New online chat service for housing advice is launched

LIVERPOOL charity, The Whitechapel Centre, is now offering advice on housing and homelessness through online chat, via it's website. The free, confidential advice service is available to anyone who is a Merseyside resident and has concerns about their housing situation. Advisors are available during weekday afternoons and can be contacted by visiting:- WhiteChapelCentre.Co.UK. The online advice is in addition to daily drop in advice sessions it runs in a number of locations around the City. The charity is encouraging people to contact them as soon as an issue with their housing arises as they can often be addressed early and avoid homelessness. Rob Farnos, said:- "We know it can be daunting to walk into a homeless centre and ask for help. Many people tend to leave until they have no other options, no more friends to stay with, or on the day they are evicted. Only then do they come to us. We hope that by offering this online advice people will ask us for help sooner. The more time we have to look at the situation, the more likely we are able to solve the problem and prevent the person ever becoming homeless."

These 2 examples highlight the importance of asking for help as soon as possible and before the problem becomes too big...

► Natasha (name changed) fell into rent arrears after her hours at work were reduced. She got in touch with us as soon as she realised she wouldn't be able to pay her next rent. We helped Natasha maximise her income, look at her Budget and talk to her landlord to make an agreement to pay back the arrears bit by bit. Natasha kept her home and her landlord renewed the tenancy after 6 months.

► Angela and Dave (names changed) were joint tenants of a housing association property. When their relationship broke down Angela went back to stay with her mum. Dave stayed in their home but began drinking heavily, neglecting the tenancy, running up rent arrears and caused damage to the property before leaving for good. As Angela's life moved on she met a new partner and was expecting a baby. She applied for a new home on Propertypool, but Angela discovered that as she had been a joint tenant with Dave, she was also responsible for the rent arrears and property damage. She would not be offered a home through Propertypool until she had established a regular pattern of paying back her debt. Angela came to us. We were able to help her find a private rented property and agree a plan to slowly repay her arrears. Angela is now settled in her home, but things could have been easier for her if she had sought help when she 1st left her tenancy.

The Whitechapel Centre has seen an increasing number of people needing help and in 2018 they supported over 4,300 people and re-housed 2,061 people. The charity also holds drop-in advice sessions at several venues around the City. The latest venues and times are listed here:- WhiteChapelCentre.Co.UK/Get-Help.

3 women from Merseyside have been named in Cycling UK's 100 Women in Cycling

3 women from Merseyside have been named in Cycling UK's 100 Women in Cycling. Annabel Killey and Louise Collins from Liverpool and Sylvia Briercliffe, from the Wirrel were all included for their work encouraging women to cycle. They join Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, TV presenter Angellica Bell and triple Olympic medallist, Victoria Pendleton in the cycling charity's list recognition significant achievements in promoting women's cycling. The women have all been recognised in celebration of the amazing work they have done to inspire other women to cycle as part of:- 'Cycling Women's Festival of Cycling' which runs through July 2019. Other well known names who have made the list include broadcaster Rebecca Charlton, Eurosport presenter Orla Chennaoui, YouTube sensation, Ruby Issac, former road and track cyclists:- Dani Rowe and Joanna Rowsell, and cycling presenter, Laura Winter. It also includes less well known names of women who have been working tirelessly at grassroots level to encourage more women to ride.

► Annabel, 11, was recognised for her incredible bravery of turning a personal tragedy into a cycling awareness campaign. Annabel's mother Clare was killed in February 2019, in a crash involving 3 cars, while out training on her bike in Speke, Liverpool. Just a few days after the crash that took her mother's life, Annabel bravely announced that she would be cycling to School. Annabel then went on to create a cycling awareness campaign called:- 'Be Aware For Clare.'

► Louise, who only learnt how to ride a bike at the age of 37 encourages women to enjoy riding socially and is a vital part of running women only rides in Merseyside.

► Sylvia, the oldest woman on the 100 Women in Cycling list. She was nominated for being a prime example of the positive benefits of cycling at the age of 89 and for her work for the charity Live! Cheshire.

