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2ND PHOENIX
LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME
MERSEYSIDE Police has
launched its 2nd Phoenix Leadership Programme targeting recruitment
of under represented groups to Merseyside Police. The programme is a
positive action initiative aimed at increasing recruitment of under
represented groups to the organisation as special constables, PCSOs
and regular Police Officers. The programme aims to encourage women,
ethnic minorities, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and
people with a disability to apply to join the Force. The 1st course
was held in October last year and four of the participants have
already been successful in joining the organisation, including our
first Polish PCSO and our 1st female Muslim special constable. The
remainder are being mentored through the application process.
The course consists of a 1 week programme, which will cover
presentation and leadership skills, team building and resolving
conflict. This will then be followed by 3 1 day workshops over the
following 12 months, which will help to embed the skills which have
been learnt and track the participants. The programme also includes
a work experience module with the Force so that students can gain a
true insight into the realities of life as an officer. Mentoring
support will also be offered to the students to support them in the
recruitment processes.
The 2nd course will take place from 30 June 2014 to 4 July 2014 at
Mather Avenue Training Academy.
Applications can be obtained by contacting Detective Inspector Irene
Afful at the below address:-
Detective Inspector Irene Afful MSc.
Phoenix Leadership Programme Manager
Community Engagement Unit
Police Headquarters
Liverpool
Merseyside
L69 1JD
Tel:- 0151 777 8970
Mob:- 07894 836 987
Email:-
irene.e.afful@merseyside.pnn.police.uk
The programme is supported by the Chief Constable and Merseyside
Police and Crime Commissioner. Chief Constable Jon Murphy said
that:- "Merseyside Police are committed to providing Excellent
Policing for the Communities of Merseyside. Our people are our
greatest asset and I am dedicated to ensuring we properly represent
our diverse communities. Increased understanding leads to increased
confidence and trust, all of which we highly value as an
organisation. I personally endorse the Phoenix Leadership Programme
as part of our continuing commitment to fight crime and protect our
communities."
Chief Superintendent Rowley Moore, added:- "'Policing by
consent' is the cornerstone of British law enforcement requiring
adaptability and genuine community engagement. It is essential we
properly reflect the diversity of the communities we police and the
Phoenix Leadership Programme provides the opportunity for
individuals who are currently underrepresented to become Merseyside
Police Officers."
Detective Inspector Afful, also commented that:- "This is a
fantastic opportunity for young people across Merseyside. This
course will not only increase their confidence and improve their
skills, but also enable the participants to become effective leaders
in their communities in the role of constable, special constable or
PCSO. It has long been a passion of mine to increase the diversity
of Merseyside Police so that it reflects the community it serves at
every level and in specialist departments. This is a step towards
achieving that goal. It is an honour to be leading on this project
on behalf of the organisation and the staff support networks."
Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Jane Kennedy remarked:-
"Merseyside Police wants to build positive links with all groups
in the region and this course will enable the participants to become
leaders in their communities, helping make them safer and crime
free. It is really encouraging to see the positive impact the 1st
Phoenix Leadership programme has already had on increasing diversity
in the Force. The public want to see a Police service which is truly
representative of all the communities it serves. It increases trust,
confidence and understanding, all of which are vital if we are to
continue to cut crime and improve community safety. Here on
Merseyside we are taking proactive steps to ensure this is the case.
I welcome this renewed commitment to securing a long term balance in
the Force. I would urge any young people who are interested in
helping serve their communities and the wider public to consider
applying for the programme."
SWIMMING CLUB
TREASURER SENTENCED TO 3 YEARS FOR FRAUD
A swimming club treasurer
has been jailed for 3 years after stealing thousands of pounds from
its funds. John Crawford left Bootle swimming club in severe
financial difficulty after abusing his position of trust over a
period of 3 years.
The 59 year old who is formerly
from Maghull, but currently lives in Wavertree, was acting as
treasurer for the 135 year old club, for 6 years, and once
established in the role, started to move cash from its various
accounts into one used for paying invoices.
