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Mosaic masterpieces unveiled
LARGER-THAN-LIFE
wildflower mosaics have sprung up at three City Line stations,
thanks to the efforts of a group of talented schoolchildren.
The colourful mosaics, designed as part of the ‘Wildflowers on
the Move’ project led by Merseytravel, Northern Rail and the
National Wildflower Centre, now grace Broad Green, Huyton and Roby
stations.
Around 100 children from 3 Merseyside schools worked under the
guidance of Merseytravel’s Chris Murphy and Ticky Lowe from the
National Wildflower Centre to create the designs, which have given
life to areas of the stations in need of sprucing up. They are
now permanent displays on walls and disused windows for thousands of
regular commuters and visitors to the stations to enjoy.
Councillor Ron Abbey, Member of Merseytravel’s PTA, went to meet the
children and to see the fruits of their labour for himself. He
said:- “Every child who has contributed to this project has
achieved something. They should be very proud. The mosaics are a
lasting legacy of their creativity and the stations look all the
better for them.”
Neil Scales, Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel,
said:- "Merseyside is a region that celebrates and promotes
the creative spirit. We are delighted to have given the children a
chance to contribute to brightening up these stations. They have
created something special that will last for many years.”
The schools that worked on the mosaics were:-
· Christ the King Catholic Primary School, Wavertree
· St Paschal Baylon Catholic Primary School, Liverpool
· Blacklow Brow Primary School, Huyton |
New
sporting era for Walton
SCHOOLCHILDREN
and residents in Walton are celebrating the opening of their new
multi-million sports centre. Pupils from Alsop School will
join local people and civic guests for the official opening of the
stunning £6 million Alsop Community Sports Centre.
It is a dual-use facility which will be shared by neighbouring Alsop
School and the wider community, giving thousands of local people
access to a first class leisure centre. The sports centre has
taken almost 2 years to complete. It boasts a state-of-the-art
Lifestyles gym, 25 metre swimming pool, cricket nets and huge sports
hall. Some exercise machines are even equipped with their own TV
screens to entertain fitness fanatics while they work out. It
has replaced the worn-out Victorian facility at Queens Drive
Recreation Centre, which closed in 2004 following a health and
safety inspection. Queens Drive baths received almost 17 million
visits during its 100 year lifetime.
Council Leader Warren Bradley will declare the new Alsop Sports
Centre officially open. He said:- “We’re committed to giving
people in every part of Liverpool access to high quality leisure
facilities, and I’m absolutely delighted that the doors are opening
on this fantastic new sports centre for the people of Walton.
It was my decision to demolish the old Queens Drive baths and start
from scratch. It was a tough decision, but it’s really paid off. It
shows the huge benefits that can come from the community working
together. The residents were determined to get the best and this is
the result. It’s an incredible facility, and one the people of
Walton can be proud of. And as the first joint venture in Liverpool
between a school and a community leisure centre, we hope it will be
the blue-print for improving sports access across the city.”
The sports hall and swimming pool will be used solely by Alsop High
School between 9am and 5pm, but will be open for the whole community
in the evenings. The Lifestyles fitness suite will be open to the
public all day. There will be a varied swimming programme for
the whole community, including lessons for adults and children,
mother and toddler sessions, 50 plus sessions and swimming clubs.
Alsop is Liverpool's biggest school with more than 1,750 pupils, and
headteacher Phillip Jamieson is welcoming a new sporting era for the
school and the wider community. He said:- "A new sports centre
has been a major priority for us for many years, and our new
facility will really enhance sport and leisure not only for our
pupils but the whole area. The importance of what has been
built here cannot be underestimated, either in terms of the health
of the local population or our school being able to provide a more
rounded education to the children."
The new Alsop Community Sports Centre has been funded by the city
council and the Big Lottery Fund. |
