MORGAN ASHURST DONATION HELPS AVIATION SOCIETY TO SOAR

LIVERPOOL based construction company Morgan Ashurst, is building a £20 million Top Gun-style school at RAF Valley in Anglesey, has helped the Valley Aviation Society to soar in 2010, by donating £500 to the organisation.

Morgan Ashurst, which has local offices in Highfield Street, Liverpool, sponsored the organisation as thanks for the community’s support during construction of a 12,000m² hangar for high-tech fighter planes, as well as a new squadron base and a new training suite, where future fast jet pilots will hone their skills. The project is due to be completed in Spring 2010.

“RAF Valley and the aviation industry are the lifeblood of the community here in Anglesey so we are only too pleased to give something back. We’re extremely grateful for the community support we have received over the last few months working at RAF Valley and we hope this donation will prove useful.” says David Watts, Morgan Ashurst senior project manager.

Jack Thomas, chairman of Valley Aviation Society added:- “As a club, we rely on donations to survive so we are really grateful to receive this support from Morgan Ashurst.”

Photo – (From l-r) Neil McConnell, station commander at RAF Valley; Kevin Maddocks, Morgan Ashurst quantity surveyor; Jack Thomas, Valley Aviation Society and David Watts, Morgan Ashurst senior project manager at RAF Valley in Anglesey.

MEP fights for fuel efficient cars

CAR drivers are getting more miles to the gallon out of their vehicles, with big improvements still to come.

Liberal Democrat Euro-MP Chris Davies who is a North West MEP says that fuel efficiency is set to increase by by 20% over the next 6 years.

he said that:- "Car manufacturers are gearing up to meet the requirements of a new EU law that forces them to reduce CO2 emissions from the fuel they burn. Latest figures for the 12 million cars sold in Europe in 2008 reveal that average emissions were down by 3.3%, the largest fall since records began to be kept a decade ago."

Chris Davies, who helped negotiate the new law, says that the manufacturers are introducing long overdue changes adding that:- "They were slow to start, but car builders are now being forced to curb CO2 emissions. Vehicles are becoming more fuel efficient and this will help to keep down the cost of driving."

Did you know that the average emissions from new cars sold in the UK during 2008 stood at 158.2 gCO2/km compared to a European average of 153.5 gCO2/km. Across Europe currently 47.3% of car sold are fuelled by petrol, 51.4% by diesel, while 1.3% use alternative power sources.

2009 busiest year on record for RNLI lifeboat crews in the north of England

AS figures are released on Monday, 25 January 2010, showing volunteer Royal National Lifeboat Institution crews in the north of England had their busiest year on record in 2009, the charity is calling on the public to support its biggest day of fundraising, RNLI SOS Day, on Friday, 29 January 2010.

RNLI crews in the north of England rescued 961 people and launched 1,282 times last year (2009) – a 24% increase in launches on 2008 and a 3% rise on the previous busiest year, 2003.

The busiest lifeboat station in the charity’s north division was Sunderland RNLI, with 101 launches, followed by Skegness (82); Hartlepool (81); Blackpool (76) and Fleetwood (73).

During the November floods in Cumbria, the RNLI also helped more than 200 Cockermouth residents reach safety in some of the worst conditions the charity’s specialist Flood Rescue Team had ever encountered.

Across the UK and Ireland, crews also had their busiest year in the RNLI’s 186 year history, launching 9,154 times and rescuing 8,186 people. The charity’s lifeguards responded to 13,588 incidents and assisted 15,954 people – the highest number since the service began in 2001.

RNLI lifeguards were operating in the north of England for the first time in 2009, patrolling beaches in Tyne and Wear, North and East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Together, they dealt with 1,468 incidents and helped 1,508 people.

The RNLI is now calling on the public to support SOS Day on Friday, 29 January 2010. Many events have already been planned across the region, but there is still time to get involved or make a donation, said RNLI Divisional Inspector, North, Andy Clift.

Andy Clift added that:- "It is clear that families and businesses are tightening their belts and many people are suffering from the effects of the current economic downturn but we hope the public will still get behind our volunteer crews and lifeguards on RNLI SOS Day. As a charity that depends on the public for its funding, we appeal to as many people as possible to support us on SOS Day by organising a fundraising event, attending one or simply making a donation. For more information and ideas of how to help, log onto:- rnli.org.uk/sos."

The record breaking RNLI rescue figures of 2009 may have been partly caused by the economic situation, added Mr Clift.

"We suspect more people stayed in the UK and Ireland instead of taking holidays abroad in 2009, impacting on the demands made on our lifeboat volunteers and lifeguards. When we examine rescue figures for the last 10 years they show a general increase in coastal recreation in the north of England while calls to fishing vessels in difficulty - once a major cause of RNLI launches – have decreased."

The most common type of casualty last year was people in the sea - swimmers, divers and people who have fallen into the water - (292 launches), followed by power pleasure craft in trouble (290 launches).

RNLI Operations Director, Michael Vlasto, said:- "As a charity that is totally reliant on the public for funds, we have to be prudent and plan ahead to ensure we can continue to provide a 24/7 rescue service that keeps people safe around our shores. This means analysing what type of rescue work we are called out to and what services might be required of this lifesaving charity in the future. I cannot thank the public enough for their continued support and I hope they will remember RNLI SOS Day, this Friday 29 January 2010."

To take part in RNLI SOS Day and for inspiring fundraising ideas or to simply make a donation log on to:- www.rnli.org.uk/sos or call on:- 0845 121 4999..