Eggs for the CHICS

BIG hearted Liverpool City Council workers will make Easter 'eggstra' special for children across the City thanks to a cracking charity campaign. Over the past few weeks hundreds of staff members have been laying eggs in special collection areas across a number of Council buildings in readiness for the Easter celebrations.

City Council Charity Champion Lisa Flynn hatched the idea of helping hundreds of well deserving youngsters have a great time over the holidays. Other charity champions from across the organisation flocked to help her out.

Lisa said:- "We thought it would be a good idea to do something to help children in Liverpool over Easter and the egg collection seemed like the perfect idea. It really caught on and members of staff from across the organisation were only too happy to help out."

In total, the great egg race netted more than 400 eggs for the cause. The chocolate creations will be dispatched to children across the City.

1 of the destinations for some of the eggs will be to Liverpool charity CHICS, which supports children with cancer and their families. CHICS is 1 of Liverpool City Council's Corporate Charities for 2018.

The Council's Children's Services team has also identified hundreds of children who may not otherwise get an egg this year.

Lisa added:- "The response from Council staff has been amazing and it's nice to think that their efforts are going to bring a little bit of joy to a lot of children in our City this Easter. This is 1egg challenge that will really take some beating."

For more information about the work of CHICS, you can visit the website.

North West Business Owners Fear Impending Rise In Minimum Wage and Present State Of British Economy

NORTH West business owners started preparing to take another hit to their profits, as the UK national minimum wage, on 1 April 2018 a study revealed a worrying outlook for our economy...

According to research by the Northern Business Exhibition, 2 out of 5 business owners expect the rise in minimum wage to have a direct impact on profitability and turnover over the coming weeks.

40% surveyed feared the rise in the minimum wage could put their business at the risk of closure due to the spiralling running costs over the last 6 months. A ⅓ (32%), said that people already seem have less disposable cash and 15% said their business was already in decline.

Just 1 in 10 said that the changes in the minimum wage did not put their business at risk of closure.

Of those asked, ⅔ of business owners were aware of the changes to minimum wages on 1 April 2018.

As a direct result, business owners are already preparing to take action, a ¼ of those questioned said they would be increasing their prices whilst 1 in 5 thought they'd be cutting down on unnecessary staff hours to keep the wage bill down. 1 in 3 said they would be cutting down on other business costs to accommodate the rise in wages.

Retailers (31%), restaurants and bars (28%) and manufacturers (32%) are expected to feel the most impact.

A whopping 9 out of 10 business owners raised concerns over the current state of the British economy, saying that things could be better. Just 1 in ten felt that business was booming.

Hilary Devey, Keynote speaker for the Northern Business Exhibition said:- "It's a critical time for business owners at the minute having to adapt to change quickly to safeguard their business; overheads have been rising considerably over the last 6 months and the end consumer is already feeling the pinch on their pocket. Businesses are having to work harder to turn a profit, we've seen some big names fall victim to this who've perhaps not been able to react to change at the same pace others have. The Northern Business Exhibition is a great place for entrepreneurs and business owners to come and seek advice to help their business flourish."

The largest business show in the North of England, The Northern Business Exhibition takes place, on 18 April and 19 April 2018, at Manchester Central, with a wealth of industry leaders providing seminars and talks, 1 on 1 expert advise and a competition for one lucky business to win ₤5,000 to help get their idea off the ground.

For free tickets and more information visit:- NorthernBusinessExpo.Com.

2nd Public Speaking Club Meeting to be held in Liverpool

THE SA Speakers, who are a new local public speaking club, will be hosting a meeting, on 16 April 2018, at the Racquet Club, located within the Hargreaves Buildings, on Chapel Street, Liverpool (L3 9AG.)   The meeting will beginning at:- 7:15pm, the meeting will give those attending a flavour of the:- 'Club with a Twist,' which is UK's 2nd public speaking and leadership organization, for people with anxieties.

The volunteer club, which is devoted to helping people with:- stutter, stammer, social anxiety, shyness and general nervousness about speaking in public to become better speakers and leaders meet once a month. Members prepare speeches which other club members evaluate.

The Club's founder noted:- "As a former overt stutterer with severe fear of presenting I know firsthand how daunting it can be for someone like that to come out of their comfort zone and begin to express themselves more confidently and assertively. At SA Speakers, we believe, you do not need to be LOUD and UBER-CONFIDENT in order to evolve into a successful speaker and leader. SA Speaker's mission is to is to become one of four unique clubs in the whole world devoted to empowering people who stammer, shy or socially anxieties. SA Speakers is a safe place to practice public speaking and receive helpful feedback without fear of being negatively judged.   Whether you have a wedding speech coming up, or a presentation at work or University; we can help!  Visitors are always welcome to attend SA Speakers. Guests are welcome to attend up to 3 meetings before deciding to join. ₤5 per visit, once you join this amount will be deducted from your membership fee. Member fees are ₤90 per year or ₤45 for 6 months."