"Join the Daves" and become a volunteer lock keeper

'JOIN the Daves' urges national waterways and wellbeing charity, the Canal and River Trust, as it launches a new campaign to recruit more volunteers to take on the iconic role of lock keeper on some of Merseyside's canals.  'Dave' is the most common name among the Trust's thousands of volunteers and the charity is appealing for men and women from all backgrounds to join the army of 'Dave's performing this important task in Merseyside. Of the many people volunteering for the charity in a range of roles, 130 'Dave's give up their time to carry out tasks, such as helping boats through locks, clearing vegetation, maintaining towpaths and teaching children via the charity's education programme. Hot on their heels are the 'John's, with 'Barbara's and 'Karen's leading the way among female volunteers.

Alice Kay, volunteer development coordinator at Canal and River Trust, said:- "The nation's canal and rivers go through such a diversity of Cities, Towns and Villages and this is reflected in our volunteers. We've people from an amazing array of communities and backgrounds, so it was quite interesting to see such an abundance of 'Dave's volunteering with us. Of course, we'd love to continue to welcome dedicated 'Dave's and brilliant 'Barbara's to our volunteering teams in Merseyside. But we would really like them to be joined by new names and faces so that we can do even more in 2019 to ensure the county's canals are havens for people and wildlife. In particular we're looking for people to sign up as volunteer lock keepers at iconic sites like Stanley Lock Flight on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and Rufford Branch on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and help bring their local canal to life for everyone who visits. It's an iconic role, with volunteer lock keepers often known as the 'face of the canals.' and great for anyone who likes spending time outside and talking to people. We value each and every 1 of our volunteers and appreciate everything they do to help look after our historic waterways. In return we do all we can to ensure they have opportunities to learn new skills and meet new people in a friendly and supportive environment.  We believe that anything you do to spend more time by water is good for your mental and physical wellbeing, so that's an extra benefit for everyone."

To support the recruitment drive and showcase the benefits of volunteering, the Canal and River Trust has penned a poem. It calls on people to:- 'Join the Daves' and has been brought to life by a host of the charity's staff and volunteers. To watch it, please click on here. Also to apply for a volunteer lock keeper role in Merseyside or to find out more, go to:- CanalRiverTrust.Org.UK.  Key qualities sought in a volunteer are enthusiasm, a friendly manner, a hands on approach and a willingness to learn. Training will take place in spring and volunteers will be in post from April to October. Volunteer lock keepers are most often required at peak times during summer, from Fridays to Mondays, but days and times will vary.

Feeling down? Local opticians in Southport and Formby reveal the big health reason why you shouldn't hold back the tears

MONDAY, 21 January, also known as Blue Monday is officially the most depressing day of the year; the dark days and cold temperatures are enough to make anyone feel down. But rather than keep your feelings bottled up, Specsavers, in both Southport and Formby, are urging residents not to hold back their tears on 'Blue Monday,' as not only does a good cry offer a relief of emotion, but it can do wonders for your eye health too.  Specsavers clinical spokesperson Dr Nigel Best says:- "When we don't have enough tears to lubricate our eyes they can become dry and irritated and we can even start to get slightly blurred vision.'

This dryness which occurs when we do not have enough lubrication in our eyes is often referred to as dry eye syndrome, and can be extremely uncomfortable. Dr Best says:- 'When an individual has a dry eye the surface of the eye becomes inflamed. This inflammation further damages the cells which are responsible for tear production, resulting in a vicious circle of increasing inflammation and dryness."

However not only do our tears help with this lubrication, but they can help keep our eyes clean too. Dr Best adds:- 'Tears are so important as they can wash away foreign matter that might come into contact with your eye and they also help reduce the risk of eye infections."

Dr Best has some additional tips for general eye health this New Year:-

► Something fishy - Dry eye syndrome occurs when we do not have enough lubrication in our eyes. However, eating fish high in omega 3 fatty acids can help. Dr Best says:- "When an individual has a dry eye the surface of the eye becomes inflamed. This inflammation further damages the cells which are responsible for tear production, resulting in a vicious circle of increasing inflammation and dryness. It is well documented that omega 3 essential fatty acids have anti inflammatory effects and therefore may offer some degree of protection against dry eye. A large epidemiological study in the USA found that women who consumed 5 servings of tuna per week were at a 68% reduced risk of suffering from dry eyes."

► Get some sleep - Do you ever feel your eyes twitching from time to time? These spasms are known as myokymia and can often be uncomfortable and distracting, and they are often caused by a lack of sleep. Dr Best says:- "It's essential that we all get enough sleep as it give our bodies an opportunity to rest; including our eye muscles, which will help to stop them from twitching."

► Av an avocado - The wondrous superfood has been a breakfast staple for millennials everywhere. But rather than just being a tasty way to start the day; and of course providing countless photo oppo100%e 'gram; the trusty avocado is actually great for your eyes. Dr Best says:- "Avocados are a huge food trend, which is great news for our eyes. Not only are avocados rich in zinc and vitamin B which help stave off cataracts, but they also have a high amount of lutein.  Research suggests lutein is a carotenoid which helps filter our blue light, helping to prevent age related macular degeneration."

► Go for a walk - Not only is exercising good for your overall health, but it's good for your eyes too. Dr Best says:- "tudies have shown that regular exercise, such as walking, can reduce the risk of age related macular degeneration by up to 70% and it can also decrease the risk of age related cataracts too."