Fight rising fuel costs with your feet

THE UK charity behind the biggest walk to School campaign, Living Streets, is encouraging families to leave the car at home as Schools return. With rising fuel prices and cost of living, the charity is advocating walking to School to save money. A generation ago, 70% of Primary School aged children walked to School, now it's around 47% of children in England currently walk to School according to a UK Government Survey. This is despite most Primary School aged children living within 2 miles of their nearest Primary School. Latest figures show that 17% car journeys to Primary School are distances of under 1 mile.

Stephen Edwards, Chief Executive, Living Streets said:- "The start of a new academic year is the perfect opportunity to try something new. And making small changes can help alleviate some of the rising living costs we are all facing and help the environment. Most people live within walking distance of their nearest Primary School. Leaving the car at home for short trips, such as the School journey, could save hundreds of pounds over the year. At the same time, families will benefit from the health benefits of being active and the social benefits of spending time together."

Living Streets is being supported this year by children television presenter, Dr Ronx, who has joined the charity as the celebrity ambassador for WOW, their walk to School challenge. The CBBC Presenter and Emergency Doctor will promote WOW and the health benefits of walking to School for the 2022 to 2023 academic year.

WOW sees pupils who walk, wheel, cycle or scoot to School at least once a week for a month rewarded with a WOW badge. WOW Schools typically see walking rates increase by 23% with a 30% reduction in cars at the School gates.

Dr Ronx said:- "I'm thrilled to be the new ambassador for WOW - the walk to School challenge from Living Streets. With notable increases in:- air pollution, rising childhood inactivity and post lockdown poor mental health, encouraging children to be more active and ditching School run drives for more sustainable modes of transport is imperative."

WOW is available to some Schools fully funded for 2022 to 2023. To find out if your School is eligible, visit:- LivingStreets.Org.UK. More information about the National Travel Survey 2022, can be seen on:- Gov.UK .
 

Truss's cost of living plans will leave 4 million families "out in the cold," says Bill Esterson MP

THERE are almost 100 areas of the UK  where families on an average wage will be worse off under Liz Truss' cost of living plans, including thoes in Southport, according to Labour analysis. Bill Esterson, MP for Sefton Central, said Conservative MPs such as Southport's Damien Moore, were complicit in denying families the support they need this winter if they support the favourite for the Conservative leadership and likely next Prime Minister. Mr Esterson said Liz Truss's cost of living plans would leave 4 million families without any additional support; while Labour's plans would save minimum wage earners more than £40 a week.  In the wake of Ofgem's announcement last week that energy bills will go up by 80%, Mr Esterson said the Government was failing to meet the scale of the national emergency. 
  
Mr Esterson said:- "Under Truss's plans a couple with 1 child living in Southport, both working full time and earning the average wage for the town, will not be eligible for any additional cost of living support. There are almost 100 other areas where families on an average wage will lose out under Truss's plans. This equates to 4 million families across the UK being left out in the cold this winter. " 
  
Labour has revealed its fully costed plan to freeze energy bills this winter; a plan that they think would save someone on the minimum wage more than £40 a week.  According to Labour, it's plan would prevent the energy price cap rising, meaning people would not pay a penny more this winter. It would be paid for via a windfall tax on the record profits made by oil and gas giants. The package, 1st announced by Labour 2 weeks ago, would also reduce energy demand and lower bills in the longer term by insulating 19 million homes across the country over the next decade through Labour's Warm Homes Plan.  
  
Mr Esterson, who is also a Shadow Minister for Business and Industry, said:- "Under the Conservatives, the energy crisis has got out of control and now more households than ever are facing soaring bills that they'll struggle to cover this winter and potentially in the coming years. The people of Merseyside deserve a Government that is on their side. The people of Southport deserve an MP that is on their side. The Conservative Government should be taking the action needed now to meet the scale of this national emergency. Instead, they are willing to leave millions of families out in the cold. With Labour's plan saving an average earner over £40 a week this winter, the Government should get behind it and take action to stop the energy price cap rising. Labour's £29bn plan will also bring inflation down, making future interest rate hikes less likely and easing the burden on households and businesses. But we need to solve the energy crisis for good. We'd insulate every home that needs it to get bills down with our Warm Homes Plan. And we'd get Britain off expensive foreign gas; by investing much, much more in:- home grown, cleaner energy such as solar, wind, hydrogen and nuclear power." 
 

Letter To Editor:- "Blowick - Meols Cop"

"I'M concerned, about our GP practises, as we know this new system is here to stay so, imagine in a while, we will no idea what our Doctors look like and they wont know what we look like because, of course, its all phone appointments, and 1 more thing, we are still on our dentists book, but will not be sent for unless the practise manages to acquire a NHS dentist, a friend of mine has several mouth ulcers, or are they ulcers, the dentist would , of course, have spotted them and would have advised accordingly but, now, what does she do, go to A&E ????" Sue Rushworth.
 

Northern announces flash sale over 1,000,000 tickets for journeys across the North of England for just £1

THE train operator, Northern, has launched a flash sale with over 1,000,000 tickets for journeys across the North of England available for just £1. Northern is the UK's 2nd largest train operator, with nearly 2,000 services a day to more than 500 Stations across the North of England, so this is very good news for commuters. The £1 fares are available on bookings made online or through the Northern app, whilst stocks last, for travel between:- Tuesday, 6 September and Thursday, 20 October 2022. Tickets go on-sale at:- NorthernRailway.Co.UK.

Mark Powles, Customer and Commercial Director at Northern, said:- "This is our way of helping to extend the summer holiday feeling by a further 6 weeks; getting people through until the start of the October Half Term. Whether it's for a weekend in the historic City of Chester, a night out in Newcastle; a day at the seaside in Scarborough or a walking holiday in the Lake District; these fares will get you where you want to be for less. Tickets are on a 1st come, 1st serve basis; so those looking to take advantage of these great £1 fares should book early to avoid disappointment. When they're gone, they're gone."

The £1 promotional tickets must be booked 7 days in advance of travel and are only available online, via Northern's app and website. The £1 sale fares are spread across Northern's nearly 2,000 services a day, with between 5% to 10% of service capacity up for grabs at the:- 'flash sale' rate. Some peak time services are excluded; as are those that are already expected to be busy in line with events across the Region.

Please note that this ends on Thursday, 13 October 2022 for services originating in Nottingham and The Wirral.