Merseyrail and Stadler open their doors to local students

MERSEYRAIL and its fleet maintenance provider Stadler have joined forces to provide local students with a behind the scenes tour of Kirkdale depot. 2 14 year old students from Everton Free School; who work in partnership with Merseyrail regularly; were invited to Kirkdale depot alongside teachers from the School to understand the different job opportunities involved within the rail industry.

The students; Brodie Foster and Jordan Green; were shown around by Stadler staff and Merseyrail's Community Involvement Advisor, and walked around the sheds, inspected the new trains and prototype battery train.

The boys were lucky enough to have a peek into the driver's cab, sitting in the driver's seat and getting an understanding of how trains are operated.

The visit was part of the Life Skills Programme Merseyrail carry out with Everton Free School, giving students the opportunity to learn about the world of work prior to taking their examinations.

The objective of this Programme is to inspire and motivate children to believe in themselves and the opportunities available to them once they leave School.

Brodie Foster, 1 of the students from Everton Free School, said:- "I enjoyed seeing the future technology of transport in Liverpool. I want to be a rail engineer in the future and it was enlightening experience."

Jane English, People Director at Merseyrail, said:- "As a key part of the Liverpool City Region, it's vital that we here at Merseyrail give back to the local communities that we serve. Our partnership with Everton Free School is a great example of this and I'm thrilled that, together with Stadler, we were able to give these 2 boys a fantastic opportunity to learn all about the rail industry and even get a sneak peek at our new trains. The rail industry offers a multitude of career opportunities and it's our responsibility to inspire the next generation to consider rail as an option upon leaving School."

Rob Baxter, Managing Director of Stadler Rail Service UK, said:- "A positive experience of the working world can have lasting and far reaching consequences on the life of a young person. Stadler was very happy to welcome 2 pupils from Everton Free School recently. We consider it a privilege to provide an insight into our operations, including the running of our state of the art depot, which will be home to the new trains for the Liverpool City Region. We intend to do more work with local Schools in future."

Rob Anderson, Teacher at Everton Free School, added:- "We are so grateful for the support Merseyrail provide to our students. It is so important that young people get the opportunity to explore their future options in a working environment. everyone at Everton Free School is incredibly thankful to Merseyrail and Stadler for accommodating us and inspiring our learners."

Southport home care provider wins prestigious award

SOUTHPORT based Alcedo Care Group has been recognised as 1 of the Top 20 Home Care Groups in the UK for the 2nd year running. Scoring 9.9 out of 10, 1 of only 3 home care groups to do so, Alcedo Care wins the much coveted award for the 2nd consecutive year. Furthermore, Alcedo Care is the largest home care provider in the country to score so highly; a fantastic achievement for the family business that employs more than 700 people across the North West.

The award, which is presented by Home Care, based solely on the reviews of home care companies and their services, provided by clients and/or their relatives direct to the Home Care. website.

Individuals are asked to rate all aspects of the services they receive, including quality of care, compassion and value for money, and all reviews are subsequently verified independently by the:- HomeCare.Co.UK team before publication.

Andy Boardman, managing director at Alcedo Care, comments:- "We are thrilled to be, for the 2nd year running, 1 of the UK's Top 20 home care providers; it is an incredible achievement. With over 700 employees, Alcedo Care is now 1 of the largest home care providers in the country, so winning this accolade is testament to the whole team for its continued commitment to the company and our clients. We strive to provide the highest standards of care, coupled with genuine companionship, with the ultimate aim of enriching the lives of our clients. The positive reviews reflect this, and I am so proud of our carers who, despite the Pandemic, put the needs of our clients 1st, often going over and above for them during this challenging period."

Amanda Hopkins, Reviews Manager of Home Care, adds:- "As people live longer with multiple health conditions, home care providers, which offer tailored care to people living in their own homes, are becoming increasingly important in today's society. During the Pandemic home care providers played a key role in caring for elderly and disabled people, with many self isolating at home and their family and friends unable to visit. Alcedo Care has proved that it provides a high standard of care and gives invaluable support and we'd like to congratulate the team. It is a huge achievement to be named as 1 of the Top 20 home care groups in the UK. Our reviews provide a valuable insight in the quality and kind of care given by providers and can be a vital source of information for those looking for care at home."

Established in 2017, Alcedo continues to expand at pace and is fast gaining an enviable reputation as the home care provider of choice thanks to its superb 700 strong team of highly skilled and compassionate carers who make a tangible difference to the quality of life of the company's home care clients.

Run by Andy and Jo Boardman, a passionate husband and wife team, the company aims to bring something different to the sector based on recruiting only the very best carers and retaining them by placing value on job satisfaction, training, continued professional development, internal promotion prospects and pay structure. This combined with using the very latest technology is what sets the Alcedo Care Group apart from other home care providers.

With offices in:- Blackpool, Bury, Chester, Lancaster, Liverpool, Preston, Southport, St Helens and Wigan, Alcedo offers home care services across the North West. For further information on the range of home care services provided by Alcedo, or to discuss home care for yourself or a loved 1, please visit:- AlcedoCare.Co.UK.