Plans for new Children's Museum on Wirral Waterfront move forward thanks to ₤3M funding

EUREKA! Mersey will be a 21st Century Science and Discovery Centre for the North West fuelling young people’s interest in science, technology and the arts while increasing skills and job opportunities for the generations to come.

Plans for Eureka! The National Children’s Museum to open a second attraction on Wirral’s waterfront have moved a step closer after securing ₤3m of funding. The money from the Inspiring Science Fund, which is jointly administered by BEIS and the Wellcome Trust, will go towards the ₤11m total needed to get the unique project at Seacombe Ferry Terminal off the ground.

Eureka! bosses hope this latest round of funding will be key to unlocking a range of other opportunities to bring their vision for the attraction to life. Appealing primarily to 7 to 14 year olds, it is designed to inspire young people to explore:- science, technology, engineering, arts and maths (STEAM), with bespoke content to reflect sectors identified by the City Region as key drivers for future economic growth and prosperity.

The site is set to open in 2021 and will be turned into 2,200m² of interactive exhibition space with workshops, a shop, café and adjoining outdoor science park.

Science Minister Sam Gyimah said:- "We want to bring the wonders of science to as wide an audience as possible and that’s why it is at the heart of our modern Industrial Strategy. Today’s investment will help inspire people from across the country to learn about the truly amazing benefits that science and technology has on all our lives."

Leigh-Anne Stradeski, Chief Executive of Eureka!, said:- "I am absolutely delighted by this news. We are moving closer and closer to bringing Eureka! to the Wirral waterfront and truly believe it will transform the lives of local children and young people. This funding from the Inspiring Science scheme is a major step forward for our aspirations to create this world class visitor attraction in partnership with Wirral Council, Merseytravel and the Liverpool City Region LEP. We are absolutely thrilled and it means we can now develop our plans further, working towards delivering a centre which reflects the context, spirit and ambitions of the area."

Eureka! Mersey will build on the success of the National Children’s Museum in Halifax, which has welcomed more than 7 million visitors since it opened in 1992.

Steve Rotheram, Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor, said:- "I am delighted that we will soon be welcoming Eureka! to the City Region. Eureka! has been a huge success in Halifax as a very popular visitor attraction with a serious remit to instil excitement and interest in science, technology, engineering and maths. I’m sure it will help attract visitors to the Wirral as well as inspiring our next generation. We have a long-term ambition to encourage more girls to study STEM subjects in School, and having Eureka! here in the City Region will definitely support that aim."

Cllr Phil Davies, leader of Wirral Council and Liverpool City Region lead for Economic Development and Culture, said:- "A world class, family friendly, innovative and incredibly successful attraction like Eureka! would be a welcome addition to the Mersey waterfront. Eureka! would not only inspire children locally, but also attract visitors from across the North West and beyond, driving additional passenger traffic onto the Mersey Ferry and increasing visitor spend across the City Region. Working with organisations such as Eureka! is definitely the way forward to promote learning, and to also support our commitment to supply the skills for future growth and bring new businesses to the City Region."

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Revitalise launches partnership with GroceryAid to provide respite holidays to carers across grocery industry

Local respite holiday charity Revitalise has announced its partnership with GroceryAid, to provide respite holidays for carers from across the grocery industry. Revitalise, which provides respite holidays for disabled people and carers at its Sandpipers respite holiday centre in Southport is working together with GroceryAid; a charity that helps people across the whole of the grocery industry, from farmers to supermarket workers; to enable carers to access respite holidays at Revitalise’s three accessible respite holiday centres, including Revitalise Sandpipers.

Under the arrangement, both charities will provide support to beneficiaries enrolled on GroceryAid’s Carers Programme, with Revitalise offering to match fund the ₤300 annual grant given in a 12 month period to carers enrolled on the scheme, if a Revitalise break is booked. Applications can be made by visiting:- Revitalise.Org.UK.

In addition to the support offered to carers under the terms of the partnership, any current or retired grocery industry employees who are disabled or in need of support to enjoy a proper holiday, are also welcomed to contact Revitalise.

Commenting on the opportunity to work in partnership with GroceryAid, Revitalise CEO Chris Simmonds said:- "We are delighted to be working with GroceryAid to provide support to people from across the whole of the grocery industry. For over 50 years we’ve supported disabled people and carers through the provision of our respite holidays and we passionately believe that the opportunity to take a break should be accessible to everyone. This opportunity means that we have the potential to reach even greater numbers of people in need of a break, something I am very excited about."

Mandi Leonard, Welfare Director at GroceryAid said:- "We are delighted at Revitalise’s offer to match this respite grant. Revitalise offer tailored breaks catering to the needs of carers and their dependents, allowing some much needed time to wind down. We hope this new partnership helps to raise awareness in the industry of the specialist services available to carers."

Revitalise is a national charity providing respite holidays for disabled people and carers at Sandpipers and 2 other accessible centres, in Chigwell in Essex and Southampton. Each centre offers a wide range of accessible activities and excursions in a holiday environment.