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Father hikes 100k for son living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy | InYourArea

A West Midlands father completed the gruelling Jurassic Coast Ultra Challenge for Muscular Dystrophy UK, the leading charity for more than 110,000 children and adults in the UK living with one of more than 60 muscle-wasting and weakening conditions.The father-of-two, Rich Clift, from Staffordshire, completed the 100km walk (across two days, May 16-17 2026), alongside Rich’s brothers-in-law, Ashley Pike and Mikey Green and Max’s uncle, Lee Cooper, to raise awareness and funds for the charity close to his heart.
Rich’s inspiration is his nine-year-old son, Max, who was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in March 2025. Initially they thought he had dyspraxia, and after months of testing, Max was finally diagnosed. Whilst there is currently no cure for the condition, Max is on two treatments called Translarna and Givinostat, as well as having steroid treatments and wearing leg splints to help manage his condition.
Following the support they’ve received from the charity, the family wanted to give something back to help others living with a muscle-wasting and weakening condition. The 38-year-old reflected on Max’s diagnosis saying: “After speaking with Max’s school he had an assessment by an occupational therapist and was referred to the community paediatrician, who suspected muscular dystrophy. We thought Max was just being clumsy and we were shocked he had a life-limiting condition. Hearing those words felt like the ground disappearing beneath our feet.“Nothing could prepare us for how quickly everything escalated from that point: blood tests, consultants and suddenly a whirlwind, we never asked to be part of. Through it all, the kindness of the professionals around us has made a huge difference. “Max has been an absolute superstar, since his diagnosis. Despite what he’s going through, he always has a smile on his face. His sheer determination to not allow the condition to hinder him is admirable.”
After successfully completing the challenge Rich said: “Taking on the Jurassic Coast Ultra Challenge for Muscular Dystrophy UK, was completely out of our comfort zone. Max faces a daily battle each day and shows us what true strength looks like. Every step we took, was for Max and everyone else living with a muscle wasting condition.”A local football team, Wyrley Juniors U12 JPL, will be climbing Mount Snowdon, on Saturday, June 13, to help raise funds for Muscular Dystrophy UK, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Charity and the club.Marcus Bagley, manager of the Wyrley Juniors U12 JPL football team, said: “We’re taking on our biggest challenge yet. Together with our families, we’ll be climbing to the summit of Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales, to raise vital funds for our football team and two causes that mean the world to us.“Max is a football‑loving nine‑year‑old who was recently diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This life‑limiting condition weakens the muscles over time, and currently there is no cure. “We want to stand with Max and his family by raising funds for Muscular Dystrophy UK, who support research, care, and creates hope for children like him. Max is part of our extended football family, and this climb is for him. This isn’t just a climb — it’s a show of strength, teamwork, and community spirit. Together, we can reach the summit — and help others rise with us. Every donation, big or small, makes a real difference.”
To read more about the family’s story and donate, visit: musculardystrophyuk.org/RichCliftTo support Wyrley Junior FC’s climb, visit: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/wyrleyjuniors-under12sFor more information about Muscular Dystrophy UK visit musculardystrophyuk.org or call our free helpline on 0800 652 6352 (open Mon – Fri 10am – 5pm).

May 21, 2026
Transfer news LIVE: Barcelona want Cristian Romero as Bayern Munich consider Stones

May 21st
©IMAGO
The summer transfer window is approaching quickly on the horizon and clubs are already busy working on deals to acquire their top targets. For most clubs, planning will already be complete and they will have identified which players they want to sign, and which players they want to sell.
Managers will be constantly assessing their squads with sporting directors and recruitment staff scanning the market for potential deals this summer. The rumour mill is still gathering pace and we’ve collated some of the biggest current transfer stories – you can access the full rumour mill below.
Today’s biggest transfer stories
Barcelona will move for Tottenham captain Cristian Romero this summer, according to reports in Spain. It’s widely expected that the 28-year-old will depart Spurs regardless of whether they avoid relegation from the Premier League and Barca are leading the race for his signature.
Bayern Munich are weighing up a move for John Stones. The 31-year-old will depart Manchester City after a trophy-laden spell when his contract expires and Vincent Kompany is a huge admirer of the centre-back from their time playing together tin England.
Chelsea are reportedly considering offering Dušan Vlahović a contract with his deal at Juventus expiring this summer. The Italian club want him to pen an extension but a move to the Premier League appeals to the 26-year-old – Newcastle United have also been linked.
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May 21, 2026
Norfolk unbeaten on tour

