Oscar and Bafta winning costumes at Creative Stitches & Hobbycrafts!
Photographs with thanks to the RNLI

RNLI lifeguards are now patrolling beaches on Merseyside. They have reported a busy Easter, with one rescue and several first aid incidents keeping them busy throughout the holiday weekend. The RNLI have taken over from Sefton Council's Lifeguards. Sefton MBC has now become the first local authority in the north west of England to join forces with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to provide lifeguards on its beaches this summer. This lifeguard service will run on Crosby, Ainsdale and Southport beaches and will work with other local groups such as Southport Offshore Rescue Trust (Southport Lifeboat). With more than 1,000 visitors per day on Crosby beach over the weekend and similar numbers visiting Ainsdale and Southport beaches, RNLI lifeguards on duty spent the Easter weekend preventing people from being cut off by tides on the area’s sandbanks and, on Easter Sunday, assisted a disorientated family caught in mud on Southport beach.

RNLI Area Lifeguard Supervisor Pete Rooney, said:- "Lots of people decided to take advantage of the good weather and head to the beach this weekend and we were kept busy making people aware of the hazards and helping them were we could."

One such incident involved a group of four from Liverpool who were finishing a walk from Formby to Southport beach. RNLI lifeguards Andy Jordan and Clare Rooney offered their assistance to HM Coastguard, Liverpool, after hearing reports on their VHF radio of a family in trouble on mud banks at Southport beach.

Sefton Council provides up to 23 lifeguards on its busiest beaches for the main summer season, running from May to September, while lifeguards are on duty at Crosby beach 365 days a year. The council will continue to fund the lifeguard posts while the extensive training and equipment needed by the lifeguards will be paid for by the RNLI.

Andy said:- "The group, including two children, were nearing the end of their walk when they wandered onto mud banks, to the south of Southport pier. The suction was pulling their shoes off and as the children became distressed, the two women accompanying them became disorientated and called for help from the emergency services. As we were in the vicinity, we immediately offered our assistance to the coastguard who were dealing with the call and drove up the coast road searching for them. The group had moved to firm ground to wait and as soon as we found them, I crossed the mud to reach them before negotiating a safe route back to the road where the coastguard team were waiting."

Matt Horton, RNLI Divisional Lifeguard Inspector, West, said:- "We are delighted that Sefton Council has agreed to join forces with the RNLI to provide this vital lifesaving service on its beaches. Last year, RNLI lifeguards operated on 15 beaches along the north eastern coast of England for the first time, attending 965 incidents. With this new agreement, the RNLI can now share its beach safety and prevention messages with more beachgoers in the north of England, enabling us to help save lives and also prevent incidents from happening in the first place."

Dave McAleavy, Sefton’s Head of Coast and Countryside, said:- "Sefton Council is well known as a leader in integrated coastal zone management and over the last decade our Coast and Countryside Service has driven an ever increasing improvement programme in respect of delivering Council services, where it relates to beach management. We are excited about the Beach Lifeguard Partnership with the RNLI as it is going to considerably improve beach safety provision and raise the awareness of water safety for residents and visitors."

Did you know?
 
HISTORICALLY, the area has been long connected with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) ever since The Port of Liverpool established the first ever lifeboat station at Formby Point in 1776. That station was taken over by the RNLI in 1884 and subsequently closed in 1889 after 113 years service. The RNLI also took over Southport, but closed it again in 1920's.Southport Lifeboat re-opened in 1989, but it remains independent still to this day run by the (SORT). For more information about the RNLI go to:- rnli.org.uk.

 AQUARIUM TAKES ANIMAL ROADSHOW TO CHILDREN’S HOSPICE

THE Blue Planet Aquarium in Cheshire Oaks took along some of the stars of its new Venom feature to Claire House Children’s Hospice on the Wirral this Easter.

The event was part of an Easter surprise organised by the aquarium for the children and their families.

As well as the creepy creatures – which included a tarantula and hissing cockroaches among others – Blue Planet’s cuddly costume character Charlie the Clownfish also made a special appearance.

The aquarium donated a number of soft toys and other gifts from its shop to help furnish a new beach hut-themed play area at the hospice.

Team members at the aquarium also brought in their own Easter eggs to give to the children.

Blue Planet’s Paul Renolds said:- “We launched the new Venom feature at the weekend. However not everyone is able to come down to the aquarium to see it so we thought this would be a great way of bringing a little bit of the feature to meet the children. We have personal experience of the truly extraordinary work that the team at Claire House do and it’s a real privilege that we had the chance to meet some of the children, their families and the staff.”

Claire House is a 10 bedded hospice for children with life limiting, life threatening conditions from across Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and the Isle of Man.

Located in Bebington on the Wirral, it is a bright, vibrant place of hope. In addition to caring for children and young adults they also focus on the needs of the whole family, providing bereavement, and other support, for as long as it is needed.

With no guaranteed government funding they need to raise in excess of £2.5 million each year to maintain our present levels of service.

Their specialist nursing team also work in the community through a ‘Hospice to Home’ programme offering paediatric palliative care in the family home.

What’s stopping you?

"IF you want to vote, make sure nothing stops you." That’s the message of a new advertising campaign launched by the Electoral Commission to encourage people to register to vote in time for the general election.

A recent YouGov survey for the Electoral Commission showed that 28% of respondents in the North West incorrectly think that if you pay council tax you are automatically put on the electoral register. 18% of respondents in the North West think that it is possible to register to vote right up until the day before an election - In fact, you need to be registered to vote 11 working days before polling day and if you’re not registered in time, you won’t be able to vote.

Sue Burgin, Regional Manager for the North of England at the Electoral Commission, said:- “Politics affects so many things in our everyday lives and we want to make sure that people know how to have their say. Our research suggests that there may be people planning to vote who won’t be able to unless they act now. Registering to vote takes just a few minutes – go to:- www.aboutmyvote.co.uk, print off a form, sign it and return it to your local council. You can also call our helpline on:- 0800 3 280 280. Whatever it is that you care about, go to www.aboutmyvote.co.uk today and make sure nothing stops you having your say on polling day.”

Nick Clegg campaigns in Liverpool

THE Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg was in Liverpool on Wednesday, 7 April 2010, to launch the Liberal Democrat manifesto for the North West. He visited the Penny Lane Development Trust with the Liberal Democrat PPC for Liverpool Wavertree, Colin Eldridge. To read the manifesto please click here.

WITNESS APPEAL, ASSAULT & ROBBERY

MERSEYSIDE Police are appealing for witnesses following an assault and robbery on Blessington Road in Anfield on Thursday, 1 April 2010.

Officers were called to the scene at 11.30pm after reports that a 62 year old man had been assaulted by three men and had his car keys and car stolen.

The offenders are described as white, 18 to 22 years old with medium builds and about 5ft 8in tall. They were all wearing dark clothing.

The offenders escaped in the victim's car, a silver Ford Focus, which is still outstanding. The victim was taken to hospital where he was treated for facial injuries.

Anyone with information, or who witnessed the assault, is asked to contact officers on:- 0151 777 4811 or you can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on:- 0800 555 111.