News reports located on this page = 4.

Liverpool FC legends support appeal for sports wheelchair for Halewood man

2 of Liverpool Football Clubs greatest ever players are backing an appeal to raise the funds needed to buy a specialist sports wheelchair for a 19 year old man from Halewood, in Liverpool. lan Kennedy and Mark Lawrenson are urging the public to support Alex Waring's appeal after he recently outgrew the wheelchair that he plays wheelchair football in. Alex, has Duchene muscular dystrophy, a degenerative condition that has left him a permanent wheelchair user.

His mother, Jenny, aged 43, says her son started playing wheelchair football when he was just 10 and since then he's excelled at the sport playing for Greenbank Powerchair Football Club, who play in the Northwest Regional League. As she explained:- "Despite having to borrow a spare sports wheelchair from his club, Alex loves playing the game. He likes all sports but football is by far his favourite and he's a massive Liverpool fan. Vergil van Dijk is his favourite player, but he also likes Jurgen Klopp. He loves sport and football so much that he's even doing a Disability Sports Coaching degree at Liverpool John Moores University."

However, without a new wheelchair that fits his physique Alex, is playing at a disadvantage to his teammates and opponents as his father, Stephen, aged 43, explained:- "To improve as a player you need a sports wheelchair that fits you perfectly. You need to sit securely into the chair and it has to be a model that has maximum speed and mobility around the pitch. Without a powered wheelchair that's built to my son's specifications he will struggle to develop further in the game."

Having researched which sports wheelchair would best suit his needs Alex, and his parents, realised that there was a significant financial barrier to buying the equipment. "The most suitable chair for Alex costs a whopping ₤4,200. As you can imagine that's way beyond our budget. It's heart breaking knowing that we can't afford to buy a chair that would allow Alex, to continue playing the sport that he enjoys so much, and we don't want him to have to give up the game." exclaimed Jenny.

The family had resigned themselves to being unable to buy the powered wheelchair for Alex, but then a friend told them about Caudwell Children, the national charity that provides practical and emotional support to disabled children and their families.

And now, thanks to fundraising support from the charity, Jenny and Stephen have started a campaign to raise the money they need to buy the state of the art wheelchair that their son needs.

"Caudwell Children have been superb. They know how important this piece of equipment is to Alex's football aspirations. They know that he wants to develop as a player and help his club to play at a higher level. So they've set up a Just Giving page for him and have contacted other funding organisations, such as foundations, rotary clubs, and grant giving bodies. But we were totally amazed when we were told that 2 Liverpool legends, Alan Kennedy and Mark Lawrenson, who are ambassadors for the charity, were going to add their support to the appeal because of their Liverpool connections." explained Stephen.

Kennedy, who scored the winning goals in both the 1981 and 1984 European Cup finals was delighted to get involved in the campaign. As he explained:- "Even at my age I still enjoy playing 5 a side every week and I've also taken up walking football, which is great fun. Once we get back to some sort of normality, after the pandemic, I'll be back playing and I hope Alex will be to. To be with your friends, being competitive, is great for the body and mind and I hope people support Alex, and help him get the powerchair that he needs to continue playing the game that he so obviously loves."

BBC Sport pundit Mark Lawrenson, who won, amongst other things, 5 1st Division Championships and 1 European Cup with The Reds, is also asking people to support the appeal. As he explained:- "Sport is so important to the physical and mental wellbeing of children and young people and everyone should get the opportunity to participate whatever their ability. The pleasure that disabled young people get by taking part in sport is evident for all to see when you watch a game of power chair football. Believe me the dedication, determination and commitment of a disabled footballer is no different to an able bodied player so I'd urge people to support Alex's appeal."

Jenny says that the family are hoping that the public, the business community, and other funders will give them a helping hand in raising the money that they need. She said:- "I know it's an awful lot of money but with their support we can help Alex, to continue developing in the game."

