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ADVANCE AUSTRALIA TEA
WEDNESDAY 18 JANUARY, 2012
Australians all let us rejoice, for we now have our own tea!
Joining the ranks of other famous Twinings blends of English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, New Zealand Breakfast, Russian Caravan and even Prince of Wales, the soon-to-be iconic tea was born after a competitive celebrity blending competition that saw the Hon Kevin Rudd MP being named as the master blender after a fiercely fought battle.
The Foreign Affairs Minister launched the new Twinings blend, Australian Afternoon Tea, at a press conference in Brisbane yesterday.
More than 80,000 Australians cast their vote following a series of public tastings of the Top 5 blends in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth and online during 2011.
The other finalists included radio legend Alan Jones, television icon Kerri-Anne Kennerley, seven-time world surfing champ Layne Beachley and country music star John Williamson.
Ten cents from each sale will go towards Mr Rudd’s chosen charity, the RSPCA.
Audio grabs available:
HON KEVIN RUDD MP - Foreign Affairs Minister
MARK TOWNEND - CEO RSPCA Queensland
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AUSTRALIA'S LARGEST SUMMER FESTIVAL TAKES OVER SYDNEY
TUESDAY 10 JANUARY, 2012
Sydney Festival, Australia’s largest summer festival, kicked off on the weekend.
For the next three weeks, Sydney Festival presents an explosion of theatre, dance, music, exhibitions and talks that takes over the city, attracting up to one million enthusiastic locals and visitors.
The Festivall will use more than 25 venues across the city including Sydney Opera House, Seymour Centre, Riverside Theatres and The University of Sydney, as well as parks, laneways and city streets.
This year, Sydney Festival will host 11 world premieres, 15 Australian exclusives and 14 Australian premieres. In any given year the Festival presents more than 1500 artists from Australia and around the globe.
Audio grabs available:
LINDY HUME - Festival Director
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YMCA LAUNCHES FIRST-EVER NATIONAL SWIMATHON FUNDRAISER
TUESDAY 13 DECEMBER, 2011
Not for profit community organisation, the YMCA, is excited to announce its first ever national Swimathon fundraiser which will see more than 100 YMCA-managed pools countrywide simultaneously host Australia’s biggest pool-based swim on Sunday 11 March 2012.
With the theme Dive In. Help Out, the inaugural YMCA Swimathon is an opportunity for Y members across the country and the broader community to come together for a day of healthy, physical activity while raising money for YMCA benevolent programs in each Centre’s local community.
Registrations officially open today with Australians of all swimming abilities invited to visit www.ymcaswimathon.org.au or their local YMCA pool to sign up and start their fundraising efforts. Registration is free and will be open up until 11 March and on the day of the Swimathon.
The YMCA also announced today it was delighted to have the support of current World 100m Freestyle Swimming Champion, James Magnussen, as an official event ambassador.
Audio grabs available:
RON MELL - YMCA CEO
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New Treatment available in Australia for children with rare form of arthritis
Embargo: Sunday, November 20, 2011
Children living with systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (sJIA), a rare and aggressive form of arthritis, now have access to an approved biologic treatment for the condition.
Actemra® (tocilizumab) has recently been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for the treatment of sJIA in patients two years of age and older. This approval for juvenile patients follows its current availability for adults with severe active Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
The belief that arthritis only affects older people is a myth. Worldwide, juvenile arthritis is one of the leading causes of paediatric acquired disability. In Australia, it is estimated that one child in every 1,000 has juvenile arthritis. sJIA is one of seven types of juvenile arthritis and is considered to be the most difficult sub-type (of juvenile arthritis) to treat.
The symptoms of sJIA affect the whole body and can include fever, rash and inflammation of internal organs. Some children experience complications of long lasting systemic inflammation which can include joint destruction, functional disability and growth impairment.
Audio grabs available with:
Dr Jeffrey Chaitow. Head of the Department of Rheumatology. The Children's Hospital, Westmead, Sydney
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Experts urge “baby boomers” to recognise signs of sun damage
EMBARGO: FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
With summer fast approaching, former IronMan champion Guy Leech is leading a new health education campaign to raise awareness of sun damage amongst the generation of Australians who spent their youth baking in the sun.
The Know Your Own Skin campaign is supported by new research which shows that whilst 93 per cent of Australians over the age of 40 have suffered from sunburn,1 over one third don’t think they areat risk of sun damage because they currently avoid the sun and use sun protection.1 However, for the vast majority of “baby boomers”, the damage has already been done. In fact, two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70.2
It is this low awareness that has prompted the development of the Know Your Own Skin campaign (visit www.knowyourownskin.com).
Audio grabs available with:
Dr Stephen Shumack, Consultant Dermatologist from Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital.
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