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Southport care home celebrates resident's milestone birthday

STANLEY Twist, a resident at MHA Connell Court care home in Southport, celebrated his 100th birthday surrounded by his loved ones. With 2 sons, 3 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren in attendance, the home was filled with laughter and singing on the afternoon of his special day. Stanley was born in Middlesbrough where he spent most of his childhood, but with an unemployed father imploring him to look elsewhere for job opportunities, he soon moved to Southport where he was raised by his grandparents. Stanley married his wife Sarah at the age of 19 and throughout their 62 years of happy marriage, they enjoyed plenty of weekend caravan holidays in Eastbourne, St Annes and even Switzerland. With a love for iced buns, confectionary and anything sweet, he took up the job of running Sweattenams bakery on King Street for many years before becoming an insurance rep for Prudential.

Sarah sadly passed away in 2001 and since then, Stanley's son Barry has made sure to visit Stanley every day. When his family aren't with him, Stanley can often be found humming along to classical music; 2 of his favourites are Wagner and Andrea Rieu.

When asked for tips on how to live a long life, Stanley replied "simply enjoy life," cheekily adding "behave yourself too!"

Home Manager at MHA Connell Court, Anna Harvey, said:- "Having been with us since 2016, Stanley is a much loved member of our Connell Court family. He is a delight to care for and always has a smile for everybody. It was lovely to watch him receive his congratulatory card from the Queen, open his presents and blow out his birthday candles. We hope he had a wonderful day."

Up to ₤20,000 in funding available for local projects

LOCAL charities and good causes are being encouraged to apply for funding of over ₤3 million that has been raised by the players of People's Postcode Lottery. Applications are open until 4 February 2020, and a whole host of good causes from voluntary groups to community interest companies, as well as registered charities can apply for grants between ₤500 up to ₤20,000. The funding will be awarded through 3 separate trusts which each support projects focussed on different themes:-

► People's Postcode Trust looks to fund projects that are aimed at promoting:- human rights, combating discrimination and helping to prevent poverty

► Postcode Community Trust supports initiatives working to improve health and wellbeing in communities, including:- arts and physical recreation projects, as well as those that look to reduce isolation

► Postcode Local Trust want to hear from groups working on improving:- biodiversity, green spaces and increasing community access to outdoor space. They also want applications from groups with a project planned for combatting climate change or improving sustainability

Ballet classes for people with Parkinson's disease, soup kitchens and sensory gardens are just a few examples of projects which previously received funding. Local good causes are advised to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity by reading the short funding guides available and applying to the trust that best fits the aims of their project.

Laura Chow, head of charities at People's Postcode Lottery, said:- "Grassroots good causes are at the heart of communities the length and breadth of Britain. Having seen 1st hand the positive impact this funding can have, I would encourage local groups to strongly consider applying. With over ₤3 million in grants available, successful groups will be able to begin or continue their valuable work and reach even more people in their local area. The 3 trusts cover a large variety of projects so I'd urge groups to visit the trust websites and see where their project would best fit!"

A minimum of 32% of ticket sales goes directly to charities and players of People's Postcode Lottery have helped raise more than ₤500 million to date for good causes across Great Britain and internationally. For more information, to view the funding guides and to apply please visit the trusts' websites directly.