Vital information for rough sleepers and those at risk of homelessness in Sefton this winter

SEFTON Council has a range of all year round services for rough sleepers and those at risk of homelessness throughout the Borough. Outreach teams are on hand to seek out rough sleepers and encourage them to access emergency accommodation to ensure nobody sleeps rough in Sefton this winter. This is especially important during the cold temperatures Sefton is experiencing at the moment, and through the winter months through to March 2021. The help of the public is always appreciated. To report an incident of rough sleeping in Sefton, people should call the Rough Sleeper Outreach Team via Light for Life on:- 01704501256 or 07918746042 outside normal office hours and weekends. Alternatively, people can email:- Housing.Options@Sefton.Gov.UK and provide details of the location and any description of the person.

Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton's Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, said:- "This Council has a long standing commitment to helping people who are suffering from homelessness and supporting those rough sleepers who may find themselves in a vulnerable position without a safe and warm place to call home. There are so many additional pressures that our communities are facing this year, and as a result people may find themselves in need of support through absolutely no fault of their own. As we all continue to face challenges this winter, we will continue to support anyone within Sefton facing homelessness, working with partners to provide a range of help and assistance."

Veterans in Sefton (ViS) has also been commissioned to provide support to people who are currently serving or who have served in the Armed Forces, regulars and reservists, their families and their dependents, who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. ViS is based at The Brunswick Youth and Community Centre, in Bootle. For any further help and information from ViS people can call:- 01519330800 or 07545129569 for out of hours assistance.

THESE results will come as a relief to:- local shops, restaurants, hairdressers and other local businesses which will be desperate for support as the area moves from a national lockdown into less restrictive Tier 2 measures in the run up to Christmas. The views were revealed through a survey of hundreds of local people by ImagineFormby, which is working hard to improve the area. The group has now been formalised as a Community Interest Company with Patricia Wordley, Kevin Haygarth and Blair Hilton as Directors. Other members include:- Sean Brady, local film maker Lynne Harwood and Danish designer Karsten Erikson.

ImagineFormby Director Patricia Wordley, who owns Woodwards Wine Bar in Formby Village, said:- "We had a much better response to the Formby Community Survey that we anticipated and received plenty of detailed comments and ideas to digest. We want to thank all those who completed the survey and those who told us they would be happy to be consulted further. We have reached out to them via email to share the results of the survey and outline the next stage."

The survey revealed a fascinating insight into what people think about Formby.

Local traders will be heartened to hear that shoppers recognise the need to shop local and eat local after the challenges of the past few months. 41.7% of respondents said they would be 'more likely' to shop in Formby once lockdown is lifted.

People were generally happy with the general appearance of the village, although shop frontages (287 = Yes, 211 = No) saw the biggest split in opinion.

The comments suggested the concern was due to people wanting to see more retail units filled.

Feedback included:- "Too many tatty shop frontages… and frequently a large amount of litter;" "The empty shops look awful;" and "More independent shops, less charity!"

The empty units could point to an area of opportunity for new food outlets.

When asked whether the variety of places to eat and drink in the village met their needs, 47.3% replied Yes with 41.1% saying No.

Comments included:- "Not enough variety for meals out, eg:- vegetarian;" "We need to have some more bars and eateries;" and that:- "It would be great to have some more independent bars and coffee houses."

Most people (286) travel by car to the Village, with 259 walking and just 8 arriving by bus and 14 cycling in. Even so, 96 said access to public transport is good, with just 23 saying it wasn't.

People love their shops in Formby. When asked what they value most about Formby Village, 249 put shops as their top answer, with 139 for restaurants, cafes and bars and 127 saying convenience.

Low scoring was trees and landscaping (19), nightlife (8) and community events (8).

Shopping was people's top concern when asked what the biggest issues facing Formby are.

The top 4 answers here were:-

1 - Limited choice of retail outlets (144)

2 - Empty shops (127)

3 - High rates and rents (125)

4 - Too many charity shops (96)

1 respondent said:- "The number of empty shops and charity shops is a huge issue. It will surely get worse now with Covid and anyone who was struggling before will not be able to carry on. We have clearly got too many shops and some need to be turned into housing."

This was backed up by another question:- "What are the main reasons why you visit Formby Village" seeing shopping out in front with a score of 359, way ahead of banking and post office (48), dining (34) and to meet friends (33).

