who let theircircumstances bring them down and those whochoose to embrace the goodness of life and findthat comfort lies with the important element ofhope.

Page 9

So, if maintaining hope in the long run is so

good for us, how do we increase it? Or build

hope if it’s MIA? Here are four suggestions:

Attend a motivational speech—or watch, read orlisten to one online, through YouTube, a blog or

podcast. That increases hope, although usually thefix is short-lived. How can you build longer-term

hope?Engage with a religious or spiritual community.

This has worked for millennia. Amidst a communityof like believers, people have drawn strength, found

peace and experienced the elevation of the humanspirit, just by knowing there is something or

someone much larger than them.Forgive. Participating in a forgiveness group, or

completing a forgiveness do-it-yourselfworkbook, builds hope, say scientists. It also

reduces depression and anxiety and increases(perhaps this is obvious) your capacity toforgive. That’s true even with long-held

grudges.

Choose a “hero of hope.” Some have changedhistory: Nelson Mandela endured 27 years ofimprisonment yet persevered to build a new

nation. Franklin Delano Roosevelt brought hopeto millions for a decade during the Great

Depression. Ronald Reagan brought hope to aworld that seemed forever mired in the Cold

War.

The truth is, there is always somethingyou can celebrate in your life.Celebrations are usually reserved for bigmilestones but you also have theopportunity to celebrate the little things.

Page 10

Football and sport in general creates a sense ofcommunity and camaraderie; this is something thatmany of us have had over the past year or so. It hasbeen amazing to see stadiums begin to housethousands of fans for matches, where they canwatch their beloved teams that they apply so muchemotion into.

This gave so many sports fans hope that they willbe able to support their teams and see them developand win but also support for losses. This past 12months have been a hard time for all and havingsupper for each other is what we all need and withsupporting sporting endeavours whether that bethrough personal or elite level, sport is the best wayto feel hope and give hope.

Luckily, restrictions have begun to lift and since the29th of March grassroots was allowed to start upagain. This meant low leagues and Sunday leaguesof all sports could restart meaning that everyonecan get involved in a new sport or continue todevelop and enjoy their sport. This gave everyperson hope for a world that could return to somesense of normality after a year of unprecedentedactions and measures.

Not long after the opening of sport in England therewas news of the formation of a new EuropeanSuper League. This league would be a break awaytournament led by the ‘big six’ of the PremierLeague with Real Madrid and Barcelona from theSpanish top division. This league was designed to bea new tier of European football; however it wouldbe closed to any new members, and only the clubswho had a lot of financial means could join theleague.

The sporting journey we have all experienced overthe last few months has taken its toll on many of us.The lack of grassroots all the way up to elite levelsport has meant many Saturday’s without PremierLeague games and Sundays without lower leaguefootball, leading many to struggle without theopportunity to blow off steam or socialise whileplaying or watching sport.

The final teams involved were Arsenal, Chelsea,Manchester City, Man United, Tottenham andLiverpool along with the top three teams fromSpanish and Italian football. If it went ahead, thisleague would be a discriminatory tournament thatmade the rich clubs richer with no option ofdevelopment of the lower teams.

News quickly gained media attention and a lot ofbacklash from many media presenters and exfootballers. The clubs involved began to receive lotsof negative press from fans and media and soonafter, clubs began to drop out. This league is a classicexample of the corruption and greed withinfootball. But its also shows the power of the fansand the care that the fans have for the club.

Hope In Sport Sophie Warrington

Page 11

Firstly, there’s been stellar progress with the coronavirusvaccine rollout over the past few months with over two inthree adults having received their first dose. This buildshope for the end of the pandemic and hopefully an end tothe deaths it has caused. With coronavirus comes the riskof not just immediate, short-term effects like a cough. Butalso long term conditions, like long COVID-19, scarringof the lungs which can lead to a decrease in lung capacityso it’s a major relief that the vaccines has become sowidely available and soon, children as young as 12 willalso be able to get a vaccine

On the topic of vaccines, scientists are closer than ever todeveloping a vaccine for HIV. HIV stands for HumanImmunodeficiency Virus. Today we have treatmentsallowing people who are HIV positive to carry out theirlives as close to normal as we can. But recently, scientistsare hopeful that a way has been found to preventcatching it at all. Roughly 1.2-2.2 million people werenewly infected in 2019 alone, but with a vaccine we maybe able to stop the further development of HIV in itstracks.

