River of Light - Liverpool 2022

LIVERPOOL City Council's River Of Light might not have Fireworks this year, but the outdoor illuminated art gallery on Liverpool's Waterfront is still a must see. The 2km loop is lit daily, from:- 5pm to 9pm, until:- 6 November 2022, with 10 pieces of art by local, national and international artists. The trail is very accessible for wheelchair users and suitable for all ages. Many of the light....

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1st community student Nurses emerge from joint Mersey Care and Liverpool John Moores University internship

MERSEY Care NHS Foundation Trust and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) are celebrating the 1st 10 student Nurses from their inaugural Community Nursing Internship Programme emerging from interviews and recruitment to begin their final year of training on a new bespoke...

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Macmillan to host Health and Wellbeing Event in Southport

THE Southport Macmillan Centre is hosting a Health and Wellbeing Event, at Southport College, on Mornington Road, Southport, offering a range of support, information and activities for people affected by cancer. The event is being held on Thursday, 3 November from:- 2pm 4pm, in the College's Oasis Canteen and will be the 1st of their Health...

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Record funding uplift for UK battery research and development

THE UK's world leading manufacturing industries will be boosted thanks to £211 million in new Government funding for battery research and innovation, Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg was confirmed on:- Friday, 21 October 2022. The record...

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Festive fun at Dobbies' Southport store

DOBBIES, the UK's leading garden centre retailer, is gearing up to create a Christmas to remember for customers in Southport and announces a magical line up of great value festive events to get the whole family excited for the season ahead, with booking now open. Santa's Grotto is back and better than ever, with families having...

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New vaccine marketing campaign launches urging North West residents to boost their immunity this winter

A new country wide marketing campaign urging millions of eligible people to get their flu and Covid booster vaccines to top up their immunity will launch on Monday, as almost 10 million people in England have already received their boosters, on 24 October...

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Margaret Maule to exhibit at ArtHouse Southport

CARRIED out with the precision of a jeweller labouring at his bench, the dexterity and patience that local artist, Margaret Maule, brings to her decorative re-inventions will be well to the fore at her new showing of glass and mosaic assemblies at the ArtHouse during November 2022. The art of arranging:- 'broken' fragments to conjure up an aesthetically pleasing:p 'whole' is as modern as it is...

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App-y Days - Mayor's Young Person's Guarantee takes big step forward with launch of new AI powered careers service

STEVE Rotheram's Young Person's Guarantee (YPG) has taken another giant leap forward with the launch of the new Be More app, which has been built using cutting edge artificial intelligence (AI)...

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Monster Fireworks at Southport's Day of the Dead

DUE to popular demand Southport Pleasureland is running its Day of the Dead fiesta and fireworks display over 2 days for the 1st time. The seafront attraction gets a Mexican make over on Friday, 4 November 2022 and Saturday, 5 November 2022, when it celebrates Dia de los Muertos. The traditional Day...

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Christmas is coming to Southport with a Gingerbread Trail, carriage rides and festive grottos

CHRISTMAS is coming to Southport in style this year, with a whole host of events and attractions to make visits truly magical for families. The Southport business community, through Southport BID, is funding a flurry of festive projects and activities to...

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Rail users set to benefit as Hillside becomes latest station to go step free

RAIL users at Hillside, in Sefton, Merseyside, will now benefit from a step free route from the street to the platforms with the opening of new lifts at the station. With their official opening held on 21 October 2022, the 16 person capacity lifts make it easier to reach the platforms for wheelchair users, people...

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Projects launch to support children and young people's mental health

SCHOOLS across Liverpool have been awarded funding to improve the emotional health and wellbeing of their students. Following the Pandemic, mental health needs increased across the City; so to better understand how children and young people had been affected, Liverpool City Council launched the...

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Mary's Meals marks 20th Anniversary with special celebration in Wirral

SCHOOL feeding charity Mary's Meals is inviting local people to celebrate its 20th Anniversary at a special concert in Wirral, on 29 October 2022. The concert will take place at Christ Church Hall in Higher Bebington with an evening of jazz, swing and blues, from 6 piece band...

