Much loved coastal heritage assets to be saved with almost ₤1 million of Coastal Revival Fund

COASTAL heritage sites around the Great British Coast will be saved as 23 projects are to receive a share of almost ₤1m from the:- 'Coastal Revival Fund.'  The projects, from Blackpool to the Isle of Wight, have been awarded up to ₤50,000 each to help restore local community assets and landmarks to their former glory. These include Banksy's Pinwheel in Weston Super Mare, a community project in a derelict smugglers' inn in Cornwall, and the preservation of Blackpool's 3 historic piers. The Coastal Revival Fund provides grants to coastal heritage sites to fund repairs, restoration and bring economic growth to coastal communities. It also supports large scale projects which are important to local communities, but have not yet reached their full economic potential or are facing neglect.

Coastal Communities Minister Jake Berry MP, said:- "I'm proud to support these 23 magnificent projects from Ryde to Runcorn with investment from the Government's Coastal Revival Fund. Putting heritage at the heart of our Coastal Towns is an important way of attracting visitors and boosting our local economies. We're determined to save these historic landmarks for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations while delivering on our promise to invest over a quarter of a billion pounds into the Great British Coast by 2020."

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said:- "Our Seaside Towns are rich with unique historic buildings and places, from the grand Lytham Hall to the Victorian public pleasure grounds of Saltburn By The Sea. We're delighted that this further round of funding will help secure the future of these two important sites on our Heritage at Risk Register so that they can be used and enjoyed by generations to come."

Successful coastal projects include:-

► Unlock Runcorn Project...  Runcorn Locks Restoration Society will be helped in running a feasibility study, looking at restoring a:- 'Show Case Lock' and creating a Visitor Centre on the Canal and Mersey Estuary, with hopes of unlocking Runcorn to tourism.

► Banksy @ Pinwheel Corner Project...  A total of ₤50,000 from the Coastal Revival Fund has been awarded to North Somerset Council to refurbish and provide a permanent home for Banksy's Pinwheel, in Weston Super Mare's Italian Gardens in the Town Centre. The exhibit, which was donated by the graffiti artist following the globally successful:- 'Dismaland' exhibition in 2015, is set to provide a focal point to link the seafront and the Town Centre.

► Ice cream and Science in the Bay... A total of ₤30,000 has been awarded to a feasibility project, in Sandown, on the Isle of Wight, which would revitalise the country's 1st Henry Cotton designed 1930's public Golf Course and further work at a former ice cream factory, which has been repurposed as a hub for environmental science.

► Great Yarmouth Rows Project...  A total of ₤50,000 has been awarded to a project to revive, enhance and celebrate the Rows, a medieval street pattern, made up of 150 narrow alleyways, confined within the Town Wall of Great Yarmouth.

► Lytham Hall and Historic Parkland (Phase 2) project...  A total of ₤42,500 has been awarded to a restoration project for the exterior of the Georgian Grade 1 Lytham Hall, an:- 'at risk' building on the Fylde Coast. The project is set to create a sustainable heritage attraction of regional significance vested in community ownership; and to release the potential to play a major part in the life and economy of Lytham and the Fylde coast.

► Saltburn Valleys Conservation...  A total of ₤40,000 will see the production of a Conservation Management Plan for the:- 'at risk' Saltburn Valleys to gain a better understanding of the heritage significance of the site and to identify management policies and actions that will ensure the sustainable future for this historical landscape. Saltburn is a key Victorian Tourist Town within the heart of Redcar and Cleveland. On the Yorkshire Coast and with the North York Moors National Park on the doorstep, Saltburn is the jewel in the tourism crown for the Redcar and Cleveland Borough.

► The Old Ship Inn - back from the ashes...  A total of ₤50,000 has been awarded for a long term project to fully rebuild the derelict Old Ship Inn, in Cornwall, which was completely destroyed by fire, in 2013. The Grade II pub, which was once a key central point in the Cornish smuggling trade, and is said to have been visited by Admiral Lord Nelson, is 1 of the oldest buildings in Cawsand Village and an iconic location at the heart of the community. The project will create permanent, local jobs as well as providing low cost rented housing; and create a major new community space.

Barnardo's calls for more foster carers as numbers rises by 15% in 4 years on Merseyside

MORE children are being taken into care with fewer foster carers to look after them, says Barnardo's as it launches its 10th annual fostering campaign. The number of children in care across Merseyside has risen by 15%, in the past 4 years, with more than 480 more children in care in 2018 compared to 2014.  The number of children in care across the whole of England has increased by 27%, in the last 10 years, with 75,420 children now in care in total, as of 31 March 2018. Barnardo's foster carers look after hundreds of children, giving them the best chance to have a happier and positive future. However, the charity is concerned there are not enough suitable foster families to take care of the increasing numbers of vulnerable children in care. It's estimated that fostering services across the North West need to recruit at least a further 1,240 foster families within the next 12 months alone, in order that all locally fostered children can live with the right family for them.  Without enough foster carers, this could mean children have to wait longer before finding the best match or that they may need to be moved to different families several times because the most appropriate carer is not available, which can have a negative impact on a child. There is a particular need for foster carers to look after teenagers and sibling groups.

Rebecca Quigley, Manager for Barnardo's North West Fostering Service said:- "As the number of children in care continues to rise, it's more important than ever that more people consider becoming foster carers to ensure the right loving families are available in the right location with the right training when children need them. Being a foster carer can be a challenge, but our carers tell us that opening your heart and your home to a vulnerable child is 1 of the most rewarding things you can do, giving children the life skills, support and care they need to build brighter futures. Children who have been taken into care have sometimes experienced trauma or difficult circumstances, which can make everyday challenges more difficult to overcome. Having a foster carer to support them through any difficult times can help enormously but our carers can only do this if they're properly supported too. That's why we ensure they have everything they need whether that's advice, training or peer support from other foster carers, to feel confident they can help transform a young life. I would like to thank each and every 1 of our amazing foster carers for their dedication and urge anyone considering becoming a foster carer to get in touch to find out more."

Barnardo's North West Fostering Service offers comprehensive training and support to its foster carers, including:- extensive support throughout the application process, intensive induction and regular ongoing training, dedicated out of hours access to a qualified social worker, access to foster carer support groups, short breaks and a generous financial fee.

To find out more about becoming a foster carer, or the support Barnardo's can offer visit:- Barnardos.Org.UK/Fostering.   Also you can speak to a member of the Barnardo's team, about foster caring, via calling them on:- 0800 0277 280 or 0151 488 0822.

Did you know? Today, more than 65,000 children are living with almost 55,000 foster families across the UK? Also that:- 'The Fostering Network' estimates that a further 8,100 foster families are needed in the next 12 months alone, including:- 1,240 foster families needed in the North West?