They’ve partnered in the hopes of manufacturing thenew HIV vaccine using mRNA. This hasn’t beenpossible in the past for a variety of reasons. The first onebeing the speed at which HIV mutates. With Covid-19we have several variants in different geographical placesall over the world. With HIV, one person will havemultiple different variants in them. However, withmRNA comes the possibility of quickly developing newvaccines to combat this. In the past others have tried andfailed, the closest to success having a success rate of just30% which dropped quickly in a matter of weeks. Fingerscrossed, as the clinical trials continue we will continue tosee a high success rate.

We have good news for the 2.4 million children andadults living in the U.K with genetic disorders and the15 million with chronic conditions here in England.With advances in gene therapy leading to hope fortreatments and to help manage pain and possibly removeit. One example being a five month old baby boy, thebaby being first NHS patient to receive Zolgensma drugfor genetic condition called Type 1 SMA. Babies withType 1 SMA have a life expectancy of a heartbreakinglyshort; 2 years. And it was only 2 years ago that atreatment was found at all.

Type 1 SMA causes difficulty breathing, progressivemuscle weakness and loss of movement but with a singletreatment of Zolgensma, babies afflicted with SMA cansit, crawl and even walk. In addition to this, it saves thebabies with this condition from having to be put on aventilator, which can be invasive. Zolgensma is over £1million per dose but with the NHS, it can allow peoplewho wouldn’t be able to access this life changingtreatment to receive the care they need for a healthy andhappy life.

In phase one of the clinical trial of the vaccine, it wasadministered to people without HIV and scientistshave seen a 97% success rate. It’s been made by thecompany Scripps, and they’ve partnered withModerna, a pharmaceutical company you mayrecognise for coming up with the world’s onlymRNA coronavirus vaccine.

Hope For a HealthierTomorrowShade Obiti

It’s been over a year since the pandemic began but aslockdown seems to lift here in England we can also hopefor a future with more normality and hopefully, betterhealth.

Page 12

Speaking of new breakthroughs, the first drug claimingto slow the decline of Alzheimer’s disease could beavailable on the NHS by 2022 if approved by regulatorsin the US. Biogen, the company producing it, says thedrug, aducanumab, would be the first of its kind as thereis currently no drug or treatment that stops or slowsAlzheimer’s disease. Aducanumab is meant to reduce theclinical and mental decline of patients in the early stagesof Alzheimer’s disease. Of course, this is all dependent onif it gets green light on the 7th of June. Dementia affectsalmost a million people living in the UK and this possiblewonder treatment could slow the rate of decline, givingthose affected longer with their families and capable ofretaining their independence for a longer period of time.It would be the first treatment ever sold to slow thedeterioration in brain function caused by the disease.However, there are worries concerning efficiency withsome patients seeing incredible results and others less soas costs are rumoured to be fifty grand. Luckily, with ourtrusty NHS, I’m sure that if it is approved, it’ll one daybe available to the those afflicted with Alzheimer’s herein the UK for everyone who needs it. It offers new hopeto patients in the early stages of the most common formof dementia.

Since the pandemic began, support for the NHS has hugely increased with people signing up or coming backto old positions to help fill understaffed positions. Theamount of applicants for allied health subjects atuniversity like pharmacology, medicine, nursing andparamedic sciences have risen rapidly showing theamazing way that young people have been inspired careerwise, as well as to help out. Not to mention theinnumerable amount of volunteers who’ve signed up inthe past year alone. Fingers crossed we can pin our hopeson the issue of understaffing in the NHS becoming a relicof the past.

Do you want to know how you can contribute to ahealthier and happier tomorrow? Follow Covid-19procedures and protocols set out to protect us all. Keep toany and all restrictions on social gatherings. Whenadvised, wear a mask.

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Prayer

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Prayer of Saint John Henry NewmanMay the Lord support us all the day long,

Til the shades lengthen and the evening comes,

and the busy world is hushed,

and the fever of life is over,and our work is done.

Then in his mercy

may he give us a safe lodging,

and holy rest,and peace at last.

AMEN