Mandela Family to Return to Liverpool

LIVERPOOL is preparing to welcome back the family of revolutionary leader Nelson Mandela. The former President's eldest daughter Dr Makaziwe:- 'Maki' Mandela and his granddaughter Tukwini Mandela, are travelling to the City to make their mark on artwork which will form part of the City's permanent Nelson Mandela memorial in Princes Park.

The completed memorial will include a:- 'Freedom Bridge,' a pavilion and 32 cylindrical stone works inscribed with inspirational Mandela quotes. These pedestals represent the oil drums used to grow an allotment on the rooftop of Pollsmoor Prison where Mandela was held for part of his prison sentence. During their 6 day trip, the family will visit Crosby Memorials to personally inscribe1 of the stone drums.

They will also take part in a series of celebratory and commemorative events including:- Wednesday, 20 July 2022:- A private, invitation only civic reception at the Town Hall hosted by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool Councillor Roy Gladden.

► Thursday, 21 July 2022:- A special:- 'An Audience With' event, to be held at St George's Hall, Liverpool, with the Mandela family in conversation with the anti apartheid activist Lord Peter Hain. It will be hosted by author Marcus Ryde MBE. Tickets are £14 or £12 concession and are available from the St George's Hall website.

► Friday, 22 July 2022:- A black tie gala dinner at the Hilton Hotel for an evening of live entertainment and fundraising. Tickets are £35 (+booking fee) and can be bought via the Eventbrite website.

► Saturday, 23 July 2022:- A Freedom Festival in Princes Park with live music performances and community workshops in Princes Park. Taking place from 12.30-5.30pm the family friendly event is free. More details will be announced soon at the Mandela8 website.

The day before the Mandela's arrival, Liverpool will officially mark Mandela Day, 18 July 2022, which will see hundreds of School children parade down Princes Avenue into Princes Park. They will also take part in a number of activities including:- a picnic, and plans are in place for litter picks, wildflower sowing and a mini beast hunt. This day also sees the City host the Commonwealth Games Baton Relay which will also be paraded down the Avenue by nominated baton bearers.

Dr Maki and Tukwini last visited the City in February 2019 to give their blessing to the Princes Park location for the memorial which it is hoped will be completed by the end of the year.

The work will reflect Nelson Mandela's love of gardens and horticulture along with his struggle for freedom, equality and humanity. The spaces will be used for future activity in the park, acting as a focal point and an area to visit, reflect and educate.

Liverpool City Council made Nelson Mandela Freeman of the City in 1994.

The visit is being organised by Toxteth based charity Mandela8 which commissioned the official memorial. The charity is working in partnership with Liverpool City Council and other supporters include Heritage Lottery Fund UK, Uniglobal Union, Unison North West, FACT, The Sovini Group, MSB Solicitors, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and housing and regeneration group Torus, the Torus Foundation and the repairs and maintenance company owned by Torus, HMS.

Dr Maki and Tukwini Mandela said:- "We hold a special place in our hearts for Liverpool and its people, and we are really excited to return to see the memorial being made and be involved in a range of special events to celebrate our father and grandfather's legacy. It is really important that now, more than ever, hope and aspiration is a key part of the legacy we continue to fulfil. We want to share that message with Liverpool when we visit."

Mayor of Liverpool, Joanne Anderson, said:- "It will be a real honour to meet Dr Maki and Tukwini in person and spend some time with a family so committed to achieving equality and devoting their lives to peace. They have a strong affinity with Liverpool and they are keen to be involved as work on the memorial progresses, and their visit gives us the chance to re-emphasise our solidarity and support to the Mandela legacy. The City Council has been working closely with Mandela8 for a number of years and it will be wonderful to see work on elements of the memorial take shape in what will be a lasting tribute to Nelson Mandela's unforgettable humanitarian achievements."

Sonia Bassey, Mandela8 Chair said:- "Mandela8 is absolutely delighted to host Dr Maki and Tukwini Mandela again after so long. We are really looking forward to showing them around our wonderful City again and making sure they get to meet as many people as possible this time. We have arranged a fantastic programme to celebrate their return and the making of our memorial."