Norfolk Bowls Association’s annual county tour proved a major success on and off the green as the county side completed an unbeaten five-day trip to Bedfordshire.Tour manager John Mason hailed the week as a memorable occasion after Norfolk won all five fixtures while also enjoying a packed social programme and raising money for charity.The tour began on Monday when a party of 24 players travelled from Norwich’s County Arts Bowls Club to Luton Bowls Club for the opening match.The Norfolk team at WilsteadNorfolk made an immediate impression by winning on four of the six rinks and claiming a convincing 109-73 success.Top rink honours went to Charlie Evans, John Mason, Paul Brandon and Terry Hartley, who produced a dominant 26-10 victory.Following the match, the tourists travelled to their hotel in Letchworth, which served as their base for the rest of the week.Action shot at KempstonTuesday’s itinerary included a stop at the Shuttleworth Collection before the afternoon fixture against Wilstead Bowls Club.Players spent two hours exploring the attraction’s vintage aircraft, cars and motorcycles before returning to bowling action. Norfolk continued their impressive form with a comfortable 127-88 win at Wilstead. Barry Bond, Peter Cottee, Chris Reynalds and Pete Deeley starred with a superb 27-4 triumph after conceding just four shots.NBA president Chris Rowe on the footplate of a steam train at Leighton BuzzardThe tourists enjoyed another excursion on Wednesday with a visit to the Leighton Buzzard Steam Railway.Players travelled along the three-mile route before being shown around the locomotive sheds.Rain later interrupted the afternoon clash with Linslade Bowls Club, forcing the match to be shortened. Despite difficult wet conditions, Norfolk still emerged ahead 79-72. Graham Benefer, Malcolm Nicholson, Rollie Cawdell and Pete Deeley were the top rink in a 21-6 victory, although Linslade provided the county side with their sternest test up to that point.Thursday’s warm-up match against Kempston Bowls Club again went Norfolk’s way as they adapted well to a more difficult surface to secure a 124-79 success. Harry Geary, Steve Jones, Paul Brandon and Barney Wymer recorded the biggest rink win of the tour with a remarkable 35-5 scoreline.The week concluded with the main event against Bowls Bedfordshire at Maulden Bowls Club. Having won all four previous matches, Norfolk knew they faced a tougher challenge, and Bedfordshire made the stronger start. However, Norfolk gradually fought back on what players described as a superb surface, edging ahead end by end before sealing a 102-93 victory.Barry Bond, Steve Jones, Alan Bewson-Nutt and Mick Harvey led the way with a 21-8 rink success.NBA president Chris Rowe praised both the bowling and social side of the trip and revealed £520 had been raised for his charity of the year.“This result has topped off a great and memorable week,” he said. Five players remained unbeaten throughout the tour – Peter Cottee, Paul Brandon, Graham Benefer, Pete Deeley and Malcolm Nicholson, with Nicholson also collecting the Player of the Tour award.Mason thanked the players and host clubs for their support and said plans were already underway for the 2027 tour, which will take place from May 17-21.Anyone interested in joining next year’s tour or seeking further information can contact John Mason on 07730 281318 or by email at johnmasonk2@gmail.comWe have launched a twice-weekly newsletter covering sport in Fenland and West Norfolk.To subscribe, visit: https://www.lynnnews.co.uk/newsletterNBA president with Bowls Bedfordshire president Keith JonesNorfolk players relaxing with Chris Reynalds (Downham Market) front right and Max Harrison (Downham Market) second left.

