Southport Contemporary Arts exhibition 'Create It Together' is showcasing the work of SCA students

WHEN the Southport Contemporary Arts (SCA) network was set up in 2009, to celebrate the fact that Southport is home to a host of different art practitioners working in various disciplines, the runaway success it has proved today could not have been calculated.

At its hub still remains the welcoming Town Centre Gallery; ArtHouse; that attracts regular exhibitions across all creative genres from the SCA membership as well as showcasing independent groups, organisations and visiting artists.

Further along Eastbank Street, since 2017 SCA has also provided teaching space (ArtsLoft) above its well attended ground floor pottery studio (ClayWorks), opened the year before, where professional and experienced artists from SCA offer small, friendly classes that cater for beginners, improvers and experienced practitioners alike.

Chris Scott, who regularly attends pottery classes at ClayWorks, sums up the impressions of fellow SCA students:- "A wonderful place of warm friendly encouragement where you can learn to make more than a mess."

Set up to encourage creativity within the local community and to meet the needs of already committed artists looking to extend their skill base, ArtsLoft is SCA's popular teaching space for non clay based creative classes that now embraces:- knitting and crochet, textiles (including printing,) life drawing, oil painting groups, mixed art classes, printing, felting and portraiture.

In addition, classes also test resourceful youngsters at the:- 'Young Creatives' art club initiative and welcome:- 'Adults living with Autism' at SCA's friendly 'Artisan' group.

Norrie Beswick Calvert, 1 of the SCA Directors, is always keen to underline their open door policy:- "Our classes are fully accessible and aim to provide excellent teaching from practicing artists, a happy social atmosphere in which friendships are forged, and the opportunity to get involved in the wider activities of SCA."

Joolz Woolvine, from Norrie's mixed media class, confirms:- "My art group gives me the confidence and skills to explore creativity in a friendly space which I look forward to every week."

In accord with its all embracing policy to engage with as many local artists and practitioners as possible, a stair lift has been added to provide full access to ArtsLoft, on the 1st floor.

Workshops can be a:- '1 off' experience or become regular weekly classes. Once introduced to the basics of a skill or craft, students are then able to develop at their own pace. Most of the workshops are repeated regularly to provide the opportunity to refresh practice or be guided to the next level of expertise.

Norrie confirms:- "SCA classes are aimed at developing the creative talents of the individual. The students therefore may learn the same skills, but the way in which each person goes on to use them, will be completely different. We are really proud of the developments that our students make and seeing their individuality shine through."

Jo Landy's Thursday textiles group are unanimous in their praise for the activities and tuition:- "We have a wonderful time at this class. It is great to be challenged with various projects that allow us to learn new techniques and gain more skills. The best 3 hours of the week."

In this year's exhibition visitors will have the opportunity to see for themselves what the SCA students having been getting up to in class and also have the chance to buy some beautiful 2 and 3D work.

More information about the current series of workshops and classes can be found at:- SCA-Network.Co.UK or by emailing at:- ArtHousesCA@Gmail.Com.

Certainly not 1 to be missed, this mixed classes showing by current SCA students will be on display at the ArtHouse, Eastbank Street, Southport, Merseyside, from:- 30 August to 10 September 2022.

Sefton Nurse celebrates 50 'rewarding' years in the NHS

PAULINE Dwyer, Practice Nurse, at Park Street Surgery, in Bootle, is celebrating 50 years of nursing in the NHS and encouraging others to consider a career in health and care. Pauline joined the NHS in 1972, starting work at Walton Hospital at the age of 18. She spent the 1st 20 years of her career working in local trusts in:- A&E Departments, fracture clinics, with the elderly and on psychiatric wards. She then decided to train as a practice Nurse and has never looked back.

Pauline said:- "My Dad worked as a Nurse in the Royal Navy during the war and then afterwards as an auxiliary Nurse looking after cancer patients, which he loved. He used to bring sisters off the wards home to socialise with our family and that inspired me to take up the career. After working on nights on the wards for a long time, I decided to go in to practice nursing because it's about educating people about different aspects of their health and improving public health to prevent people from getting so unwell. We do baby immunisations, cytology, routine screening, trying to find diabetes earlier, monitoring cholesterol and much more. Everything is being managed earlier to help prevent a long term problem; that's what I enjoy. My Dad died of a heart attack at age 71 and I think if he had that type of care he may have lived longer."

Pauline has worked at Park Street Surgery for 18 years and says she isn't ready to retire yet. She said:- "It is a challenging job day to day but it's very rewarding. You feel that you make an impact. When a Mum comes in for their baby's immunisation and they're very apprehensive, if you don't do it right the 1st time, they won't come back again. I feel proud when they come back for the 2nd and ⅓."

Reflecting on what has changed in the NHS over the last 50 years, Pauline talked about the range of roles and skills of people who work in general practice now. Pauline tld us:- "We have a very mixed skill team. We have 2 advanced Nurse practitioners, we have a receptionist who is also our phlebotomist and is training to be a Nurse. It's all about teamwork. If you've got a good team with you, you can achieve anything."

Pauline hopes to inspire people considering taking up nursing as a career. She said:- "It's a job with so many avenues. You have so many options for what to specialise in until you find your niche, what makes you motivated, what you enjoy and are good at. Communication is a big aspect of the job. It's all about building relationships and talking to people on their level. You get to know people in the community and I like to have a sense of humour with people. It's character building, it's made me stronger mentally. I am happy here and I don't want to retire yet!"

To congratulate Pauline on this achievement and thank her for her courage, compassion and dedication over her 50 years in the NHS, she was presented with a letter from:- Graham Urwin, Chief Executive Officer of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, Raj Jain, Chair of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside and Deborah Butcher, Director of place for Sefton, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside.

If you would like to find out more about a career in the NHS, visit the NHS Careers website to find out more about the roles available online at:- HealthCareers.NHS.UK.  For more information about NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, please visit:- CheshireAndMerseyside.NHS.UK.