Cath Murray-Howard, Chief Operating Officer from Torus Group said:- "Torus is proud to be associated with such a seminal event, Mandela8 has for many years been a close partner as so many of our tenants live in the area. The Torus Foundation, based in the Fire Fit Hub, Toxteth will support all the celebratory events by working with all colleagues on many wonderful activities."
 

'Look out for Laura' plea as new statistics reveal 134% increase in road incidents with horses in the North West of England

THE British Horse Society (BHS) is urging drivers to humanise horse riders after it released new statistics revealing that a total of 337 incidents in the North West of England were reported to the charity during 2021.

Overall, incidents in the North West of England have increased by 134% compared to the previous year. Greater Manchester was the worst affected area with 122 incidents, followed by Cheshire:- 98 incidents, and Lancashire:- 88 incidents. Road incidents involving horses and vehicles continue to rise across the UK, with a total:- 2,943 incidents reported to the equine charity in 2021.

Of the 2,943 total reported, 85% of them occurred due to vehicles passing by too closely. As part of its:- 'Look Out for Laura' campaign, the BHS has released 2 new videos to educate and encourage riders to safely pass horses on the road.

The videos tell the story of 2 horse riders who rely on riding as a way to de-stress from their hectic, working lives. Both encourage drivers to really think about how they look at, and empathise with, horse riders when they are out on the road.

This campaign has been informed by considerable research carried out by Nottingham Trent University, in collaboration with the BHS and Cycling UK, with funding from The Road Safety Trust, who are dedicated to achieving zero deaths and serious injuries on UK roads. Further funding was provided by GEM Road Safety Charity to disseminate findings across Lancashire, as it was identified as a high-risk area in the North West of England.

The research revealed that drivers who have greater awareness of a rider's personal story have significantly improved how they would pass riders on the road, giving a greater passing distance and slowing down their speed.

Laura Ward, Chair of GEM Road Safety Charity said:- "As an enthusiastic horse rider myself, I was pleased that the GEM Road Safety Charity had the opportunity to be part of the:- 'Look out for Laura' initiative from The British Horse Society. Most of my riding on the road; over many years; has taken place without incident, but every now and then I have experienced what can arise when another road user fails to respect the time and space my horse and I need to stay safe. This may be because they were not aware of our needs; or unfortunately because they were well aware, but chose to behave in an impatient, aggressive or confrontational way. When that happens, the risks increase for everyone. People are hurt, horses are hurt; and there's a great deal of unnecessary pain and distress. Independent evaluation of:- 'Look out for Laura' shows the resource has been well received; and it is great to know that further sharing of its messages will now take place. This can only be good from a road safety perspective, and I congratulate The British Horse Society for such an innovative and thought provoking initiative."

A change in attitude is more important than ever, with over 500 horses reported to be killed on the roads since 2010. The charity is urging more drivers to think about how they look at horse riders when they are out on the road and encourage them to adhere to its Dead Slow campaign messages.

Dead slow was launched to help better educate drivers on how to safely pass horses on the road. In line with the new Highway Code changes, the campaign consists of4 key behavioural change messages to drivers:-

► If I see a horse on the road then I will …

► Slow down to a maximum of 10mph.

► Be patient - I won't sound my horn or rev my engine.

► Pass the horse wide and slow, (if safe to do so) at least a car's width if possible.

► Drive slowly away.

Alan Hiscox, Director of Safety at The British Horse Society said:- "The number of incidents involving horses on Britain's roads remain far too high. It is, therefore, vital that we continue to urge drivers to be more considerate when passing horses and aware of how to do this safely. Riding helps people from all backgrounds and walks of life, particularly when it comes to relieving stressful and difficult situations. We need to push awareness of this, and believe the:- 'Look Out for Laura' campaign offers a powerful message that will encourage drivers to think about the riders around them and help to reduce the significant number of horses being killed on Britain's roads."

Researchers at Nottingham Trent University were tasked with evaluating the impact of the videos on drivers' attitudes. Professor Crundall a Professor of Psychology at Nottingham Trent University reported:- "Our analyses have demonstrated that these videos improve both drivers' attitudes towards horses, and their future intended passing behaviours, when compared to a control group."

The BHS encourages all riders to report their incidents to the charity, at:- HorseIncidents.Org.UK, or through its app Horse i. The more incidents that are reported, the more the BHS can do to protect the rights of horse riders on Britain's roads.