Report Page 8 - Southport, Formby, Liverpool, 2020-11-09

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ALL Wilko Stores will remain open throughout the Liverpool City Region and Merseyside during the 2nd Lockdown in England, which is currently scheduled to run until 4 November 2020 until 2 December 2020, so families can easily and safely shop for the non-food essentials they need. Having been named an essential retailer by the National Government, in Westminster, during the 1st Lockdown, Wilko Stores across England have been and will continue to be open, offering a safe place to shop and an alternative to the busy grocers. The majority of wilko's 416 stores, including those in Liverpool City Centre, Birkenhead and St Helens, are based on the high streets of Small Towns, making them easily accessible to local communities as part of their daily exercise. To protect team members and customers, Wilko has introduced and maintained an 8 point safety plan, which includes:- enhanced cleaning, physical distancing via measures including:- protective screens and floor markings and store marshals and encouraging contactless payments.

Jerome Saint-Marc, wilko CEO, said:- "Not everyone has a large supermarket nearby to get the non-food essentials they need for their family. With 17 million people living within 2 km of a Wilko Store we can help fulfil this need. As an essential retailer, we're here to help keep your homes running smoothly. Whether it's a few bits to make sure your home is kept spick and span, or those little essentials to help look after your family, we've got it all here in 1 place. The safety for our customers and team members continues to be our top priority and we've a comprehensive 8 point safety plan in place to do just that, including store marshals, to make sure we've got the numbers right in our stores. This may mean that sometimes, customers may experience a short wait and we thank them for their patience. I'd like to express my sincere thanks to our loyal and hard working team members who are continuing to do their very best to make sure families across the UK have access to the household essentials they need despite the difficult circumstances of the 2nd Lockdown."

Celebrate India's 'Festival Of Lights' from the comfort of your home

SPANNING over several days Diwali, the:- 'Festival of Lights,' is among the most celebrated dates In the Hindu calendar. But, like many other religious events, the Hindu festival has been disrupted by the Coronavirus Pandemic. Fortunately, our Lockdown saviour the live stream Is here to help once more. From a Bollywood dance workshop and deep yoga to a virtual firework display, Uswitch has rounded up the best virtual Diwali events and activities you can stream from the comfort and safety of your own home.

Leicester Diwali Day is recognised for its vibrant Diwali celebrations, which are considered the best in the UK, and some of the greatest outside of India. Every other year, crowds gather on Belgrave Road for a magnificent firework display and traditional Hindu entertainment. But this year, the City Council is inviting people to take part in a shared Diwali Day celebration from the safety of their homes.

If you are celebrating Diwali, please do let us know and send us your photos of your celebrations our newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com.

An hour long program will be streamed on Saturday, 14 November 2020, featuring:- music, storytelling, dancing and footage from previous years' firework displays on Leicester City Council YouTube channel.

Royal College of Occupational Therapists launches careers diversity campaign

AS part of Occupational Therapy Week 2020, the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) has launched a campaign to inspire people from all backgrounds to become occupational therapists. Although there are over 41,000 occupational therapists, across the UK there is still a significant shortage and the profession is included on the UK's Shortage Occupations List. RCOT also wants to encourage people from a variety of backgrounds to qualify as occupational therapists and ensure that the profession reflects the diversity of the population it serves. Through a social media campaign, #ChooseOT, RCOT is reaching out to School students and the people who support them to encourage more people to consider occupational therapy as a career. More information on how to become an occupational therapist can be found at our careers website. RCOT Chief Executive, Julia Scott said:- "I'm sure I speak for our members in saying that being an occupational therapist is the best job in the world. It brings immense benefits and opportunities, and training to be an occupational therapist leads to a nationally and internationally recognised qualification. No 2 days are ever the same. You can change people's lives on a daily basis working in the NHS, social care, Schools, prisons, the emergency services and in the private and voluntary sector. The list is almost endless. The profession needs people from all backgrounds. So if you are a problem solver, people person, good at sizing up situations or enjoy helping people; now is the time to #ChooseOT."

SP Energy Networks Seeks Participants for Major Electric Vehicle Charging Trial

SP Energy Networks is seeking participants to take part in a major trial of an innovative electric vehicle (EV) charging solution across Cheshire, Merseyside, North Shropshire, and North and Mid-Wales. The trial will evaluate the performance of:- 'smart charging connections,' which can intelligently control the power consumption of EV Charge Points.

SP Energy Networks is keen to hear from Regional businesses, developers and Charge Point operators (CPOs) who are currently considering the installation of Charge Points, and may like to take part in this trial should sign up online now.

This trial is part of the Charge Project, an initiative from SP Energy Networks and its partners EA Technology, PTV Group and Smarter Grid Solutions which aims to accelerate the roll-out of public EV charging infrastructure in the Region.

Geoff Murphy, lead for the Charge Project at SP Energy Networks, said:- "Creating a comprehensive EV charging infrastructure is vital to helping our communities achieve their net zero carbon goals and a key part of the 'green economic recovery' of the UK post-Covid19. To make that happen, we need to safely and effectively manage the demand on the electricity network that increased EV charging will create. We believe that smart charging connections are a vital part of the solution; the results from this trial will improve our understanding of how they work in real world scenarios."

Encouraging more people to drive electric vehicles is a key element of the UK meeting its climate change targets and achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Smart charging connections should help to accelerate this process by enabling more Charge Points to be installed in the same location, making them more attractive to businesses and investors, and thus boosting the country's EV charging capacity.

Dr Graham Ault, Executive Director at Smarter Grid Solutions, said:- "If the UK is to genuinely embrace a greener future, there needs to be a dramatic increase in the number of EV Charge Points available to drivers. Companies and site owners may have been put off in the past from installing Charge Points due to excessive costs or distribution network issues, but smart charging connection technology can help to solve these problems. This is a vital part of the Charge Project's commitment to deliver both economic and environmental benefits to communities across the country."

A smart charging connection can automatically detect if the CPO needs to reduce Charge Point capacity during periods of peak demand, ensuring the electricity network is never overloaded. It can also increase Charge Point capacity during off peak periods or when power from alternative sources such as solar PV is available. By intelligently managing demand in this way, a smart charging connection can enable the installation of more Charge Points in a single location without the need for expensive network reinforcements. The flexibility of smart charging connections also means that owners can potentially offer consumers faster or cheaper charging outside periods of peak demand.

The next milestone for the Charge Project will be the rollout of the Connect More tool, a public facing web application that will help businesses and local authorities identify suitable sites for new Charge Points and estimate the cost of connecting them to the network. If you or your business is currently considering the installation of Charge Points and would be interested in taking part, you can register your interest online. More information about the Charge Project can be found at:- SPEnergyNetworks.Co.UK.