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Cost of Living crisis information campaign launches

A campaign to promote the existing help available to get Liverpool residents through the Cost of Living crisis is getting under way. The initial phase will see the promotion of the range of welfare support available from Liverpool City Council, which is over and above that provided by many other Local Authorities and has been available for many years now. Figures from April to August 2022 show demand for crisis payments from Liverpool Citizen...

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Liverpool to mark Remembrance Sunday

A series of events will take place in Liverpool to mark Remembrance Sunday this year. The main focus is the Remembrance Service, on 13 November 2022, which is returning to St George's Plateau for the 1st time in 3 years. Thousands of people will gather as the City falls silent to remember those who have lost their lives during 2 world wars and conflicts around the world since. This year's event will also reflect the important role personnel from...

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Birkdale Kitchen Co. in Southport has gone GLOBAL with its latest recognition

AN award winning kitchen design company from Southport has now gone GLOBAL in its latest recognition. Birkdale Kitchen Co. was nominated in the Global Kitchen Design Awards for best kitchen design. The awards ceremony was held near Stuttgart in Germany with finalists flying into the star studded ceremony from all over the world.. Owners Neil Gokcen and Stephen Dunne were delighted to be shortlisted as a finalist amongst some incredible worldwide designers. He said:- "We felt super proud..."

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Calling all local charities and small businesses - Formby Christmas Festival Opportunities Awaits

ON Saturday, 3 December 2022 the Formby Pool and the Formby Christmas Festival Committee are to play host to a festive event. The event will be held from 11am to 4pm within the grounds of Formby Pool Trust, and will...

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October Half Term

FAMILIES can enjoy lots of Halloween themed fun at the entrance to Southport Pier this October Half Term! There are Halloween themed prizes galore inside Silcock's Funland, including some cute Gremlins toys. The Victorian era Silcock's Craousel will be open every day of Half Term, as will the Hall of Mirrors to the side of Funland. People can also sit either inside or outside and take in the...

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Sefton Council scoops North West title for backing small businesses

SEFTON Council has been awarded a prestigious:- 'best in the Region' award for its support for the local small business community. Sefton beat Local Authorities from across the North West to scoop Council of the year in the Covid19 Support and Recovery category; testament to its fantastic work supporting businesses during the Pandemic. It was among 250 Councils in England who entered the inaugural Local Government Awards run by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), the UK's 's biggest business representative group, ultimately emerging triumphant! FSB's inaugural Local Government awards, sponsored by Maybe, were aimed at celebrating and recognising those that had made the biggest impact on local SMEs during the Covid crisis and beyond. At a virtual online final on Friday, 14 October 2022, Sefton Council was named as the North West Regional champion, with judges being impressed by the Council's work to help the local small business community during the Pandemic.Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council's Cabinet Member for Regeneration...

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Golden Slumber Number: How To Get 7 Solid Hours Per Night

BRITS over 50 should get at least 7 hours of sleep a night to reduce the risk of developing chronic health problems like cancer, diabetes and arthritis, according to the findings of a new study. The PLoS Medicine study, led by University College London (UCL) researchers, found people who got less than 5 hours of sleep a night from 50 years old had more chance of developing long term health conditions. Based on the results, and in line with expert analysis from the UK's most trusted sleep brand, Silentnight, most adults should get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night. Hannah Shore, Sleep Knowledge and Research Manager at Silentnight said:- "Sleep is an essential function that not only allows your body and mind to recharge; but which is also vital to your health and wellbeing, as the study reveals. We all know how tired and irritable you can feel the next day following a poor night's sleep, however, losing too much sleep over time can soon take a toll on physical health, after all, good quality sleep is important for a healthy body. While the symptoms of..."

