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LIVERPOOL LAUNCHES NATIONAL FRIEND SHIP
LIVERPOOL'S Friend Ship to form part of London's 2012 Olympic bid Pioneering educational vessel gets ready for national tour Friend Ship to tour nine cities which bid for Capital of Culture Photo call this Wednesday (22 June) David Lammy, Minister for Culture receives a cultural treasure chest to be placed on-board the Olympic Friend Ship. LIVERPOOL is extending the hand of friendship to London to support their Olympic bid.
The city's Friend Ship was a key part of Liverpool's successful bid to become European Capital of Culture. It is a special educational 'vessel', which tours schools in the city teaching children about tolerance, community and friendship, and has so far reached 20,000 pupils. Now, the Friend Ship has inspired London's Olympic bid team. They are planning to sail around the world to promote the bid, using a real Friend Ship boat with cultural cargo. And if London's bid is successful, the Friend Ship will play a huge part in the Olympic preparations.
David Lammy, Minister for Culture, who is visiting Liverpool on Wednesday 22 June to meet the team who are working on the European Capital of Culture project, will accept a unique cultural treasure chest from schoolchildren across the UK It will have pride of place on board the Olympic Friend Ship.
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport has been so impressed with the way Liverpool's FriendShip is enagaging children in the city, they have granted £250,000 towards the redesign of the ship, due to be completed in the Autumn. The ship will then tour cities throughout the UK.
Liverpool City Council Leader Councillor Mike Storey, said:- "Our Friend Ship has had a fantastic impact on children in Liverpool, and has played an important part in our Capital of Culture preparations. It's great news that we have gained the support of the government to take the Friend Ship around the UK, and that we have also inspired the London Olympics committee to use this unique concept as part of their 2012 bid. It's a testament to how the Friend Ship is making waves nationally."
The Liverpool Friend Ship's national tour will take in each of the 9 cities which bid, alongside Liverpool, for European Capital of Culture in 2008 it will go to Cardiff, Oxford, Brighton/Hove, Canterbury, Norwich, Bradford, Newcastle/Gateshead, Belfast and the Highlands.
Liverpool Culture Company's chairman, Professor Drummond Bone, said:-
"The Friend Ship has already reached thousands of children, teaching them invaluable lessons of tolerance, understanding, togetherness and friendship. I'm looking forward to these messages reaching many more children throughout the UK through the national tour, and potentially, reaching a global audience, through the Olympic bid."
More than 150 children from the nine cities who bid for Capital of Culture will unite with Liverpool schoolchildren at Liverpool Town Hall to meet David Lammy. Each city will bring cultural items representing their own city's culture, donated by their schoolchildren, to be included in the special 'Olympic Treasure Chest'. During the rest of the day, the youngsters will enjoy some of the cultural delights of Liverpool, including the new World Museum.
And to officially mark the launch of the national tour of the Friend Ship, Liverpool schoolchildren have joined with children from the nine Capital of Culture bidding cities to make a special film about friendship. It will be premiered at a glittering red carpet event on Wednesday evening, attended by the children, filmmakers, project managers and civic leaders.
Liverpool City Council's executive member for culture, Councillor Warren Bradley said:- "It's amazing that so many young people from so many different cities have worked together in harmony to produce this film. It will be seen by schoolchildren around the country during the Friendship tour and will be a lasting symbol of what has become a truly remarkable cultural project."
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UK assumes Presidency of the EU and makes tackling serious and organised crime a key priority
DID YOU KNOW...? Organised crime costs the UK over £20bn per year. An estimated 600 000 -800 000 people are trafficked globally per year. ID Fraud has risen from 35 000 cases in 2000 to 101 000 cases 2003. ID Fraud costs the UK £1.3bn per year.
Multiple false identities are used in one third of terrorist related activities and organised crime and money laundering (Regulatory Impact Assessment ID Cards Bill, May 2005)
WHAT ARE WE DOING? On 1 July 2005 the UK assumes the Presidency of the European Union. In this role it will be the UK's responsibility for the next 6 months to progress discussion and decisions across a broad range of issues, amongst them tackling serious and organised crime.
The EU already works together to combat organised crime through initiatives such as Europol which helps police and customs across Europe to share intelligence. Additionally, Eurojust enhances effectiveness cross-border investigations, and programmes exist to fight against human trafficking.
Under the UK's Presidency we will focus on:-
Proposals to enhance the sharing of the information that law enforcement agencies need to fight crime;
Supporting intelligence-led operations by developing a European Criminal Intelligence Model; and
Developing a European plan of action to tackle human trafficking.
During our Presidency, the UK will also take forward the EU Drugs Action plan, which will aim to lead the EU toward better detection and prosecution of human traffickers, and aim to implement better protection against sex offenders.
To find out more about the UK's Presidency of the European Union and the work that the EU is doing to tackle organised crime
visit-: www.eu2005.gov.uk
Letter to Editor:-
"COME ON LADIES, RUN FOR RUNAWAYS"
DEAR Editor,
"I am appealing to all the Ladies in Liverpool and Merseyside to support the fantastic work that The Children's Society is doing to help keep young runaways safe and sound, by signing up to take part in the first ever Hydroactive Women's 5K Challenge in Liverpool on Sunday 5 September.
You will be helping to raise awareness for the 100,000 children under 16 who run away each year, 2,500 of which run from home or care in Merseyside. Many sleep in dangerous places, making them easy targets for criminals, pimps and sex offenders. With only one dedicated refuge in England, these children have nowhere safe to go and no one sound to talk to.
By taking part in the Hydro active Women's Challenge in Liverpool on Sunday
5 September you can do your bit to help these children find refuge and support. It's only a 5km run, which you can walk or jog and each place only costs £10. In addition, The Children's Society is asking you to raise £100 in sponsorship and donations. Now ladies, we all know that's not difficult, especially when you know that your £100 will help keep an emergency helpline for young runaways open for one day.
To book a place, Liver-Ladies can call The Children's Society on 0845 300 1128 or by registering online at:-
www.childrenssociety.org.uk."
Yours sincerely, Nerys Hughes
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