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1 year on and
Merseyside’s ex-seafarers projects are a success
1 year ago 2 projects were
launched in Merseyside to support merchant navy ex-seafarers and
already 156 people have benefited from the two Projects.
The Better Health for Ex-seafarers and Caseworker Projects were
launched at the Eldonian Village in Liverpool to provide advice,
help and support across a wide range of health, lifestyle, wellbeing
and financial concerns which ex-seafarers may experience.
Many of the recipients are facing financial difficulties and over
£26,000 of support has been given by a range of maritime charities.
The money will provide small annual grants towards living expenses
or one off grants for specific items.
In its first year the projects have helped Merseyside’s
ex-seafarers:-
► Find appropriate health or community services.
► Keep in touch with other ex-seafarers.
► Meet their accommodation needs.
► Live independently.
► Gain access to grants from maritime organisations.
► Gain their full benefit entitlement.
The projects were established as older ex-seafarers are more likely
to have poorer health, be socially isolated and may find it
difficult to access support; due in part to the circumstances
surrounding their time at sea.
Both projects are funded by the Maritime Charities Funding Group
which includes Nautilus International, and the Seaman’s Hospital
Society and are delivered in partnership with the Shipwrecked
Fishermen and Mariners Royal Benevolent Society. The Projects work
with a range of public service and voluntary sector organisations in
Merseyside and the North West including the NHS in Sefton, Wirral
and Liverpool.
Specific support to beneficiaries includes providing a tumble dryer
for someone with chronic respiratory problems who lives in a 12th
floor flat and had nowhere to dry washing, and an elderly gentleman
who wanted to be able to use the internet and was helped to find a
free local course. Two gentlemen with mobility problems now have new
motorised scooters.
Several people with severe chronic diseases were unaware that they
were entitled to extra statutory benefits and have been assisted in
claiming their full entitlements.
Annual grants have been awarded to a number of ex-seafarers to help
with living expenses; people who did not know that help was
available from maritime charities until they contacted the Projects.
Many more have also appreciated one to one health advice and
information about what their local NHS and community projects have
to offer.
Appeal for help finding next of kin in USA!
LIVERPOOL Coroner's Office
is appealing for the next of kin of a man from Old Swan to come
forward. Reginald Shaw, aged 95, of West Oakhill Park, died at his
home on Tuesday, 31 January 2012. Mr Shaw's death is not being
treated as suspicious and it is believed that he may have relatives
in New York in the United States. Mr Shaw's next of kin, or anyone
with any information about their whereabouts, is asked to call
Albert Howard-Murphy, at Liverpool Coroners Office from US on:- 0044
151 233 4703 or from UK on UK 0151 233 4703.
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Liverpool bids
to become home to world’s first Green Investment Bank
LIVERPOOL City Region
Cabinet, has submitted its bid to be the home of the world’s first
Green Investment Bank. If successful, the bid would be prestigious
and lucrative for Liverpool, bringing between 50 and 70 jobs to the
city centre, and establishing it as a £3bn centre of expertise for
financing green projects. The role of the Bank will be to invest in
green businesses such as wind power and recycling, and assist the
development of the green economy in the UK.
The bid, put together by the city region’s Local Enterprise
Partnership (LEP), builds on Liverpool’s outstanding and growing
credentials as a home for green business and innovation.
Among the city’s selling points as the Bank’s home are:-
► Its existing strength in green business, with over
£20bn of low carbon projects already in development
► Its talent pool of over 30,000 senior banking and
finance personnel as well as its existing centres for green economy
expertise such as the University of Liverpool
► Cost effectiveness:- business operating costs are up
to 30% cheaper in Liverpool compared with other cities in the UK
Robert Hough, Chair Designate of the Liverpool City Region LEP,
said:- "After three decades of accelerating regeneration and
renewal, Liverpool is a city of opportunity, energy and vitality.
Liverpool is a special place, with a wealth of experience in
financial services and the best location for the world’s first Green
Investment Bank."
Chair of Liverpool City Region Cabinet, Councillor Joe Anderson,
said:- "We have put forward what we believe to be a powerful and
compelling case for Liverpool to become home to the Green Investment
Bank. We are already home to wealth management and high-level
investment funds management as well as key civil service
departments, and this is a fantastic opportunity to capitalise on
the development of the green economy."
The city’s bid was recommended in a report on how to grow the
Liverpool City Region economy titled ‘Rebalancing Britain - Policy
or Slogan?’ written for Prime Minister David Cameron by Sir Terry
Leahy and Lord Heseltine last year.
The Secretary of State for Business, Vince Cable, will decide the
bank’s location later in February 2012. Vince Cable said that:- "I am delighted that the
Green Investment Bank has fired the imagination of so many public
and private sector groups keen to host this world-first institution.
They all have a role to play in helping the UK seize the benefits of
a transition to a low carbon economy."
This is a list of all
32 bids that have been received from across the UK wanting to host
the Green Investment Bank (GIB):-
| Bicester |
|
Liverpool |
| Birmingham |
London |
| Brighton |
Manchester |
| Bristol |
Milton Keynes |
| Cardiff |
Newcastle |
| Chester |
Norwich |
| Cornwall |
Nottingham |
| Coventry and Warwickshire |
Peterborough |
| Derby |
Renfrewshire |
| Durham |
Sheffield |
| Edinburgh |
Southampton |
| Gloucester |
Stoke-on-Trent |
| Hull |
Sunderland |
| Ipswich |
Tees Valley |
| Leeds |
Torbay |
| Leicester |
Warrington |
For more information on the GIB, go to:-
bis.gov.uk/greeninvestmentbank. |