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Cost of rogue plumbers' poor work revealed

THE average cost to put right shoddy plumbing work is £285, according to a new survey by WaterSafe, the UK's register of approved contractors working with drinking water. The survey, which questioned 2,000 UK consumers, also revealed more than a quarter of people have employed a plumber who did not carry out the task properly. In most cases, they had to employ another plumber to fix the poor work. Common problems included wrongly connected pipework, water tasting or looking unpleasant, water smelling off, or the work causing a water leak or damage. Although the average cost to put the work right was £285, in over a fifth of cases, it cost more than £300 to rectify the damage, and in some instances, more than £1,000.  Director of WaterSafe, Julie Spinks, said:- "It's alarming to hear that more than a quarter of people interviewed said the rogue installer they employed did not carry out the work properly. It gives reputable, qualified plumbers a bad name. It's not just the inconvenience, but with the increased cost of living, having to then pay more to put...."

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50% of Adults received phishing emails in the last month

NEW ONS data has revealed that there has been a 25% increase in fraud cases over pre-pandemic levels. This comes to around 4.5 million offences in the year to March 2022. Phishing is 1 of the main methods used to commit fraud. Half of adults reported receiving a:- "phishing" message in the last month. These phishing messages were most likely pretending to be sent from delivery companies, banks, ecommerce companies and Government services. Among those who received suspected phishing messages 3% replied or clicked on a link and of those who replied or clicked on a link, 11% provided information that could be used by the fraudsters. This equates to roughly 80,000 people across England and Wales and shows that people still struggle to detect phishing scams....

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Letter to the Editor:- "Parents cut back on food spending and sell possessions due to the cost of living crisis"

"MORE than ½ of parents with children aged 18 or under in Great Britain have been forced to cut back on food spending for their family over the past 12 months, as a way of helping to save money, according to new research by YouGov for the UK's largest children's charity, Barnardo's. The current cost of living situation has seen ¼ of parents forced to sell possessions and 1 in 5 parents have taken on new credit cards, extra debt or a payday loan. Barnardo's is concerned about the impact on children as over a quarter of parents said their child's mental health has worsened due to the rising cost of living. The charity is providing emergency support to children and families to pay for food, help with..."

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More than 1 million families claiming Tax Credits to receive 2nd Cost of Living Payment

MORE than 1 million claimant families receiving tax credits, and no other means tested benefits, will get their 2nd Cost of Living Payment from Wednesday, 23 November 2022, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has confirmed. This £324 Government payment will be paid automatically into most eligible tax credit only customers' bank accounts between:- 23 November and 30 November 2022, across the United Kingdom. Angela MacDonald, HMRC's Deputy Chief Executive and 2nd Permanent Secretary, said:- "This second Cost of Living Payment will provide further financial support to eligible Tax Credit only claimants across the UK. The £324 will be paid automatically into bank accounts, so people don't need to do anything..."

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Rise of Esports continues as a 3rd of Brits would now rather be a professional gaming champion than a sports star

32% of people would now rather become Esports champions than sports stars, a figure that rises to 49% of those aged under 35. Esports, the roots of which began as far back as the 70's, turns competitive video gaming into a spectator sport. Recent years have seen prize money for tournament winners hitting the millions and the popularity of Esports among fans has turned many competitors into household names. In fact, 40% of those surveyed can now name at least 1 pro-gaming competitor, with 1 in 10 recognising 5 or more. For example, British Esports star Jimmy Broadbent; who boasts over 243m views on his gaming focused YouTube channel, is now so well known that a 10th of the population claim to be aware of...

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Merseyside Schools among the 1st to perform in world's largest youth drama festival

CORAM Shakespeare Schools Foundation (CSSF) have announced the return of the world's largest annual youth drama festival, that sees thousands of children performing Shakespeare plays live in professional theatres across the UK. The 2022 to 2023 Festival launches on 31 October 2022, and will be bigger than ever before, taking place over 2 School terms for the 1st time, thereby giving even more children and young people from all backgrounds...

