Elderly dog who lived on the streets for 8 years needs comfy sofa to snooze on

A 12 year old 'gentle soul' has found himself separated from his owner having lived alongside him on the streets for 8 years. Staffordshire Bull Terrier Cross, Buddy, arrived at Dogs Trust Merseyside after his owner had finally found accommodation, but sadly he couldn't take Buddy with him to his new home. Georgina Lowery, Manager at Dogs Trust Merseyside, says:- "It is such a sad situation. Buddy was a much loved dog but when his owner was finally able to get some stability, Buddy couldn't stay with him and he had to make the heart-breaking decision to hand him over to us. Buddy has probably experienced quite a lot over the last 8 years and so it's no surprise that nothing seems to faze him. He is a gorgeous older gentleman, has been well cared for and he loves gentle walks and playing with his toys, especially tennis balls. He would make a great family dog, but sadly although he has been with us since April, nobody has fallen in love with him yet, which we find hard to believe."

Despite arriving at the centre 3 months ago, only 1 family has enquired about Buddy during that time, despite the team's best efforts. Now they are hoping that he won't have to wait too much longer to find a best buddy of his own.  Georgina says:- "Older dogs do sometimes get over looked, but rehoming an older dog is a wonderful way to make sure a dog at every stage of their life gets the love and attention they deserve, and they make lovely companions. Buddy can live with children aged 10 and over, he is a calm boy with a great personality and now he's older, although he's great fun to be around, he doesn't need taking out on long walks. He has shown some signs of confusion, as we all do as we get older, but we think that may largely be down to the incredible amount of change he has had to deal with recently. He is such a gentle soul and he is proof that when re-homing an older dog, what you see is what you get. His gorgeous personality has already been shaped and we are confident he'll fit in really easily with a loving family. He just needs someone to see beyond his age so he can enjoy the home comforts, particularly a comfy sofa, he deserves."

If you think you could give Buddy his ideal retirement home please visit:- DogsTrust.Org.UK.

When School's out in Sefton its time to turn to text

YOUNG people in Sefton have been reminded to reach out to their School Nurse and use the text messaging service from Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust if they need help, advice or support this summer. Any Sefton residents aged:- 11 to 19; even if they have left School; can message their School Nurse for confidential help and advice about a range of issues including:- emotional health, sexual health, relationships, alcohol, drugs, and bullying.

Paula Lawrenson, Team Manager at the School Nurse Service with Mersey Care, explained:- "This isn't an emergency service, but during the holidays young people can still get help or advice from their School Nurse. We're here to make sure they're getting help for things that can be hard to talk about."

Text messaging is available Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) from:- 9am to 4.30pm. Each message sent to the dedicated number:- 07312263291, will receive an automated message and a reply within 24 working hours. The Sefton messaging service is run by Mersey Care and powered by the award winning messaging platform, ChatHealth. Urgent help should be sought from an NHS Walk In Centre or by calling:- 111. In an emergency, dial:- 999 or go to A&E (Emergency Department), the automated message will signpost to these services.

525% increase in NHS website visits for heat exhaustion advice

FIGURES released by NHS Digital show that there were 185,184 visits to the health advice page on heat exhaustion and heatstroke between:- 9 July to 15 July 2022, compared to 29,608 in between:- 2 July to 8 July 2022). Also just release where the official tempatures for the heatwave.  There was also another surge in visits over:- 16 July to 17 July 2022, with 86,914 visits in 48 hours, an average of 1 visit every 2 seconds.

Over July records tumbled across the country with temperatures reaching around 37°C in Lancashire and 38.5°C in parts of Merseyside. These unusual tempatures lead to the Met Office issueing its 1st ever Red warning for exceptional heat. With temperatures reaching 40°C in some parts of the UK, is not supprise that the NHS website, which is managed by NHS Digital, includes:- advice on checking for signs of heat exhaustion, things you can do to cool someone down, and preventing heat exhaustion and heatstroke, has seen a huge rise in use.

Shaun Hasney, NHS Digital's Head of Digital Analytics for the NHS website, said:- "We've seen a huge increase in visits to the heat exhaustion page, reaching a peak of over 55,000 visits. The section was also the 2nd most visited page on the NHS website, behind the page on Coronavirus self isolation advice. So far in July, we've had over 300,000 visits to the heat exhaustion and heatstroke page on the website."

The NHS website includes the following advice on preventing heat exhaustion or heatstroke:-

►  Drink plenty of cold drinks, especially when exercising.

►  Take cool baths or showers.

►  Wear light coloured, loose clothing.

►  Sprinkle water over skin or clothes.

►  Avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm.

►  Avoid excess alcohol.

►  Avoid extreme exercise.

The NHS website has over 4,000 pages and provides information about 990 medical conditions as well as other health services, including:- applying for a free UK Global Health Insurance Card for healthcare cover abroad; finding a GP or Dentist; and a BMI healthy weight calculator. For more information and to look up issues please go to:- NHS.UK.

Liverpool electricians reveal the 10 most common electrical mistakes they see in homes

LIVERPOOL electricians have revealed the 10 most common electrical DIY mistakes they see in people's homes, with some possibly leading to serious injuries or worse. 49% of Brits have meddled with their home's electrics, so ElectricalDirect, the specialist retailer of electrical products, asked hundreds of electricians to reveal the most common errors people make, and then rank them in terms of severity.

The most dangerous mistake is not protecting plastic sheathed cable. John McCallister, electrical expert at MyJobQuote.co.uk, explains why this is problematic:- "Leaving plastic sheathed cables unprotected exposes them to snagging and cuts, which could lead to fires or lethal shocks. Running them through a conduit minimises this risk."

2nd on the list is leaving switches or outlets loosely connected. John says:- "Loose connections cause movement that can potentially disrupt the power supply or allow live wires to wiggle loose, exposing them to your fingers. This means that there's a potential risk of electrocution or fire."

These are the 10 most common electrical mistakes seen by Liverpool electricians:-

1. Over covering cords and wires.

2. Installing lightbulbs near flammable materials.

3. Over-stacking extension cords or electrical outlets.

4. Recessing boxes behind the wall surface.

5. Reversing hot and neutral wires.

6. Leaving switches or outlets loosely connected.

7. Handling electrical appliances or outlets with wet hands.

8. Installing electrical outlets close to water.

9. Wiring a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) backwards.

10. Overfilling electrical boxes.

Dominick Sandford, Managing Director at ElectricalDirect, said:- "Interest in DIY has massively increased over the last few years and while this is great to see, it's important that people stay away from certain electrical jobs that can lead to injuries. That's why we consulted electricians from across the country to reveal the tasks which are best left to the professionals."

For more expert comments about why these 10 electrical mistakes are dangerous, visit:- ElectricalDirect.Co.UK.