Liverpool Armed Forces Day and Week 2018

LIVERPOOL is getting ready once again to celebrate Armed Forces Day, Saturday, 30 June 2018. Festivities will begin in Exchange Flags at 11:00 with a formal ceremony. Then led by the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Artillery 103 Regiment, the parade will make its way to the gates of The Royal Albert Dock, where there will be events and activities between 10:00 and 16:00, with local entertainment and field hospital displays.

Armed Forces Day is an opportunity for the City to show its support for the Armed Forces and say thank you to the troops and their families for all they do for us year round. Service personnel, both Regular and Reserve, from the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force, Cadets and Veterans will be attending the service and the following events.

The City will also be celebrating the 100th Anniversary of HMS Eaglet, Wednesday, 27 June 2018. A Drum and Flag Service of commemoration will take place, at 7:30pm, Exchange Flags. Which coincides with Reserve Forces Day where all those who are reservists are encouraged to wear their uniform to their civilian jobs with pride.

Reservists give up their spare time to serve, balancing their civilian life with a military career to ensure that when they are required, are ready to deploy around the world as a crucial part of military operations.

The Reserve Forces make up approximately 1 sixth of our Armed Forces personnel and as such are integral to protecting the national security at home and overseas, particularly providing capability in specialist areas such as medical and cyber security.

Local artist Simon Armstrong has created a 'Tree of Thanks' that will be on display at the Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool on Saturday 30 June, people are encouraged to write messages of thanks to our Armed Force 'branches' and hang their message on the tree.

Ian Francis, Armed Forces Champion for Liverpool said:- "To be celebrating our Armed forces and Reserve forces is something as a City we look forward to every year. Having the opportunity to thank Regulars and Reserves is incredibly important for us. Liverpool has a very long and proud tradition of supporting the services and being Armed Forces friendly."

Simon Armstrong, local artist said:-- "I was thrilled to be asked to create the 'Tree of Thanks' for Liverpool's Armed Forces Day celebration. It's such a wonderful project for a great cause. I hope people enjoy writing their messages and placing them on the tree. The Armed forces give up so much for us all and it's a pleasure to be able to show gratitude."

Events for Armed Forces Day, Centenary of HMS Eaglet and Reserve Forces Day are as follows:-

You can share and follow activities on Twitter with @ArmedForcesDay and using #SaluteOurForces.

Merseyside mums back Stagecoach breastfeeding campaign

STAGECOACH Merseyside, Cheshire and South Lancashire has launched a brand new campaign to raise awareness for breastfeeding on public transport. As part of 'National Breastfeeding Week,' Stagecoach has teamed up with leading family support charity:- 'Home Start Wirral,' to make its transport network friendlier for breastfeeding mums.

Stagecoach took over Williamson Square in Liverpool City Centre (June 18) and invited local mums from across the Region to take part in engaging workshops and activities to ensure they know their rights about breastfeeding and feel at ease when using Stagecoach buses.

The campaign follows a Public Health England report which found that 1 in 5 women believed people did not want them to breastfeed in public, with many saying they have been made to feel uncomfortable in their surroundings.

Rob Jones, managing director for Stagecoach Merseyside, Cheshire and South Lancashire, said:- "We understand that our transport network is crucial for many new mums looking to get from A to B and have always been very clear that mums are welcome to breastfeed while travelling with us. Everyone who uses our buses should feel comfortable and supported throughout their journey; especially people travelling with young children. We're very pleased and proud to be launching this campaign. The health benefits of breastfeeding are well-publicised, and we should all be doing our bit as a community to enable women who choose this approach to feel safe and comfortable in all public spaces. We hope this will go some way to removing any stigma around breastfeeding in public."

As part of a long term commitment to safer breastfeeding on the buses, all Stagecoach buses in the Region will now feature a prominent sticker inside the bus, created to show buses that they are breastfeeding friendly. All drivers will also be given further training on how to support mums on its network and have been provided with a breastfeeding awareness park.

Sara Atherton project lead at Home-Start Wirral, said:- "Home Start began supporting families with infant feeding in 2009, since then over 9,000 mothers and babies have received mother to mother support. The support our volunteers give takes place in the home, on the telephone and in the community through breastfeeding groups. We are so pleased that Stagecoach is supporting local women and babies to feel confident feeding in public. In our experience the worries around feeding when out and about can be a major barrier to women achieving their feeding goals. The stickers that Stagecoach will be displaying on their buses will ensure families can be confident that this is a safe space to feed as well as the increased awareness for Stagecoach staff on the legalities of public feeding. Regionally and locally breastfeeding rates are already some of the lowest in the country so enabling those who choose to breastfeed to feel supported when out and about is essential. Evidenced based information and face to face support is vital for families who are choosing to breastfeed but we are keen to encourage more businesses like Stagecoach to play a role in ensuring that we live in a supportive community."

Stagecoach Bus is 1 of the UK's major employers, supporting around 24,000 jobs across the UK and 1,209 jobs in Merseyside and South Lancashire. Over 200 people have completed apprenticeships with Stagecoach since 2004 and the company currently employs around 150 apprentices. All Stagecoach vehicles are fitted with eco-driving systems which lower emissions and the company has shown the biggest commitment to using 100% biofuel of any UK bus operator.

Stagecoach is part of Liverpool City Region's Bus Alliance, a partnership between Liverpool's biggest bus operators and Merseytravel. The Alliance is focussed on quality of vehicles and customer service, value for money journeys and straightforward travel from simple fare structures to easy to understand journey planning and a clear, simple bus network.

Follow the company on its website or on Twitter for more information and company updates.