Head of business development joins Napthens

ON Saturday, 25 January 2020, The Brain Charity, Liverpool are hosting a Burns Night. The event promises those attending will enjoy a tasty traditional meal accompanied by a live pipe band and poetry performances. The venue has a fully licensed bar and doors will open at 7 pm, for a 7:30 pm start. Tickets are just:- ₤8.50 which includes a meal and a wee dram (Vegetarian/Vegan meal options available) For more information please visit:- TheBrainCharity.Org.UK.

Liverpool businesses slow down their hiring efforts in the run up to the General Election

AS the UK gears up for its 4th General Election since 2010, increased economic uncertainty has led to a significant drop in job advertisements in Liverpool. In fact, according to data from the UK's leading job board, CV Library, the number of advertisements fell by 10.1% month on month. The findings, which explore job market data from November 2019 and compare this with data from the previous month, also reveal that pay has fallen by 5.2% in the City, bringing the average salary down to ₤30,668 per annum. This is despite salaries rising by 2.8% (to ₤35,742) in the North West Region as a whole. Alongside this, the North West also experienced a 12.4% drop in job vacancies. Lee Biggins, CEO and founder of CV Library, comments:- "In the face of such extraordinary political uncertainty, companies have no choice but to hold back on hiring new talent and this isn't unusual at this time of year. With the UK set to make a monumental decision in less than a fortnight and the fate of Brexit hanging in the balance, many organisations in Liverpool will be waiting for the dust to settle before moving forward with their hiring campaigns"

Interestingly, it isn't just employers putting on the brakes this month. In fact, job applications also fell by 17.6% in the City and a further 14.2% in the wider North West Region. Lee Biggins continues:- "It's important to remember that while these numbers are certainly exacerbated by the current political climate, this time of year is usually quieter for recruitment across the board. Because of this, it's a good time to take stock of where your company is currently at and start thinking about your future hiring needs. In doing so, you'll ensure that you're ready to recruit when the dust has settled after the General Election and when many candidates will be looking for a change after the Christmas period."

Donate pre-loved toys as you shop this Christmas to help reduce waste

AS Christmas shopping season looms, the British Heart Foundation is asking parents in the North West to 'drop as they shop' by donating pre-loved children's toys to make space for the presents that Santa brings. Donating toys or picking up good value 2nd hand treats can be great way to cut costs; particularly as a survey commissioned by the charity, shows that 48% find their little ones can get fed up with new items within just 7 days. With a growing awareness of the importance of cutting down on waste, the BHF is urging the public to donate items that no longer appeal or shop for 2nd hand gifts. It says that operating a '1 in 1 out' approach could help reduce the number of toys that will go to landfill in the New Year. The survey also reveals 24% of parents have thrown away toys in perfect working order; items which could help charities raise vital funds if donated and resold. The BHF hopes to encourage more people to have a Green Christmas by buying pre-loved items for as little as ₤1 and donating what they don't need at the same time.

"These figures show just how quickly kids can lose interest in toys. As a parent, I am all too familiar with the amount of clutter Christmas can generate, but shopping 2nd hand and donating as you go could help make space for festive gifts and find new homes for old favourites. Now more than ever, it's vital that we find ways to minimise waste and cut down on buying new items where possible. 2nd hand toys are a great way to start and will help keep costs low when doing your Christmas shopping this year!" says David Roman, Sustainability Manager at the British Heart Foundation.

The charity hopes to encourage people to donate quality toys in the hope of saving them from landfill and finding them new homes. In 2018, those who shopped in or donated to BHF shops helped the charity save 74,000 tonnes of goods from landfill, including clothes, shoes, toys and books. All money raised from sales of toys goes towards lifesaving research into conditions such as heart attack, stroke and vascular dementia. The charity say buying and donating will help the planet and help make Christmas wishes come true for the 930,000 people living with heart and circulatory diseases in the North West. Get involved with the British Heart Foundation's Green Christmas by shopping 2nd hand and help make Christmas wishes come true. Share your finds on social media with #BoughtAtBHF. For more information please visit:- BHF.Org.UK.

Shocking picture of austerity cuts to services in the North West has been revealed

THE true scale of almost a decade of savage austerity cuts to local communities in the North West is laid bare in a study by UNISON, published on Friday, 5 December 2019, showing the impact of huge reductions in Council funding. A series of freedom of information (FoI) requests to Local Authorities in the North West Region examined the changes in local services between 2010 and 2019 for several key council services, including:- youth centres, public toilets, libraries and subsidised bus routes.

Across England, Central Government cuts have led to a 17% fall in Council spending on public services since the Conservatives came to power in 2010. Between then and the end of the decade, grant funding for Councils in England has been reduced by ₤16bn.

This data was gathered by UNISON from Local Authorities within England, Scotland and Wales with 330 out of 398 supplying figures.

The FoI findings, using data supplied by 33 out of 41 Local Authorities in the North West, show the human cost of the cutbacks:-

► A total of 176 children's centres and family hubs (which provide support services for babies, young people and families) have been closed, while 103 youth centres have been lost.

► 20% of public toilets have closed, with 76 public conveniences disappearing since the Conservatives came to power.

► The number of subsidised bus routes has decreased by almost three quarters (71%), a reduction of 199 services, increasing the isolation of many living in rural communities.

► A 20% of libraries have either closed, been privatised or are now staffed by volunteers over the past 10 years. This is a decrease of 94 Council run libraries. Over the same time, there's been a 4 fold rise in the number run by volunteers, up from 4 to 15.

Commenting on the study, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:- "The scale of the cuts is both breathtaking and disturbing. Each cut has a major impact on a community, whether it's a pensioner feeling isolated in their home because they can't get a bus or people being unable to borrow books or use the internet in local libraries. The widespread axing of youth centres has left many young people with nowhere to turn at crucial points in their lives. Squeezed budgets have forced Councils to make impossible decisions. No local authority wants to cut the services it offers, but with much less funding coming from Westminster, they've often had little choice. It's vulnerable people and those least able to fend for themselves who suffer most. This is the shocking legacy of 9 years of Tory spending cuts. People should think about the services lost to their communities when they cast their vote on polling day."