What went right this week: a refugee made Olympic history, plus more

Boxer Cindy Ngamba will enter the record books as the Refugee Olympic Team’s first ever medallist after fighting her way through to last night’s semi-final.

The Cameroon-born fighter was denied a place in the gold medal bout after losing on a split decision to Panamanian Atheyna Bylon, meaning she will return to her hometown of Bolton in the north-west of England with a bronze.

Ngamba has lived in the UK since the age of 10, and would be imprisoned in her homeland for being gay. She has been trying to secure UK citizenship for 15 years, but without a British passport she’s been unable to box for Team GB.

Instead she’s part of the Refugee Olympic Team, which debuted in Rio in 2016 with just 10 athletes. 37 from 15 nations are competing in Paris this summer.

Ngamba – who was her team’s flagbearer at the opening ceremony – only discovered boxing after moving to Britain. “I want to tell the refugees around the world, keep on working hard, keep on pushing yourself and you can accomplish anything,” she said.

Cindy Ngamba in action in Paris this week, photographed by David Burnett. Credit: IOC / David Burnett 

A school in south Wales has harnessed a one-of-a-kind renewable energy source to heat its classrooms: the country’s only natural thermal spring. 

 The waters of Taff’s Well on the outskirts of Cardiff are reputed to have healing properties, but now they’ve been put to modern day community use keeping staff and pupils at nearby Ffynnon Taf primary school toasty warm. 

A ground source heat pump installed by Cornwall-based Kensa is also using the well’s 21C water to warm the pavilion at Taff’s Well Bowling Club. Emissions across the two sites have been reduced by almost 80%.  

“Using the historic Taff’s Well thermal spring as a renewable heat source is a brilliant example of how bold ideas can lead to something that benefits future generations,” said Dr Stuart Gadsden, Kensa’s contracting commercial director. 

Ffynnon Taf headteacher, Kathryn Price, added: “We will continue to celebrate the success of the thermal spring installation in our community for many years to come.” 

Image: Kensa’s Stuart Gadsden explains to pupils from Ffynnon Taf primary school how the company’s heat pumps work. Credit: Kensa Group

Finally responding to widespread public outcry at the lamentable state of Britain’s rivers and oceans, UK water regulator Ofwat has dished out record-breaking penalties to polluters. 

Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and Northumbrian Water face a combined £168m fine for “routinely” pumping sewage into waterways, causing “harm to the environment and their customers”. 

As well as imposing the fine, Ofwat is consulting on proposals compelling the firms to carry out upgrades.   

Those at campaign group Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) said the move was a win for activists, who have been urging better enforcement for years.  

“We will be making sure Ofwat keep their pledge that companies will not be able to recover the money for any penalties from customers and that customers will not be charged twice where additional maintenance is required,” said SAS CEO Giles Bristow. 

Concern about the state of the UK’s rivers has led to the formation of many campaign groups, such as the Save the Wye group, based in Herefordshire. Image credit: Oslo Knappett

Sight-impaired kids have been brushing up on their literacy skills by reading tall tales to a laidback canine audience: trainee guide dogs. 

Research by the Guide Dogs charity revealed that only 60% of children with sight loss conditions enjoyed reading, compared to 78% of their sighted peers. In addition, 65% of kids said they felt shy when reading aloud.  

 To help overcome their timidity, the charity staged a session at the British Library in London this week, where children read to a ‘non-judgmental’ audience of hounds. As well as boosting the young readers’ confidence, the event also taught trainee guide dogs to stay calm and collected in a public place.  

  “A patient audience can work wonders when you’re getting to grips with tricky pronunciation and sounding out letters,” said Kerry Kernan, head of children, young people and families at Guide Dogs. “That’s why reading to dogs can be a lovely option – they don’t mind if the story gets a bit tangled up.”

Image: Doug Peters/PA Media Assignments

Raise a glass to conservationists at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) for helping save an increasingly endangered species: the Great British pub. 

 The charity stepped in to restore the Pleasure Boat Inn on the water’s edge of Hickling Broad, a nature reserve in the Broads National Park in the east of England.  

The venue had been closed for three years, but visitors flocked to a re-opening at the weekend. Boat trips from an adjacent landing stage offer a glimpse of the wetland’s elusive wildlife, including marsh harriers, cranes and bitterns.  

 NWT is the first in the country to own its own pub, a move it hopes will attract a new – and thirsty – audience to the region. “Investing in a popular local pub is the first step in providing new ways to introduce people to the unique landscape and wildlife of Hickling,” said the charity’s CEO, Eliot Lyne. 

Opening of the Pleasure Boat Inn pub. Image: Robert Smith

Hot on the heels of supermarket Morrisons, two key players in the food sector have backed a global campaign to turn up commercial freezers and cold store logistics by 3C.  

Research shows that raising freezer temperatures from the industry standard -18C across the global supply chain would reduce their energy demand by 10%, saving emissions equivalent to taking 3.8m cars off the road. 

