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News Report Page 4 of 15
Publication Date:-
2020-09-28
News reports located on this page = 3.

Formby club "an inspiration" says local MP

Formby Community Football Club players at the club’s launch; Two members of the “orange army” shopping for a person who was shielding...

THE Shadow Minister for International Trade and MP for Sefton Central, Bill Esterson, has praised the work of a sports club whose members helped hundreds of households during the Coronavirus pandemic. Formby Community Football Club organised thousands of deliveries of food and medicine, made phone calls to the isolated and even cut grass throughout the lockdown. Mr Esterson said the club's organisers and volunteers were:- "an inspiration."

Mr Esterson said:- "Throughout the pandemic we have seen people go above and beyond to help others but the organisers and volunteers at FCFC really are in inspiration. As soon as lockdown was announced and they learned they would not be able to play football for a time, they thought what else can we do, how else can we help? They immediately turned to organising helpers to assist people who were isolated or shielding."

The "orange army"

FCFC was set up in 2019 and has 28 teams offering football to players from age three up to 84. The club's vision is that football can be a vehicle for social cohesion and improved health, tackling issues from anti social behaviour to loneliness. Club coach Ray Pendleton said:- "After the FA advised that all grassroots football should be postponed we though immediately thought what we could do instead. The footy stopped… we didn't. We aimed to support the most vulnerable in our community."

A total of 502 homes received around 2,500 deliveries of food and medicines from 40 "Orange Army" volunteers. They also made phone calls to the lonely and isolated, offered gardening services and other help. They delivered afternoon teas to the elderly on VE day as well as facilitating many other one off events and acts of individual kindness. Club founder Tina Hamilton was nominated as a North West Tonight Everyday Hero, for the volunteering work, and also recently won an:- "Unsung Hero" award at the Women And Girls Football Participation Awards 2020, for her work in supporting the female game. Mr Esterson said:- "All the organisers and volunteers at Formby Community Football Club are an inspiration. Tina fully deserved the awards and recognition she received from North West Tonight and the FA. Community groups such as FCFC could play a huge role in how we manage the pandemic from here, offering support and advice and even assisting in track and trace locally. Ray and Tina's leadership is outstanding and the support they have offered to vulnerable people throughout the lockdown has been hugely welcomed and appreciated by all who have benefited."


"Peck" up a My 1st Library Card!

Winging it: A new library card has been launched for children up to age 10.

LIVERPOOL parents are being encouraged to help their children's love of reading take flight with a special library card. Liverpool City Council's Libraries and Information Services, in partnership with Edge Hill University are launching the My 1st Library Card for children aged up to 10 featuring a friendly liver bird design created by the Council's marketing team. Sponsored by Edge Hill University, the:- 'My 1st Library Cards' have been developed as part of Liverpool's Year of Reading, and will be available, from Monday, 28 September 2020.

Cllr Barbara Murray, cabinet member for Education, Employment and Skills, and Liverpool's Year of Reading lead said:- "We're delighted to be launching the My 1st Library Card on Monday. 1 of our main commitments during the City's 'Year of Reading' has not only been to improve literacy in the City, but to encourage children to love reading as early as possible which will not only bring joy throughout their lives but will unlock knowledge, opportunities and give them confidence as they grow up. We're slowly reopening our community libraries but that doesn't mean that youngsters can't get their hands on thousands of brilliant titles through the digital library. We've seen the number of books borrowed as well as the number of borrowers double since lockdown and we've been adding lots of new titles for everyone over the last 6 months."

To sign their little ones up to the library, parents or carers can either:-

 Sign up online. My 1st Library Cards will automatically be sent out to young new joiners. Cards can also be collected.

 Visit a library taking along proof of name and address (utility bill, bank statement).

The cards will not only let children borrow books from any of Liverpool's 19 libraries, but by using the card's number along with a PIN young borrowers can also borrow any of the thousands of titles from Read Liverpool;  the City's digital library. Digital books can be accessed using many types of devices including iPads and some types of Kindle. Read Liverpool has seen the number of digital books borrowed as well as the number of digital borrowers double since Liverpool's libraries closed due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, in March.

Dr Helen O'Keeffe, Associate Dean in the Faculty of Education, Edge Hill University, said:- "We are delighted to be sponsoring the My 1st Library Card as part of our ongoing support for Liverpool City Council's Year of Reading. The global events of 2020 have reminded us of the contribution reading makes to all of our lives, but particularly for children and young people for whom reading opens so many doors and breaks down so many barriers. It has proved to be a lifeline for children, who have been enjoying reading both for pleasure and to engage with their education through these difficult times. We want to ensure that all children in the City can access physical or digital books via Liverpool's libraries and these cards will allow that to happen. Edge Hill University is proud to be working in partnership with Liverpool City Council to make such a positive difference across Liverpool."

You can follow what's happening in the Year of Reading by visiting the project's website, join its Facebook Page - or search #LiverpoolReads on social media.

Please note:- not all of Liverpool's libraries have reopened. For up to date information please visit:- Liverpool.Gov.UK. Central Library is currently open Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm.


Campaigners thank Local MP, Ian Byrne, for Championing Community Energy

THE campaign group 'Power for People' have thanked local MP, Ian Byrne, for supporting a new Bill in Parliament that would help rebuild local economies whilst increasing clean energy generation. Power for People's Director, Steve Shaw, said:- "We thank Ian Byrne for supporting the Local Electricity Bill. If made law, the Bill would unleash the huge potential for new community owned clean energy infrastructure and for this to boost local economies, jobs, services, and facilities in communities across the country."

The proposed new law, known as the Local Electricity Bill, is supported by 209 MPs. If made law, it would create a new 'Right to Local Supply' of energy that would empower communities to sell locally generated electricity directly to local households and businesses. Currently customers can only purchase electricity from nationally licensed utilities. The Bill's supporters say this means money people use to pay their energy bills is not helping to rebuild local economies and local clean energy infrastructure. Campaigning group, Power for People, are calling for MPs and the Government to make the Bill law and are leading a supportive coalition of organisations including:- Community Energy England, Community Energy Wales, Community Energy Scotland, Good Energy, WWF, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and the RSPB. 56 Local Authorities have also pledged their support.

Ian Byrne, MP for Liverpool, West Derby, said:- "The Local Electricity Bill will empower and enable new community energy companies to sell energy that they generate directly to local people which will help strengthen local economies. This is urgently needed given the economic shock of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Bill will also help accelerate our transition to clean energy, which is critical in avoiding the potential economic and ecological devastation of climate change. I will do all I can to ensure it becomes law."

 
      
 
   
 
 
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