Southport sparkles for North West Cancer Research

OVER 100 locals turned out in force to support one of Southport's annual fundraising events, helping to raise around £1,500 for cancer research projects in the region.  Organised by the Southport-based fundraising committee for North West Cancer Research (NWCR) this year's Summer Sparkle event took place on 9 July 2014, at the home and gardens of Joan and Niall Roy, who for the tenth consecutive year opened their doors to the public.  Tickets for the event now in its 10th year, cost £10 and included homemade canapés and bubbly on arrival. Guests bought generously from various stalls selling items such as clothes, scarves and soaps. Committee members and supporters of the charity also donated prizes for a raffle run for the benefit of the charity.  The money raised from the Summer Sparkle event will be donated to NWCR to facilitate vital cancer research projects in the North West.   Olive Cutts, chairman of the Southport NWCR Committee, said:- "I'd like to thank Joan and Niall for letting us use their beautiful garden once again and a big thank you to everyone that came along on the day to raise this money which will help to fund cancer research in the region and directly benefit people in the North West.  We've been running this event for 10 years now and each year it grows in popularity. With a little help from a beautifully sunny morning, this year was no exception."

NWCR is a leading regional charity which raises money to help better understand cancer and directly benefit people living in the North West region. To date it has raised over £28million to fund cancer research projects in the North West of England, and relies on the continued support of its fundraisers to maintain its vital work. The Southport Committee is one of over twenty regional committees in the North West and Wales assisted by a network of volunteers who cover Merseyside, Cumbria, Lancashire, Cheshire and North Shropshire.  Anne Jackson, CEO of NWCR, said:- "The Southport committee have done a fantastic job to raise so much money and we know from previous events, how popular Summer Sparkle is with the local residents.  Without the hard work of our fundraising committees, we would not be able to support the research into the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer which we do, so thank you to Olive and the committee, as well as everyone who turned up to give so generously."

SkillFest showcasing local jobs and training opportunities

ON Wednesday, 30 July 2014, One Vision Housing (OVH) is hosting an employability and skills fair in Sefton, at Bootle Leisure Centre.  The free event is an opportunity for local people to meet and interact with local employers, and find out about vacancies and career prospects. Over 60 organisations will be exhibiting, such as Peel Ports, TNT Post and Alternative Futures; promoting their current vacancies across a variety of sectors, including warehousing, logistics, construction and social care.  There will also be a variety of training providers attending, to inform people about the training and qualifications available to them. They will also be promoting a number of apprenticeships, work placements and volunteer placements; whether you're aspiring to be a hairdresser, builder, plumber, and many other trades and vocations.  OVH Employment and Skills Officer, David Milburn, said:- "We are trying to remove the barriers preventing people from finding full-time, sustainable employment. This event can help us to showcase the wealth of options available to local people and help them to understand that help is available. We have some of the largest employers in Merseyside attending our SkillFest, so it's an invaluable opportunity for those looking for work or a change of occupation."

Claire Brown, Recruitment Manager at TNT Post, said:- "TNT Post are looking forward to the SkillFest event as it is a great opportunity for us to meet lots of potential candidates for the many Delivery Operative roles we have available across Liverpool now and in the future.  We will be looking for people that love working outdoors, enjoys bike riding and keeping fit, who enjoy meeting new people and have a passion to succeed and to do well in a fast expanding Company"

The Employment and Skills Team at One Vision Housing are dedicated to helping local people into training or employment, and they run seven weekly Job Clubs at different venues throughout Sefton, as well as IT Training courses, all for free.  If you are interested in attending SkillFest and learning about the job and training opportunities available to you, come along to Bootle Leisure Centre between 12 and 4pm on Wednesday, 30 July 2014. For more information about the event, call David Milburn on:- 0777 2655 135 or One Vision Housing on:- 0300 365 1111.