Welcome to 'Our Liverpool'

LIVERPOOL City Council has been awarded ₤2.4 Million funding from the Controlling Migration Fund to help migrants and refugees settle into their new City and get to know their neighbours.

The funding will enable City Council to improve and increase capacity of services for asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants to access the support they are entitled to and to live independent healthy lives and contribute to their communities, such as housing, education and health services.

A programme of activity across the 5 Liverpool City Region authorities will deliver support to refugees to obtain mainstream benefits and housing freeing up emergency accommodation for the wider community, supporting migrants to access employment easing pressures on job centres and family learning support to enable migrant children to access education more readily.

Across Liverpool, the programme will include initiatives to tackle migrant rough sleeping, provide specialist educational support to migrant children to free up pressure on Schools and release the capacity of teachers and provide ESOL to enable migrants to use services more effectively.

Many of the projects supported will provide English language lessons to allow new residents to contribute to and feel part of their communities. They will also include education around British values and social norms, breaking down cultural barriers.

Liverpool will also support the Liverpool City Region (LCR) local authorities in tailoring and developing their services and capacity to further support asylum seekers and refugees. The programme will run from summer 2018 and continue until August 2020.

Mayoral Lead for Asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, Cllr Frank Hont said:- "We are delighted to have been awarded this funding. Welcoming people into our City and helping them make it their home is incredibly important to us. We want to ensure everybody has access to good housing, education and health services.  Helping people access language courses and understanding British social norms is part of building a cohesive community. Welcoming people is something Liverpudlians do naturally, and we're very excited for the programme of work to begin."

Ainsdale riders to tackle 174 mile road trip for cancer charities

AINSDALE Cycling Club have embarked on an epic challenge to raise money for 2 incredible charities this summer. A team of 15 from the North Liverpool based cycling club have ridden from Liverpool to Betws-Y-Coed, in Snowdonia,  to fundraise for Woodlands Hospice Charitable Trust in North Liverpool and CLIC Sargent, the national teenage cancer charity. Their efforts will be supported by sponsors including Evergreen Tyres and business communications firm Elite Group.

The long standing club member Gareth McIntegart told us that:- "We always plan a big summer challenge. This year we agreed we should use it to benefit not only our own community, but a charity which is doing really important work."

The club's aim is to raise as much money as possible via its JustGiving.Com page.

Just before they set off, Gareth added:- "Our fundraising pages have already attracted a lot of donations for which we are hugely grateful... But of course we don't want to settle for what we have. Both these charities do fantastic work, Woodlands for cancer sufferers of all ages and CLIC for those aged 16 to 24. Any and all donations are welcome and I'm sure the more we raise, the easier it will feel pushing through the 180 mile round trip!"

Head of Fundraising at Woodlands Hospice, Kate Leah said:- "We are delighted to be 1 of the charities supported during this challenge.  Gareth and the Ainsdale Cycling Club have been absolutely fantastic and we are truly grateful for everything they are doing.  Woodlands Hospice needs to raise ₤3,500 every day to continue to provide free services to those with life limiting illnesses across North Liverpool, South Sefton and Knowsley. Without the support of people like Gareth and the Ainsdale Cycling Club, we simply wouldn't be able to continue with the work we do."

Already on-board are Evergreen Tyres, whose UK Commercial Manager Peter Cross said:- "We are excited to see how this challenge unfolds! Ainsdale Cycling Club has chosen 2 fantastic charities. Woodlands Hospice is very important to and cherished by the community in Liverpool and CLIC Sargent does incredible work to support young people and families affected by cancer.  Evergreen's motto is Everyday, Exceptional and both these charities embody that in their work. Good luck to Ainsdale CC!"

Also supporting Ainsdale's effort is Elite Group based in Chorley. "Elite is very proud to be supporting Gareth and the Ainsdale Cycling Club with their charity bike ride. We know Gareth is a keen cyclist, so completing a 180 mile round trip in just 3 days will be a noteworthy achievement in raising funds for Woodlands Hospice and CLIC Sargent. Good luck everyone."