Pleasureland Boss helps to feed Liverpool City Region

SOUTHPORT Pleasureland boss Norman Wallis is giving money and time to ensure local families don't go hungry this Christmas. Unveiling the tourist attraction's latest community initiative, CEO Mr Wallis, said he wants to support local people facing unprecedented hardship, especially over the festive period. 1 of the charities he is working with is Compassion Acts, a poverty action organisation, which runs foodbanks and food pantries in the Southport and Formby areas of the Liverpool City Region.

The £5,000 donation from Southport Pleasureland will buy Farmfood vouchers, so clients can choose their own Christmas essentials, and also much needed food items for the pantry store cupboards. They are also donating their time with Mr Wallis and members of his team volunteering at the foodbanks this Christmas and shopping for items on the food pantry shopping list.

"The country faces ones of its worst ever economic crisis' and through no fault of their own more families than ever before are turning to foodbanks and community pantries to feed themselves and their families. That's why charities like Compassion Acts are so crucial. As a major local business we wanted to give something back to the local community and try and ensure that fewer people go hungry this Christmas." said Mr Wallis.

Compassion Acts operates the Southport foodbank which is part of the national Trussell Trust network. There are seven distribution centres throughout the Town. They also operate 5 weekly food pantries in Southport and Formby, where members pay £5 each time they shop and can choose around £20 worth of food and other essentials. Mr Wallis called into the Compassion Acts' offices in Sussex Street this week to meet CEO Richard Owens and to collect the shopping list.

Richard Owens told us:- "We are thrilled to have such a high profile corporate partner as Southport Pleasureland. This generous donation will go a long way to bringing some Christmas cheer with shopping vouchers but also donating some of our essential items for January. Once Christmas is over the needs are still there and we are expecting a tough winter for many in the squeezed middle also."

Mr Wallis's decision to support them followed an urgent appeal by the Trussell Trust, which says for the very 1st time demand for food from hungry families is outstripping supply. They have warned of a:- "tsunami of need" this winter and in response have launched an emergency cash appeal. He said:- "As well as contributing financially, as part of our on-going community support initiatives, it also gives us the opportunity to join other volunteers in packing and distributing food and learning more about the invaluable work of the charity."

Norman Wallis, CEO of Pleasureland, is also playing Santa to Sefton Council's Christmas Dinner Experience, for young people who would otherwise be alone over the festive period. The event for young people who have been in care, will take place on:- 28 December 2022, and the Council has asked local businesses who have signed up to the Caring Business Charter to contribute gifts up to the value of £30 each. Sefton's Caring Christmas Experience will includes:- a traditional dinner, party games and crackers, for the youngsters facing a lonely Christmas this year. Norman Wallis, has also agreed to donate the cost of 5 gifts, so that the Council can buy them from the wish lists. Said Mr Wallis:- "Christmas is a time for festivities and celebrations but we mustn't forget those who are facing 1 of the most lonely times of the year. This is a fantastic initiative by Sefton Council and we are delighted to support it."

Time running out to get free Woodland Trust trees for your School and community group in the north west of England!

THE Woodland Trust is urging Schools and community groups across the north west of England to get their free tree pack applications in quickly with just over a month left until the spring delivery closes. Applications for spring, for delivery in March 2023, are currently open, but only until:- 11 January 2023.

The last round of the ever popular free tree packs scheme was the Woodland Trust's biggest ever single send out, with:- 4,625 organisations across the UK taking advantage of the scheme. A total of 64,035 Schools and community groups in:- Cheshire, Manchester, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside took delivery of their trees from the end of October up to 11 November 2022.

In the North West, 60,525 trees were sent out to 458 organisations:-

►  15,210 trees to 110 organisations in Cheshire.

►  2,775 trees to 22 organisations in Manchester.

►  15,600 trees to 131 organisations in Greater Manchester.

►  20,865 trees to 138 organisations in Lancashire.

►  6,075 trees to 57 organisations in Merseyside.

The figures for the north west of England were part of a bumper autumn delivery which saw 740,970 saplings finding homes the length and breadth of the UK, bringing the annual total to a record breaking 1.3m trees for 2022.

Woodland Trust senior project lead Vicki Baddeley said there is no time like the present to sign up and take advantage of the scheme. Vicki Baddeley said:- "With Christmas looming and National Tree Week upon us, now really is a good time to get those applications in and ensure you don't miss out, We still have lots of trees available, but with Schools breaking up before you know it, and the hectic holiday period around the corner, it makes sense to get organised nice and early and avoid a last-minute rush in early January. Planting trees is such a simple action, but the collective impact can make a huge difference. It's a great way for Schoolchildren and community groups to learn about nature and the environment and, at the same time, embrace a:- 'Green Christmas.' Planting trees has so many benefits, from combatting the effects of climate change, helping support wildlife, to greening up local spaces and boosting well being. The desire to plant trees is growing all the time and I fully expect demand to reflect that in the coming weeks, so I would advise any interested groups to apply sooner rather than later. The application process to secure your saplings is quite straightforward, just visit:- WoodlandTrust.Org.UK to get started."

The Trust's tree packs have been generously funded by lead partners:- Sainsbury's, Lloyds Bank, OVO Energy, Bank of Scotland and Sofology. Baddeley added:- "As ever, the support and generosity of our funders is invaluable and we simply couldn't do this without them. The help each and every 1 of them provides is hugely appreciated and helps to ensure we can provide and deliver our saplings in such huge numbers."

The Woodland Trust's autumn delivery:-

►  England - 615,720 trees to 3,982 Schools and community groups.

►  Scotland - 77,940 trees to 428 Schools and community groups.

►  Wales - 47,310 trees to 215 Schools and community groups.