Formby Youth Club Mayoral cheque presentation

A local couple who have run Formby Youth Club for the past 13 years were delighted to be given £710 from the Mayor of Sefton’s Charity Fund to buy equipment for the young people to enjoy.

Mike and Pam Thomas have put all their energies into running the youth club over all these years, but a newly formed constitution has meant they can now apply for funding.   And so an application to the Formby branch of the Mayoral Fund has meant the purchase of a new table tennis table, a basketball net, and a music system.

Said Mike Thomas:- “St Lukes Church bought some equipment years ago, but eventually it got broken. We were not able to replace it and have been running the club on a shoestring. But with this money we are able to give the young people what they need. We have not been able to get funding from anywhere else so are very grateful for the money given us by the Mayoral fund.  The kids now feel that someone cares about them. If they use old and tatty equipment that reflects that they are not valued.”

Mayor of Sefton, Cllr Alf Doran, who handed over the cheque with Mayoress Cllr Gill Cuthbertson, said:- “First and foremost I wish to thank the members of the Formby branch of the Fund. Without their work and efforts in raising money, and others like them, we would not be able to help causes like this. This is a good example of helping the youth of Formby.”

Chairman of the Formby branch of the Fund. Dr David Bosworth said:- “We are delighted to be able to help the Youth Club. Our members put in a lot of time raising money locally to help local causes. It is heart-warming to see the enjoyment the young people are getting from the new equipment. The fact that it has a membership of over 50 shows that Mr and Mrs Thomas are doing a remarkable job.”

Hightown Park cheque presentation

A children’s play park in Hightown is being refurbished with the help of money raised by the Formby branch of the Mayor of Sefton’s Charity Fund.  Sefton’s Mayor Cllr Alf Moran and Mayoress Cllr Gill Cuthbertson have officially handed over £620, which will help to buy new equipment for children 8 to 12 years. The money was raised by the Formby branch of the Mayoral Fund and matched by the central fund.

Said Julie Maitland, treasurer of the Hightown Park Action Committee:- “We are very grateful for the generous donation from the Mayor of Sefton’s Charity Fund. We have been fund-raising since 2004 to replace equipment at the local park that was old and did not meet current safety or disability regulations. We aim to create a modern environment for all ages of Hightown children to enjoy.”

So far they have completed a toddler play area, fenced for extra safety, which is proving very popular with local youngsters and their parents. The new money will go towards creating a new phase of the park to provide a play area for older children.

Said Ms Maitland:- “We can now get on with this new phase. There is nothing there at the moment, and what was there was rusty and old. There are no funds available from anywhere else. We can now buy new equipment.”

Said Cllr Doran:- “The Park in Hightown has needed a bit of work for some time. I am pleased that we have been able to present them with a reasonable donation to achieve their aims.”

Said Dr David Bosworth, Chairman of the Formby branch of the Mayoral Fund that raised money that was matched by the central fund:- “We are delighted to be able to help the Hightown Park. The Action Committee has worked hard for years to raise funds. Now they can begin work on the second phase of the project that will benefit all Hightown’s youngsters.”