Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram Urges Rural Businesses to Apply for Funding

METRO Mayor Steve Rotheram has urged rural businesses from across the Liverpool City Region not to miss out on European funding available to them. Speaking at an event earlier today at The Hayloft, at Sandy Lane Farm near Widnes, Steve Rotheram explained:- "Rural businesses are hugely important to the City Region, contributing ₤700m a year to our economy. My key priority is to drive economic growth for the whole City Region and that has to include our rural areas.  More than ₤600,000 in European Union funding is available to our rural businesses and food processing, money which will be lost to the Region if we are not able to allocate it. I would urge rural businesses to look at the potential funding on offer and to speak to the Local Growth Hub if they think it could help them."

EU funding administered by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority includes money available from:-

►  Mersey Rural LEADER Fund.

►  Rural Growth Programme for the Liverpool City Region.

►  Countryside Productivity Scheme.

►  A variety of Environmental grant programmes.

The meeting was held at the Hayloft, a farm attraction/licensed café created as a farm diversification enterprise, which with the help of Leader funding has created 5 full time jobs and over a dozen part time positions.

For further information on the support available please contact them via email or by calling:- 0151 330 1395.

Fancy sailing in the Tall Ships Regatta? Applications are now open

YOUNG people in Southport are being invited to sign up to the voyage of a lifetime as part of the famous Tall Ships Regatta which takes place in Liverpool, in May 2018.

The Sail Trainee project, will see 50 local youngsters, aged from 16, join the crew of a tall ship on a 5 day voyage, from Liverpool to Dublin.

The Sail Trainee project is part of the Tall Ships Regatta, which comes to Liverpool, between 25 May to 28 May 2018, before setting sail for Dublin, Ireland and then on to Bordeaux, in France.

Liverpool's Director of Culture, Claire McColgan, said:- "No experience is necessary and you will get the chance to experience hands on sailing and being at sea. It really is the voyage of a lifetime."

The regatta, which is a celebration of international friendship and understanding, represents countries from all over the world. It will be the 5th time Liverpool has hosted the Tall Ships fleet after having the vessels grace the River Mersey in:- 1984, 1992, 2008 and 2012.

The 3 Festivals Tall Ships Regatta Festival forms part of the Liverpool 2018 programme which celebrates 10 years since the City' game changing year as European Capital of Culture and will also include the prestigious Bordeaux Wine Festival and spectacular artistic commissions.

An open evening takes place on 26 March 2028, at 6pm, at the Cunard Building, in Liverpool. To book your place, email.

For further information about the Sail Trainee project can be obtained via clicking on this link for a PDF about it, also you can get more information on the Culture Liverpool website.

Liverpool Vice Mayor gets down to business at Clipper Race stopover in Qingdao, China

VICE Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Gary Millar, has spent an afternoon with the City's Clipper Race Team Entry, Liverpool 2018, during the stopover in Qingdao, China, as he strengthens ties in the Country as part of a visit that includes attendance to the Clipper Race partner GREAT Britain's GREAT Festival of Innovation, held in Hong Kong, from 21 March to 24 March 2018.

Councillor Gary Millar took the opportunity during his visit to Qingdao, which included meetings with key members of the Qingdao Municipal Government, to meet some of the Liverpool 2018 team members and Skipper Lance Shepherd. The team has been representing the City around the globe in Punta del Este, Uruguay; Cape Town, South Africa; Fremantle, Sydney, Hobart and the Whitsundays, Australia; and Sanya and Qingdao, China, since the fleet departed from Albert Dock, on 20 August 2017.

Speaking during his visit to the brand-new Clipper Race Stopover in Wanda Marina, Qingdao, Councillor Millar said:- "Liverpool built its past and future on the blue economy and Qingdao, China's Sailing City, is a fantastic place to host the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. Qingdao is a great friend to Liverpool, it has a Liverpool Centre in the West Coast New Area, so we are already growing a blossoming relationship between the 2 Cities. To have the opportunity to meet the skipper and crew of the Liverpool 2018 boat is great and the yacht, the 'Pink Panther' as it has affectionately been named, looks stunning and is a fantastic way to mark the tenth year from Liverpool being the European Capital of Culture."

Following a tour of the team yacht by crew members, Councillor Miller added:- "I am shocked by how close it is down below. It has fantastic facilities but it is all so compact below decks and space is at an optimum. It's so compact that not everyone can sleep at the same time, and nor would they want to. Hats off to Skipper Lance and the crew members for what they have been, and are still to, take on!"

The visit comes just 2 days before the team embarks on what is thought of as the most challenging Leg of the Clipper Race; The Mighty Pacific Leg. Taking approximately 24-29 days and covering a distance of 5,600 nautical miles, the Liverpool 2018 team will sail across the North Pacific Ocean from Qingdao, China to Seattle, USA.

Speaking about the biggest challenge to date, returning crew member from Leg 1 Jonny Pillar, 27, from Manchester said:- "I am really looking forward to getting back on board and taking on what I think is the biggest Leg of the entire circumnavigation. I cannot wait, I think the hardest part will be in the middle of the race when we expect big weather and waves. We will also cross the international date line, so we will go back in time which is bizarre! But it will be a great challenge and I am really looking forward to getting back on board."

During the visit, Councillor Millar also attended Clipper Connect, a business networking group created to connect like-minded professionals from across the world. The Qingdao event looked into the development of waterfronts, a topic that is at the core of both Liverpool and Qingdao, and Councillor Millar addressed the 50 strong crowd alongside Clipper Race CEO William Ward OBE and Madame Zang AiMin, Executive Vice President of Qingdao Olympic Sailing City Development Association and Vice President of the Qingdao Major International Sailing Events Organising Committee, on the importance and key role of waterfront development in the City.

The Liverpool 2018 campaign aims to attract audiences of millions of people, create significant economic impact and push Liverpool to the top of the 'must-visit' Cities in 2018.

World renowned for staging unmissable and unforgettable events, the City of Liverpool is putting on another impactful year in the spotlight. Expect boundaries to be pushed, audiences to be delighted and communities to come together to share in an incredible cultural journey transcending the worlds of the arts, fashion, business and sport.

Did you know? This race is the world's most challenging endurance sailing events, covering over 40,000 nautical mile Clipper Race?

Local opticians acknowledged for dedication to staff wellbeing

OPTICIANS in Southport and Formby have been awarded for their longstanding commitment to employees in store and their work in inspiring the next generation of optometrists and audiologists. Both the Specsavers stores in Southport and Formby have received the company's Platinum Employer accreditation in recognition of their continued efforts in career development and the support of employee welfare. The Platinum Employer status is measured by 5 indicators of the employee experience, including:- talent management, recruitment and induction, and performance management and reward. Victoria Dunn, retail director at Specsavers Southport and Formby, credits the store's success to her team of talented professionals, saying:- "We count ourselves lucky to have a great variety of professionals working here, who have decades of experience under their belt. This award is down entirely to their expertise and dedication which has fostered a brilliant working environment in which new talent can really flourish. Their loyalty means we can deliver an amazing service to our customers and give back to the community through employment opportunities. We are always looking at how we can improve as an employer and this is a fantastic reward for both the team's continued hard work and enthusiasm."

Specsavers director of HR, Mark Moorton, says:- "The Platinum Employer scheme is an exciting new addition to our extensive portfolio of training and development programmes, helping our staff to benefit from the opportunity of a full career journey from entry level to store owner."