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Becky Adlington shares baby swimming tips in which classes are available in Liverpool

MOST parents understand the importance of getting their child into the water to learn to swim, with children typically starting structured swimming lessons from age:- 3 to 5 years, but 4 time Olympic medallist Rebecca Adlington OBE advises that the years between:- 0 to 3 are crucial in building water confidence. Following this initiative and being a mother of young children herself, Becky setup Becky Adlington's BabyStars classes which...

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Hospitality Rising campaign kicks off with powerful 'rise fast, work young' message

THE UK's biggest Hospitality recruitment initiative has been launched throughout the UK to tackle the sector's crippling jobs crisis. Hospitality Rising's bold new campaign:- 'Rise Fast, Work Young,' is backed by over 300 businesses throughout the UK including global brands in a bid to help fill the industry's 400,000 vacancies. Supported by some of the UK's most successful, hospitality operators and suppliers, including:- Hilton, Parkdean Resorts, Prezzo, Soho House, Pret A Manger, Claridges, Pizza...

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Profit warnings issued by North West listed companies double year on year in Q3 2022

PROFIT warnings issued by UK listed companies in the North West of England in Q3 2022 doubled year on year, according to EY-Parthenon's latest Profit Warnings report. In total 8 warnings were issued throughout the Region in Q3 2022, up from 4 in Q3 2021 and 6 in Q2 2022. The 3rd quarter's 8 warnings represent the Region's highest third-quarter profit warnings total since 2019. Consumer facing industries and the retail sector saw the highest volume of profit warnings issued across the Region for Q3...

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Dogs Trust Merseyside issues advice for owners ahead of the firework season

AS autumn approaches, firework season will soon whizz pop into our lives and for this Halloween, Diwali and Bonfire Night, Dogs Trust Merseyside is issuing advice to dog owners to help our canine companions, who might be scared by the unexpected bangs and bursts of fireworks. Georgina Lowery, Dogs Trust Merseyside Manager said:- "Dogs have approximately 4 times more sensitive hearing than humans, so the loud cracks and bangs of fireworks can often be a terrifying and confusing experience for them. Fireworks tend to be sudden, unpredictable...".

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New Bill to keep Britain moving during transport strikes

THE Government has taken the 1st steps to ensure transport strikes no longer grind the country to a halt. The Transport Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill means, even during the most disruptive of strikes, a certain level of services will still run. This will allow passengers to go to work, attend School and make vital medical appointments and businesses to continue to grow the economy. As well as the huge impact on people's day to day lives, economists have assessed that the 1st wave of rail strikes alone, in June 2022, cost the UK economy nearly...

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New projects to support people living with HIV and LGBTQ+ communities

LIVERPOOL City Council confirms new partnership with Sahir House; which will see vulnerable individuals and under served communities supported. Local charity Sahir House is to lead on 2 brand new projects which will improve the lives of local LGBTQ+ people and those living with HIV in the City. The 1st will see Sahir House deliver intensive HIV support for the City, focused on working with those people living with HIV who require help to remain in treatment and care. By working in collaboration with PaSH Liverpool (Passionate about Sexual Health), the...

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Councils respond to new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

THE Chairman of the Local Government Association, Cllr James Jamieson has issued a statement responding Rishi Sunak becoming the next Prime Minister. He said:- "On behalf of Councils across England and Wales, I would like to congratulate Rishi Sunak on becoming our new Prime Minister. As a former Local Government Minister and Chancellor, the PM already understands the mounting pressures that the sector face and the funding that Councils desperately need to ensure they can keep vital services running for the many people who rely..."

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The new PM must focus on stability and growth" says FSB as new research shows plummeting business confidence

RESPONDING to the resignation of Liz Truss as PM, triggering yet another Conservative Party leadership contest, and Rishi Sunak becoming the next PM, Michael Sandys, Liverpool City Region Area Leader of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Merseyside and Cheshire, said:- "It is incumbent upon the Conservative Party leader must now show they can provide stability and take the necessary steps to secure economic growth in the face of significant recessionary pressures. Businesses are crying out for an end to the political turmoil and a focus on remedying the..."

