CLA encourages dog owners to be responsible in the countryside

DOG owners are urged to keep their dogs under control in the countryside, especially as more visitors are expected in the countryside during spring. This reminder vomes over the Easter break and as milder weather starts to come in over the UK.  CLA Director North Lucinda Douglas said:- "We welcome visitors to share this beauty but ask that you respect the countryside as a place of work and a sanctuary for wildlife when enjoying a day out. It is vital that dog owners understand their responsibilities. Dogs can attack livestock if they are not under control and it is devastating if sheep are wounded or killed. Dog fouling can cause disease to be spread so we urge everyone to clear up any mess caused by their pets. It is the time of year when lambing is at its peak, and both ewes and lambs are at risk. Ewes are vulnerable and prone to abort their lambs if they are stressed by dogs. Ground nesting birds are also settled on their eggs at this time of year and are easily dislodged by loose dogs. The Countryside Code is generally adhered to by the majority of people, but there can be incidents of anti-social behaviour or a lack of awareness of the working countryside. All visitors should be conscious that the countryside is a place of work where the land, livestock, machinery, wildlife and environment must be respected."

3 top tips for those using the countryside:- Livestock worrying by dogs not adequately controlled by their owners is on the increase. Please keep your dog on a lead if you are anywhere near livestock. Apart from being a danger to lambs and ewes, dogs can also pose a threat to nesting birds if not kept under close control. Also, clear up after your dog. Disposable BBQs are popular for cooking food out in the countryside. They are easy to transport and light but impossible to clear-up afterwards as they are too hot to put in a bag to take home, meaning they are often left and pose a huge wildfire risk. Fly tipping and littering is a blight on the landscape. Please ensure you take your litter home with you and dispose of bulky waste through proper legal channels. When riding a bike or driving a vehicle, slow down or stop for horses, walkers and farm animals and give them plenty of room. By law, cyclists must give way to walkers and horse riders on bridleways. The Countryside Code applies to all parts of the countryside in England and Wales. It aims to help everyone respect, protect and enjoy the outdoors. Follow the Countryside Code here Where a dog is in the act of worrying livestock and there is, or is likely to be serious damage to those livestock, call Police on:- 999. Alternatively, dial:- 101 to report an incident where the dogs are no longer present after an attack or to report problem dog behaviour. Photographs and videos of the worrying incident and/or the damage it caused can be extremely useful.

Countryside Code resource pack for Schools and youth groups, last year the CLA teamed up with LEAF Education to help improve understanding of the Countryside Code by creating a resource pack for teachers and youth group leaders. The code, which was first introduced in 1951, was refreshed by the Government last year, but is not taught as part of the curriculum. The CLA has written to Duke of Edinburgh Award, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, including Chief Scout Bear Grylls, Sea Cadets, British Orienteering and local education authorities asking them to teach children the free lesson plan on the code. Aimed at Key Stage 2 children the lesson plans, developed together with Leaf Education, centre around the code's messages of respecting everyone, protecting the environment and enjoying the outdoors through many fun filled activities including a soil investigator's exercise, sky lantern role play activity and waymarker memory game. It is hoped these packs will help children and young adults understand that safe and responsible behaviour in the countryside is fundamental to enjoyment of it. The pack is free to download from the CLA's website and is also available on the Countryside Classroom; a website regularly used by teachers seeking materials related to rural affairs.
 

New website provides reliable health apps to Sefton

PEOPLE in Sefton can now help themselves to live healthier, happier lives using accredited health applications included on:- Sefton.Orcha.Co.UK. Health and care partners across the NHS, Local Authority and voluntary, community and faith sector (VCF) in Sefton have worked with the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Applications (ORCHA) to develop an online health app library tailored to the health needs of Sefton residents.

Dr Peter Chamberlain, local GP and chair of NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said:- "This is a fantastic development for people in Sefton. Health apps can provide people with important information to help them manage their health conditions and live healthier and happier lives through exercise and healthy living. The ORCHA Health App Library makes it quicker and easier to access safe, accredited health and wellbeing apps, which can make a real difference to people's lives."

There are thousands of accredited health apps listed on:- Sefton.Orcha.Co.UK and they have been carefully selected to meet the health needs of people in Sefton. They include apps to help people with children and young families, to help people keep active, eat healthier or to support their mental health or manage long term conditions such as diabetes, asthma or heart disease.

Dr Rob Caudwell, local GP and chair of NHS Southport and Formby CCG, said:- "Anyone can use Sefton.Orcha.Co.UK to access health support and information that they can rely on. In addition, we're training health and care professionals in Sefton on how to use the app library to select specific apps that can help to support the people they care for. For some people using these health apps can enable them to take better care of their own health."

Liz Ashall Payne, CEO, ORCHA said:- "ORCHA is the world's leading health app evaluation and distribution organisation and works with the NHS and health professionals across the UK. We continuously review all of the apps on the ORCHA health app library, ensuring that they meet stringent NHS guidelines, to provide health information you can rely on."

Deborah Butcher, designate place Director at Sefton Partnerships said:- "Digital health is revolutionising health and care services, helping to provide care that is more patient centred and empowering. The apps selected for the health app library are aligned to our local assessment of the borough's health needs. They give our health and care professionals more tools to support care and they give local people access to reliable, accredited information to enable them to live healthier, happy lives. This is another great example of how our partnership of NHS, Sefton Council and VCF organisations is working to improve the health and wellbeing of people in Sefton."