More than 120,000 young people have received cycle safety training across Liverpool City Region

MORE than 120,000 young people across the Liverpool City Region have benefited from free cycle safety training over the last 15 years, it's been announced. To mark national Cycle to School week, a special Bikeability Level 1 cycle skills session was hosted by certified trainers at:- Great Crosby School, in Sefton. For more than a decade and a half, the Combined Authority and Merseytravel has supported Bikeability training for School pupils. The scheme has helped an increasing number of young people over the years to cycle safely and with confidence; from an initial average of around of:- 8,000 per year to more than:- 13,000 in 2023. The sessions help teach young people the practical skills and understanding they need to travel by bike including:- reading road signs, recognising hazards and sharing space with pedestrians and road users.

Cycle to School Week is a national initiative encouraging students to choose cycling as a fun, healthy, and environmentally friendly way to get to School. The initiative aims to foster a love for cycling among children, promote physical activity, and reduce traffic congestion around Schools.  As well as funding Bikeability training, Mayor Rotheram and the Combined Authority are also backing a range of other initiatives to help young people cycle and walk more safely; from building new bike routes and footpaths to backing School Streets schemes which restrict car access outside School gates at drop off and pick up times.

Liverpool City Region Cycling and Walking Commissioner, Simon O'Brien said:- "It's fantastic to be here with pupils at Great Crosby School as they learn the practical skills they'll need to cycle safely and with confidence. Getting about by bike has huge benefits for people's health and wellbeing and for the quality of air we breathe; and Cycle to School Week is an opportunity to celebrate this and encourage more young people to give it a go! We have an amazing opportunity to create a whole new generation of cyclists here in our City Region and whether it's funding cycle safety training or supporting School Streets schemes, Mayor Rotheram, the Combined Authority and I are working really hard to make this happen."

Bikeability Chief Executive, Emily Cherry said:- "It's fantastic to see Schools across the Liverpool City Region taking part in Cycle to School Week and we're so proud of everyone pledging to pedal. Choosing an active form of transport rather than a car is the clean, green and healthy choice. By encouraging more children to cycle we can help transform our communities to be happier and healthier. The Bikeability session today at Great Crosby Catholic Primary School shows that cycle training is the key to giving children the skills, confidence and transport choice. We can't wait to see these children bring the fun to the School run with pedal power!"

Schools in Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral can find out more on the Bikeright! website and can also book direct by email or phone:- MerseysideOffice@BikeRight.Co.UK, or call:- 01512073140. In Halton Bikeability training opportunities can be found online at:- BikeAbility.Org.UK.

Beleaguered civil service uses taxpayer money to pay staff 14.5% more than the average UK employee

NEW research from The Global Payroll Association (GPA), reveals that the average salary for UK's civil servants is 14.5% higher than the nation's wider average salary, and that the combined wage bill for the civil service comes to an estimated £18.5bn, all of which comes, of course, from the UK taxpayer.

Civil servants in the UK have come under fire. There are reports that:- 67% of civil service employees have no clear function; stories of cronyism when it comes to the selection of high ranking employees; and the astonishing revelation that Sue Gray, head of the civil service and special advisor to Keir Starmer actually earns more than Prime Minister himself.

In light of these questions around the civil service, GPA has analysed data from the UK Government to reveal how many civil servants there are up and down the country, how much they are paid, and how this level of pay compares to the overall average earnings in the UK.

The analysis reveals that there are an estimated 542,840 civil servants in the UK. 19.6% of them are employed in London, 13.1% in the North West, and 10.2% in Scotland.

Further analysis reveals that the total estimated annual wage bill for the civil service comes to a staggering £18.4bn. And because the civil service is a public organisation, this wage bill is, of course, paid by the UK taxpayer.

Despite all of the negative reports about the effectiveness of the civil service and the validity of those who have been given high profile positions within it, GPA can reveal that the average civil servant is taking home significantly more money than the average UK employee.

In fact, the average civil service salary of £33,980 is 14.5% higher than the average UK salary of £29,669.

Civil servants are outearning other employees across all Regions of the UK, but nowhere more so than in the South West where an average civil service salary of £35,500 is 23.5% higher than the Region's overall average salary.

In London, civil servants earn an average of 18.1% more than the City's other workers, followed by Scotland (13.7%), Yorkshire & Humber (11.8%), and the North East (9.4%).

Melanie Pizzey, CEO and Founder of the Global Payroll Association, says:- "There is no doubt that the civil service plays an integral role in the function of the UK economy, infrastructure, and public services, but there are so many problematic stories about its management and efficiency that people might be shocked to see just how much taxpayer money is being used to pay its employees. And in an environment where public employees are fighting for fair and proper pay, from teachers to junior doctors, it might come as a surprise to see civil servants out-earning the average UK worker by such a large margin. With a workforce of over half a million people, the UK civil service is a big beast to try and manage effectively, and if the workforce is indeed overinflated as reports suggest, some kind of streamlining exercise might go a long way towards increasing the bang for the buck that taxpayers receive for their investment in this vital public service."

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