Children First Conference
National Museums Liverpool 4 & 5 November 2005.

NATIONAL Museums Liverpool has developed a 2 day event which aims to be a thought provoking and hands-on opportunity to share knowledge and opinion about creative play and learning for pre-school children. It will raise the awareness of the significant role of creative practice in early years and cultural settings.

Day 1:- conference style format, looking at local, national and international perspectives on creative early years practice, with keynote speeches and practical workshops.

Day 2:- an opportunity to network and share good practice using inspirational workshops.

Carol Rogers, Head of Learning at National Museums Liverpool says:- "We aspire to be a model of national excellence in demonstrating how partnership can work with teachers, nursery providers, families, parents and carers working with young children. We want to provide an experience of the region’s cultural offer, offering the first step in a lifetime of creative involvement in the arts, culture and learning."

Confirmed contributors include; Roberto Frabetti (artistic director La Baracca Theatre Company, Bologna), Hopal Romans (Exec. Officer Youth Music), Joanne Albin-Clark (EYDCP Officer, Bury MBC), NML Learning Division, Graham Marsden, Levi Tafari, Linda Thornton and Pat Brunton (Directors, ALC Associates Ltd.), Rosie Marcus (Artists in Schools), Valeria Frabetti (Actor, La Baracca Theatre Company), Irene Mandelkow (Liverpool Library Service) and All
Things Latin.

National Museums Liverpool is leading a regional consortium, The Children First Forum, comprising of partners from Sure Start, Early Years networks, Arts Council North West and Borough Arts Services from across Merseyside, to lay the foundations of a coherent network aimed at developing opportunities for Artists, schools, nurseries, museums, libraries, early years practitioners and parents to develop creative approaches to children’s learning.

National Museums Liverpool are also hosting the Sightlines Initiative, international touring exhibition 100 Languages of Children from 17 October to 13 November 2005 at World Museum Liverpool. The exhibition features children’s artwork and highlights the ground-breaking techniques used in the pre-school educational centres of excellence in the Italian city of Reggio Emilia. Working in partnership with National Museums Liverpool, Sure Starts and Borough Arts Services from across Merseyside, the exhibition has been staged to enable educators, parents and children to benefit from the centres’ innovative philosophy. World Museum Liverpool is the final British venue to host this touring exhibition.

DON’T FORGET THE HEALTH OF YOUR PET AS THE NIGHTS DRAW IN

AS British Summer Time officially comes to an end on 31 October, and we start to see shorter days and longer nights, it is important not to neglect the health of your beloved pet. As the colder weather approaches and the nights draw in, your dog still needs its daily exercise to help him/her stay fit and healthy.

Make sure you also take adequate road safety precautions on dark nights and wear bright, reflective clothing to help drivers see you and your dog. Make sure you stick to designated pavements and footpaths, and where there isn’t any street lighting, take a torch. Remember to take a poop scoop and use poop bins to prevent disease and keep parks and open spaces clean and safe. Regular exercise by walking your dog also has added health benefits for you during the autumn and winter months too as it is one of the most effective forms of physical activity. Did you know that, as little as a brisk 30 minute walk, 5 times a week will provide some of the most important health benefits of a much more dedicated and structured exercise routine? This includes longer life expectancy, reduced risk of heart disease and other health conditions such as type II diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoporosis. That's 1.5% of the total time in a week.

Sabrina Stroud, Drontal product manager at Bayer Animal Health, said:- “It is all too easy to become complacent about walking our dogs as the evenings get darker earlier, but pet owners must act responsibly, wrap up warm and hit the pavements! Along with exercise, regular worming should also be part of your pet’s health regime. To keep your pet worm free use a combination wormer such as Drontal at least four times a year, and always poop scoop to prevent contamination of the environment.”

CLIPPER RACE LATEST:- LIVERPOOL 08 LEAD TAKEN BY THE AUSSIES!

AFTER a 3,500 mile transatlantic crossing Liverpool 08 managed to dramatically clinch second place in race 2 of The Clipper Cup at 0049 hrs (GMT), just 3 minutes ahead of the Cardiff Clipper. Liverpool fought hard to catch the lead boat but westernaustralia.com - who came second to Liverpool 08 in race 1 - crossed the winning line just over an hour earlier in the dark in the Port of Salvador, Brazil, after holding the lead for almost seven days straight.

Their win means they now lead Liverpool 08 by just 0.5points in the overall table.

The transatlantic crossing is deemed one of the most important races of this 7-leg, round-the-world yacht race and marks the first stop in the southern hemisphere. It is the first big test for the amateur crew of the 10-yacht fleet, coping with extremely changeable conditions from the frustrating calm of the Doldrums to the unpredictable squalls in the approach to the Equator.

Liverpool 08 has maintained a consistently good performance since the start on September 18 from Liverpool - The European Capital of Culture 2008, taking first place in the first race to Cascais, Portugal. Skipper of the Liverpool 08, Tim Magee said:- "Once again a very tight finish. We have one win under out belts and I am happy with that. Westernaustralia.com deserve this win, they have been on our biggest rival since the start. I am now looking forward to a few cold beers and then we will concentrate on the next leg."

westernaustralia.com Skipper, David Pryce said:- "I think I ground a couple of my teeth away last night worrying that Liverpool, just a breath away, would overtake in the fluctuating conditions so crossing the finish line in Salvador has been with both disbelief and relief!"

The yachts leave for the second leg on 25 October in the race for Durban, where they will face the challenge of the
southern Atlantic weather systems followed by the treacherous seas around the Cape of Good Hope. The yachts will visit 12 international ports - including Durban (South Africa), Fremantle (Western Australia), Singapore, Qingdao (China), Victoria (Canada) and New York (US) - before finally returning to Liverpool in July 2006.

ARE YOU THE NEW FACE OF CHILDLINE?

CHILDLINE begins its search this week for the new face of ChildLine in the Southport area, one of 50 people around the UK who will take on the new role of Local Ambassador for the UK’s free, 24-hour helpline for children and young people.

The public representatives of ChildLine in their local area, volunteer ambassadors will make links with business networks, local societies and groups, and speak about ChildLine’s work, so the charity is looking for people who are confident speaking in public, and who are happy to be out and about making valuable contacts, after some training to help them get started. Local Ambassadors will also attend events on behalf of ChildLine, accepting cheques and donations, and publicly thanking local supporters in some of the towns and regions furthest away from ChildLine’s counselling centres.

Karen Swale, Regional Fundraiser for ChildLine in Merseyside, says:- "Although we help children across the country and have supporters in every town and region, we’re a small charity and just don’t have the resources to meet all our supporters face to face. To us, every penny really does count – so we know that the small things matter, like being able to thank someone in person for their help. And that’s where local ambassadors come in. Just a few hours a month as the face of ChildLine in your community will help us make the small things – like shaking someone’s hand and thanking them for their support,  really count!"

ChildLine’s Local Ambassadors will follow the lead of some famous faces. The quest for an ambassador in Southport is supported by two of the charity’s celebrity ambassadors – actors Graham Cole and Beth Cordingly, who regularly speak at events and talk to the media, to highlight ChildLine’s work and thank supporters for getting involved.

Graham Cole, who plays PC Tony Stamp in ITV’s The Bill, says:- "In my day job I meet many police officers and hear first hand the difference that ChildLine makes to young peoples lives, enabling them to take control of their lives. That’s why being an ambassador for ChildLine is a 24-hour job to me, and something that I’m always happy to speak to people about at all levels."

Anyone interested in becoming a Local Ambassador and being the new face of ChildLine in Southport should call Karen Swale on:- 0151 260 7558 or email:- kswale@childline.org.uk