|
City's growth
highlighted in new report
A new report shows
Liverpool is 1 of the Top 5 performing Cities for good growth
in the post recession period from 2011 to 2013.
PwC's 2014 Good Growth for Cities study1 indicates the City is
heading in the right direction economically and socially.
The index looks at a number of issues such as:- jobs, health, income,
skills, housing, transport and environment to assess Good Growth,
meaning it is a more balanced measure than just jobs or GVA (Gross
Value Added).
The data supports the Centre for Cities Monitor 20142 published
earlier this year, which found that Liverpool had the fifth highest
level of private sector jobs growth between 2010 and 2012.
The PwC study also shows that:-
Liverpool has seen the 4th largest rise in income per head; ONS
(Office for National Statistics) data supports this finding, with
Liverpool workers earnings up 40.4% from 2002 to 2014 compared to the
GB average of 33.6%. Earnings growth from 2012 to 2013 was 1.4, twice
the GB rate of 0.7.
Liverpool has seen the largest improvement in income equality; ONS
earnings data reinforces these findings with the income gap between
Liverpool's residents and workers narrowing substantially over
recent years. It now stands at £1,426 compared to £3,711 in
Manchester
Liverpool is the second most improved City for private/public sector
balance; reducing the City's historic over reliance on public
sector employment. Private sector jobs now account for 74.1 percent
of Liverpool's total, up from 70.3% in 2009
Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said:- “This is welcome news
and shows that our mantra of Liverpool being open for business is
starting to pay off. We are working really hard every single day to
attract new firms and investors to the city, as well as growing
start-up businesses and encouraging entrepreneurs. We need to create
the most business friendly City in the UK, so that our City can be
sustainable financially, and we can continue to provide services the
people of Liverpool, despite the massive cuts in Government funding.
We have had success over the last year in attracting firms such as
H2 Energy, BAC Mono, BT and TNT Post. And just last week Seadrill,
one of the world's leading offshore deep-water drilling companies,
chose Liverpool for its new global service centre, creating 90 high
quality jobs.”
There is more good news for Liverpool in the latest ONS (Office for
National Statistics) Business Demography report. It shows there were
2,250 business startups in Liverpool in 2013; 48% more than the
year before and ahead of the 28.6% increase nationally. It also
found that the City's business density increased by 5.1% compared to
a GB average of 3.3%.
Mayor Anderson added:- “We staged a hugely successful
International Festival for Business which could create up to 6,000
jobs for Liverpool City Region over the next three years as a result
of the deals that were signed, and Government has already committed
funds for another festival in 2016.
I am acutely aware though that we have a long way to go, and we are
not complacent. Too many of our people are without a job and without
the skills to get a job, and many are suffering due to the austerity
measures and the cuts we are having to make to our budget. That is
why it is vital that we keep pushing Government for more devolution
of power over resources, so that we can make informed decisions over
spending rather than relying on distant Whitehall mandarins who know
little of the challenges our City and City region faces.
Despite the challenges, there's no doubt there are still a lot of
good things happening in the City and we will keep working hard to
push the fact around the world that Liverpool is a great place to
live, work and invest.” |
 |
Southport
Volunteers Raise Thousands for Cancer Research
A group of dedicated
volunteers has awarded £21,000 to North West Cancer Research (NWCR)
following a yearlong calendar of fundraising activity.
The Southport based fundraising committee handed a cheque for the
amount to NWCR at its annual festive coffee morning earlier this
month. The money will help facilitate cancer research projects in
the North West, including those at nearby University of Liverpool.
Fundraising highlights this year included events such as the Summer
Sparkle in July and the annual Chinese Banquet night at the Ho Lee
Chow restaurant on Rotten Row, which alone has helped raise an
astonishing £4,000 for the charity.
Not ones to rest on their laurels, the Southport committee made an
impressive £950 at their annual festive coffee morning on 26
November at the Southport Masonic Lodge. Tickets to the event cost
£3.50 and featured a selection of stalls selling festive items, such
as homemade cakes and mince pies, arts and crafts, gifts and NWCR
Christmas Cards.
One of the highlights of the morning was a raffle which raised £250
of the final fundraising total, with the top prize a slow cooker
generously donated by the local Tesco store at Kew. Other prizes
were donated by local businesses and committee members.
Olive Cutts, chair of the NWCR Southport Committee, said:-
“What a wonderful way to end a year's worth of fundraising.
Christmas is the perfect time of year for us all to come together
and look back over the hard work of the committee and the generosity
of the local people to date.
On behalf of everyone on the committee I would like to thank
everyone who has supported our fundraising efforts over the years
and helped us not only raise funds for cancer research, but helped
raise awareness of the charity and the importance of the work it
does.
It's been an incredible year and we would like to wish everyone
involved a very happy festive season!”
Anne Jackson, Chief Executive NWCR, said:- “Our Southport
volunteers always work incredibly hard throughout the year and the
fact that they have raised £21,000 in just one year is a testament
to that.
Research is vital to our understanding of cancer and to help us
better detect, treat and prevent it and we can only carry out this
research thanks to the work of our fund raising committees all over
the North West.”
NWCR has funded £2million into research projects this year alone,
helping to increase our understanding of cancer and how to better
detect, treat and prevent it.
More information about NWCR can be found
online.
|
