SAVE OUR SCHOOLS!

THIS WEEK campaign's are now underway to save schools within Sefton that have been earmarked for closure. Parents, teachers and children have now joined forces to fight what they see as an unnecessary and brutal attack on their education. 

Following Wednesday's Cabinet meeting at Southport Town Hall, it is understood that a period of consultation will now take place. This process will include all interested parties Head Teachers, parents, school governors, cabinet members and Sefton Council.

Also leading the fight to retain our schools is the town's MP John Pugh who will be asking Sefton Council to have a re-think or at least to explore all other avenues before any final decision is taken. 

Parents of children at one particular school, Kings Meadow will have a number of concerns. Kings Meadow is a very successful community school with many great strengths and special facilities. Kings Meadow only has a few surplus places so therefore why should it be ear marked for closure. Something else that will need to be addressed before any potential merger with Shoresed, is the logistics of getting the children to and from the new site on a daily basis.

Sefton Council has apparently stated tat one of criteria that will be looked at when considering any possible school closure is surplus places. It would be interesting to have all the figures school by school. 

Please let us have your views.

EMAIL US ALL YOUR VIEWS & NEWS TODAY

Local Churches respond to CAFOD Sudan Emergency Appeal.

SPECIAL humanitarian collections and fundraising events for Sudan have been taking place in Southport in response to CAFOD's emergency appeal.

St Marie on the Sands parish in Southport have alone raised over £1,000 so far in response to the spiralling
humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region.

Regional Organiser Tim Allen said:- "The response so far has been overwhelming and CAFOD are extremely grateful for this rapid fundraising effort. The severity of the situation in Darfur cannot be overestimated. Children are malnourished from lack of food and the health risks from poor water supplies and sanitation are enormous."

CAFOD's partners are leading a massive aid operation, which is underway in Darfur, to help over a million people who have been driven from their homes by militia.

The agency is part of a £10 million pound joint appeal, by the worldwide Caritas Catholic agencies network and the Association of Churches Together, known as ACDER. So far CAFOD supporters throughout the UK and Wales have raised over £800,000 in the first two weeks of the appeal's launch.

CAFOD aid Worker Fiona Callister is currently in Sudan and has visited the town and camps. She said:- "The conditions are abysmal. Many of the people are traumatised after being raped and injured in attacks by the rebels. There are just too many people trying to survive on too little of everything. There isn't enough food, clean water, shelter or sanitation to cope with the thousands of homeless people who have poured into the town.

A planeload of aid sent by ACDER has already arrived and we're expecting another one shortly. We've taken two lorry loads of blankets, clothing and soap to families in one town. We need to work quickly," she said.