Hospice celebrates Liverpool's footballing heritage

FOOTBALLING legends, Roy Evans and Joe Royle will bring Red and Blue fans together on Friday 26 October for a very special Sportsman's Dinner in aid of St. Joseph's Hospice. The evening will be a celebration of Liverpool's footballing heritage at The Bentley on Brunswick Street, in the heart of the City.

During the evening, footballing legends Roy Evans and Joe Royal will let you in on their exciting and eventful footballing careers and share a few laughs along the way. Even the incredible FA Cup will be there.

Evans and Royle have gone through the footballing ranks alongside 1 another, both playing for Bootle Boys and the Lancashire Boys together, before representing, and finally managing the Blues and Reds respectively.

The Sportsman's Dinner, which has been generously sponsored by B&M Supplies in Southport, will begin with a welcome drink on arrival followed by a delicious 3 course meal before we hear from Roy and Joe about their careers and the City of Liverpool's great footballing heritage. Tickets are just ₤40 with all proceeds going to St. Joseph's Hospice.

Julie McAdam, senior community fundraiser at the hospice, said:- "This isn't about Reds versus Blues, but is a real celebration of Liverpool's footballing heritage from 2 absolute legends. Our Sportsman's Dinner will be an excellent night of sporting entertainment and fundraising for the hospice and we are really excited to welcome 2 very special and high profile guests to talk to us about their careers in the world famous Liverpool football scene. Our nurses and carers look after over 200 patients from across Merseyside every year and events like this make a huge difference to the care and support we can provide. That's why we are delighted that B&M Supplies has chosen to be our main event sponsor and we are very grateful to them for getting involved and supporting the hospice."

To book your tickets, call:- 0151 932 6044 or via email.

Community Foundation Launches Lancashire Women's Fund

THE Community Foundation for Lancashire is delighted to announce the launch of the new Lancashire Women's Fund after its national membership body, UK Community Foundations (UKCF), secured a record ₤3.4 million award from the DCMS Tampon Scheme. This is the largest grant awarded to any organisation from this fund.

The Community Foundation for Lancashire will receive in excess of ₤70,000 from this allocation to enable the launch of the new Lancashire Women's Fund and ultimately aims to raise ₤1 million to help support local women.

The Community Foundation for Lancashire helps people and organisations to invest in local communities where it is most needed and where it will have the greatest impact. The Women's Fund will award grants to local groups working with women and girls, including women only charities, to help women throughout Lancashire.

A recent study, commissioned by the Community Foundation for Lancashire, reveals that there are a number of key issues affecting women and girls in the county, which include confidence, aspiration, self-belief and resilience, mental wellbeing, social isolation and domestic violence and abuse.

In welcoming this new initiative, the Community Foundation for Lancashire's Chief Executive, Rae Brooke, commented on the need to launch a specific fund due to significant cuts in local resources in recent years meaning many women have been left unable to access crucial support. 37% of women's groups recently consulted in Lancashire believe their sustainability in the next 3 years is questionable.

Ms Brooke said:- "Similar women only funds are already in existence in the North East, Scotland and USA and have delivered real impact for women in their communities. We want women to feel safe, supported, empowered and confident when confronted by abuse, discrimination and a lack of opportunities. By highlighting key issues and difficulties facing girls and women in Lancashire, we can encourage others to support meeting the need. We hope sharing these findings amplifies the message. We want to equip girls and women in Lancashire with adequate resources to allow them to flourish."  

Local grassroots organisations will be able to apply for grants of between ₤5,000 and ₤10,000. Anyone who is interested in applying for funding, or who feel they are part of an organisation which may benefit from an award under the scheme, is urged to apply. Applications will be open on 17 September 2018 and close by 5 November 2018. To donate or to apply please visit:- LancsFoundation.Org.UK.

Kick Off for FA Women's Football Apprentice

HUGH Baird College has appointed their  1st women's football apprentice in partnership with The Football Association (The FA) and the Association of Colleges Sport (AoC Sport).

Rashidah Anuar, aged 18 from Litherland, will be working as part of select national network of apprentices tasked with engaging girls/women in football and sport with a view to increase the number of female participants and leaders in women's football. The funding for the position was awarded to Hugh Baird College by The FA and AoC Sport.

Rashidah, who completed the College's Level 1 and 2 Football Coaching courses, has played football since the age of 4 and is looking forward to getting started:- "I'm delighted to have been given this opportunity to inspire the next generation of female footballers and sports leaders. I'm really looking forward to engaging with girls and women both from within the College and the local community. The programmes I'm putting together are going to be really engaging and I'm excited to get them started."

Adam Broomhead, Sports Maker at Hugh Baird College, said:- "We are very excited to be part of this national project. As a College, we are extremely passionate about inclusion and giving opportunities to as many people as possible. Rashida's work will contribute to this and we wish her all the best."

As part of her apprenticeship, Rashida will be working alongside County FA's, professional women's clubs and grassroots teams, with regular network events at Wembley Stadium and St George's Park, the official home of English football.