News reports located on this page = 2.

Hospice enjoys weekend bonanza of summer events

HUNDREDS of families visited St. Joseph's Hospice in Thornton for 4 days of back to back events which raised thousands of pounds for the Hospice, celebrated its volunteers and remembered loved 1.s. The Hospice's annual Garden Party and Volunteer's Evening were joined by its 1st ever Gin Evening and A Rose to Remember summer in memory service and afternoon tea.

On Thursday, 11 July, the Hospice thanked 140 volunteers and community groups for their continuing support and presented certificates to each and every 1. On Friday, 12 July, Ginception arrived on site with its incredible gin bar, which has been lovingly restored from a converted horse trailer. The Gin Evening was a great success with gin fans enjoying award winning gins alongside a delicious selection of nibbles and live entertainment.

On Saturday, 13 July 2019, the Hospice gardens were jam packed with artisan stalls, games, crafts, activities, food, drink and live entertainment from Asa Murphy, who sang some well-known hits from his musical Buddy Holly Lives, and the Mad Ukes ukulele group from Maghull and District.

The Crosby Soroptimists put on a fabulous display of cakes and strawberries and cream and Liverpool bar Shenanigans served drinks from its mobile bar. Kev from KK Meats put on a fantastic BBQ, from which all the proceeds were generously donated to the Hospice, and South Sefton Round Table managed all the car parking for the Garden Party.

The Hospice's Teddy Tombola and Teddy Bear Parade were also a big hit with the kids, big and small. The parade was judged by:- Debbie Oulton, President of the Crosby Soroptimists; Gary Forshaw, manager of Shenanigans Bar; and Yvonne Atkinson, a trustee of the Hospice. After much deliberation, the judges picked winners for the oldest, best dressed and most unusual teddies and the 3 winners were presented with certificates.

On Sunday, several families attended the Hospice's 1st ever summer remembrance event, A Rose to Remember. It commissioned some unique, handcrafted iron roses for the occasion which families bought as a lasting tribute to their loved 1.s. A non religious remembrance service, led by a humanist celebrant, took place at the Hospice's Pool of Remembrance, which was followed by a vintage afternoon tea which was generously donated by the Travelling Tea Room and served from its vintage caravan.

Norma Young, head of fundraising at St Joseph's Hospice, said:- "We've had a fantastic run of summer events over the last week and it's been wonderful to see so many people on site, enjoying our beautiful gardens over what was a beautiful weekend weather-wise. Our Volunteer's Evening started with a little drizzle and few brollies but the sun soon came out and lasted for the rest of the weekend. We'd like to say a really big thank you to all the businesses, individuals and community groups who have supported our summer events this weekend by attending, donating or volunteering. We couldn't have achieved any of this without their support."

If you'd like to organise an event to support the Hospice, we can help. Please contact the fundraising team on:- 0151 932 6044 or via sending them an email.

Pest Control clears the air with eco-friendly vans

A Liverpool City Council Pest Control Team is causing a real buzz on the green scene after swapping its diesel driven fleet of vans for cleaner electric vehicles. The Pest Control Crew are out and about 5 days a week, visiting homes, businesses and public buildings across the City to rid them of their rodent problems or insect infestations.

In their 4 strong fleet of vans, the team clocks up about 800 miles each week. Now, thanks to a partnership with Renault UK, the team has swapped its old gas guzzlers for clean new electric vans. The Pest Control Team make more than 8,000 calls a year. Each member of the team can complete up to 20 calls in a single day and notch up 40 miles each.

The new Kangoo vans have been custom built so the Council workers can get all their bug zapping gear in the back. They even contain a specially concealed sink and hygiene unit to allow team members to clean up between jobs. With zero tailpipe emissions, the vans contain smaller sized batteries meaning they use less precious metals. During the summer months they can notch up a nifty 125 miles on a single charge.

The City Council has a fleet of 200 cars, vans and mini buses and has operated low carbon fuel efficient vehicles for more than 10 years. Since the Mayor of Liverpool's commitment to improve air quality in 2017, the Council has increased the number of hybrid and electric vehicles on the fleet. In 2017, 70% of the fleet was diesel; today this has fallen to just 39%. The authority will continue to boost this number over the next 5 years.

The move forms part of Liverpool City Council's wider commitment to improving air quality in the City and protecting the environment. This week the Council has declared a Climate Change Emergency and stated its commitment to reduce the City's carbon emissions to zero by 2030.

Liverpool City Council's Climate Champion and newly-appointed Cabinet Member for the Environment and Sustainability, Cllr Laura Robertson Collins, said:- "It is clear that poor air quality has many adverse effects both on the environment and potentially on people's health. So it is important that Liverpool leads the way in developing a long term air quality strategy.  Electric vehicles are also really cost effective and there are considerable savings to be made, particularly on vehicles that do lots of miles each year. In the long run it is our ambition to improve air quality and to save Council tax payers' money. The way these vans have been adapted to meet the specific needs of the Pest Control Team is a real innovation and we look forward to introducing more electric vehicles to our fleet in the future."

Mathew Kiziuk, Regional Development Manager for Electric Vehicles for Renault UK, said:- "We are really proud that we have been able to work with the Council to make sure all the conversions have been carried out and all the vehicles have been custom built for the Pest Control Team. These vehicles are clearly doing the job for the Council. The feedback I have received has been phenomenal. Electric vehicles are not something to be scared of, you don't need to be worried about them. The team isn't going to be sat on the side of the road having run out of electricity."

Pest Control Officer Ivan Jenkins added:- "I have been really impressed with the new vans. They are clean and they are quiet, which is important when you are doing early morning rounds in different neighbourhoods. Because we do a lot of miles, they make the driving much easier.  This is our planet, this is our City and we need to make sure we are looking after it the best we can. We can't ask people to drive electric vehicles if the local authority isn't doing that as well. By using electric vehicles it shows everyone that we are making a change and others should follow suit. It is only going to benefit us, our children and their children. It is a positive step and the customers notice as well. Whenever I pull up to someone's house and they see the sign on the side they want to ask me questions and know how many electric vehicles the Council has got, so it makes me proud to know we are doing our bit and encouraging others."