Mark Bushell, from Caudwell Children, hopes people will get behind the appeal. He said:- "This piece of equipment is incredibly important to Alex, as powerchair football has been a real driving force in his life. It costs a disabled person up to 100 times more to participate in sport compared to an able bodied person. Every child and young person should have the right to participate in sport, whatever their ability, as it's so good for both physical fitness and mental wellbeing. Alex, has made so many friends through playing the game and it's had a massive impact on his confidence and independence. I'm urging the public and business community to get behind this appeal as with their support we can ensure that Alex, has the best chance possible of fulfilling his dreams of playing at a higher level."

You can support Alex through his Just Giving Page.

Vets and animal welfare charities issue Dogs Die in Hot Cars reminder as temperatures soar across England

WITH the Government easing some driving restrictions and after the heat wave that has swept across England, vets are reminding pet owners not to leave their dogs in a car even for a short time. The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has teamed up with a coalition of rescue and re-homing charities, Police, and welfare organisations to highlight the dangers of warm weather to dogs as part of the annual Dogs Die in Hot Cars campaign. The coalition group is launching this year's campaign just a week after the Government announcement allowing families to go out in their cars for exercise and leisure again, providing they adhere to social distancing.

British Veterinary Association President Daniella Dos Santos said:- "Vets all too often see the unfortunate and sometimes tragic consequences of dogs being left on their own in cars on a warm day. With warm days forecast, more people are expected to take car journeys for exercise or leisure to take advantage of the sunshine. We'd urge pet owners not to leave any animal in a car while out and about, even if it is for a short trip to the supermarket. Temperatures can rise quickly inside a vehicle even when it doesn't feel that hot outside, which is why 'not long' can end up being too long for your beloved pet. This is especially vital at a time when strict social distancing measures mean vets are only able to see essential cases and may have smaller teams working in the practice as they try to do everything they can to look after pets while protecting clients and themselves."

In BVA's most recent Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey on hot weather risks (Autumn 2018), 26% of the vets who had treated dogs for heat related conditions that summer reported at least 1 of these cases was the result of a dog having being left in a car. This is equivalent to almost 1 in 7 vets (13%) having seen a dog come into their practice suffering as a result of being left in a hot car. In the past 10 years, the RSPCA has received 72,733 complaints to its emergency hotline about animals in hot environments, the majority of which relate to dogs in hot cars. The real number of dogs being left in hot cars is expected to be much higher as the main advice is to contact Police to report an incident. The Dogs Die in Hot Cars coalition has issued the following advice on what to do if you see a dog in a car on a hot day:-

► In an emergency, it is best to dial:- 999 and report a dog in a hot car to Police. The RSPCA may not be able to attend quickly enough and, with no powers of entry, they would need Police assistance at such an incident.

► If the situation becomes critical and Police can't attend, many people's instinct is to break into the car to free the dog. But please be aware that, without proper justification, this could be classed as criminal damage. Make sure you tell the Police of your intentions and take photos or footage of the dog, as well as names and numbers of witnesses. The law states that you have a lawful excuse to commit damage if you believe that the owner of the property that you damage would consent to the damage, if they knew the circumstances.

► Once removed from the car, move the dog to a shaded or cool area and douse him/her with small amounts of room temperature water. Allow the dog to drink small amounts of cool water.

► If the dog isn't displaying signs of heatstroke (such as heavy panting, restlessness, and lack of coordination), establish how long the dog has been in the car and make a note of the registration. If in a public parking lot, ask a member of staff to make an announcement of the situation over the tannoy, if possible, and get someone to stay with the dog to monitor its condition.