It's estimated that only a million women in the UK cycle regularly; just 3% of the population, with many more bike journeys made by men than women. The Women's Festival of Cycling aims to address that imbalance by inspiring more women to get in the saddle.

A recent poll carried out by YouGov on behalf of Cycling UK that found that 36%* of women said they would be inspired to cycle more with the encouragement of friends and family. So now the charity is now challenging every female cyclist in the UK to enlist at least 1 more woman to start cycling through July 2019.

Helen Cook, Head of Engagement, said:- "Congratulations to Annabel, Louise and Sylvia for making it onto our 100 Women in Cycling for 2019. It's an incredible achievement and testimony to the tireless work she's done to raise the profile of women's cycling. Every woman on our list is an incredible ambassador for women's cycling, but sadly women remain underrepresented when it comes to everyday cycling. The gauntlet we're throwing down is for every woman who already cycles regularly to find just 1 more woman they can help and inspire to get on their bike."

The awards were presented at a Parliamentary Reception, in Westminster, at the beginning of July 2019, following a ride to the House of Commons by more than 150 women to raise awareness of women's cycling. The ride was led by 1 of the 100 Women, TV personality Angellica Bell, who only started riding as an adult after being inspired by her step father, and a chance to appear on a TV cycling challenge to ride a stage of the Tour de France.

Angellica said:- "Wouldn't it be amazing if every female cyclist in this country persuaded just 1 more woman to take up cycling. Imagine the difference that could make. Cycling is not only 1 of the most enjoyable ways of getting around, it's great for your health, fitness and the environment."

Women's Festival of Cycling have been taking place around the UK, throughout July, to encourage more women to cycle. To make an online pledge to encourage another woman to cycle, visit Cycling UK's  Pledge Page. And to find out more about the Women's Festival of Cycling and to see a full list of nominees, visit the charities website.

A new Manchester to Leeds rail route has been pledge announced by the Prime Minister

A new Trans-Pennine rail route between Manchester and Leeds has been confirmed, as the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, set out a domestic agenda to turbo charge regional growth and prosperity. In a speech in Manchester, Boris Johnson reaffirm that 1 of his top domestic priorities will be to level out opportunities, and unlock the potential not just of London and the South East; but of every corner of the UK. He is also expected to outline his major domestic agenda, including:- investment in education, tackling crime, boosting connectivity, and improving technology across the country.

Pledging new intercity rail routes, with Manchester to Leeds, as the 1st step, the Prime Minister said:- "I want to be the PM who does with Northern Powerhouse Rail what we did with Crossrail in London. And today I am going to deliver on my commitment to that vision with a pledge to fund the Leeds to Manchester route. It will be up to local people and us to come to an agreement on the exact proposal they want, but I have tasked officials to accelerate their work on these plans so that we are ready to do a deal in the autumn."

Building on his commitment when entering Downing Street, the Prime Minister will set out his vision to rebalance power, growth and productivity across the UK. At the heart of this will be a commitment to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail. The 1st step will be the Manchester to Leeds route, with detailed plans published this autumn, following the review into HS2.  But as many spotted, no mention of a faster Liverpool connections to both Leeds and Manchester...

The new route is expected to cut journey times significantly and provide additional capacity for people across the Region. But the Prime Minister will also be clear that his focus will not just be about major infrastructure projects.  He will pledge to:- "improve the unglamorous local services which people use every day," such as buses, saying it is about:- "services within cities, not just services between Cities."

Making clear that his announcements are just the beginning of further work to boost local infrastructure and services, the Prime Minister will say:- "I want to help local leaders bring their local services in all our Towns and Cities up to the standards of the best. And I want that to start now, with improvements that can happen in the short term, not just big engineering schemes that will take years."

Responding to Boris, CBI Regional Director for the North West Damian Waters said:- "Early signs matter and this is exactly what Northern businesses wanted to see. Unlocking the North's economic potential will help the UK and close regional divides. High quality and reliable infrastructure keeps the economy moving, drives growth in our Regions, and has a big impact on productivity. It's great to see fast action. Businesses will be the 1st to work with the Government to achieve this."