May 21, 2026
Saiss | ‘This place will always be my second home’

Romain Saiss cut an emotional figure after returning to Molineux for the first time in four years on Sunday, describing the place as his “second home”.
The Moroccan was a key figure in the group which took the club from the Championship to the Europa League last eight, playing more than 200 games during a hugely successful period for the Old Gold.
On Sunday he returned to Wolverhampton with his family and stepping on the pitch to greet the fans, and reuniting with the likes of Matt Doherty and Raul Jimenez, brought the memories flooding back of an era, and a dressing room spirit, which he’s never experienced elsewhere.
The 36-year-old, who left the club in 2022, has since played in Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, but watched from the stand as former side drew with Fulham and visited Compton Park in a quest to bring the good memories back.
On being back at Molineux
“It was honestly very emotional, because it’s a big part of my life, six years, so it was very, very emotional. I was so happy to come back here, because now it has been four years since I left the club. I always said I would come back one day, and I was really excited all week because I knew I would come back to see some old friends, to visit the training ground, the stadium, so I was like a kid.”
Great to have you back, Romain 💛 pic.twitter.com/L5J8rOeyKA
— Wolves (@Wolves) May 17, 2026
On a special place
“They are only good memories. We shared here an incredible moment, and it just reminded me of all the good times I had with the lads, the staff, and all of the people working for the club, because we felt here like a family, so it was really important for me, and also for my family, my wife, and my kids. It was a good, good time here, and they were very happy to come back and to spend some days here.
“They [his kids] still remember that time, the games, coming with me sometimes to the training ground, so they were really excited. I’m glad to share this moment with them also. I know this place will always be like my second home, so anytime I can come, I will do it in the future.”
On seeing some of the lads
“It brought me fantastic memories, seeing Raul [Jimenez], Doc [Matt Doherty], also some of the staff are still here, so we created something really special at that time, which helped us on the pitch to have fantastic results. We still have contact with a lot of players from that time, because it was really special. We had a dressing room that I never found at other clubs, it was really special, what we created. What we had outside of the pitch, we put the same energy on the pitch, and that’s why we did amazing things for this club.
“I cannot keep one memory in my mind, because I have so many from the Championship to Europa League, and the most important thing is this link we created between the players, and we still have today, so that’s the most beautiful things.”
On the Nuno years
“When we got promoted, we were not scared about anything, we just had confidence in ourselves to play our game, and we made sure the players who came stuck to our dressing room, to our identity, and that’s what we did.
“We got through to the quarter-final of the Europa League, semi-final of the FA Cup, we finished seventh in the league twice. We knew we were Premier League because we deserved it, and then we just had to show our quality and character on the pitch, and it was amazing.”

May 21, 2026
Man, 19, dies and one seriously injured in crash in Leicestershire

A 19-year-old man died when a car crashed into a tree in Leicestershire.Leicestershire Police said emergency services were called to Station Road in Great Dalby just after 20:45 BST on Wednesday, following a report a white Vauxhall Corsa had left the road and hit a tree.The force said one of the passengers – a 19-year-old man – was pronounced dead at the scene. Police added the driver of the car, an 18-year-old man, was taken to hospital where he was receiving treatment for serious injuries. Two passengers in the back of the car were taken to hospital to be treated for injuries that police said were not life-threatening or life-changing.

