Liverpool's community lead Radio Melodic Distraction launches a month long fundraiser

LIVERPOOL'S Melodic Distraction, an independent Radio Station that has been broadcasting the sounds of the City since 2017, has launched a Kickstarter crowd funding campaign to help the community hub secure a new permanent space. Hoping to reach a goal of ₤35k to cover the cost of relocating, Melodic Distraction will be supported by Dr. Martens on a range of fundraising activities including 1 off broadcasts reuniting Station alumni, a limited edition zine and a huge vinyl raffle featuring donations from some of Liverpool's most loved institutions, DJs and bands including Crazy P, Yousef (Circus Recordings) and Greg Wilson.

Melodic Distraction, whose past residents have included the likes of Crazy P and ASOK, recently found themselves forced to leave their premises in the Baltic Triangle at short notice. In recognition of the vital role the Station plays in Liverpool's underground music scene, Dr. Martens has stepped in to keep them on air with a temporary studio space within the City's Jacaranda:- Phase One venue. The interim studio will provide a 3 month base for the Station to secure its future without dropping a single beat of broadcasting.

In recent years, despite Liverpool's national recognition as a cultural hotbed, there has been growing concern that gentrification and developers could decimate the City's flourishing culture hub, in the Baltic Triangle district. With the impact of Covid19 now threatening even more of the City's creative landmarks, Melodic Distraction are determined to help to protect Liverpool's vibrant music scene by raising funds to build a new community focused music space in 2021.

Responding to Melodic Distraction's rallying cry, some of Liverpool's finest musical exports have joined forces to keep the Station playing. The Lucky Dig, an exclusive vinyl raffle in collaboration with independent record store Dig Vinyl, will exchange pledges for rare and rated records donated by the likes of:- Bontan, Dig Vinyl, Banoffee Pies, Tea Street Band and Liverpool Sound City, as well as the Station's 190 resident DJs.

To celebrate the kickstarter launch, Melodic Distraction are also reuniting with special guests and Station alumni for a string of 1 off specials hosted by artists such as:- Asquith, Kate Miller, Penya, Yadava, Greg Wilson and more.

The proposed site for Melodic Distraction's permanent new home is within the Tapestry building in Liverpool's up and coming Fabric District. Reaching their fundraising goal would allow them to relocate to 2 shipping containers at the venue; 1 to house the Radio Station and the other to provide a community space and coffee shop; alongside a courtyard with outdoor seating for year round events once permitted again. The Station has committed to prioritising, supporting and where necessary, subsidising, the space for grassroots music and local community organisations.

In addition to funding the temporary home Melodic Distraction needed to keep broadcasting, Dr. Martens has also committed to supporting the Station's fundraising efforts for their future home. The collaboration with the Station is the 1st project to be backed through the Dr. Martens Presents platform; a new initiative that continues Dr. Martens long standing support of subculture by working with local creative networks to raise awareness of the challenges grassroots culture is currently facing.

A ground breaking new career route for psychology graduates to enter the NHS is being launched in the North West Coast. From January 2021, NHS organisations will be able to offer training posts for the new role of Associate Psychological Practitioner (APP) and trainee APP. The trailblazing new course aims to help address the shortage of psychologists in the NHS and if successful, it will be offered across the country. A total of 50 places will be offered in an initial pilot project, with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) delivering training towards a new Postgraduate Diploma Associate Practitioner Psychologist (PGDip APP). The course was developed as a result of work led by the Innovation Agency and funded by Health Education England, to explore how to increase the number of psychology professionals in the NHS and create more entry points for graduates. The plan to create a new career route was developed in partnership with NHS Local Workforce Action Boards (LWABs) in Cheshire and Merseyside and Lancashire and South Cumbria.

Innovation Agency Director of Transformation Carole Spencer said:- "Psychology is one of the most popular and largest undergraduate degree subjects, but it is recognised that a significant proportion of psychology graduates who are interested in a career in health care find it unavailable to them as a career choice."

Chris Samosa of Cheshire and Merseyside LWAB said:- "Mental health services are a national priority, particularly during the Pandemic, and this programme will help underpin the recovery of local systems and the workforce. The training posts will give aspiring professionals the grounding they need on which to launch their careers."

Paula Roles of Lancashire and South Cumbria LWAB said:- "We aim to help meet some of the immediate workforce challenges in priority areas of psychology. Some graduates may have a significant clinical course component in their degrees, but they do not have the relevant clinical experience, or placements to allow them to enter the workforce on graduation at the same level as, say, a staff nurse would. These new training posts will help to address this gap."

Trainee Associate Psychology Practitioners will be appointed on 1 year training contracts to deliver psychological service input in a mentored role across a range of services from adult mental health, through primary care and health psychology. This appointment will come with a registration on the PGDipAPP course at UCLan.

The course was developed by Dr Kathryn Gardner and Dr Mark Roy at the School of Psychology at UCLan. Dr Roy said:- "The course philosophy is to develop core practitioner psychologist competencies that are central to effective clinical practice in all services, at the same time as allowing trainees to develop specialist expertise within their service speciality."

Interviews are taking place this month for the 1st 50 places, with recruits due to take up their places in January. The course will be evaluated with a view to being extended nationally.