 Morrisons recently became the first UK retailer to join the Move to -15C coalition, and this week both the Cold Chain Federation (CCF) and the British Frozen Food Federation threw their weight behind the cause. 

CCF CEO Phil Pluck said the -18C standard had been in place for a century, despite technological advances in the frozen food industry. “The result is that we’re now able to make this hugely positive change without jeopardising the great benefits frozen food delivers to consumers and businesses,” he said. 

Thomas Eskesen, chairman of Move to -15°C, said he was thrilled to have the two bodies on board: “Their support and belief in our cause marks a significant milestone in our journey,” he noted.

Image: Morrisons recently became the first UK retailer to join the Move to -15C coalition

Thousands of people took to Britain’s streets on Wednesday in a show of solidarity following days of unrest fueled by far-right agitators and online disinformation. 

The riots had been triggered by the killing of Alice Dasilva Aguiar, Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe in Southport on 29 July.  

However rumours of further far-right action largely failed to materialise. Instead, people turned out in droves in a counter-protest against intolerance. In Liverpool, hundreds showed up to defend an asylum centre. Birmingham staged a ‘refugees welcome’ rally, while in Brighton crowds were entertained by a samba band.  

The largely peaceful atmosphere was repeated in cities including London, Newcastle, Oxford and Northampton. Placards seen among the crowds included ‘Good vibes only’, ‘Love and unity’ and ‘Immigrants welcome’. 

Georgia Bondy, who is black and lives in Walthamstow, London, told Positive News the show of unity in her neighbourhood had reduced her to tears. “People showed up for us. After a very dark day I feel light and grateful. For once, I am hopeful.” 

Large-scale unrest in Britain on Wednesday failed to materialise, instead a counter-protest urging tolerance unfolded. Image credit: Katie Moum

Hawaiian shirts, Stormtroopers and cardboard cut-outs of Cliff Richard – nothing, it seems, is too much of an undertaking when it comes to crafting the perfect send-off, as research this week uncovered the changing face of funerals. 

Co-op Funeralcare’s Trending Tributes report reveals 68% of people in the UK now see funerals more as celebrations of life as opposed to times for reflection.  

Bright colours appear to be the new black, with 67% of people viewing them as acceptable funeral garb. Meanwhile some of the more unique location requests encountered by Co-op funeral directors include a London bus and a betting shop. 

Cheshire-based funeral celebrant Lauren Henshaw told Positive News she has noticed a distinct shift away from traditional funeral culture. “Death is coming for us all, so we really should be talking about it more,” she said. “There’s no reason why our final fling can’t be as unique as the individuals we are. Let’s celebrate.”

Read more: Thinking outside the box: eco concerns prompt greener funeral options

Women look at a decorated cardboard coffin in a crematorium chapel. Image credit: The Good Funeral Guide

Type 2 diabetes is wiped out in a third of patients who stick to NHS England’s ‘soup and shake’ diet, according to a review of the treatment published in the Lancet. 

Some 25,000 patients have been offered the Path to Remission programme since it piloted in 2020, and 10,000 more are expected to benefit this year. NHS England is now mooting an expansion after research revealed its life-changing benefits. 

The initiative is a joint effort with the charity Diabetes UK and involves an 800-calorie-a-day diet of soups, milkshakes and snack bars, which triggers rapid weight loss. 

As patients return to solid food, they are supported to keep the pounds off and increase physical activity through one-to-one and group sessions, or remotely over the phone or via an app. 

“These latest findings add to the real-world evidence that the NHS England type 2 diabetes Path to Remission programme can help thousands of people living with type 2 diabetes on their weight loss and remission journey,” said Dr Elizabeth Robertson, director of research at Diabetes UK.

The soup and shake-focused programme will now be expanded. Image credit: Clara Farras

There’s gold in them thar bins – and now the Royal Mint plans to recover £27m-worth a year to craft into exclusive jewellery. 

The UK’s coin maker will process an annual 4,000 tonnes of e-waste at its new precious metals recovery plant in Llantrisant, south Wales, using an acid wash to rinse gold embedded in old circuit boards gleaned from phones, laptops and TVs. 

The venture, which employs world-first patented technology, should yield around 450kg of the precious metal a year, which will be used in the Royal Mint’s 886 jewellery collection.  

It comes as the United Nations’ Global E-waste Monitor reveals a record 62m tonnes of e-waste was generated in 2022, while a mere 1% of rare earth element demand is met by recycling. 

Anne Jessopp, chief executive at The Royal Mint, described it as a pivotal moment in the company’s history. “We are not only preserving finite precious metals for future generations, but we are also preserving the expert craftmanship The Royal Mint is famous for by creating new jobs and reskilling opportunities for our employees,” she added.

Image: The Royal Mint

Main image: Sabrina Bracher