Prince's Trust means business for Merseyside and Manchester’s young people

MERSEYSIDE and Manchester’s young people are being offered the chance to set up in business with The Prince's Trust this April and May.

The Prince’s Trust Enterprise Programme looks at the realities of setting up on your own with the option to apply to The Trust for a low-interest loan and local business mentor.

Open to unemployed young people aged between 18 and 30, the programme will give advice on writing a business plan, marketing, legal issues and tax whilst also examining the employment opportunities available locally.

Programme Executive, Heather Peers, The Trust’s main representative in the Merseyside area, said:- “If there are young people out there who are unemployed and have a feasible business idea then we want to hear from them. This is a great opportunity to get quality help for free and explore your entrepreneurial dreams.”

Heather will be running information sessions for the Enterprise Programme in Merseyside and Manchester throughout April and May. For more information please contact her on:- 0151 794 3197 or email:- heather.peers@princes-trust.org.uk

100 MPs work together to support the UK’s six million carers

OVER 100 MPs have already pledged their support for Carers Week 2010, and its nationwide programme of events, aimed at supporting the country’s 6 million of carers. More than 10 thousand activities will take place throughout the UK between 14-20 June 2010, while in Parliament, the carers cause will be championed by Carers Week Parliamentary Ambassadors: Tony Baldry MP (Banbury, Conservative) and Hywel Francis MP (Aberavon, Labour). They said:- "As Parliamentary Ambassadors for Carers Week we are delighted that so many MPs in the new Parliament, from across the political spectrum, have already expressed their support for carers and for Carers Week 2010.   Over 100 of our colleagues took time out from campaigning over the frantically busy election period to sign up, and when Parliament resumes next week we have no doubt that many more MPs will join us in recognising the massive contribution made by the UK's 6 million carers, who give their unstinting love and dedication to a relative or friend.  Many of us who have allied ourselves with Carers Week have experience of caring and we know that carers deserve our respect, admiration and ongoing cross-party co-operation to bring about real improvement in their lives."

Further information on Carers Week 2010, including activities being held during Carers Week in your area, can be found at:- carersweek.org.

Southport Access For Everyone Forum Update

THE next meeting of the Southport Access For Everyone forum will be held at the Community Room of the Southport Fire Station at the corner of Manchester Road and Lord Street, Southport, on Thursday, 27 May 2010, at 7.00pm. People who experience access problems to the town's facilities because of a disability are welcome to attend and discuss their problems.   The premises are fully accessible for wheelchair users. Enquiries:- 01704 567046.

PTSD among veteran servicemen is a ticking ‘time bomb’

TONY Banks, an ex-Paratrooper and campaigner of services charity Combat Stress, warned that the Ministry of Defence was under-estimating the problem of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) amongst military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

A report by Professor Simon Wessely of King’s London, published yesterday and following a similar study in 2005 found no ‘tidal wave’ of mental health problems linked with troops who were deployed on active service.

“Combat Stress has found that, on average, a veteran waits 14 years before seeking help for PTSD. Constant deployment of troops in Afghanistan following on from Iraq and the Gulf means that we are storing up a time-bomb for the future,” said Mr Banks, who is the chairman of Balhousie Care Group.

Combat Stress has a current caseload of 4,375 veterans. This includes 94 who have served in Afghanistan and 390 who served in Iraq. Last year six new cases sought help from Combat Stress who had waited 50 years or more.

The study involved 9,990 members of the British armed forces and was published in the Lancet. It concludes that the incidence of PTSD among actively deployed troops to be between 3% and 4%. Professor Wessely also reported that one in seven of active personnel were drinking ‘hazardous and harmful’ levels of alcohol.

Robert Marsh of Combat Stress said:- “The fact remains that in the region of 180,000 individuals have served in Iraq or Afghanistan (to date) and if 4% of these suffer PTSD this will mean over 7,000 future sufferers. This is a huge number and about twice of Combat Stress’s current case load.”

Mr Banks urged that the public support the Combat Stress appeal ‘The Enemy Within’ which hopes to raise the £35 million that will be required to provide a national network of community teams who can provide personal support to military veterans throughout Britain.

“The unseen injuries of war – the nightmares, flashbacks, anxieties, depression, anger and guilt – in short, the psychological injuries, can render the sufferer totally incapacitated.” said Prince Charles, patron of Combat Stress, when he launched the ‘The Enemy Within’ appeal in March 2010.

Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies is coming to Liverpool!

DID you know that Channel’s 4 Flagship medical programme Embarrassing Bodies is back in Liverpool and this time it’s looking for a local family with weight problems to take part.  The Embarrassing Bodies doctors will be filming at Liverpool John Moores University and featuring their brand new state of the art sports science facility. Using the most up-to-date methods, they’ll be measuring metabolism and body fat in order help overweight families. They will also be offering long term help through the University's GOALS project which is supported by Liverpool City Council and Liverpool PCT.  The doctors will also test the family to see if there are genetic reasons behind their weight problems.  If you’re in a family that’s been piling on the pounds or wonder why you carry so much weight, here’s a unique opportunity to do something about it!   Call Laura in confidence for a no obligation chat on:- 0121 224 8429 or email:- embarrassingbodies@mavericktv.co.uk.   All tests will be filmed. Dietary and fitness advice will also be provided.