1st recipients of LCR Cares grants revealed as fund nears ½ a million pound mark

THE 1st 17 recipients of grants from LCR Cares totalling ₤75,000 have been revealed, as the fund nears the ½ a million pound mark. Based across the Liverpool City Region, the 1st recipients include community organisations providing vital services such as foodbanks, delivery of food and care packages to vulnerable people, telephone and online services offering friendship and helping reduce isolation, as well as mental health support during this difficult time.

The LCR Cares COVID-19 Community Fund was launched by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram in partnership with registered charity Community Foundation for Merseyside, with the aim of raising ₤1million to support local community and voluntary organisations.

Just 1 week after Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram kickstarted the fund, it has jumped from ₤250k to nearly ₤450k, after generous donations of ₤50,000 from Liverpool City Region based retailer Home Bargains, and a further ₤123,250 from the National Emergencies Trust, as well as scores of smaller donations from individuals.

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:- "It's great to see LCR Cares get off to such a flying start, both in terms of how much it has raised, and how quickly we've seen the money going back out to support our community heroes, right across our City Region. The fund is already making a difference to some of our most vulnerable people and I'd encourage everyone to give what they can, if they are able, to support these amazing organisations."

Among those receiving grants is The Martin Gallier Project which is based in New Ferry in Wirral. They deliver suicide intervention and support those bereaved through suicide.

Jessica Gallier, Chief Executive and founder of The Martin Gallier Project said:- "This fund hasn't just allowed us to continue offering crucial support that is needed to prevent suicide, it's actually stopped us from folding completely. All the fundraising activity we had planned had to be cancelled due to Coronavirus. Thousands of pounds worth of fundraising disappeared overnight. This grant has enabled us to continue running, keep our four staff in post, pull together our community volunteers and allow us to run a crisis phone line which is acutely needed at this time to continue helping people when they most need it."

Age UK Mid Mersey also received funding. Mark Lunney their CEO said:- "We have seen nothing like this ever before. Right across Merseyside, we are helping hundreds of local older people in any way we can. Calling them to offer a moment of support, befriending and reassuring them that people care about them and are looking out for them when they are most in need. Keeping a lifeline open for them to get essential help, information and medication, or drop off a free emergency food parcel. But most of all, keeping them resilient and calm. Without support and grants from Liverpool City Region partners, we couldn't sustain this work, or reach so many most vulnerable, who need our help the most. If this funding does one thing, it will now ensure those older people in need will be able to get help from us quickly and will allow us to offer desperately needed care at a time when it's vital. It could help save lives and identify those in our communities who previously may have been overlooked"

Richard Brown is the Chief Executive of Listening Ear in Knowsley which offers counselling to vulnerable children and adults including survivors of domestic abuse. He said:- "LCR Cares has enabled us to offer the vulnerable adults and children that we work with a continuous service whilst also ensuring clinical safety is at the core of our activity. With the change in operational procedures, we've moved from offering face to face counselling to offering telephone based counselling, Listening Ear has relocated the whole agency to work from home. This took us about four days to plan and implement and we've been able to provide everyone with the equipment they need."

The Community Foundation for Merseyside has been administering the grants. Rae Brooke, Chief Executive of the Foundation said:- "We have been humbled by the generosity of the people and organisations who have donated so far, demonstrating a real depth of community spirit and desire to support those who are most vulnerable. We thank each and every 1 of them. To have raised this amount of money in a matter of weeks is phenomenal. We never doubted the ability of the Liverpool City Region to pull together when there is so much at stake. We have already distributed more than ₤75,000 to support community and voluntary organisations on the frontline and we will continue distributing support for as long as there are funds available to help. That is why we continue to call on those, with the capacity to do so, to donate to the LCR Cares COVID-19 Community Support Fund. This is just the start, the detrimental impact of this emergency, on the most vulnerable in our community, will be evident for many months to come. If any City Region is to meet that challenge head on I'm confident, as a proud Liverpudlian born and bred, we'll do it!"

Details on how to donate are on the Combined Authority's website. Search:- "LCRCares" or visit:- LCRCares.Co.UK. Community organisations can apply for grants by visiting:- CFMerseyside.Org.UK.

Disabled children's charity launch 'Virtual' pub quiz

CAUDWELL Children, the national charity that provides practical and emotional support to disabled children and their families, has launched a 'Virtual' pub quiz to give members of the public a fun and sociable online experience, whilst also raising vital funds for disabled children. The online trivia quiz, with questions on a variety of topics, will appear live on YouTube every Thursday, from 8.15pm to 9.45pm, with the 1st broadcast scheduled for Thursday, 9 April, 2020.

"With the country effectively in lockdown trips to the pub with your mates or your work colleagues aren't going to happen again any time soon. After just a couple of weeks people are already sick of watching the same old repeats on television and they've probably exhausted all the films and box sets on Netflix. With enforced isolation it's no surprise that people are missing their mates, and having some good old fashioned banter in their favourite local pub. So we thought we'd try to recreate the convivial atmosphere of your local boozer by creating our very own online pub quiz." explained Hannah Cope, from Caudwell Children.

Participating 'Virtual' teammates can keep their minds sharp each week by testing themselves on a range of subjects including everyone's favourites, food, drink and sport. 'Virtually The Best Pub Quiz Ever' will bring together friends and teammates, in different households, to battle it out against their virtual opponents across the UK.

"We might not be able to supply people with a selection of fine beers, wines and spirits, but to be honest we're assuming they can do that for themselves. However, what we can do, thanks to our partnership with Quiztaztic, the highly experienced and specialist online quiz agency, is bring you a fantastic platform on which you can test your knowledge and toast your victories, or more likely drown your sorrows, with friends and family." continued Hannah.