Patricia Wordley said:- "Some interesting themes came through; appearance wise, many respondents pointed to the empty shop units and multiple charity shops as being off putting. Not enough variety of shops and bars / restaurants. Also, many people think a form of pedestrianisation of the village would improve it. Lots do appreciate the tree lined wide walk ways and opportunities to socialise. It has taken us some time to analyse and consider the data. To move to the next stage, we sub divided into themes:-

►  Environment and Appearance.

►  Arts, Culture and Heritage.

►  Local Business.

►  Youth and Community.

We have designed a follow up survey that will probe into these specific themes. We are also in the process of forming groups for each theme and keen to encourage local volunteers to participate in the development of ideas and actions going forward."

'Together With Music' Aims to lift winter spirits through intergenerational connections and the sharing of music

CARE England in partnership with Intergenerational Music Making are launching Together with Music a new project to lift the spirits of thousands of Care Home residents this winter. This initiative will strengthen and build upon links between education, health and community organisations adopting music as a conduit for sharing cultural heritage, providing a physical and emotional bond and enhancing individual identity for the young and old.

Hundreds of Care Homes are expected to join in this project that links them to local Schools and youth groups using the power of music and the Internet. This will reduce the isolation that has been created by Covid19 restrictions.

All homes will be matched to a local School or youth group. Both the Care Home residents and the young people will choose songs that are meaningful to them and share them with each other. This musical introduction will act as a vehicle into further connection, creativity and stronger community links across England.

Music has been recognised as an effective way of engaging people including those with dementia which make up a large proportion of Care Home residents. This project builds on the impact of the BBC Music for Dementia initiative in September as part of World Alzheimer's Month.

An initial programme:- 'Musical Conversations' run by IMM with MHA showed the transformative value of these musical connections. One resident commented:- "Music is so powerful and it's been really uplifting receiving personalised messages from the most wonderful children. Long may it continue!"

Together with Music will build virtual connections between Care Homes and their local communities through the winter months when so many are feeling isolated, depressed and disconnected. Through music and the act of music making, we aim to raise awareness, establish links and in turn, tackle loneliness, isolation and promote sustainable socialising for those most vulnerable. This campaign will encourage community partnerships and empower care staff, teachers and community members to play an active role in their neighbourhoods. Through connection and collaboration, we will build strong, creative and resilient communities and offer both the young and the old an opportunity to explore, develop and come together in music.

Launch care provider partners are Barchester Healthcare, Hallmark Care Homes and MHA. The project has been made possible with funding from Tunstall Healthcare and the Hallmark Care Homes Foundation along with supporting contributions from Oomph!, Zenergi and CoolCare.

Quote from Professor Martin Green, CEO Care England:- "Care Homes are especially mindful of the need to consider the emotional and spiritual well being of residents whilst restrictions are in place to protect them from Covid19. This project will bring a ray of sunshine to thousands of lives and help counter feelings of isolation during the winter months."

Quote from IMM Director, Charlotte Miller:- "We are thrilled that we are partnering with Care England in this exciting intergenerational campaign. Together with Music will connect young people with Care Home residents through music to raise awareness, establish links and in turn, tackle loneliness, isolation and promote sustainable socialisation for those most vulnerable. It shall be through these magical connections and collaborations that Together with Music will build strong, creative and resilient communities. It starts with a song!"

Quote from Avnish Goyal, Chair of Care England, Hallmark Care Homes and the Hallmark Foundation:- "We are delighted to be involved in this initiative, music plays a huge part in all of our lives and has so many benefits for people living with dementia. We are sure this campaign will spread a lot of joy this winter and further strengthen the great relationships we have with our local communities. We are looking forward to seeing the impact this work will have in the coming weeks."

Quote from Pete Calveley, CEO Barchester Healthcare:- "We know from years of experience that engaging with music and with young people has a profoundly enriching effect on the lives of our residents. We're certain that this wonderful project will be hugely beneficial to everyone involved."

Quote from Sam Monaghan, CEO MHA:- "Music in people's lives is so important, something we recognised when we pioneered music therapy for people living with dementia in our Care Homes. It has life enhancing results, lifting spirits, helping reduce anxiety and impacting positively on the lives of our residents. In addition, linking generations through the medium of music helps create bonds at a time when face to face contact is not always possible, which is why we are so proud to be a part of the campaign."

Quote from Gavin Bashar, Managing Director UK and Ireland, Tunstall Healthcare:- "Our technologies have been developed not just to help people remain safe and independent, but also to keep them connected. We are delighted to support 'Together with Music' an innovative way of bringing younger and older people together in their local communities."