Festival goers are encouraged to spit in the Town Hall?

ITS not often you are encouraged to spit in Liverpool, but if you're attending next weekend's Mathew Street Music Festival then you'd be rude not to!

Volunteers from Anthony Nolan will be taking saliva samples from festival goers as part of a drive to increase the number of people joining the charity's bone marrow register. Everyone that gives a saliva sample could potentially be a stem cell match for a leukaemia patient anxiously awaiting a lifesaving transplant.

"The more people that register then the greater the opportunity for saving many more lives from leukaemia.  For every patient we can help - and we provide 2 potentially lifesaving transplants every day - there is another who sadly we can't because no match can be found. We constantly strive to recruit more people to the register, especially young men and people from diverse ethnic backgrounds, in order to save more lives."  said Karen Bonell, Anthony Nolan donor recruitment manager and organiser of the 2 day recruitment drive.

Anyone wanting to 'spit and save a life' can do so by coming down to Liverpool Town Hall on Sunday, 29 August and Monday, 30 August 2010, from 11am to 2pm. The Town Hall is adjacent to the main festival stage.

Anthony Nolan is looking to double the number of lives it saves every day and it's hoped that the 300,000 visitors who will descend on Liverpool for the city’s annual music festival will visit the Town Hall during the festival.

It's important that people coming along to join the register are aged between 18 to 40 and in good health. Joining the register is simple, quick and free. Pop into the Town Hall (no appointment needed), fill out a form and provide a saliva sample. The only condition is that you don't eat, drink, smoke or chew gum for 30 minutes prior to giving the sample. You can then just go back to enjoying the music.

Karen explained what happens next:- "We then test the saliva sample to establish the tissue type and your results are stored on the Anthony Nolan database to see if you are a match for one of the thousands of adults and children who need a stem cell transplant. If you are a successful match then the donation process that follows is usually very straightforward. We provide comprehensive advice and support to you both before, during and after you donate."

Sadly, 6 children a year from the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool need a transplant, but don’t have a sibling match and urgently need to find a match from outside their families.

Karen Bonell, said:- “Liverpool is truly an inspirational city and during the Mathew Street Music Festival the place really comes alive. I hope that local people, visitors from further afield and band members playing during the weekend will do something special by signing up to the register - you could save a life.”

Liverpool Town Hall, Liverpool City Council and the Round Table are supporting the Anthony Nolan event to recruit potential lifesaving donors. Adverts on the six large screens across the city showing the festival live will encourage people to go along to the Town Hall to register.

“We’re extremely grateful to Liverpool City Council and the Round Table for making our vital two-day recruitment event possible. Being able to sign people up to the register in the Town Hall, right in the heart of Liverpool during the city’s biggest annual event, is a fantastic opportunity and will save lives. So come along and make a difference during the Bank Holiday weekend.” added Karen.

If you are not able to get along to Liverpool Town Hall during the Mathew Street Music Festival, you can arrange to join the register separately by applying online, or by email or calling:- 0303 303 0303.  To find out more about Anthony Nolan, visit anthonynolan.org.

INJURY SHOOTING - PAGE MOSS

FOLLOWING the execution of a warrant at an address in Page Moss on Monday, 23 August 2010, officers have arrested a 17 year old youth from the Page Moss area on suspicion of possession of a Section 1 firearm. This follows an incident in which a 45 year old man was taken to hospital was taken to hospital on Sunday, 22 August 2010, after he reported that he had been shot on the leg. Merseyside Police Officers have also recovered a firearm during the search of the property. Emergency services were called just after midday to a house on Croxdale Road. On arrival paramedics found a 45 year old man with an injury to his left thigh. His injuries are not thought to be life threatening and it is unclear where or when his injury was sustained. Officers are currently working to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident. House to house enquiries are on-going and high visibility patrols have been stepped up in the area. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Matrix team on:- 0151 777 5699 or Crimestoppers on:- 0800 555 111.

Meet Wallace and Gromit at Spaceport

AFTER their recent successful visit, Wallace and Gromit are heading back to Spaceport to meet their fans!

The much loved duo will be at the Seacome attraction, between 25 August 2010 and 31 August 2010, recalling their “Grand Day Out” while checking out Wallace’s workshop, the famous orange rocket and the dynamic duo’s picnic site as well as a selection of sets from the award-winning films.

As well as having their pictures taken with Wallace & Gromit, visitors to the exhibition can learn much more about the universe we live in, with fascinating factual displays about the Moon, our Solar System and the history of space exploration. And you can even design your own rocket/alien in a dedicated drawing area!

Spaceport is housed in a listed building alongside the Seacombe Mersey Ferries Terminal. Wallace and Gromit will be making special public appearances at set times throughout the day.

Opening times:- 10.30 with last admission at 16.30 closing at 18.00 (check website for further details)

Admission:- Adult £8.00, Child (3 to 15 years) £4.50 and a Family ticket £20.00 (this consists of 2 adults and 3 children)

Cologne apprentices get top tourism tips

8 youngsters from Liverpool’s twin city are spending the next 3 weeks discovering how the city promotes itself on the global tourism trail.

The tourism and hospitality apprentices will be getting to grips with working in some of the city’s top hotels such as Hope Street Hotel, Hard Days Night and the Crowne Plaza.

They will also experience some of the city’s most popular visitor attractions to find out just how Liverpool attracts millions of people every single year. The cathedrals, Tate Liverpool, Mersey Maritime Museum, The Beatles Story and visits to the football grounds will all be included in their itinerary.

Councillor Williams said:- “I’m delighted to meet the apprentices from our longest standing twin city.  This is a really fantastic opportunity for the young people involved and I couldn’t think of a better city for them to learn lessons about tourism and culture from.

They’re going to have a busy three weeks ahead of them, and they couldn’t have timed it better with Mathew Street Music Festival taking place this bank holiday weekend – they’ll get to see first hand how this city can put on an amazing event which attracts visitors from across the world.”

The exchange project is funded by British Council’s Training Bridge which is a programme between England and Germany. It is organised in conjunction with the National Apprenticeship service and the scheme will see eight apprentices from Liverpool travel in Germany in November in time for the Cologne Christmas Markets and the beginning of the preparation for Cologne’s famous Karneval.