Adopters needed across Merseyside

THE Regional adoption agency for Merseyside is highlighting the need for more people to provide homes for children. As 'National Adoption Week' gets underway, on Monday, 15 October 2018, Adoption in Merseyside (AiM); which recruits for local authorities in:- Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral; is urging people to think about providing a loving, stable home for Merseyside's children.

Adopted children are unable to live with their birth families for many reasons and move to live permanently with a new family, taking their surname and assuming the same rights and privileges as if they had been born to them. Children who need adoptive families often need a little extra from their new parents, and over the next year AiM is looking to recruit over 80 sets of adopters.

Jenny Ness, Head of Service for AiM, said:- "Becoming an adopter is life changing, for everyone involved and is the single most important thing that will ever happen to a young person as it completely transforms their life chances. For the adopter, there truly is nothing more rewarding or fulfilling. Although the process of becoming an adopter has to be extremely thorough, we try and make it as pain free as possible. I would urge anyone who has ever thought about adoption to get in touch with us; it could be the best decision you ever make."

You will need to have a child friendly lifestyle, provide a stable environment and be ready for the challenge and lifelong commitment of adoption. You will also need time, patience, love and resilience to help a child reach their full potential.

Adoptive parents from a wide range of backgrounds are welcomed as it helps to be able to match them with children who have very varied needs.

Applications are open to people from all backgrounds regardless of:- age, race, religion, ethnicity, gender or sexuality. Couples, single people, disabled people and people from all cultures are welcome.

AiM are particularly looking for parents who can offer a home to children of all ages who:-

►  Are part of a sibling group.

►  Are disabled or have a medical condition.

►  Have complex needs.

►  Are from different ethnic or cultural backgrounds.

You must be:

►  Over 21 and mature enough to meet the demands of parenthood.

►  Fit and well enough to care for children until they are adults.

►  Able to offer a secure home with a spare room for 1 or more children.

A drop in adoption information evening is being held on Tuesday, 30 October 2018, from 4pm to 7pm in Garston. Please contact AiM directly on:- 0151 477 8700 for further details.

For more information about adoption, log on to:- AdoptionInMerseyside.Co.UK or call:- 0151 477 8700.

Frack Free Southport call for Government to stop fracking

LOCAL residents joined Frack Free Southport campaigners on Lord Street, Southport, as part of a national week of action challenging recent Government fracking proposals.

On a very wet Saturday, 13 October 2018, Frack Free Southport, members erected a 3 meter tall fracking rig on Southport's busiest shopping street. This was to symbolise how easy the Government is making it for fracking companies to explore for Shale Gas under permitted development rights. Later in the day they donned masks in another protest to symbolise the way the Government is trying to stifle local input into the Fracking approval process. In addition signatures were collected from local residents calling for Damien Moore MP to join other Conservatives in calling for the Government to drop its plans for permitted development.

The Government is consulting on proposals to classify exploratory shale drilling as "permitted development," a planning category originally designed for sheds and minor home improvements. If changes go ahead, fracking companies could start drilling across England without any local planning applications, threatening community involvement in decision making.

Paul Bradshaw from Frack Free Southport said:- "We're here today to stand against the Government's outrageous plans. If they go ahead, whole swathes of England could be opened up to fracking development. Fracking is unpopular, and risky; these planning proposals are a last ditch attempt to kick start the industry, and communities like ours will pay the price. We don't need fracking, here or anywhere. Only this week Conservative Minister of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Claire Perry announced that the Government is planning to weaken seismic activity standards at fracking sites in a bid to encourage drilling. If Gold Standards had really been rolled out for shale gas exploration, then the seismic activity standards should have been strengthened not weakened."

The proposals have widespread cross party opposition, including around 20 Conservative MPs who are prepared to:- "destroy the Government's majority" if ministers seek to push the proposal through parliament. Hundreds of councillors have signed an open letter opposing proposals.

LibDem Parliamentary Candidate for Southport John Wright who supported Frack free Southport's day of action commented:- "I have been opposed to fracking from the outset, and it is now official Liberal Democrat policy to ban fracking altogether. Even if the process were risk free; and it isn't; we should not be investing in producing yet more fossil fuels. This country has the resources, technology and conditions to be powered entirely by renewables in my lifetime."

Labour Party Parliamentary candidate Liz Savage said:- "The Conservatives are driving through fracking at any cost, both locally and globally. They are riding roughshod over the wishes of communities who are opposing fracking across the country and trampling on the whole idea of green energy and being carbon neutral. Labour gives no backing to fracking. It must be stopped and we've put the industry on notice that we will do just that when we get into Government."

Green Party Parliamentary Candidate Laurence Rankin said:- "I am pleased to be able to support Frack Free Southport today in Southport, in their campaign to raise awareness of the hazards of Fracking, and Government plans to reduce regulation of that harmful industry. At a time when the world is reeling from freak weather, already being caused by Climate Change, and the UN report warning that we have less than 15years to significantly reduce our fossil fuel use, it is tantamount to criminal for the Government to propose relaxing planning controls on Fracking. We cannot allow riding roughshod over the views of local communities, the imprisonment of peaceful environment protectors, and the desecration of our countryside, to continue for the sake of the discredited Fracking industry."

Notably, ‘Fracking' has been banned or put on hold in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland by their devolved Governments. A lesson for the future protection of England maybe! Currently, over 17 thousand square kilometres of England are covered by oil and gas exploration licences, and if we were to see a fully fledged fracking industry, it could mean drilling over 6000 wells in just 15 years; more than 1 every day.  So do you support ‘Fracking' or have any views on this subject? Please do let us know as we want to hear from all sides.  Email us to:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com with your thoughts.