It was found out by Merseyside
Police that instead of paying the invoices, he wrote out cheques to
himself or his off licence businesses.
Crawford also forged a mandate for
£15,000 and persuaded swimming club committee members to sign
cheques which they thought were for club expenses, but were in fact
pocketed by Crawford himself.
Another tactic according to
Merseyside Police was that the former bank manager used was internet
banking to transfer large sums from the club to his own accounts,
and the creation of bogus monthly and annual reports purporting to
show the club in good financial health to cover his tracks. In
total, Crawford's fraudulent transactions amounted to £430,000 (the
total beneift figure presented to the court), however due to many of
his cheques bouncing and some of his transactions failing to go
through, the club suffered actual cash losses of £57,000.
Merseyside Police Detectives, from
Sefton CID, who investigated the theft and fraud offences even found
evidence that Crawford raided the petty cash collection and asked
for money from swimming club members to hold events and buy
merchandise which never materialised.
In his role of treasurer Crawford
also failed to pay the club's pool hire bill, which put the club at
risk of legal action. Committee members remained oblivious as only
Crawford received those legal letters and he failed to pass them on.
Investigators found he tried to pay off the debt by acquiring a
£16,000 loan in his wife's name; another criminal offence.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that
the club still owes a debt of £14,000 which may take it 8 or 9 years
to pay off.
Crawford's frauds were uncovered
when Police were called to a domestic incident, at his home, for
which he later received a suspended prison sentence.
Detectives found a letter written
by Crawford which alluded to him having stolen money from the
swimming club. The discovery of the letter then sparked the
Police's fraud enquiry.
Detective Inspector David Keegan, who led the Sefton CID
investigation, said:- "John Crawford has completely broken the
trust of all the members of this swimming club. In breaching his
position of trust he has systematically and callously stolen the
entire worth of the club and left it in financial crisis and near to
collapse. He used his knowledge of the banking world to his own
advantage and out of pure greed he manipulated innocent people who
were running a community facility into thinking he was acting in the
best interests of the club when in fact the opposite was true. I
hope today's sentencing shows John Crawford to be the criminal that
he is and sends out a clear message to other people who try to steal
money in this way that Merseyside Police will investigate you and
will put you before the courts where you face a very real prospect
of jail."
As well as a 3 year prison sentence, Crawford was also ordered to
pay the swimming club £26,000 in compensation.
The figure is based on the equity
released from his share of the sale of his house. |
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Healing power of
shared reading put to the test at Broadgreen
THE power of reading great
literature to relieve chronic pain is being put to the test in a
pilot study at Broadgreen Hospital. Initial results from a research
project conducted in partnership with The Centre for Research Into
Reading, Information and Linguistic Systems at The University of
Liverpool are already showing a positive link between attending the
weekly shared reading group and the alleviation of chronic pain in
patients. As a result, the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University
Hospitals NHS Trust has commissioned The Reader Organisation; a
charitable social enterprise dedicated to changing lives through
literature; to run the weekly shared reading sessions for the next 3
years, with further research planned.
