|
SOUTHPORT TOP OF THE LEAGUE
YOUNG people from schools and youth clubs in Mersey and Southport are being invited to enter teams in the 2005 Kielder Challenge, a unique outdoor adventure competition for young people with and without disabilities.
There are 200 places up for grabs in the competition but space is filling up fast so organisers are encouraging teams to get their entries in early.
The teams will take part in a one-day heat at a local country wood or park in April or May where they will attempt a series of problem-solving activities against the clock, such as rope mazes and obstacle courses.
The competition is open to teams of eight 13 to 16 year olds (Year 8 to 11) including four with and four without learning, sensory or physical disabilities.
The aim of the unique event is to develop the teamwork and communication skills of young people in a countryside environment and give them the opportunity to integrate with other youngsters with and without disabilities which they may not normally experience.
The Kielder Challenge has been running for 21 years with over 10,000 previous participants and is organised by outdoor access charity the Fieldfare Trust. It is supported by the HSBC Education Trust.
Out of the initial 200 teams only 12 can progress to the two-day Grand Final in the fabulous setting of Kielder Forest, Northumberland in September.
Rod Holmes of the Fieldfare Trust explains how the competition works.
"The competition is all about helping develop teamwork and communication skills so that's where most of the points are given.
The teams will do well by working together and allowing each member of the team to play an active part in completing the task."
Rod continued:- "We extended the criteria last year to include those with sensory and learning difficulties too and we had a record number of entries. The standard of competition was very high and I have high hopes that we can surpass that again this year."
To get further information or to request an entry form for the 2005 Kielder Challenge log onto the website at www.fieldfare.org.uk or call 0115 9508415.
|
Go green this New Year
LOCAL residents are being offered the chance to make a recycling resolution this New Year as the recycling teams across Warrington gear up for a tree-mendously busy period!
Last year, more than six million cut Christmas trees were bought in the UK, but only 750,000 were recycled, so Warrington Borough Council is urging everyone to 'go green' for the New Year.
It doesn't matter whether you've got a Norwegian spruce, a Scots pine or a noble fir; your unwanted Christmas tree will be welcomed at each of Warrington's three Recycling and Household Waste Centres.
And it's not just Christmas trees that can be recycled.
Warrington Borough Council say that we all produce far more waste at Christmas so the Council is offering kerbside collection scheme and the 30 bring sites across the borough, where festive waste can be recycled.
Cllr O'Neill, Executive Board Member for Environment and Regeneration said:-
"On average, a third more rubbish is created over the Christmas period than at any other time of year and so much of this waste can be reused and recycled, so we're appealing to residents to get recycling.
Reducing the amount of waste going into landfill is one of the Council's top priorities and we want to encourage as many people as possible to recycle at Christmas and throughout the year."
All of the newspapers, magazines and catalogues are taken to the largest paper mill in the UK, UPM Shotton near Chester, where they are pulped and cleaned and turned back into newsprint for tomorrow's newspaper to be printed on.
Martin Green from UPM Shotton says:- "We have collected more than 1,200 tonnes of paper from Warrington in the last six months alone. That's equivalent to preventing the weight of about 162 double- decker buses being buried in local landfill sites.
We're keen that everyone makes recycling their New Year's resolution as survey after survey has shown us that recycling is growing in popularity, people are more willing to take part if they are provided with the facilities to recycle on their doorstep."
Residents who need a new blue bin or details of their local recycling scheme can ring the Council's recycling team on 01925 442604/442527.
|
