News reports located on this page = 2.

Volunteers needed to help boost reading confidence and enjoyment in Southport

ONCE trained and placed in a School by the charity Coram Beanstalk, reading helpers (volunteers) will support children aged 5 to 13 through weekly sessions and over 1 academic year to read well; not just through recognising the words but through the enjoyment of sharing books together, chatting about them and developing deeper understanding of the content.

Ginny Lunn is Managing Director of Coram Beanstalk:- "Coram Beanstalk volunteers help encourage, motivate and support children in a way that helps them feel positive about their reading and sets them up for success. Our reading helpers work with children who, for a variety of reasons, don't feel confident around books and would benefit from weekly sessions outside of the classroom with someone who can help 'open the door' to reading. Our vision is to ensure that all children have the opportunity to become confident and able readers and we know that the first step to achieving this is through encouraging a love of books at an early age. If you feel you could help inspire children to discover a lifelong love of books in the local community, please apply at:- CoramBeanstalk.Org.UK or call:- 020 7729 4087."

Penny is from Liverpool and has been a reading helper with Coram Beanstalk since 2017:- "I have had a lot of favourite moments so far in my volunteering, but I love teaching children new words (from the stories) and hearing them remember and use those words again appropriately. The children seem happy to join me in the sessions as well, and they like what they have been reading."

Coram Beanstalk works with Schools across the North West of England to deliver a range of evidence based programmes that have been developed to ensure children who most need help get that encouragement and support in the best way possible.

Help Get Rachel Back Home

RACHEL and Paul Cunningham, of Aintree Village in Liverpool, have been awarded ₤1,000 by the Pavers Foundation, the employee led charitable trust created by family owned shoe retailer Pavers Shoes. Bev Gavan, Store Manager at Pavers in Southport, applied through the Foundation's employee grant initiative to help the couple, after Rachel was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation, a condition that affects the growth of the brain within the skull. Founded by Catherine Paver in 1971, Pavers established the Foundation in 2018 to enable charitable giving by the business and its 1700 staff. Through the Foundation, the amount pledged to good causes by Pavers has risen to ₤2.5m. Each staff member can put forward causes close to their heart which relate to health, education, or community. Since launching, the Pavers Foundation has awarded over ₤580,000.

Rachel's diagnosis came after she fell ill on her honeymoon in Italy. Soon after, Rachel underwent the first of approximately 12 brain and spinal operations, between September 2009 and December 2015. In 2010, Rachel showed great courage and amazing progress by managing to learn to walk again and get back to work, however, sadly her condition continued to affect her. In December 2015, Rachel underwent her latest operation. Following this, she required intense rehabilitation, but unfortunately Rachel is now more or less paralysed from the neck down and requires a complete care package. The donation of ₤1,000 from the Pavers Foundation, has been put towards purchasing a specialist bed for Rachel, which was recommended by the Neuro Team at the Walton Centre in Liverpool.

Rachel's husband, Paul Cunningham said:- "Once it became apparent that Rachel could not come back to our home at that time, I began our 'project.' I sold our home and bought a bungalow. But that was only the start of it. We needed to make it into a home suitable for Rachel, her needs, and the care that she requires. And so, we began our own 'DIY SOS.' We received an amazing amount of support, and as a result, Rachel was able to come home in January of this year. After over 3 years in Hospital and rehab, she was finally back with me.

However, we still needed to do some final touches to make it a home more suitable for her needs. We needed to get a specialist bed for her, and I also needed a bed too! Despite the various bits of equipment, she needs, we wanted to make the bedroom as "normal" as possible, such as the beds next to each other and sharing a headboard. This was the final piece of the jigsaw to give Rachel what she deserves."

Bev Gavan, Store Manager, at Pavers, in Southport, said:- "When I heard about Rachel and Paul, it broke my heart and I struggled to stop thinking about them. In March 2019, I attended the Pavers Conference and listened to the wonderful work of the Pavers Foundation, following this, I just knew I had to apply for Rachel and Paul; a young couple, whose lives changed forever due to sickness. The way that Rachel's and Paul's family has come together & are doing everything possible to help is amazing. They are now able to spend every night together, just like a young couple should. All Rachel and Paul want is to lead as normal a life as possible, and the donation from the Pavers foundation is helping to achieve this."

In 2018, Pavers acquired Jones Bootmaker and online shoe retailer, Herring Shoes. It has a portfolio of over 170 stores and employees under all 3 brands:- Pavers, Jones Bootmaker and Herring Shoes will be involved with the Pavers Foundation. The Pavers Foundation can only accept grant applications that have been submitted by a Pavers Employee. For more information on the Foundation, visit:- PaversFoundation.Co.UK.