Become a Wetland Ranger this Summer at WWT Martin Mere

FAMILIES can join in the fun to become Junior Wetland Rangers at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Martin Mere Wetland Centre this summer holiday. Follow in the footsteps of our rangers and help us with our daily mission to save wetland nature.

Pick up a FREE trail card and set off for a full day of discovery and adventure and learn how to care for and protect our beautiful wetlands with a wide variety of wetland ranger activities including:-

►   Fun Flamingo health check. Every year we need to do a health check on our flamingos to make sure they are healthy. Here you will find out how to do and become a Junior Wetland Ranger.

►   Bird ringing. Ringing birds is really important to learn about how long they live and when and where they move to. In this session you will find out how to measure, weigh and ring a bird.

►   Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS). Visit our Discovery hide and count the number of birds you can see;- the main ones to look for are in your Ranger Record Book!

►   Pond surveying. How many species can you identify in our daily pond dipping sessions between 1:30pm and 3pm. Will you come face to face with newts?

►   DIY weather station. Make a weather station in the craft room between:- 1pm and 4pm.

Complete at least 3 of these activities and you can come along to a special ceremony at 4pm, in the Exhibition Hall, to collect your ranger badge.

There's a host of exciting reasons to keep coming back all summer long, including:- bat and barn owl nights, a brass rubbings trail, and canoeing or boat tours on which you can spot our GIANT bugs. So join us and become a fully fledged ranger!

A full list of activities taking place can be found on our centre event page:- WWT.Org.UK.

John Arbon,1 of WWT's real life wetland rangers, said:- "I love being a wetland ranger for WWT and helping to care for and protect our amazing wetland wildlife. We thought families would welcome the chance to experience what it's like to be a ranger through special fun packed, mini adventures, which include activities that I do as part of my day to day job. Hopefully, we'll also inspire some of our younger visitors to become the wetland rangers of the future, helping to create a world where healthy wetland nature thrives and enriches lives."

Fab4 projects short listed for prestigious awards

4 innovative and cutting-edge patient safety initiatives at a local NHS Trust have been short listed for HSJ Patient Safety Awards. Carried out by staff and volunteers at Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP), each of the initiatives seek to improve safety for all those that the Trust cares for. This is done through a variety of engagement activities, both with staff and those access services, alongside education and training for staff to build on their expertise and develop further as care givers.

CWP chief executive Tim Welch said:- "On behalf of the Trust, I am delighted to learn about the recognition that these4 projects have earned. The thought that has gone into each endeavour, to improve the safety of those we care for, is incredibly pleasing. Each1 of our nominees clearly demonstrate our values at CWP as we continue to help people, regardless of their circumstances, be the best they can be."

The 1st project, the Dynamic Support Tool; Physical Health (DST-PH), was short listed in the learning disabilities initiative of the year category. The tool is used to identify people with a leaning disability who are at risk of premature mortality or preventable death. By using the tool, staff are able to act on this identification and provide treatment to reduce this risk.

The second is aimed at training staff who provide care for people diagnosed with having a personality disorder on Rosewood Ward at Bowmere Hospital, in Chester. Conducted by a clinician and a CWP volunteer, with lived experience of the condition, the training was shaped by service users before it was delivered to staff to help develop their skills. The project has been short listed in 2 categories; Service User Engagement and Co-production and Patient Safety Education and Training.

Another of the projects involves the establishment of a Mental Health Intensive Support Team (MHIST). The service supports the rehabilitation of people with the most complex mental health needs and face the greatest challenges in the community. It was nominated for Mental Health initiative of the year.

The service was put together with input from a range of partners and also crucially with people with lived experience of accessing services. MHIST's key aim is to eliminate out of area placements, where people find themselves being cared for far from their home and also to support people to live independently when they are discharged from inpatient care.

In addition, also nominated in the same category, is a project called:- "Integrating ethical considerations into mental health service delivery." This nomination honours the work of the CWP clinical advisory group, which comes together to analyse and assess any areas of improvement across the Trust.

Tim continued:- "I wish all of our nominees the very best of luck at the award ceremony in September. The HSJ Patient Safety Awards is1 of the most prestigious nights in the health and social care calendar and pays a fitting tribute to all of the tremendous effort put into care provision that takes place across the country. To be shortlisted5 times is a brilliant testament to our team at CWP."