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Over 50% of people in the North West have had to skip lunch due to workload

OVER 50% of Office workers in the North West admit to often skipping lunch while working as they struggle to get through their workload, a recent survey reveals. The Lacklustre Lunch Breaks Survey, from Just Eat for Business, asked the Region's employees about what they eat on their lunch break, what they would change about their break, and how it impacts their productivity and positivity at work overall. While workers in:- Manchester, Liverpool, Salford, Preston and Chester regularly miss out on eating due to hectic workloads, a quarter (26%) also revealed they often have to forgo lunch because they're required to attend meetings scheduled over their break....

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Merseyside charity scoops £20,000 donation

THE Port Sunlight Village Trust has been granted £20,000 as part of the Benefact Group's Movement for Good Awards. The latest phase of the Movement for Good Awards will see more than £500,000 in funding be awarded to 31 charities working across the climate change and environment, education and skills, heritage and arts and rural and community sectors. The Wirral based charity is an independent charitable trust responsible for preserving and promoting the Victorian village, which is a Designated Conservation Area. The £20,000 funding will go towards the charity's programme to restore Port Sunlight's boating pond and fountain, the 1st project in its 10 Year Monuments Strategy setting out how they will...

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Vision Zero strategy launched to drive road safety across Liverpool City Region

A new strategy focused on driving down the number road traffic collisions with a bold aspiration that no 1 will die or be seriously injured on the Region's roads by 2040 has just been launched. The Liverpool City Region's Road Safety strategy will be unveiled by the Merseyside Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell and Mayor Steve Rotheram to coincide with a major safety operation on The Strand in Liverpool City Centre. The strategy aims to reduce the number of those killed and seriously injured on Merseyside's roads, working towards an overall Vision Zero target that aims to ensure that by 2040 there are no avoidable collisions on the Region's roads. The plan is....

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Merseyside Police leading light in reducing drug driving

MERSEYSIDE Police will be the focus of a national weeklong campaign in October to reduce road deaths in the UK. Project Edward has also taken place, running from 17 October to 21 October 2022. That project has the long term objective of a road traffic system free from death and serious injury. A week of action to highlight the issues, including a road trip across the UK, will culminate in a House of Commons reception at Westminster. Drug related road crashes cause too many deaths and serious, life changing injuries every year. And for everyone killed or seriously injured, there are far reaching consequences...

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£2,000 in Government funding available to help with childcare costs in the North West

FAMILIES in the North West could save up to £2,000 a year towards their childcare costs to help pay for October half term holiday clubs and wraparound care during the School Terms, reminds HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). More than 51,250 families in the North West saved money on their childcare costs in June 2022 and HMRC is urging thousands of other families to not miss the chance to save up to £500 every 3 months, or £1,000 if their child is disabled. Overall, HMRC paid out £41.6 million in top up payments, which was shared between more than 391,000 families across the UK in June 2022...

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1 in 10 men think the menopause has no symptoms

FORGET about solving:- 'whodunnit' in the billiard room or playing at being a property tycoon. This year's must play; and possibly most important; board game is all about the menopause. That's right, for the 1st time, the more than 40 symptoms of menopause have become the basis of a unique and thought provoking board game. Menopause: The Board Game has been launch, and it coincided with World Menopause Day, on 18 October 2022, and was created by intimate wellness brand INTIMINA alongside gynaecology specialist GP Dr Susanna Unsworth to raise much-needed awareness of the menopause and....

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Liverpool Hope University Remembers Musical Pioneer Iannis Xenakis

ON Wednesday, 2 November and Thursday, 3 November 2022, Liverpool Hope University will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of avant garde composer Iannis Xenakis with a series of 2 events comprising concerts and pre-concert talks at The Capstone Theatre. Iannis Xenakis is widely regarded as 1 of the most original composers, sound artists and musical thinkers of the 20th Century. An uncompromising visceral power is present throughout his large and diverse body of work that leaves behind a rich legacy continuing to resonate through much of today's contemporary music in surprising ways. His earliest...

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