Shoreside Primary School spreads the love of Christmas

5 Schools in the North West inspire the new story written by acclaimed author Mike Garry for Santa's only Grotto on real snow. It's the season for believing, and Shoreside Primary School, Southport, has this week taken part in a once in a lifetime festive writing workshop all about encapsulating the magic of Christmas with Rotherham based writing charity, Grimm and Co, to help Chill Factore create the very 1st North West Christmas Tale!

Shoreside Primary School was selected alongside 4 other Regional Schools to take part in the North West Christmas Tale workshop, which will see Schoolchildren inspiring a Regional written tale, by Manchester author, Mike Garry. The story will be unveiled at a private reading by Santa at his only Grotto on real snow in the UK, at Chill Factore, in November 2018, with the children in attendance.

Children in year 3 shared their treasured memories of Christmas in the workshop which was led by a creative writer from Grimm and Co and created a piece of writing all about their experiences; from Santa's snacks in each home, to his sleigh ride through Southport; no detail was amiss. Children were encouraged to share their own special traditions, as well as discussing what they associated with Christmas, making the tale truly unique.

The short story created by Mike will be read out by none other than Father Christmas himself on the opening night of Santa's Grotto at Chill Factore on the 16 November, with the Schoolchildren in attendance. The Grotto is the only 1 in the UK on real snow, and is surrounded by twinkling lights, Christmas trees and chattering Santa's Helpers!

Mike commented:- "The ideas and stories we've had from the Schools that have taken part are incredible; truly heart warming to read! We are very proud of our heritage in the North West and I think it's really special that our Schoolchildren have such treasured experiences of Christmas. I am now in the process of putting all of our magical content together to create the final story, so watch this space!"

Morwenna Angove, CEO at Chill Factore, said:- "Our Grotto is loved by our guests; and rightly so. We house the only Grotto on real snow outside of Lapland, and it is a pleasure to see our guests return to visit the man in red year on year. This year will be even more extraordinary as we'll be unveiling our very own North West Christmas Tale. This is the 1st of its kind, and it has been created with Schoolchildren across the Region, meaning it really does have a place in our hearts."

For more information about Chill Factore, go to:- ChillFactore.Com.

Don't let burns spoil the fun this Bonfire Night says Ambulance Service

AS the nights draw in and the temperature drops, people across the Region are gearing up to celebrate Bonfire Night and Halloween in style but North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) is urging people to stay safe to avoid nasty burns and unnecessary trips to Hospital.

The Ambulance Service saw a 130% rise in emergency calls for burns on 5 November 2017, compared to the same day the previous week, with incidents including:- children being hit by a firework, a firework exploding in someone's hand and petrol exploding in someone's face at a bonfire.

One man knows only too well how devastating fireworks can be as his house went up in flames when a sparkler was thrown over his garden fence. Gary Hart, 52 from Ashton in Makerfield, was at home when he suddenly saw smoke coming from under his back door.

Trying to hold back the blaze whilst waiting for emergency services to arrive he suffered from smoke inhalation and needed treatment from a Paramedic. Gary said:- "I am extremely lucky that nobody was more badly injured but I did suffer the effects of the smoke inhalation for some time after and the fire sadly caused the death of our pet rabbit as well as thousands of pounds worth of damage to my property."

Sparklers can burn up to 1,000 degrees and should only be used by children when they are supervised by an adult, they're wearing gloves to protect their hands and a bucket of water is nearby.

Luke Marriner, Advanced Paramedic for NWAS said:- "Many injuries from fireworks and candles can be easily avoided with a bit of extra care, we advise people to attend organised events where possible as these are often safer, not to mention less expensive (and they usually have the best displays!). Please help us help you this Bonfire Night, if you are using your own fireworks, just take some time to think about safety; be sure to follow the instructions and if you're in charge of the fireworks, it's best to lay off the alcohol until after they've finished."

NHS England Medical Director for Cheshire and Merseyside and Lancashire and South Cumbria, Dr Kieran Murphy, said:- "Bonfire night is particularly busy for our emergency services, so please help us help you by being sensible when you're out enjoying the festivities and keeping your distance from bonfires and fireworks to prevent avoidable injuries. If you need urgent, non-life threatening medical help, you can call NHS:- 111 or get health information and advice online at:- 111.NHS.UK at any time."

For advice on how to treat minor burns follow these simple steps:-

► Remove any clothing or jewellery near the burnt area of skin, including babies' nappies. But do not try to remove anything that's stuck to the burnt skin, as this could cause more damage.

► Cool the burn with cool or lukewarm running water for 20 minutes as soon as possible after the injury.

► Cover the burn with cling film. Put the cling film in a layer over the burn, rather than wrapping it around a limb. A clean clear plastic bag can be used for burns on your hand.

► Treat the pain from a burn with paracetamol or ibuprofen.

For more serious burns, get further medical assistance from your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department. In the event of a life-threatening emergency, dial:- 999.

Support Military Veterans this Bonfire Night

PEOPLE in Lancashire who are struggling with their mental health and are affected by fireworks can get help from the Military Veterans' Service this this Bonfire Night. For many, Bonfire Night is an opportunity to pull out a winter coat and enjoy the fireworks whilst cosied up around a crackling fire. However for many Veterans, it is 1 that can trigger service related trauma and distress. Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust would like people to consider that bonfire night isn't always fun for everyone. The sight and loud explosion of fireworks can cause an array of emotional problems such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), stress, depression and anxiety. The Military Veterans' service provides mental health support to those who have served in the armed forces and understand that people can often find it hard to ask for help.

Joe Crocock, Military Veterans' Service Manager at Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust said:- "We understand that people across Lancashire look forward to Bonfire Night and the wonderful displays that take place. Whilst enjoying the evening we would like to remind people that there are veterans out there who are experiencing difficulties and unwanted flashbacks. We understand that the next few weeks can be very difficult for these people but nobody should suffer alone. We want to remind those struggling with their mental health and the loud bangs and bright flashes from the displays to get in touch with the service."

The Military Veterans' Service is a partnership between Lancashire Care and Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust. The service provides a valuable insight and understanding of life both in and out of the forces as many staff are veterans themselves or have family members in the forces. For more information about the Military Veterans' Service and to make a self-referral, please visit:- LancashireCare.NHS.UK/Military-Veterans or call:- 0300 323 0707.

News reports located on this page = 3.

Shoreside Primary School spreads the love of Christmas

Don't let burns spoil the fun this Bonfire Night says Ambulance Service

Support Military Veterans this Bonfire Night