100 Years Remembrance Exhibition - Ainsdale

ON Saturday, 10 November and Sunday, 11 November 2018, the Ainsdale Methodist Church, Liverpool Road (PR8 3NQ) will be holding an exhibition of work from local Schools making 100 years since the end of World War 1. The exhibition will also include work related to the Battle of the Somme, Singapore Diaries along with displays from SAFA and the RAF. Also on 10, November, at 6pm, a Remembrance Commemoration will take place at 6pm. This will be a ticket only service. On 11 November, a Remembrance Service will be held on the Village Green, at 10.45am.

Liverpool to pilot scheme to tackle loneliness

A scheme which will see postal workers check on lonely older people is to be piloted in Liverpool. The L4 and L5 postcode areas in the north of the City have been announced by the Government as 1 of the test bed areas for the:- 'Safe and Connected' scheme, in partnership with Royal Mail.

It is based on the successful Jersey based project:- 'Call&Check' and will see postal workers calling on over 65s who sign up to participate, as part of their usual delivery rounds. They will ask a standard set of questions to assess individual need, with the Council analysing the results and directing the individual as necessary to friends, family, neighbours or local voluntary sector services.

The aim is to reduce the risk of loneliness, as well as addressing other needs and issues; and will initially be limited to 100 people. It forms part of the Government's Loneliness Strategy, announced by the Prime Minister.

Councillor Paul Brant, Cabinet member for adult social care, said:- "We are pleased to be part of this pilot scheme, which is not just aimed at tackling loneliness but also about identifying when people may need more support and help. Postal staff are a trusted part of the local community, particularly for older people, which makes them ideal for this scheme. We have an increasingly older population and many do not have family living locally who are able to visit as often as they would like. We will work to carefully identify those who will benefit most from this project and feedback to Government in monitoring its success."

Sue Whalley, CEO, Royal Mail Post and Parcels UK, said:- "Our people are the perfect fit for this laudable and worthwhile initiative.

Our nationwide "feet on the street" network gives us unparalleled UK reach and local knowledge. In addition, this new community initiative cements the role we already play in tackling loneliness and isolation, providing individuals with a way to access the local services they really need.  Our postmen and women really are often 1st on the scene in an emergency and they do all they can to help. This trial, which the Home Office is funding, will help us test whether we could develop this as a new commercial service that we might offer to communities more widely through local authorities or other organisations."

Mark Kempster, Royal Mail Liverpool North Delivery Office Manager said:- "Our postmen and women develop a lot of knowledge about the local area and the people who live there. At Royal Mail, we're always happy to pitch in in an emergency, but it can be more difficult to know how to help when you feel that people are lonely or isolated. We are really pleased to be doing our bit to help look out for our customers' well being and help put them in touch with local support services if they need it."

Joe Dickinson, Head of Innovation at Call&Check, added:- "At Call&Check our goal is to make a real difference to people's lives, enabling them to continue to live at home, with their families and friends, living well and safely for as long as they possibly can. Our team is delighted to be working with our project partners; the Local Authority team and Age Concern, together with Royal Mail, to enable the delivery of the Safe and Connected Trial. Based upon our successful Call&Check service in Jersey we have provided expertise, support and the IT system for the Safe and Connected Trial in Liverpool and look forward to continuing to work with our project partners as the scheme develops."

People who know someone who they believe would be suitable should call Careline on:- 0151 233 3800.

Other pilot areas for 'Safe and Connected' are Whitby and New Malden, in Kingston-upon-Thames. 

An independent evaluation will be carried out, which will be completed in June 2019. More information about the Government's loneliness strategy can be found online.

Brits in the North West playing 'Russian roulette' with flu

BRITISH workers in the North West  are playing:- 'Russian roulette' with flu after nearly 8 in 10 employees said they would clock on even though they are still ill. Guilt, fear of being judged and not having enough paid sick days mean 78% of workers in the North West  would still turn up for work even if they had the flu. As a result, 62% workers in the Region say they have caught a cold at work, while a 13% say they have caught the flu from colleagues who have turned up sick. And 61% North West  parents with kids under 16 say their children have not yet been vaccinated, according to a survey for ASDA Pharmacy by Atomik Research. Dr Hilary Jones said:- "Brits need to stop playing Russian roulette with flu; it is an extremely serious illness and, as such needs to be taken extremely seriously. Going to work while still ill may seem like the noble thing to do but all it does is delay your recovery and infect those around you. And parents should think seriously about getting their children vaccinated; it is easy for kids to pass on flu to their grandparents, who are particularly vulnerable to the disease."

37% of Brits surveyed in the North West  said they would not have the flu jab this winter. 29% of those in the Region who will not have the jab said they simply have not considered it while 21% think it does not affect them and never have vaccinations. 32% of workers in the North West  say they do not get paid for sick days taken off work, meaning they can lose ₤62 a day in income for each day they are off. 43% of workers surveyed say they only get a limited number of paid sick days each year and feel they cannot afford to come in to work. 16% of those say their sick day allowance is just 5 days a year, meaning many feel they have to come into work before they have fully recovered. The most common reason for workers in the North West  coming in with a cold or the flu was feeling guilty about taking time off (38%). 22% worry about work piling up, 29% say there is no 1 else to cover their workload and 13% are worried their boss or colleagues would judge them for taking time off. Among parents of children aged under 16 in the North West  who have not had the flu jab, most (53%) say they will not have the vaccination at all. This is despite the fact that 60% of under 16's will see grandparents or elderly relatives every week during the winter and 13% will see them every day; putting the vulnerable older generation at increased risk of developing the flu. Asda pharmacist Maq Din said:- "Having a flu jab not only protects you against flu, it protects your whole family and the wider community. Flu is contagious and it can be passed through coughing, sneezing or by touching contaminated surfaces. Most flu outbreaks usually happen in late autumn or winter so now is the time to take action and book your appointment as Asda as it takes around 14 to 21 days to be protected against flu. Over time, protection from the injected flu vaccine gradually decreases and flu strains often change, so new flu vaccines are produced each year, which is why people advised to have the flu vaccine need it every year too."