May 21, 2026
Fear 138 new homes will cause ‘irreversible harm’ to Cambridgeshire village

An outline planning application has been submitted to build up to 138 homes in a Cambridgeshire villageLand south of St Neots Road in HardwickPlans to build up to 138 homes in Hardwick have faced backlash from people living near the proposed development site. Neighbours have shared concerns that the new homes would cause “irreversible harm” to the village and its community.The homes are proposed to be built on land south of St Neots Road in Hardwick. Of the 138 homes, 40% are proposed to be made available as affordable housing. The proposals also seek to develop a new site access, internal access roads, parking, drainage, and public open space.Developer Pigeon said its proposals would aim to create an “inclusive community through the provision of a variety of tenures and dwelling types to suit all stages of life” and a “sustainable movement strategy where walking and cycling opportunities are integrated into the heart of the development”.The planning statement says: “The proposals provide for a high-quality, landscape design-led, sustainable scheme including the provision of up to 138 new homes, comprising both market and affordable homes, along with public open space, biodiversity enhancements and associated infrastructure.”The outline planning application has seen local backlash, with more than 15 objections lodged so far. One objector said: “The A428 junctions are already under pressure, and additional traffic will worsen queueing and accident risk. The proposal does not demonstrate that the increase in traffic, altered flow and the effect on junction function have no adverse impact on safety and capacity.”The objector also highlighted that Hardwick is a rural village with a “distinct character defined by open green spaces, low-density housing, and a strong sense of community”. They added: “The proposed development is overdevelopment, inconsistent with the village’s scale and form, and it erodes the rural setting and landscape character, and does not respect local character or protect the countryside.”The proposal would fundamentally alter the village’s identity.” They said “the application should be refused” because it would “result in significant and irreversible harm to the village and its community”.Another concerned resident said that the proposed access road into the new development would create an “increase in vehicular traffic”. They said this would “cause congestion” and “more importantly at the junction of the road joining the main curved road to the road-about”.A similar concern was raised by another objector. They said that the western roundabouts, which serve as a key access point for Hardwick and nearby villages via St Neots Road, “already experience substantial congestion, particularly during peak commuting hours”.They said the development would “introduce a significant increase in vehicle movements onto a road network that already appears close to capacity”. They added that local services “already appear to be under considerable pressure” and up to 138 homes could “significantly increase demand on already stretched services without clear evidence that the necessary supporting infrastructure improvements will be delivered”.Hardwick itself does not have a GP surgery. Residents use nearby surgeries including in Comberton and Bourn.

May 21, 2026
Police appeal for missing Stoke-on-Trent teen, 14, not seen since Sunday

He was believed to have been heading to a city cemetery06:20, 19 May 2026Updated 12:44, 20 May 2026Missing Tyler, 14, from Stoke-on-TrentPolice have launched an appeal to find a missing 14-year-old boy not seen since Sunday. And officers believe Tyler Townsend was heading to Burslem Cemetery the last time he was spotted.Now Staffordshire Police has issued images and a description of the missing Stoke-on-Trent teenager. Meanwhile the force say he is known to frequent Burslem Cemetery, Hanley, Central Forest Park, Birches Head, Fegg Hayes, Bentilee, and the green space behind the Texaco filling station on Hanley Road in Sneyd Green.Missing Tyler, 14, from Stoke-on-TrentTyler had last been seen at around 3pm on May 17 in Hanley and it’s believed he was heading to Burslem Cemetery. He is described as around 5ft 6in tall, of a slim build with short brown hair.He was wearing a black puffa jacket with ‘Lorenzo’ written across the back, tracksuit bottoms and grey and black Nike Jordan trainers. A spokesperson for the force said: “If you’ve seen Tyler, or if you know where he might be, get in touch with us.”Anyone with information should call 101 and quote incident 143 of May 18.Get daily headlines and breaking news emailed to you – it’s FREEEnsure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search

May 21, 2026
Liverpool told to sack Slot, appoint Guardiola amid Man City U-turn ’emergency talks’

