Hospice welcomes all to annual Christmas service

ST. Joseph's Hospice has announced that its annual Light up a Life service will take place on Sunday 8 December, following on from a special Christmas Market in the Hospice Gardens. Light up a Life is held at the Hospice every Christmas and brings the local community together to remember and celebrate the lives of loved ones, whether they have been patients at the Hospice or not. Father Furnival and Bishop Tom Williams will lead the service, which will start at 4pm and will also include festive carols and refreshments. During the service, the Hospice will also switch on the lights of its 25ft Christmas tree, with each light dedicated to the memory of someone special. Families can dedicate a light to a loved 1  by completing a dedication form, which is available to download at:- Jospice.Org.UK. Forms are also available to pick up directly from the Hospice or from any of its shops across Merseyside.

This year, a traditional Christmas Market will also take place on the same day, from 12 noon, on Sunday, 8 December 2019, with stalls selling a delicious range of sweet treats and festive goodies. There will also be lots of activities for children, including a visit from Father Christmas himself. The Christmas Market will close at 4pm so that the Light up a Life service can begin. Families are very welcome to stay for both events. To find out more about Light up a Life, or to make a dedication, visit:- Jospice.Org.UK, call:- 0151 932 6044 or send them an email. Norma Young, head of fundraising, said:- "Our Light up a Life service and Christmas Light Switch On is always a very special occasion and means so much to local families. This year, Light up a Life will be even more special as we're opening up the Hospice Gardens for the whole community to enjoy throughout the day as the service will follow on straight after our Christmas Market. It will be the perfect occasion for families to come to the Hospice and enjoy a very festive and fun afternoon, whilst still having the opportunity to remember their loved ones. Whether you come for the whole afternoon, or just drop in, we will be delighted to see you."

Barclays launches Brexit clinics for farmers and manufacturers

BARCLAYS has announced that it will host an additional 100 Brexit clinics throughout October and November to provide support to customers amidst ongoing uncertainty. The bank will focus on agriculture and manufacturing clients with the 1st wave of clinics, which will be hosted across the UK in local community spaces, bank branches and Eagle Labs, the bank's co-working innovation spaces.

To help tackle the uncertainty, Barclays will also be launching a report at the clinics to showcase some of the most diverse rural businesses across the UK. The report shines a spotlight on how some farmers have diversified to build resilience, including Gazegill Organics, in Lancashire.

After seeing a demand for local home-grown produce from consumers hungry to find out more about the origins of their food, Gazegill Organics began selling produce online directly to consumers across the country. As their farming business grows, Gazegill has also invested in renewable energy sources for the farm, including solar-panels and a turbine, to lower costs.

Emma Robinson, Head of Gazegill Organics, said:- "We know Brexit is going to bring both opportunities and challenges over the next few years. At Gazegill Organics we're responding by really tuning into the domestic demand for locally sourced goods and organic produce. We've diversified so that we can sell direct to the consumer, and sales of our organic food has tripled in 2018."

The bank's network of 1,500 relationship managers and industry specialists will host the clinics, with agricultural managers focusing on topics like trading relationships, the future of subsidy payments, agricultural policy, migrant labour, and exporting. Thousands of invites will be issued over the following weeks to SMEs, farmers and corporate clients across the country. Over a thousand SMEs attended the 1st 100 clinics in March as Barclays announced a package of support including on the ground relationship support and a ₤14billion lending fund.

Business and Industry Minister Nadhim Zahawi said:- "Our number 1  priority is ensuring businesses have the help they need to get ready for Brexit and take advantage of the opportunities beyond. These clinics are a welcome initiative, giving businesses across the agricultural and manufacturing sectors more face to face support and tailored advice on how to prepare, including what financing products are available to them. We have turbocharged preparations for Brexit and it's great to see the banking sector play its part, complementing our own Brexit Business Readiness Events happening right now across the UK, where businesses of all sizes can get the advice they need from all relevant Government teams in 1  place."

Mark Suthern, National Head of Agriculture at Barclays Business Bank, said:- "By championing Britain's most formidable farmers and bringing them together at our Brexit clinics, we hope to facilitate those discussions that will help enable farmers to navigate the changes the following months will bring, and most importantly, feel supported during this time of uncertainty. We continue to see strong lending demand from agriculture clients who are looking to invest in their core farming business or diversify, and with our ₤14 billion fund available, we want to encourage even more to follow suit. British food and farming is vital to our country and our team of expert relationship managers are here to help clients during this challenging time for the sector."

The bank's relationship managers also plan to make personal visits to thousands of SMEs throughout October as part of an ongoing initiative, and digital webinars will be hosted to assist those who cannot make it to a clinic.  More information can be found online.

Home care company wins 5 Star Employer

HOME Instead Senior Care, a company specialising in at home care for older people in Southport and Formby has been honoured with a 5 Star Employer Award. The accolade of 5 Star Employer was awarded by WorkBuzz, an independent company which conducted surveys with Home Instead's caregivers and staff. In response to the independent survey, 1  caregiver employed by Home Instead Southport said:- "I love the support from the office team and really feel part of the Home Instead family. I look forward to seeing my clients and really enjoy my job."

Home Instead's caregivers and employees are given access to award winning training programmes which have been accredited by both City & Guilds and endorsed by the Princess Royal Training Awards. Employees are given opportunity for career progression and are part of a supportive valued-led team, meaning that great care is delivered to clients. Steven Frost, CEO of WorkBuzz said:- "The biggest challenge facing many organisations is recruiting and retaining the best talent. We would like to congratulate Home Instead Senior Care for its high levels of employee engagement. Its positive culture means that most employees are proud to work there, would choose to stay even if they were offered a similar job elsewhere, and are highly motivated."

Commenting on the recognition, Anthea Pilkington, co-owner of Home Instead Senior Care, said:- "We are incredibly proud to have achieved a 5 Star Employer Award.  It means so much because it was awarded as a result of feedback from our employees. Person centred home care is our business and this acknowledgement proves that it works, not only for our clients, but for our caregivers and the team in the office too."

To find out more about the work that Home Instead Senior Care do, or for details of current caregiver vacancies, call:- 01704 547938 or visit:- HomeInstead.Co.UK.