Letter To Editor:- "Unsightly Stickers in Town Center"

"DEAR Southport Reporter, I have spotted stickers in and around the Town Centre that are on all types of objects, from street lights to other road side objects, such as the litter bins. Some stickers have even been put on road signs! This is just as bad, if not worse than fly posting, yet no action is being taken by Sefton Council. Some of the messages on the stickers are often containing links to dangerous conspiracy theories, along with questionable ideologies. Please can you take a look at them and see if you can get Sefton Council to remove them as quickly as possible. I have tried to report them, but they still haven't been removed. Not only that, but they look dreadful and destroy paintwork" John (Southport Town Centre)

Reply from our Editor, Patrick Trollope:- "Thanks for your email, as you can see on Twitter on 1 April and again on:- 10 April 2022, and tagged Sefton Council in to the messages, to alert them to this issue. We have also alerted via Twitter, Merseyside Police, due to the nature of a few of the stickers we found. Many other readers have also alerted us to these stickers, including from the shop Mind Games. Sefton Council has asked us to send them any reference number for any previous reports that have been remade about them. If you have reported it and got a reference, please do let us know, so we can pass it on. The Twitter Team at Sefton Council has since alerted the Highways Department and have used the reference:- 00164888. We are told that they will take appropriate action. We will continue to monitor the situation and agree that this is a growing issue that nerds to be addressed. If you do spot any new fly posing or stickers, please alert Sefton and ourselves. If you get a reference from Sefton Council, please do let us know it."

Specialist domestic abuse and sexual violence charities invited to apply for vital funds

CHARITIES which provide specialist support to survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence are being invited to submit bids for vital funding by the Region's Police Commissioner. Emily Spurrell is encouraging charities who support vulnerable victims to bid for additional Ministry of Justice funding, worth ₤15.7m nationally. The money is designed to provide a vital cash boost to specialist community based support services to further expand the support they can provide for those who have survived these crimes. This includes:- organisations which provide tailored support services to help victims of rape, sexual violence, sexual abuse, honour-based abuse and stalking, cope with the impact of the crime and, as far as possible, recover from the harm they have experienced. The funding will be provided to successful recipients for 2022/23, but has the potential to be extended for a further 2 years.

Emily said:- "Victims of sexual violence and domestic abuse are among the most vulnerable in our communities. They deserve the best possible care and support to help them recover from the traumatic ordeal they have suffered. Our community based support services do a fantastic job providing crucial care, but I know they are desperately stretched. I'm determined to do everything I can to give them the resources they deserve, so I would encourage them to take up this opportunity to access this additional funding. As I've said many times before, I do not believe these 1 off 'crisis pots' are the right way to fund our vital support services. They do nothing to address this issue long term and they also provide a significant burden on the organisations who are continually having to submit bids. I have raised this with both the Home Office and Ministry of Justice already, and I will continue to lobby Central Government at every opportunity I get to provide funding for our support services which is guaranteed, robust and sustainable. In the meantime, though, I would urge any support service who needs additional funding to get in touch so I can do everything possible to get them the funding they need."

Any organisation wishing to apply for additional funding should visit:- MerseysidePCC.Info for more information. The deadline for applications is 1pm, on Wednesday, 27 April 2022.