Dance the night away at St George's Hall

EVER wanted to follow in the footsteps of the Lord of the Dance or 'Jig a Square'? Well now you can with a series of ceilidhs and barn dances being held at St George's Hall.  The 1st dance will take place on Saturday, 31 January 2015, to celebrate Burns night and will be a Scottish themed mass Ceilidh in the Great Hall. On offer will also be some traditional Scottish fare in the form of Haggis, stew and even a wee dram.  There will then be an Irish Ceilidh on Friday, 20 March 2015, to celebrate St Patricks Day.  Finally on Friday, 24 April 2015, there will be a St George's Day celebratory Barn Dance/Square Dance.

Cabinet member for Culture and Tourism, Councillor Wendy Simon said:- "This is a fantastic idea for the New Year and the great thing is that you can be complete beginner and still master most of the steps.  Dancing is an enjoyable way to meet new people and get plenty of exercise while having fun, and what better setting than our very own Great Hall. I hope we can encourage as many people as possible to come along and have a go, and with three different events taking place there really is something to suit everyone."

Live music will be provided by:- 'The Liverpool Country Dance Band' who also have 2 instructors who will teach everyone taking part all the steps they need to enjoy the dancing. There will also be specialty food and drink available on each night. Tickets cost:- £10 (including booking fee) plus £2.25 handling fee per order from Ticket Quarter:- 0844 8000 400 or ticketquarter.co.uk.

In addition to the above events, the Friends of St George's Hall will also be holding a number of their hugely successful afternoon tea dances throughout the year, with the first taking place on Wednesday, 11 March 2015.

Tickets for this event are £6 each, which is payable on the door and this includes tea or coffee and a slice of cake!

Residents in Southport Urged to Make 2015 the Year of Warmth and Wellbeing

WITH more than a 3rd of people expected to break their New Year's resolutions by the end of the month, a warmth scheme is encouraging residents in Southport to ensure warmth and wellbeing is at the top of their list throughout 2015.

The npower Health Through Warmth scheme, which is available to residents across England and Wales, works with a range of community organisations, charities and local authorities to assist vulnerable homeowners with the funding and installation or repair of crucial heating measures, such as boilers, in the home.

This month, the scheme is raising awareness of the importance a warm home has on health, particularly for people with conditions which could be made worse by the cold weather, and is reminding Southport residents that help may be on hand for those who need it most.

Homeowners who have a long-term illness, a low income with little or no savings and who are unable to fully fund heating measures in their homes may be able to benefit from the scheme. They do not have to be, or become an npower customer to benefit.

Elaine Midwinter, npower Health Through Warmth scheme manager, comments:- "Warmth plays a vital role in health and wellbeing, which is why we're encouraging Southport residents to get in touch throughout the year if their heating has broken down to see if we can be of help. People living with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions are particularly at risk from cold living conditions."

Since being founded in 2000, more than 85,000 vulnerable residents across England and Wales have been referred to npower Health Through Warmth for assistance with heating and insulation.

As part of the scheme's wider work to raise awareness of the vital role a warm home has on a person's wellbeing, npower Health Through Warmth Through has partnered with charity 'National Energy Action' to support the development of an energy advice:- 'DVD - The Heat Is On' - which is available at:- nea.org.uk.

For more information about the scheme or to find out if you or someone you know could be eligible for help, visit:- healththroughwarmth.com.

Have your say about cancer services

A NHS trust wants to hear what cancer patients, their families and carers think about the care they received in hospital.

Jackie Brunton, Cancer Services Manager at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, said:- "We want to hear what was good and bad, how it made the patient feel and how it affected their experience of care. The event will centre on one-to-one conversations between patients and staff. To encourage as much openness as possible, the staff taking part won't have been involved in the patients' care.  After the conversations, patients and staff will work together to establish any themes and develop ideas and suggestions for the Trust to consider."

The event, which is supported by Macmillan Cancer Support, will be held on Thursday 5 February between 11am and 1.30pm at the Salvation Army, 65, Shakespeare Street, Southport.

A light lunch and refreshments will be provided. Parking expenses will be paid.  To book a place email:- janette.mills1@nhs.net or call:- 01704 705270.

On going operation to target violent crime sees 22 year old woman bailed

MERSEYSIDE Police, in the Sefton area of Merseyside, have taken 4 guns off the streets and a quantity of ammunition as part of an on going operation to reduce violent crime in the borough. Neighbourhood officers were joined by the force's Matrix Serious Organised Crime (MSOC) unit in executing several warrants in Netherton, on Wednesday, 21 January 2015. At a house in Dartmouth Drive the Police found, what are believed to be, 4 handguns and 3 boxes of ammunition hidden in various areas. An investigation by detectives from MSOC and supported by officers from Sefton CID is now underway to trace the people responsible for the weapons. As a result of this raid, a 22 year old woman, from the Sefton, was suspicion of firearms offences and has been released on bail pending further enquires.

Netherton neighbourhood Inspector Phil Hatton, said:- "This was an excellent find and 4 dangerous firearms have now been taken off the streets as well as a large number of bullets. These weapons are capable of inflicting serious injury or even killing someone so every effort is now being made to catch the people responsible for having them. We have a firm commitment to continuing our efforts to tackle serious and organised crime throughout Sefton and the rest of Merseyside and help from the public is key to this. Anyone who suspects criminal activity is taking place where they live can call Crimestoppers completely anonymously on:- 0800 555 111 and that information will be passed onto the Police for us to take action."