Artists sought for Mathew Street artwork

A new artwork celebrating Liverpool's music legacy is to be created on:- Mathew Street. Liverpool BID Company, on behalf of The Beatles Legacy Group and SP Energy Network, have a budget of £25,000 for an artist to design, fabricate and install a new piece of art that celebrates the Cavern Quarter and the cultural impact it has had on music locally and internationally.

The artwork will be installed on:- Mathew Street, at the rear of:- Harrington Street Substation. Mathew Street, as well as being home to the world famous Cavern has also been home to Eric's, the famous punk venue, Probe, the record shop and other cultural venues. Mathew Street is synonymous with many of Liverpool's most famous bands including:- The Beatles, the Teardrop Explodes, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Mighty Wah! Big in Japan and more.

Artists have until 21st June to submit their interest and should send a CV, details of previous work with up to 10 images, a written statement outlining their approach to Liverpool BID Company.

Peter Hooton is from the Beatles Legacy Group:- "This is a high profile location and with the volume of locals and tourists who walk past here on a daily basis, the artwork will have the power and impact to tell a story about Liverpool music. The Cavern Quarter plays a central role in our history of music, and in many ways the roots of our musical identity and culture. I am excited to see what artists come forward."

Bill Addy is from Liverpool BID Company:- "There is a great deal of public art in the Cavern Quarter that not only animates the area, but helps to explain and explore the narrative of Mathew Street and beyond. The mural celebrating Carl Jung's famous:- "Pool of Life" quote marks the spot of the famous Liverpool School of Language, Music, Poetry and Pun. This work on Mathew Street itself will share a different aspect of the story of this very famous throughfare."

The details on how to submit an expression of interest can be located online at:- LiverpoolBIDCompany.Com.

SMEs across the North West losing out on more than ½ a billion pounds a year in:- 'missing interest' new research

NEW research from Allica Bank reveals that small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) across the North West are losing out on more than ½ a billion pounds annually as a result of not shopping around for better interest rates on their business savings.

The analysis reveals that the:- 'big 6' high street banks offer an average interest rate of 1.45% on small business savings, down from 1.59% earlier in the year. Beyond the big 6 however, rates of up to 4.33% available from challenger banks, a figure nearly three times higher than the big 6.

For SMEs with an average £75,000 in savings, the discrepancy between big 6 interest rates and what's available elsewhere is equivalent to £2,157 per year. With 265,840 SMEs across the North West, this equates to a whopping loss of £573,416,880 for the Regional economy. For established SMEs with larger deposits of savings, the annual figure lost could be much higher.

The big banks are under serving SME customers despite SMEs being the back-bone of the economy and supporting high-streets, job creation, investment and livelihoods across the North West. Nationally, SMEs account for around 61% of all UK employment, and around a quarter of GDP.

The latest figures come off the back of research produced last year by Allica which revealed that SMEs are losing more than £7.5 billion per annum in:- 'missing' savings interest per year.

Commenting, Pete Norris, North West Relationship Manager at Allica Bank said:- "The North West's SME economy is the North West's real economy, accounting for more than 30,000 businesses. These businesses are the life and soul of communities across the Region and the difference between boarded up shops and vibrant high streets. Despite this, SMEs aren't getting the returns they deserve from high-street banks with interest rates that are consistently lower than are offered to bigger businesses. This lost income could represent a significant boost to the North West's economy and be put toward investment, employment and a better deal for employees. The high-street banks are taking SME customers for granted, and those customers should shop around and get the return on their savings that they deserve."

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Change makers and innovators from North West celebrated in HM The King's birthday 2024 Honours List

OVER 97 people from the North West have received honours in HM The King's Birthday Honours List 2024, published by the Cabinet Office. The focus of this List is those who have initiated a substantial change where it was needed, and developed innovative solutions that have had an immeasurable impact on the lives of thousands of people across the country. Many are active community champions, innovative social entrepreneurs, pioneering scientists, passionate health workers and dedicated volunteers who have gone the extra mile. Recipients from North West makeup 9.2% of the total number of recipients receiving honours this year. Anyone can nominate someone for an honour. If you know someone who has achieved fantastic things worthy of recognition, you can nominate them at Gov.UK/Honours.

Notable recipients across the North West:-

• Alan Ashton has been awarded an MBE for services to the community in St Helens, Merseyside. He is currently CEO of St Helens Carers Centre, a charity which aims to improve the lives of adult and child carers, and since taking over, he has expanded the organisation from supporting 300 carers, to now supporting over 14,500 adult carers and 800 young carers at the centre. He has been responsible for raising over £1m per year for the centre, and this has meant that they have been able to support carers and their families when hit with financial difficulties, which ensures that they are able to continue providing care safely.
  

• Pauline Binns-Tulloch has been awarded an MBE for services to the community in Greater Manchester. She runs a hair salon within a community complex called Limelight. This is an award winning community complex that serves as a health and wellbeing hub for the elderly and vulnerable. Her salon not only provides a subsidised, essential service to the community but also a setting where the elderly can gather for refreshments and conversation. Over the years, she has worked for the NHS and trained as an Auxiliary Nurse. She has also worked closely with the Council through their Fostering and Supported Living scheme, and she herself has been fostering since 2014 and has now extended her family of three to a family of five.
  

• Dennis Laird has been awarded a BEM for services to the community in Barrow in Furness, Cumbria. He is a now retired local charity volunteer and long serving coastguard volunteer, with him being the 1st recipient of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Volunteer of the Year award in 2005. He served from May 1981 until March 2013, and from 1994 as
  

• Deputy Station Officer. He was awarded 2 Chief Coastguard's Commendations and received a Royal Humane Society award for saving the life of a person in imminent danger of drowning in Cavendish Dock in Barrow. His work in raising the profile of HM Coastguard locally increased awareness of beach and sea safety locally and had a measurable positive impact on water-based safety in the Walney Island area.
  

• Danielle Cooper has been awarded a BEM for services to vulnerable children and young people. She is an integral member of the alternative provision specialist taskforce (APST) at Everton Free School, working with vulnerable young people as a youth worker. Her work consists of building relationships, mentoring, supporting emotional wellbeing and tackling personal issues/circumstances. She organises and leads on the:- 'Holiday, Activities and Food Scheme' (HAF), which comprises water sports, bike rides, a visit to Go Ape, hiking, go karting and more. As well as a positive impact on children's mental health, her work has also improved outcomes for these vulnerable young people.