Edge Hill student helps to organise peace conference

AN Edge Hill University student who was caught up in the Westminster Bridge terrorist attack has helped to organise a free conference, bringing together survivors of terrorism from across the world.

Travis Frain, a  3rd year History with Politics student, was on a study trip to the Houses of Parliament, in March 2017, when he was hit by a car driven that had been deliberately at pedestrians, on Westminster Bridge in London. He suffered multiple injuries and needed surgery, staying in Hospital in London for 8 days. Following his recovery, he found support from the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Peace Foundation, a charity for victims of terrorism set up by the families of the 2 children killed in the IRA bombing, in Warrington, 25 years ago.

Now a volunteer Trustee of the Foundation, Travis is hoping the Survivors for Peace conference, on 21 September 2018, 'United Nations International Peace Day,' will give people the opportunity to share their experiences and kick-start a global network of survivors who will campaign and work for freedom, justice and peace.

Travis said:- "After the attack, I found that the Peace Foundation was the only thing in place to support myself and my family. I became a Trustee as a way of giving something back and I'm delighted to have the chance to raise awareness of the charity through events like Survivors for Peace."

The conference, which is jointly hosted by 1 World Strong, an organisation set up by survivors of the Boston Marathon Bombing, will feature a number of key speakers including Deputy US Ambassador to the UK, Lew Lukens, and Dr Idit Albert, Head of Psychological Trauma for Terrorist Incidents at NHS London.

Travis added:- "The conference is primarily aimed at people affected by terrorism, but we believe professionals supporting survivors of violent conflict, the media, and the public more broadly will also find it interesting and valuable."

The Peace Foundation was established in 1995 to offer free practical and emotional support to people affected by terrorism. In 2016, Edge Hill University awarded Colin and Wendy Parry OBE with Honorary Doctorates for their efforts in promoting peace and community education in the wake of a family tragedy.

'Survivors for Peace: An International Peace Day Conference' takes place on 21 September 2018, from 10am to 4pm, at the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Peace Centre, in Warrington. Entry is free. Book a place online now.

Our friend electric Taxi

LIVERPOOL'S  1st ever electric black cab is about to hit the streets. It's got that instantly recognisable:- 'Hackney Carriage' look, but this stylish new super charged cab is quieter, cheaper to run and cleaner than its diesel counterpart. And with more on the way by the end of the month the City will have more than other big Cities like:- Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle.

Designed and built by the London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) and known as the TX, it uses a small petrol generator along with an electric battery. It can give drivers a range of 377 miles, including up to 80 miles electric range. Cabbies can save up to ₤100 a week in fuel and service costs. For the passenger, this feature packed vehicle is ultra safe and includes a panoramic roof and on board WIFI.

Crucially, the new electric cab will be a leading example in Liverpool's anti pollution revolution because it can be operated in:- 'zero emissions' mode for most of the day.

The City Council and its partners have ambitious plans to help clean Liverpool's air by reducing emissions of potentially harmful Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter found in higher levels in diesel fumes.

The Council is already planning to introduce a diesel free fleet of Council vehicles, such as bin lorries, in the City Centre, by 2019, and across the City, by 2024. They would be replaced by electric, hybrid and compressed and natural gas vehicles.

There is also a proposal to stop the practice of retrofitting older, higher emission diesel engines in black cabs and phase out these engines by 2024. While motorists are being encouraged to switch off their engines while stopped and/or waiting for someone to further reduce levels of harmful emissions.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, will be on hand on Thursday, 13 September 2018, at the UNITE the Union Liverpool, Taxi Education Centre, to welcome the  1st electric cab.

Mayor Anderson said:- "Liverpool's licensed taxi trade is a great ambassador for our City and they do a fantastic job. We want to support them as much as we possibly can and by supporting great new innovations such as this is 1 way we can help. There are a number of funding streams available and we are currently investigating how we could tap into them to assist our drivers with purchasing these new vehicles. We are also committed to cleaning our City's air for the sake of future generations and clearly this new breed of taxi will help. It's cheaper to run and much cleaner than the older vehicles so it's good for the hackney carriage trade and good for the people Liverpool."

UNITE the Union is supporting the introduction of the electric cab by providing a purpose built new charging point at its taxi training centre. The charging points have been supplied by car charging company New Motion and have been funded through a grant from Mersey Travel.

UNITE National Taxi Organiser Tommy McIntyre, said:- "The benefits of these new black cabs speak for themselves and we believe they could encourage more members of the public to use black cabs because they are so environmentally friendly. Buying 1 of these new vehicles would be a significant investment for any cab driver but we believe the long-term savings in fuel and running costs would ultimately pay off. By the end of September we are hoping to have 3 of these new vehicles on the roads, which means we will have more than Cities such as Manchester, Leeds or Newcastle. Now we are looking forward to working with our members to bring even more electric cabs to Liverpool's streets."