Nearly a ¼ of children in the North West are now living in poverty and facing a perilous future

LEVELS of poverty amongst children in the North West have risen by 4.5% since 2014, going from 18.5% to 23%, new figures show. Even before the devastating impact of Covid-19 on household incomes, child poverty; predominantly in working families; has been rising across the Region, leaving growing numbers of children facing the devastating effects. The End Child Poverty coalition fears the issues will continue to deepen as the virus pulls more and more families below the poverty line. The group is now calling on the Government to take action and to commit to an ambitious strategy to end child poverty and to immediately increase the amount of money in families' pockets. The coalition, working with researchers at Loughborough University, has published a new analysis of Government data that documents how child poverty rates in many different areas across Britain have swelled over the last 4 years, even before housing costs are taken into account. The report's analysis also shows how unequally child poverty affects the country, with children in some parts 6 times more likely to be growing up in poverty than their neighbours in less deprived areas. The worse 10 areas of child poverty in the North West are:-

► Oldham - 38.0%, an increase of 9.3%.

► Pendle - 37.4%. an increase of 8.9%.

► Bolton - 32.2%, an increase of 7.4%.

► Blackburn with Darwen - 36.5%, an increase of 7.3%.

► Hyndburn - 33.4%, an increase of 6.7%.

► Liverpool - 27.6%, an increase of 6.0%.

► Burnley - 33.1% an increase of 6.0%.

► Manchester - 33.6% an increase 5.8%.

► Blackpool - 26.4%, an increase of 5.4%.

► Tameside - 24.7%, an increase of 5.3%.

Mark Russell, Chief Executive of The Children's Society, said:- "These figures show that future generations are being let down by a continued failure to stop the rising levels of child poverty across not only the North West, but the whole of the UK. We know that without further action the current pandemic is only going to exacerbate this issue, leaving even more families struggling with poverty, hunger and hardship. It is vital the Government ensures local authorities are able to be there for those with nowhere else to turn. More investment must be given so local Councils can deliver well funded and robust emergency assistance schemes which provide a financial safety net for those in crisis."

Anna Feuchtwang, Chair of End Child Poverty and Chief Executive of the National Children's Bureau, said:- "We may all be experiencing the storm of Coronavirus together, but we are not all in the same boat. The Government's data shows the extent to which over the past 4 years, children in low income families have been cut adrift and are already experiencing unacceptable hardship through cuts and freezes to the benefits system. Our country's children are now at severe risk of being swept deeper into poverty as a result of the pandemic and lockdown. This is why we are asking the government to strengthen the social security system which is there to hold us steady during tough times, by immediately increasing household income for those least well off. Ending child poverty must be at the heart of the Government's plan for economic recovery, so that when this crisis is over all children can enjoy a life free from poverty in which they are healthy, can thrive at School and have opportunities for the future."

4 in 10 professionals in Liverpool are worried about losing their job during the Coronavirus pandemic

ACCORDING to an exclusive new study from the UK's leading independent job board, CV-Library, 4 in 10 (44.4%) professionals in Liverpool are worried about losing their job during the Coronavirus pandemic. The study surveyed 1,408 professionals and found that 11.8% of respondents in Liverpool were on furlough, while 35.3% are still working and a further 52.9% were unemployed. It reveals that a staggering 83.3% of workers in Liverpool who are on furlough have expressed concerns that there may not be a job available for them once the scheme is over.  Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV Library comments:- "We're living in very strange times and this is impacting people at all levels. The government is doing its best to get the economy moving again, but this is going to take time and a lot of professionals are struggling with the uncertainty. Indeed, our data shows that the majority of people who are still working or on furlough are worried about job security."

The study went on to ask respondents whether they believe the company they work for will suffer due to COVID-19, with 45.8% of professionals in Liverpool believing that it will. This was lower than the national average, where a smaller 54.5% of Brits felt this way. Biggins continues:- "A high volume of professionals in Liverpool don't know whether their employer is even going to weather the storm and some organisations are going to suffer more than others. As a result, we're expecting to see a real shift over the next 12 months in terms of what people want and need from their job; especially in the absence of pay rises and promotions. Following such an uncertain period, more professionals will want to work for employers that can offer some sense of job security, especially as the pandemic will have a long lasting impact on the economy."