Delegation of small businesses attends Labour Party Conference in Liverpool

THE Federation of Small Businesses led a delegation of small business owners to lobby senior politicians at:- 'SME Sunday,' part of the Labour Party Conference, in Liverpool.

The group of around 20 FSB members joined other small business owners, 3rd sector representatives and other stakeholders, heard from luminaries including:- Shadow Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner MP and put their questions to leading Labour figures such as:- Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones and Tulip Siddiq, Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury.

Following a series of roundtables on themes such as supporting sole traders and freelancers, high streets, innovation and the future of local business support, delegates took part in a panel session on devolution chaired by FSB National Chairman, Martin McTague, which included:- Liverpool City Region's Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, before a drinks receptions sponsored by FSB and Intuit at which the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, made an appearance.

Phil McCabe, the FSB's Development Manager in Merseyside and Cheshire, who organised the member delegation, said:- "SMEs are the lifeblood of the UK's economy. It is so important that our politicians hear directly from small business owners about the challenges and opportunities they face, and just as important that they listen. The Labour Party Conference represents a fantastic opportunity for the FSB to provide a platform for our members to get answers from the senior Labour politicians gathered there about what they will do to support small businesses should they come to power. Our members from in and around Liverpool City Region did us and their SME counterparts proud, and put forward some challenging questions which stimulated a range of interesting discussions. Credit must also go to our wonderful Westminster, who I was delighted to welcome to Liverpool for the conference. They work just as hard on the opposition party as they do the sitting Government, which puts us in a fantastic position to lobby for meaningful policies to support small businesses."

Letter to Editor:- "Used Stamp appeal in aid of the Guide Dogs for the Blind charity"

"I'M appealing for used postage stamps which help me raise funds which I then donate to the Guide Dogs for the Blind. Recycling used postage stamps is such an easy way to raise money for the charity and I'm always in need of all types of postage stamps, including:- British, Foreign and Christmas stamps. If you are able to help, I would be grateful if you could cut the stamps from their envelopes (leaving approx 1cm margin around the stamp) and send them to:- Guide Dog Stamps, PO Box 91, Virginia Water, Surrey, England, GU259AR. Thank you to everyone who has donated in the past, your assistance in helping me to support this very worthy cause is greatly appreciated." M. Chave.

200 empty School chairs prompt conversation about suicide

THE University of Central Lancashire and the Mary O'Gara Foundation work together on:- 'World Mental Health Day' to highlight the shocking fact 200 School children take their own lives every year.

Talking about suicide can prevent it, so for that reason the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and the Mary O'Gara Foundation have set out 200 empty chairs on University Square in Preston, representing 200 School children who will never get a chance to go to University; raising awareness of this global public health emergency.

20 rows of 10 empty School chairs, were left in 1 of the most visible and utilised spaces of the University, to serve as a stark reminder, on:- World Mental Health Day, that was on:- Tuesday, 10 October 2023. The idead was to get those saw it to thing about the need to talk about mental health, how we need to look after it, and how important it is to get help if you are struggling.

Papyrus, a charity which works to prevent suicide in young people, say more than 200 teenagers are lost to suicide every year. They work closely with the Mary O'Gara Foundation; a non-profit organisation dedicated to increasing awareness around mental ill health and suicide prevention for young people.

The Foundation provides fully funded suicide prevention training to education and community institutions working with young people across Lancashire. It was set up by parents Sharon and Paul O'Gara in dedication of their daughter Mary.

Mary was working in the NHS and 3 months into a Degree Apprenticeship course at UCLan when she very sadly took her own life. To those around her, she was bright, popular, had a good circle of friends and a good job. But she struggled with depression. As the foundation strapline says:- 'Look beyond the smile.'

Although only at UCLan for a short period, Mary was extremely popular with her lecturers and fellow students, and the University has vowed to do all it can to promote the campaign objectives of the Mary O'Gara Foundation.

Paul and Sharon O'Gara said:- "Not long after losing Mary to suicide we knew that we needed to do something to ensure other families do not have to go through the same pain. For that reason, we decided to start the Mary O'Gara Foundation which aims to prevent suicide in young people across Lancashire. The Foundation does this by offering and funding suicide prevention training for anyone working with young people in this area, be it Schools, Colleges, Universities and employers who have a duty of care for young people. It is vital that there are people in these settings who have the ability and skill set to spot and support a young person who may be in crisis. Partnering with UCLan and the amazing support we have received from the staff working with us on this campaign has been a major boost to our Foundation's aims and has been extremely rewarding."

As well as highlighting the issue on University Square, UCLan has also introduced a Mental Health Charter and new Mental Health Champion training.

UCLan Head of Student Support and Wellbeing Services, Megan Blissett, said:- "At UCLan we have a dedicated team of highly trained and experienced practitioners in mental health and wellbeing support. They deliver 1 to 1 and group support online and in person taking both a proactive and reactive approach. Positive mental health and wellbeing is central to life on all our campuses. Looking after ourselves and each other is vital to a healthy and successful University experience and is championed by all UCLan staff and students. Suicide awareness raising and prevention is a leading priority for UCLan. We're not afraid to talk about suicide, in fact we actively encourage our University community to have a conversation as we know talking about suicide can save lives. As part of World Mental Health Day we have invited the Samaritans and Zero Suicide Alliance and Chasing the Stigma to have a presence on campus to enhance our internal support services. We would urge all staff and students to come along and join the conversation."

If you, or someone you know, works directly with young people in Lancashire and wants to learn more about:- 'The Mary O'Gara Foundations' Suicide Prevention Training Programme,' please contact:- Info@MarysStory.Org.UK for details.

UCLan also offers the following mental health support to all students:-

• Student Support drop in, available Monday to:- Friday, 10am to 4pm, for advice and guidance on:- mental health and wellbeing, finance, disability support, international student support and much more.
  

• A Counselling, Mental Health and Wellbeing service that students can refer themselves to, including for a series of up to 6 counselling sessions with a trained counsellor in person or on Teams. The team also works extremely closely in partnership with NHS and other statutory services, to ensure that students have the most appropriate support in place, at the right time.
  

• Suicide prevention training, available to all staff and students, which looks at spotting the signs and knowing how to talk to someone who might be feeling suicidal.
  

• 24/7 security on all our campuses for any emergency, with security staff all trained in responding to mental health and wellbeing concerns.

If you need help, please visit:- Papyrus-UK.Org and you are under under 35, and live in the UK, please contact the:- 'PAPYRUS HOPELINE247' on:- 08000684141. Also, you can contact Samaritans on the charity's new web chat service, or calling them for free on:- 116123.