Liverpool have been encouraged to sack head coach Arne Slot and appoint departing Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola as his replacement.
Earlier this week, several notable outlets reported that Guardiola will leave Man City at the end of this season, and it’s also emerged that Enzo Maresca has agreed to replace him at the Etihad.
A subsequent report has revealed three reasons behind Guardiola’s decision to leave Man City after ten years, and he is now expected to have a break from management.
But ex-Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant has called for him to replace Slot, who remains under immense pressure at Anfield after losing most of his backing among the fanbase.
Liverpool’s results and performances under Slot have fallen off a cliff since winning their 20th Premier League title last season, and Pennant thinks Guardiola would welcome a move to Anfield.
“Of course, who wouldn’t?” Pennant said on talkSPORT when asked whether he would welcome Guardiola to Anfield.
READ: Liverpool: Mohamed Salah decides to give ‘green light’ to ‘surprise’ transfer for three reasons
“Every team on the planet would like Pep as their manager.”
And when asked whether Guardiola’s 10-year stint at Man City should put off Liverpool, he added: “Couldn’t care less.
“If you’re going come over here, play attractive football – as you do, win. Yeah, come here mate. Open arms pal, come on!”
He continued: “He’d love to [manage Liverpool]. Look at the Kop when you walk out.
“100%. The atmosphere – he’d love to play in that.”
READ MORE: Slot, Maresca and more Premier League managers who won’t survive the post-Pep 2026/27 season
Guardiola is yet to publicly confirm his decision to leave Man City, but he suggested after Tuesday’s draw against Bournemouth that he will speak to club chiefs regarding his future in the coming days.
And a report from an insider on X has shed light on what was discussed during the “emergency talks” between Guardiola and Man City.
They said on X: ‘Exclusive: Pep Guardiola emergency talks.
‘This morning, Manchester City owners had some serious last-minute emergency talks with Pep Guardiola, trying to convince him to stick around for another season. It was intense.
‘Just last week, Pep dropped the bombshell that he wanted to leave. Now, the club is scrambling, hoping for a miracle that he might change his mind.
‘They’re set to release a statement in the next 48 hours to clarify his plans, but honestly, it’s looking more likely that Pep will be heading out the door unless the unthinkable happens.’
READ NEXT: Liverpool told fearless manager is best of four targets as ‘shocking’ Arne Slot must be sacked
May 21, 2026
Police appeal after driver seriously injured in reported attack in Luton

Victim left with potentially life-changing injuries after confrontation on the A6 in BedfordshireAuthor: Poppi AndelinPublished 4 hours agoLast updated 4 hours agoPolice are appealing for witnesses after a man suffered serious injuries during an attack on a road in Luton on Tuesday evening.According to officers, the victim was driving northbound along the A6 New Bedford Road, heading away from Wardown Park at around 8.30pm. Investigators believe the incident began when a black Ford Kuga carrying two men flashed its headlights behind the victim’s car between Cranleigh Gardens and Graham Gardens. The driver pulled over to allow the vehicle to pass, but the Ford reportedly stopped directly in front of him instead. All three men then got out of their vehicles before one of the suspects allegedly assaulted the victim, possibly using a weapon during the attack. The suspects later fled the scene, continuing north along the A6 towards the BP garage. The injured man was taken to hospital, where he is being treated for injuries described as potentially life-changing. Bedfordshire Police are now urging anyone who witnessed the incident, or motorists who may have captured dashcam footage in the area at the time, to contact them with information.Detective Constable Ellie Smith, of Bedfordshire Police, said: “This was a vicious assault which has caused very serious injuries.“It is vital that anyone who knows anything about this attack comes forward so we can trace the culprits.”Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.

May 20, 2026
Leicestershire care service shuts after second failed inspection

Inspectors found staff gave one person their medicines in secret, with no assessment in place, which inspectors said represented a “serious breach of people’s rights and placed them at increased risk of harm”.It also found risk management was “not safe, not robust and did not protect people from harm” while care bosses did “not listen to or understand people’s needs, views and wishes” and were not “capable, compassionate or inclusive”.Staff told inspectors they did not “feel confident to speak up” adding that “issues were overlooked” which led to “ongoing risks and a failure to drive meaningful improvement”.A Lifeways spokesperson told the LDRS: “We recognise that support was not always to the high standard we expect and we no longer deliver services from this registration.”

May 20, 2026