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Southport Reporter®

Edition No. 184

Date:- 22 January 2005

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DERELICT DEBITS' AND 'STANDING DISORDERS'

CHECK your bank statements! Free-spending Brits claim to have blown the equivalent of £427 million a month in irrelevant direct debits and standing orders, according to new research from savings giant Prudential. 

A staggering 20% of people admit to having found direct debits and standing orders that were no longer relevant - an average of £53 a month each. More than 10% of them, 860,000 people, have wasted over £150 a month on forgotten electronic payments. The most common forgotten payments are for old club memberships and irrelevant insurance policies. 

Yet those that forget about payments for one month are the lucky ones. The survey shows that 42%, 3.4 million people, of those who have made pointless payments did so for up to 6 months, with a further 15%, 1.2 million people, forking out needlessly for up to and over a year.

Angus Maciver, Director of Brand and Insight at Prudential UK, said:- "Millions of people may as well take fifteen quid out of their bank account each week and give it to a complete stranger. That is the net result of their forgetfulness.

Electronic payments are highly convenient and effective for those that manage them properly. But the large number of derelict debits and standing disorders are a graphic illustration of the negative impact of poor financial management."


Evidence of financial inertia can also be seen in the fact that nearly half of Brits, 46%, admit they don't know exactly how much they are paying electronically or to whom. This is despite people claiming that they spend more than £13 billion a month by direct debits and standing orders (excluding mortgages). 

Angus Maciver concluded:- "In times when savings and retirement planning are rarely out of the news, the money frittered away each month would start to address the nation's savings shortfall. Individuals need to take greater responsibility for their finances, starting with their planning. We have launched the Plan from the Pru to help them do this."

Letters to Editor:- "Fishing & the Animal Welfare Bill." 

Dear Southport Reporter, "Great news for angling:- at a recent meeting I gained a public assurance from Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw that angling will be exempt from the forthcoming Animal Welfare Bill.

The Countryside Alliance had previously expressed concern that under the Draft Animal Welfare Bill, published last year, angling could inadvertently be affected. These concerns were echoed by DEFRA Secretary of State Margaret Beckett and were accepted by the cross-party EFRA Committee in its recent report on the draft Bill.

The Alliance welcomes Mr Bradshaw's public assurance that angling will be safe under Labour. Whilst we had been given vague assurances previously, this will put many anglers' minds at ease. There was a feeling of unrest and disquiet about the knock on effects of the Bill on our sport, so to have the minister so adamant and publicly committed to angling and angling practices is very reassuring. That angling will be exempted from this legislation will ensure that the £3bn pound industry can enjoy a very bright future indeed."
Charles Jardine, Director of Countryside Alliance Campaign for Angling.

MENINGITIS:- A COLD REMINDER!

THE national charity Meningitis UK, are offering families throughout the country a 'Know the Symptoms' Meningitis and Meningococcal Septicaemia Awareness fridge magnet in an effort to help save lives this winter. They are urging the general public to familiarise themselves with the common symptoms should a loved one become unwell.

The charity wishes to point out that although children are now being offered the Meningitis C vaccine there is still no vaccine available to protect against Group B, the most common form of bacterial meningitis in this country. In 2004 there were over 2,000 cases of all forms of meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia provisionally recorded in the UK.

"Meningitis and Meningococcal Septicaemia can strike with little or no warning and can kill within hours. Until an effective vaccine can be developed to prevent all forms of Meningitis public awareness is paramount, early recognition and hospital treatment can mean the difference between life and death, 

The number of cases rises dramatically through the winter months, therefore we are stepping up our campaign to raise awareness of these terrible diseases. This innovative educational aid is quite unique, unlike a poster or leaflet, which can often get lost or discarded, our 'Know the Symptoms' fridge magnet is durable and once in place will remain a constant reminder in the home"
.said Nicola Fisher, communications officer for Meningitis UK.

To obtain a 'Know the Symptoms' Meningitis and Meningococcal Septicaemia Awareness fridge magnet contact Meningitis UK, 25 Cleeve Wood Road, Downend, Bristol, BS16 2SF, tel:- 0117 373 73 73 or log onto their website address at:- www.meningitisuk.ork

NWDA backs ICT centre of excellence

THE Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) is pleased to provide funding of £3.9 million to enable the relocation and expansion of Liverpool John Moores University's (JMU) International Centre of Digital Content (ICDC) to the Liverpool Digital site on Edge Lane. 

The relocation of ICDC to the Liverpool Digital site will provide a focus of expertise in the development of new technologies for digital content, and related incubator facilities. The site is already being developed as a centre of excellence for the information and communications technology sector, and JMU will benefit from the site's strategic location, mixed-use facilities, high bandwidth fibre infrastructure, optical fibre cabling and a range of existing and new office and manufacturing space.

With support from the European Regional Development Fund and contributions from JMU, the project will provide additional learning opportunities and skills development at the forefront of digital technology. 

Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the NWDA, said:- "JMU's International Centre for Digital Content already has an established reputation for innovation and expertise within the digital content and creative media sectors, and this move to Liverpool Digital is an opportunity to build on this and create a leading national centre of digital excellence. I am pleased to provide funding to enable this to happen and enhance Liverpool's growing reputation for ICT and New Media."

Professor Roger Webster, Dean of the Faculty of Media, Arts and Social Science, JMU, said:- "We welcome this move which recognises ICDC's leading role in the field of digital content. It will facilitate further important developments where research, training and enterprise can flourish together in a mutually supportive environment. The site at Edge Lane has world-class facilities and will be of huge benefit to Liverpool and the Northwest. JMU is pleased to be playing a major role in this exciting area through ICDC, which will have very significant benefits for the creative and digital industries - and the region's economy." 

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