Dr Andrew Jones, consultant in
anaesthesia and pain medicine at Broadgreen, said the signs are
good. "Early indications are showing that the reading group is
making a difference to people in our hospital. But there is
something intangible, a deeper impact beyond that, which we can't
measure using existing qualitative research methods. People with
chronic pain have three times the average risk of developing
psychiatric symptoms such as mood or anxiety disorders, and
depressed patients have three times the average risk of developing
chronic pain. While there is already evidence of the mental health
benefits of shared reading, little is known about the benefits for
physical health, but the link between chronic pain and psychiatric
symptoms indicate it could help." The success of the
project means it could be expanded into dialysis wards and other
areas of physical health at Broadgreen and the Royal. In the
group, stories and poems are read aloud by a trained facilitator,
who pauses regularly for the group to share their personal
responses. Group members participate as much or as little as they
like, taking a turn to read aloud and contributing to the
discussions, or just taking the time to relax and listen. The group
are currently reading 'The Pearl' by John Steinbeck,
led by Kate McDonnell from The Reader Organisation. Kate said:-
"Everyone in the group has a different pain story to tell, but in
the session the focus is on the book or story we share together and
on the wider lives and experience of the people who come rather than
just the pain. Group members say that the sessions give them
something new and interesting to talk about to people who know them;
a different conversational currency; that they're able to forget
their pain while we're reading and that it gives them a weekly
lift." Helen Cook, 35, from Tuebrook has a tumour in
her pelvic bone and has pain in her pelvis, legs and back. Diagnosed
two years ago, Helen had to give up her job as a supply teacher in
Widnes. She said:- "You can feel isolated with your
condition so it's nice to be with people who are in pain but don't
talk about it. If we didn't have the reading and just met and
talked, it could become very negative; we could all bring each other
down. But the reading provides an escape. It gives your brain a
break. I was feeling down and in pain, but when I went home none of
it was quite so bad." Retired civil servant Alexander
Parry, 72, of Bowring Park has had pain in his feet and hands for 24
years. It forced him to take early retirement and often prevents him
from sleeping.
Alexander Parry said:- "One
of the problems of having chronic pain is you tend to get depressed,
when you're up all night and can't sleep. Coming to the reading
group is like therapy. When I go home from here I have a spring in
my step. I feel much better mentally." Pauline Jones,
58, from Everton has cerebral palsy and suffers from severe back
pain. Dr Jones recommended she go to the group and she hasn't looked
back. A former employee of Royal Sun Alliance, she said:-
"I enjoy coming here; it keeps us occupied. We've all come here with
terrible pain because you know it's taking the pain away."
Sally Woodall, 57, from Woolton had a stroke on the bus to work in
2008. Since then, she has had two mini strokes. She now has
neuralgia in her back and is no longer able to drive or work full
time. Sally, who works weekends as a nurse at the Royal in the
out of hours service, said:- "When I first came I was in a
right state. Within 6 to 8 months I was back in work again. The
reading group certainly played a part in my recovery. This group and
the research and what Dr Jones is doing got me back into work."
New nature trail offers
much more to explore at RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands
VISITORS can soon discover
even more of nature's home thanks to the opening of a new trail at RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands. The Reed and Fen trail will enable
visitors to uncover a new area of the popular nature reserve at the
South Western corner of the Wirral peninsula. Extending further
around the wetland, the new trail runs across wildlife-friendly
farmland and links to an older part of the reserve, known to locals
as Inner Marsh Farm. The trail is the latest addition to the
reserve, which also boasts the picturesque Burton Mere trail with
its mature willows, alders and water lilies, plus the beginning of
the Reed and Fen trail leading to the Marsh Covert hide. Dan Trotman,
Visitor Development Officer at RSPB Dee Estuary reserves, said:-
"The opening of the Reed and Fen trail is like 'Chapter 2' for
Burton Mere Wetlands. The trails we've had open since 2011 are
fantastically varied and full of life, but this new path opens up so
much more space for visitors to really get a feeling of exploring
the wild. With Inner Marsh Farm being a separate part of the reserve
until now, many of our visitors have not yet had chance to enjoy the
rich crop fields we plant for wildlife to thrive, or the winding
avenue of willows down to the Inner Marsh Farm hide, overlooking the
shallow pools and wetland that the RSPB created here more than 25
years ago. The lower part of the Farm and Willow trail is probably
where visitors have the best chance of seeing a water vole on the
reserve, whilst striking orchids and dancing dragonflies will
decorate the new stretch of the Reed and Fen trail in the summer.
The extended trails allow a walk of nearly 5 kilometers on the
reserve, all the while immersed in tranquility and surrounded by a
variety of wildlife. It's a fantastic place for all ages to come and
explore." The Reed and Fen trail will be open from:-
9.30am, on Good Friday, 18 April 2014. For more information on the
reserve and its activities, please call the reserve on:- 0151 353
8478 or check out the
website.
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