But Steve Rotheram, Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor, commenting on the announcement said:- "Northern Powerhouse Rail is vital to the North's future economic success, supporting 850,000 new jobs by 2050 and an extra ₤100bn into the economy. However, in order to achieve these gains, we need a whole network connecting the West to the East, not just 1 leg of it, in isolation, as this announcement suggests. The Government must understand that the North simply will not accept anything less than a full NPR network and the jury is still out on their commitment to delivering that. Given the new PM's stated enthusiasm for a post Brexit UK/US trade deal, I'm surprised that building freight capacity via the Port of Liverpool; the North's main Western facing port; does not seem to be a priority in this announcement. The Liverpool to Manchester leg of NPR is by far and away the most readily deliverable section and the one that can be built fastest. As a Liverpool City Region, we are clear that we only support NPR proposals that deliver the whole network along with HS2 and include a new dedicated twin track line between Liverpool and Manchester and a New Station, in Liverpool's City Centre, to accommodate HS2 and NPR trains."

Barry White, Chief Executive at Transport for the North, said:- "The fact that the Prime Minister has firmly committed to delivering a Northern Powerhouse Rail network is a major leap forward for the North. 1 our business and political leaders have been working tirelessly to secure for several years. Just days into his premiership, Boris Johnson is here in the North promising to invest in our creaking infrastructure. Not just the Manchester to Leeds line, but a whole network from Liverpool to Hull, and from Sheffield up to Newcastle, connecting the towns and cities in between. As Transport for the North, we'll work with the new Government to make that a reality as quickly as we can. Any agreement later this year must include funding commitments for work on the whole network, including new lines and significant upgrades, and it must be made jointly with the North, as Boris Johnson promised. Following decades of underinvestment, our plans are bold, ambitious, and would deliver a radical rail network for our towns and cities. With the Prime Minister committing to power up the North and rebalance the economy; investment in Northern Powerhouse Rail as well as a raft of local improvements as part of an infrastructure pipeline must now come forward."

4 tips on how to stay safe as temperatures soar if you're living with diabetes

AS temperatures in the UK soar, Diabetes UK is reminding people living with diabetes to be extra vigilant in the hot weather this summer. To help, the charity is sharing 4 top tips on how to stay safe and well when the weather gets warm:-

► Monitor blood glucose levels more often - Long periods of inactivity in the Sun can affect diabetes management, making blood glucose levels higher than usual. However, for those who use insulin to treat their diabetes, insulin will also be absorbed more quickly in hot weather, increasing the risk of low blood glucose levels episodes, otherwise known as hypos.

This is why it is important for people with diabetes to monitor their blood glucose levels more often and be ready to adjust their insulin dose when necessary.

► Keep meters and test strips away from the Sun - Hot temperatures can also affect blood glucose meters and test strips; these should be stored as close to room temperature (15ºC to 25ºC) as possible and out of direct sunlight, but not refrigerated, as cold temperatures can also lead to misleading results.

► Keep your insulin in the fridge or a cool bag - If blood glucose levels are consistently higher than expected in the hot weather, it may be that your insulin has been damaged in the Sun. Insulin, particularly in hot weather, is best kept in the fridge or a cool bag (taking care that it does not freeze).

► Apply sunscreen on your feet - People with diabetes related neuropathy; or nerve damage; may not be aware their feet are burning, so people with diabetes should regularly apply sunscreen, and wear shoes or sandals, never bare feet. If ignored, minor injuries can quickly develop into infections or ulcers, the main cause for diabetes related amputations.

Clare Howarth is the Head of the North of England at Diabetes UK. She said:- "Enjoying the Sun is 1 of the things many people look forward to in the summer; whether at home or on holiday; but with the right precautions there is no reason people with diabetes can't enjoy the hot weather like anybody else.  That's why we want to remind people living with the condition to take extra care, check their glucose levels more regularly and keep a close eye on their feet. It's important to also use high factor sunscreen and suitable sunglasses. Following these simple steps will help people with diabetes safely get the most out of the summer; come rain or shine."