Caudwell Children traditionally generates most of its funds from charity events and individual challenges, many of which they are unable to hold following the Government guidance restricting movement outside the home.

"Unfortunately, many of our fundraising events have been made impossible due to the social distancing measures imposed during the current lockdown. Initiatives such as this are not only great for the wellbeing of the general public, but are also fantastic for raising the vital funds that we need to allow us to continue supporting the thousands of disabled children who so desperately need our help." said Hannah.

It costs just ₤5 per household to enter with a maximum number of 8 players per team.

To find out more and to register to play online visit the website.

During Covid-19, is your vacant property insured?

PROPERTY insurance companies are taking vastly different approaches to their treatment of vacant property during the Covid-19 crisis. Unless, commercial landlords are mindful about changes in policy conditions they may be exposed to significant losses due to vandalism, arson, squatting and theft at their sites. As all, but key workers are being asked to work from home or furloughed, this leaves a significant number of commercial, industrial and warehouse facilities vacant. The impact upon the hospitality, leisure and retail sectors is well known with many hundreds of high street units unoccupied; potentially for months. All insurance policies contain unoccupancy conditions which need to be complied with if the property becomes vacant, but each insurer has a different definition of unoccupancy and the steps the property owner must take to fully comply with policy conditions.

3 Dimension Insurance, a specialist commercial property broker, has highlighted this differing approach by reviewing every insurance companies unoccupied property policies. For example, RSA normally don't require the un-occupancy conditions to be complied with until the property has been vacant for 30 days. If however, any premises has had to be shut due to the Government announcement, RSA will not enforce the provisions in the policy relating to Unoccupied Buildings. However, this approach contrasts with Axa which considers a property to be unoccupied once it has been empty for 30 days. This hasn't changed and they will require notification after this period and the un-occupancy conditions will need to be complied with.

Complying with policy conditions under a 'lock down' situation can also be a challenge. For example, where weekly inspections are required, these may not be possible for employees to undertake. Travel restrictions may be extended, or staff put in isolation. In this instance, using a specialist security contractor for empty property security would be necessary as their operatives are classed as 'key workers' and will not be subject to travel restrictions for inspections or alarm call outs.

Deciding what security measures to mitigate risk at each site is also a challenge. Many companies are using plywood boarding to secure vulnerable glazing and window openings without considering specialist security options. Plywood is a poor choice for security as it is flammable, deteriorates when exposed to wet weather and prevents any light inside the building so creating a health and safety issue. Installation is generally simply Phillips wood screws which can be removed with ease.

Although policy conditions can require:- 'boarding up,' professional anti vandal security measures are available which allow both natural light penetration and ventilation to secured buildings. Bespoke cut on site to cover each vulnerable window opening, this high security steel sheeting is installed using unique anti tamper fixings which cannot be removed with normal screwdrivers. Easy access is retained to each property through temporary steel security doors with 5 lever mortice locks.

Physical perimeter security may not always be required at all as sophisticated, temporary intruder and smoke alarms can be installed. Allowing mains power to be isolated, these wireless and battery powered alarms are monitored 24 hours with a fast response to activations and re-securing the property if required.

Landlords may need to act fast in meeting these insurance obligations. For example QBE Insurance has waived un-occupancy conditions during Government restrictions, but once these have been lifted, the empty property will be considered to be unoccupied after a further 7 days. So any new conditions must be implemented in this short timescale.

Keith Langton, Director at 3D Insurance says:- "The principle of 'Treating the Customer Fairly' has been highlighted by the insurers and they will look kindly upon any cases where the virus has resulted in a period of unoccupancy."

Simon Broadbent, CEO of Secure Empty Property says:- "During the Covid-19 emergency, a specialist vacant property security contractor can make the difference between a property being safe and insured or landlords being exposed to significant potential losses."

New household waste disposal guidance

LIVERPOOL City Council has issued new guidance on how to dispose of some types of waste items during the Coronavirus outbreak. Following Government guidance, any household where there is someone with Coronavirus symptoms is now asked to dispose of their waste differently to help limit the spread of the virus. Personal waste, such as used tissues and disposable cleaning cloths, should now be dealt with as follows:-

► Store in a tied bag.

► Place 1st bag inside a 2nd bag.

► Keep the bag separate from other rubbish for 72 hours (3 days)

► Place in your purple bin as usual after 72 hours.

These small steps will help to protect Liverpool Streetscene Services Limited (LSS) staff when they are collecting refuse.

Other household waste can be disposed of as normal, making sure bins (or bags/boxes) are at collection points by 6.45am. LSSL continues to collect purple (waste) and blue (recycling) wheelie bins; and for those without wheelie bins; black bin sacks / recycling boxes; as normal. However, the Council's green garden waste service is currently suspended and all Merseyside's Recycling Centres are closed until further notice. Also, the Council's large item collection service Bulky Bob's has been suspended. Residents should hold on to items and keep them off the public highway until the service re-opens.

Mike Brown, Chief Operating Officer, Liverpool Streetscene Services Ltd. said:- "We have 2 priorities at the moment: keeping our services running and keeping our staff safe and well. To do this we are asking households where there is someone who has Coronavirus symptoms to dispose of their waste carefully and not to put it into their bin until 3 days have passed. This is to limit, as far as possible, the risk of spreading the infection. The safer we can keep our staff, the more likely we are to be able to keep running a normal service, and we need residents' help to do that."