Safer streets for women in Liverpool

MORRISONS has become the 1st supermarket in the UK to offer its customers a way to recycle coffee pods through a partnership with the recycling scheme Podback. Over the coming weeks, Morrisons customers will be able to pick up free Podback Collect+ recycling bags from its customer service desks.

The Podback bags can be filled with used coffee pods at home, then taken to 1 of 6,500 Collect+ delivered by Yodel drop off points around the UK. All postage back to Podback is free of charge.

Through the Podback scheme, used aluminium pods are turned into aluminium ingots for new products; such as beverage cans, and used plastic coffee pods are turned into other plastic items; such as furniture. The used coffee grounds also go through anaerobic digestion; to produce a combination of biogas and soil improver.

Podback is the 1st coffee pod recycling scheme of its kind in the UK, and was set up by Nestle and Jacobs Douwe Egberts UK. Current participating brands include:- Nespresso, Tassimo, L'OR, Nescafé Dolce Gusto, Starbucks by Nespresso, Starbucks by Nescafé Dolce Gusto, Cru Kafe, Artisan Coffee Co, Allpress Espresso, Colonna Coffee and Café Palmieri by Jomad Coffee.

Sales of coffee pods have increased across all beverage pods sold in grocery retailers, from Pre Pandemic levels, as more people have worked from home. According to Nielsen Total Coffee database YTD that is an 32% increase is 2021 sales vs the same time frame in 2019. It is estimated that 1.2bn pods were bought in the UK in 2021, making Podback even more important as an easier route for customers to recycle their pods.

Rick Hindley, Executive Director at Podback, said:- "Podback provides consumers all over the UK with an easy way to recycle their coffee pods, no matter what brand they are buying. Morrisons is the 1 supermarket to become a supporter of the Podback scheme, as well as provide bags in store. This is a great step forward and progress towards ensuring recycling coffee pods becomes 2nd nature. Our goal is to ensure every pod enjoyed is recycled and working with retailers, like Morrisons, is crucial to ensuring the scheme is convenient and simple. We welcome other retailers to join to make it even easier for consumers to recycle pods in the future."

Lorraine Wheeler, Environmental Packaging Manager at Morrisons, said:- "Many of our customers want to brew fresh coffee at home using a coffee pod. But to date, coffee pod recycling has been confusing for consumers, with several different schemes by multiple brands. Podback offers an easy, simple scheme for all of our customers."

The partnership with Podback is part of a wide ranging waste reduction initiative. Since 2017 Morrisons has reduced its own brand plastic packaging in its 497 stores by over 8,000 tonnes a year and was the 1 supermarket to ditch plastic 'bags for life' in favour of paper bags, to use traditional paper bags for loose fruit and vegetables instead of plastic, and to introduce a refillable container service on its fish, meat and deli counters to reduce single use packaging.

The move marks a key step for Podback, which recently made its recycling bags available online via Coffee Supplies Direct.

4th generation of a local family to work at Southport Pleasureland

A man from the 4th generation of a local family to work at Southport Pleasureland can't wait to welcome visitors back when the popular North West attraction reopens later this month. Martin Rimmer, from Southport, says he:- "absolutely loves" working at Southport Pleasureland, a place where his dad (Ray), grandad (Thomas) and great grandad (Thomas) also worked. The 21 year old Rides Supervisor is now looking forward to starting his 5th year at the park when it welcomes people back from Saturday, 26 March for the 2022 season.

Southport Pleasureland is 1 of the Region's biggest employers with around 150 people working there at any 1 time. The attraction is currently advertising for new staff, with a wide range of roles available; suitable for those looking for a few hours a week to tie in with College studies or family life, to full time hours or those seeking ambitious career moves. 2 Recruitment Open Days will take place between 10am and 2pm, on Saturday, 5 March 2022 and Sunday, 6 March 2022, at Casablanca, Southport Pleasureland. All are welcome. Free parking will be available in the Southport Pleasureland car park adjacent to Casablanca. Vacancies available will be promoted via the Southport Pleasureland website.

Martin Rimmer, and his family, can't recommend it highly enough. His Mum and dad even met there! It's the perfect workplace for Martin as it allows him to earn money part time while completing his course in Film and Television Studies at Liverpool Media Academy. He has recently produced a short film about the experiences of his family and friends working at the park. He said:- "I was 17 when I First started working at Southport Pleasureland. This is my fifth year now! I absolutely love working here. I First started after my Dad spotted an advert for an Open Day here on Facebook. He said:- 'you should go and check it out.' I then got a call saying there was a position available as a ride operator, and I began working during weekends, and then more regularly during the School holidays. Now I am a Rides Supervisor. It is perfect for keeping up with my film studies while also earning money by working here. I can tailor my hours here around University. I might be at University in the morning, and working here in the afternoon. I love working here, and studying for my degree at the same time. There are so many jobs that people can do here:- front of house, ride operators, maintenance, admin, managers, supervisors, caterers, chefs, mechanics, electricians, gardeners, so many people keep this place going. I love the people I work with here. There is a great camaraderie. Some of my best friends I have met through working here. I am getting paid to work with my friends. It is a really nice set of people who I work with. I love the way we all stay connected."

Many thousands of families have been similarly welcomed to the attraction by Martin's father, Ray Rimmer. Martin said:- "Dad worked here for nearly 30 years. He started here in 1978 when he was 23 years old, and worked here until 2006, when the owners at the time suddenly closed it. Norman Wallis then came in and reopened it a year later. Dad worked as a ride operator, rides supervisor, then housekeeping manager, then Deputy Manager. He told me that my Grandad, Thomas, had also worked here, and my Great Grandad too. Our family has always been drawn to work at Southport Pleasureland!"

Martin has enjoyed seeing all the changes during the previous 5 years, and is looking forward to even more exciting new additions this year. They include the new 35 metre tall observation wheel, which will offer visitors breath taking views across the coast; and a new Viking themed adventure golf attraction and longhouse eatery. He said:- "There are things that people can enjoy here throughout the year now. Mums and dads, nans and grandads, can come with the kids, play adventure golf, take them on the helter skelter, enjoy all the rides, admire the views from the adventure wheel, and enjoy a meal together. Since I started here, each year we have grown. Throughout the season, new rides open regularly, which is awesome! The marketing phrase for Southport is:- 'different every time' and that is definitely the case for Southport Pleasurerland too. From the start of last season, there have been 8 new rides added. The observation wheel, which is opening soon, is brilliant. I am looking forward to trying out the new Viking adventure golf too. There is nothing else in Southport that is anything like it. Southport Pleasureland will be keeping happiness going for people throughout the year. I just think 2022 is going to be great."

Southport Pleasureland CEO Norman Wallis said:- "There is a complete mix of full time roles, part time roles, shifts; people can be flexible with the hours they work. There is a real family atmosphere for people working at Southport Pleasureland, it is a lovely place to work. We are expanding, and we have some very exciting plans for the future. We want to give more jobs to more local people. We are growing, and we need more people to join us."

Southport Pleasureland opens for the 2022 season on Saturday, 26 March 2022, ahead of the Easter Holidays. If you are interested in a job, at Southport Pleasureland, you can also email:- Info@SouthportPleasureland.Com or visit the Southport Pleasureland website SouthportPleasureland.Com.