BBC Live at the Ricoh Women's Open Golf

THIS years Ricoh Women’s Open will be broadcast on the BBC up to and including the 2016 Championship, following a new five year agreement announced today by the LGU, IMG and BBC Sport.

Guy Kinnings, IMG’s Director of Golf, EAME, said:- “The BBC’s long term commitment to the Ricoh Women’s British Open is fantastic for golf in the UK, and ensures that the only two Majors played outside the US are both available on terrestrial television. The BBC is a wonderful platform for both the players and Championship and we very much look forward to strengthening this relationship in the future.”

BBC Director of Sport, Barbara Slater said:- “We are delighted to have extended our partnership with the Women’s British Open and feel it goes hand in hand with our recently announced new five year deal with The R&A to broadcast The Open. The BBC is proud of its history of top class golf coverage and looks forward to continuing to bring the sport to audiences nationwide through to 2016.”

Shona Malcolm of the Ladies’ Golf Union said:- “We are very pleased that the BBC is demonstrating this commitment to women’s golf and look forward to continuing our long standing relationship. The LGU is committed to giving as many people as possible the opportunity to watch the world’s best women golfers play in our flagship event and the BBC is an ideal partner in fulfilling this ambition.”

The 35th Championship, being played at The Royal Birkdale Golf Club over the 29 July to 1 August 2010, and the BBC will be broadcast it for the first time in High Definition (HD). Hazel Irvine presents the BBC coverage on all four days, with commentary from Peter Alliss, Andrew Cotter and Maureen Madill, and the on-course team of Ken Brown, Philip Parkin and Kirsty Taylor.

BBC TV Schedule

Thursday, 29 July 2010
BBC Two + BBC HD from 2.00pm to 5.30pm - Live Golf

Friday, 30 July 2010
BBC Two + BBC HD from 2.00pm to 5.15pm - Live Golf

Saturday, 31 July 2010
BBC One + BBC HD from 2.30pm to 4.50pm - Live Golf
BBC Two + BBC HD from 4.50pm to 5.45pm - Live Golf

Sunday, 1 August 2010
BBC Two + BBC HD from 3.00pm to 6.00pm - Live Golf

ROBBERY - KNOTTY ASH

MERSEYSIDE Police Officers are appealing for information, following a robbery on Saturday, 25 July 2010, in Springfield Park, Knotty Ash.

Officers were called at around 6.45pm when the victim, a teenage girl, was walking through the park near to the Sainsbury's supermarket. The girl was listening to music on her mobile phone when she was approached by five men, wearing black tracksuits with hoods pulled up. One of the men tried to grab her mobile phone out of her hand. The girl then struggled with the man, at which point he produced a knife. All five offenders ran off, with the girl's mobile phone, in the direction of the Sainsbury's supermarket.

The girl was left very shaken by the assault and received a small cut to her hand.

The offender who threatened the girl with the knife, is described as white, around 5ft 4" and 5ft 7" tall and of a chubby build. He was wearing a plain black tracksuit.

Detective Constable Nathan Smeda said:- "This was obviously a very traumatic experience for this young girl, who was just walking in the park. We treat incidents of violence such as this, very seriously and I would urge anyone who has any information about this assault to come forward and make contact with us. Maybe you were walking in the park or leaving the supermarket and saw a group of men acting suspiciously? Any information, no matter how small, could assist with our enquiries."

Anyone who witnessed anything, or who has any information about this incident is asked to contact the Liverpool North Robbery Reduction Team on:- 0151 777 4811 or Crimestoppers on:- 0800 555 111.

Train Controller Thanks Life-saving Doctors

TWO neighbourhood friends cycled Coast to Coast, from the Irish Sea to the North Sea as they raised money for Cancer Research.

Jo Felce, former Deputy Head teacher at Birkdale High School and long time friend Fred Mills covered a staggering 147 miles over a four day stretch, beginning on Saturday, 24 July 2010, in Workington, West Cumbria, all the way across and up to Tyne and Wear by Tuesday, 27 July 2010.

Local men Jo and Fred completed the gruelling four day cycle trek in order to raise money for Cancer Research, as Jo lost his loving wife Anne to cancer last year.

Anne Webb, former Assistant Head teacher and greatly adored member of Range High School passed away last August. Anne, a remarkable wife, mother, teacher and friend, is so greatly missed by all. The entirety of Jo and Fred’s efforts are going towards helping provide support for those affected by the awful disease.

To date, the two men have raised a staggering £862 for Cancer Research.

You too can do your bit to help support Cancer Research; please visit:- justgiving.com/joandfredgocoasttocoast.

CUTTING CASELOADS WOULD SAVE LIVES SAYS UNISON

UNISON, the UK’s leading public trade union has reiterated its call for strict controls on social work caseloads, after a new report* showed just one in five social workers thought they had enough time to work effectively with the children they are responsible for. Only 25% said their employer had an effective caseload management system.

The report also highlights a climate of fear with practitioners too scared to say they can’t cope with the volume of work for fear of being disciplined. It reveals a gulf in understanding between social workers and team leaders, and those in senior management who do not listen to what they have to say.

The union is also calling for employers to have a duty to respond to social workers’ concerns.

Helga Pile, UNISON national officer for social workers, said:- “Social work departments are massively overstretched, and the pressure on staff is unsustainable. Excessive caseloads are a perennial problem, and this survey proves that leaving caseload management to chance is not working. What’s more it is dangerous, just as the tragic cases hitting the headlines prove. How can anyone say everything possible is being done to protect children, families and vulnerable adults if employers are allowed to go on loading more and more cases on to social workers? We must now move to enforceable national standards for caseloads, and better workload management systems. Only a third of social workers feel they can have a say in how their service is run. Yet these professionals are expected to cope with one of the toughest jobs going dealing with problems most people don’t even want to think about. Employers and the government have got to start taking social workers’ views seriously. We want clear duties on employers to make sure that not only are the issues heard, but they are acted on. The real barrier to boosting social work is underfunding. We cannot allow more lives to be swept away in the cuts that threaten to engulf local services.”

* OFSTED National social work practitioner survey, July 2010.