Stay off the ice! As the country faces the big freeze, Dogs Trust Merseyside issues warning to dog owners

The Forces Employment Charity, which supports all members of the military community in achieving civilian employment success, has also seen a massive rise in the number of job roles it has secured for its clients. 2023, the charity secured 13,246 placements, compared to 11,994 the previous year, reflecting more than a 10% year-on-year increase.

Despite a significant increase in employers recognising the value of hiring veterans, 41% of UK employers say they know where and how to access talent from the military community. Furthermore, only 35% of veterans say they feel proud of the skills they acquired during their time in the military, and whilst around 15,000 men and women leave the Armed Forces every year, 8% of working-age veterans state that they know where to go for civilian employment support.

The Forces Employment Charity exists to provide life-long, life-changing support, job opportunities, and training to Service leavers, veterans, reservists and their families, irrespective of circumstances, rank, length of service, or reason for leaving. The charity also delivers Op NOVA on behalf of the NHS, supporting veterans in contact with the justice system.

Iain Downie spent time in Preston whilst serving in the British Army and is now Director of Resources at the Forces Employment Charity. He says:- "The very nature of a military career means that everyone who has served will possess a range of exceptional skills, such as:- collaboration, leadership, resilience and adaptability. It is no surprise that civilian employers are increasingly recognising the merits of hiring from the veteran talent pool; it makes great business sense! With milestone moments like Armed Forces Day, I look forward to seeing more employers offering job opportunities where those who have served can thrive in their second careers."

Liverpool-based Ben Daley-Lopez served in the British Army for 5 years. With the help of a dedicated Employment Advisor at the Forces Employment Charity, he has secured a role as an Aerospace Technician. He notes the positives of working amongst several other ex-Forces colleagues. He says:- "You know what you're getting when you work with someone from the military. We all work hard, we get the job done and to a really professional standard."

When commenting on the help he received upon registering with the Forces Employment Charity, he adds:- "I was going through a bit of a rough patch and didn't feel like I was:- 'worthy'., but I got constant support from the Forces Employment Charity, particularly with job applications." He concludes,:- "I'm glad they didn't give up on me, especially when I was ready to."

Danielle Sandy, Military Talent Acquisition at Barclays, says:- "As a Royal Navy veteran, I know first-hand both the incredible skills that veterans can bring to the civilian workforce, but also the common challenges that can sometimes act as a barrier to accessing meaningful employment once you have finished your Forces career. I am so proud to work for an organisation that takes active steps to embrace military talent and nurture their skills and abilities."

Armed Forces Day takes place each year, and the whole of the UK comes together to recognise and celebrate all members of the Armed Forces community, from serving personnel to military families to veterans, reservists, and cadets.

Staff from the Forces Employment Charity will attend a host of events all over the country in support of Armed Forces Day. They will be on hand to provide more information about how the charity can help members of the military community take their next step on the career ladder, whether that be helping with their CVs, searching for suitable jobs, or using interview techniques to help secure funding for training opportunities.

For more information, visit:- ForcesEmployment.Org.UK.
 

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out - Remembering The Smiths, The Stranglers and more

To mark World Music Day, that was on 21 June 2024, the University asked staff and alumni for their musical memories of Edge Hill. Here's their top 10:-

1. The Smiths... Manchester's legendary partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr swept into campus, complete with obligatory flowers, for a sold out show in November 1983 just days before their debut appearance on Top Of The Pops to perform This Charming Man. Alumni Sarah Riley said:- "I remember the Students' Union had to buy the flowers and I thought what a waste when he flung them all over the stage."

Fellow alumni Adam Marsh who took the pictures featured added:- "I had the good fortune to witness The Smiths, on the brink of fame, playing our college canteen. Beads, flowers, stage invasion, This Charming Man (twice). Anyone remember those curtains?"

2. The Farm... Liverpool indie band The Farm topped the album charts with their long player Spartacus in 1991. They also clocked up 3 top 10 singles, most famously Altogether Now. Singer Peter Hooton recalls playing on campus in the 1980s:- "It was a great venue, but we went over our cut off time because everyone was having a great time. The caretaker turned the lights on and the Students' Union banned us after that."

Ironically, bass player Carl Hunter is now a:- Senior Fellow in Filmmaking at Edge Hill while Peter was awarded an honorary doctorate in philosophy by the University in 2015.

3. TV21... TV21 were formed at Edge Hill in June 1979 by Norman Rodger and Neil Baldwin, the post punk outfit also played their 1st gig on campus. That gig was supporting a band called Another Pretty Face, which featured Mike Scott, who later went on to form The Waterboys. TV21 released an album in 1981, A Thin Red Line, and supported The Rolling Stones when they toured Scotland in 1982.

4. Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD)  Wirral electronic band OMD's anti war song Enola Gay hit number 8 in the charts in 1980 and was hailed as 1 of the best 10 songs of the year by readers of NME, Record Mirror and Smash Hits. At the time of writing it has clocked up 179 million listens on Spotify. That very same year the band played at Edge Hill, as part of their 1st headlining tour.

5. The Mock Turtles... Largely remembered as a 1 hit wonder for their 1991 song Can You Dig It? the Manchester baggy band fronted by Martin Coogan, brother of actor and comedian Steve, came to Ormskirk for Freshers Night at Edge Hill in 1990. A journalist from Melody Maker came along too, interviewing the band in a room in Lady Openshaw Hall.

6. Shack... Shack's Mick Head was infamously pictured on the front of the NME with the headline:- "This man is our greatest songwriter; recognise him?" A musical cult hero to many, including:- Noel Gallagher who signed Shack to his Sour Mash record label, Mick and the band played Edge Hill University in 1990, in between:- debut album Zilch and follow up HMS Fable. Mick's last 2 albums, Dear Scott in 2022, and Loophole, released in May, charted in the UK top 10.

7. Prefab Sprout... 9 of Prefab Sprout's albums reached the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart, and 1 of their singles, The King of Rock 'n' Roll, peaked at number 7 in the UK Singles Chart. This post from Keir Husband suggests that brothers Paddy and Martin McAloon once graced the grounds of Edge Hill:- X.Com.

8. The Stranglers... The legendary band have clocked up 23 UK Top 40 Singles including:- No More Heroes and Golden Brown., but they 1st broke the top 10 with Peaches in May 1977, 6 months after a gig at the Edge Hill Refectory in November 1976.

Alice Yarwood recalls:- "I love The Stranglers. My partner saw them at Edge Hill University, in the 70s, and recalls an incident while the band were queuing at the Refectory for a meal with the rest of the students. He saw them flicking peas at the dinner ladies who were tolerating their bad behaviour. Despite protests from his friends he went over to reprimand them for their cockiness…"

Mark Slater adds:- "Saw The Stranglers at Edge Hill College in Ormskirk in November 1976. Not many really knew what punk was, it was just another midweek band in the college Refectory, but they were sneery, rude, scary; like they didn't want to be liked. They alienated a large audience of mainly PE teacher training students and JJ Burnel then offered them all out. No takers of course. Great gig."

9. Jah Wobble... Look at this, an actual ticket. Digital tickets for gigs are now de rigueur, but once upon a time not so long ago gig goers clung onto paper versions as a souvenir. Legendary bassist Jah Wobble, known for his work with Public Image Ltd and his genre-bending solo career, brought the dub vibes to the Edge Hill Arts Centre in 2023.

10. Keyside... Two Edge Hill alumni, drummer Oisin McAvoy and lead guitarist Ben Cassidy are part of Keyside, a band making waves and tipped for the top that recently signed to Primary Talent's Matt Bates, who also looks after a long list of successful bands including: Alt-J, Babyshambles, Pete Doherty, Supergrass, The 1975, Wombats and 2 Door Cinema Club. Keyside, who fuse a sound of The Smiths with a rhythm of The La's, play the On The Waterfront Festival at Liverpool's Pier Head today (June 21) alongside Embrace, Cast and Ocean Colour Scene.

Edge Hill's new:- £8.5million Students' Union building; currently under construction as part of a huge:- £53m campus development which also includes:- 232 new en-suite rooms and a new Life Sciences building, opening in 2024; is sure to mean musical memories are created on campus for years to come., but for some, those memories are already made and those curtains in the Refectory will never be forgotten.