A shocking finding has lead to a Warning being issued over electrical safety concerns over hot tubs

WITH hot tub sales booming across the UK amid heat wave temperatures, NICEIC has been quick to point out the associated electrical dangers with attempting to install home hot tubs and spas without enlisting the support of a professional, registered electrician contractor. Unsurprisingly, amid record high temperatures, figures have shown, that with much of the British public now resigned to a summer at home, many are splashing out on a hot tub as a relaxing addition to their garden during the Coronavirus pandemic. In fact, by as early as June sales of hot tubs were up 490% according to eBay and almost every style was sold out at Argos. However, with electricians now being able to enter people’s homes for electrical work, NICEIC has been quick to advise the UK’s hot tub enthusiasts to make sure this equipment is installed safely and correctly by a qualified, registered electrician contractor.

Paul Collins, Technical Services Manager at NICEIC comments:- "Given the recent spates of warm weather, it’s no surprise that a record number of Britons; many of whom have been homebound for months; are trying to get their hands on a hot tub. Although many of these items can be purchased with a 13 Amp plug, it may not be as simple as plug-and-play. It is very important to understand if the installation you are planning to plug your new hot tub in to is fit for purpose. There is a number of outside socket outlets available, however, not all of them will remain water resistant with the plug in place. Having this ability is really important if it’s planned to leave the hot tub in-situ and switched on for long periods of time. If you are considering going for a plug-in option you should consider having a registered electrical contractor check your electrics before you purchase to make sure you have an appropriate socket and the additional safety features such as a Residual Current Device (RCD). RCD’s have the ability to switch off the electric within milliseconds if a fault is detected. These devices can save life. If you are looking for a more permanent solution you will need to have an electrician review your current electrics to see if fitting a new hot tub is possible. You may need to spend additional money upgrading your existing electrics before you can enjoy your new purchase. It’s really important to use a registered electrical contractor for this type of work as the Building Regulations may require the works to be notified to the local building control body."

Using a registered electrician contractor such as those with NICEIC ensures carrying out electrical work is done safely and to the required standard. You can search for a registered electrical contractor in your area by visiting:- NICEIC.Com.

Tarleton and Hesketh Bank VJ Day Anniversary Community Convoy hs been cancelled

THE Tarleton and Hesketh Bank Community have announced that they will be holding a 75th VJ Day Anniversary event was hoped to take place on 15 August 2020, but has been cancelled today by Lancashire County Council. The organises have posted the following message:- "Please take notice that Lancashire County Council ("the Authority"), in exercise of the powers conferred by regulation 5(1) of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No. 3) Regulations 2020 ("he No. 3 Regulations"), has given the Direction attached:-

a) That the Tarleton and Hesketh Bank Community Convoy Group's Celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the VJ Day Convoy scheduled to take place on 15 August 2020 is prohibited from taking place at all.

b) That no VJ Day Convoy vehicles may gather or parade along the designated route for the intended Celebration at all.

c) That the organiser must advertise the cancellation of the event through the same social media platform on which he advertised the same.

d) The organiser must use his best endeavours to notify attendees to the event in any other way that the event has also been advertised, such as other social media platforms or via direct contact with intended attendees.

This Direction is made in respect of The Tarleton and Hesketh Bank Community Convoy Group's Celebration of the 75th Anniversary of VJ Day Convoy.

This Direction is effective immediately. Therefore the event must not take place as planned on the 15 August 2020 at 4pm or any time prior to that time. The only action required to be put into effect is the cancellation of the event. It shall be reviewed every 7 days in accordance Regulation 2(2)(b) of the No. 3 Regulations.

Please take actions to ensure the Direction is complied with immediately.

Kind Regards,

Chris Wilkinson

Trading Standards Manager

Lancashire County Council, 4th Floor, Lancashire Point, Preston, PR1 0LD"

North West water firm, United Utilities, is taking on 120 new staff as part of a summer recruitment drive

THE company has recruited 100 new customer agents and is now on the hunt for 20 people with unique digital skills to join its digital services team. During June, July and August 2020, the firm has been working with recruitment partner, Rullion, to interview and recruit more than 100 new customer service personnel for its teams based in Lingley Mere, Warrington and Whitehaven, Cumbria.

A socially distanced and virtual selection process was used and included an application and CV pre-screen, a competency based telephone interview, online tests to include numeracy, literacy and call handling and finally a telephone or video interview with a customer services manager.

Tracy Hands, Rullion client services manager for United Utilities, commented:- "It was already clear that the pandemic has resulted in a lot of people sadly losing their jobs, but the volume of applications we’ve received for these roles is unprecedented. We started recruiting in June and received more than 1600 enquiries. In the first week alone we took more than 600 phone calls and answered over 1000 emails. The response has meant we had to ensure we carried out a fair and robust selection process at a supersonic pace."

People from the travel, hospitality, arts and culture sectors; even some budding actors; have taken on a new challenge and joined United Utilities’ customer services team. The company is also advertising for 20 new digital professionals with a unique set of skills to join its recently restructured digital team.

United Utilities’ Digital Services and Central Operations Director, Simon Chadwick, commented:- "We're not the old fashioned infrastructure business you may have thought we were, we’re a FSTE 100 business that’s powered by technology. From the sensors that sit in our pipes collecting over a million signals a year, to connecting our 5000 employees with our customers; we're a digital organisation with an industrial past. The people who join us need to want to make a positive change in the world through technology. We want a diverse range of people who aren’t afraid to disrupt us. Of course, there are certain technical skills we’re looking for, but more than anything we want business leaders who make change happen."

Further details of the digital services vacancies can be found at:- Rullion.Co.UK.

Letter to Editor:- "Take time to talk and listen."

"I'M a woman on a mission to use my past (shiny corporate girl to homeless and suicidal) to help others in this particularly challenging and uncertain time as we zig-zag our way towards seemingly bleak future in the UK. Today marks the anniversary of my becoming homeless and I note the date each year, not for sympathy or any such maudlin reason, but simply to celebrate progress. It's a time where I was hopeless, worthless, a burden to others and ready to take my own life. Thankfully I never slept on the street. A patchwork combination of a sofa here, a spare bed there, a caravan on someone's drive even; just me, my dog and my laptop; and thankfully an amazing bunch of folks who were truly my 'social scaffold' and propped me up until I could sort myself out. The 'former matrimonial home' had been sold and funds blocked by 'the other party' leaving me in a desperate situation and in a very bad place. The domestic abuse, psychological torture, and absolute desperation took me to a secluded spot where I had planned to end it all. Today 1 of my friends has commented:- ''If I'm honest, there were times I wondered if you'd have a future, whether you'd make it'' and she's not on her own, as I wondered that too! But I'm here. I'm planning my next house move and it's all do-able. But to get that social scaffold that kept me afloat you have to be able to talk about it; you have to be able to ask for help; it has to be OK to not be OK. That is why I tell my story, warts, and all. 2 reasons. Firstly so that if that's YOU right now, keep moving forward. Just 1 tiny step forward. Or rest awhile where you are and then head up, go again. Secondly because as a society we have to normalize conversations about mental health and suicide ideation or people won't all make it through. You don't have to be a Counsellor or Therapist. Decent human beings make a life-saving difference and you can too. The future looks very uncertain and the media is reporting recession, redundancy, financial difficulties on top of what we know is likely to be an overwhelming need for support in mental health; from a service that is underfunded, overworked and was already dysfunctional BEFORE the pandemic brought about the 20% increase. Will you help me get the message out there and shatter the silence, please? It matters." Andrea Newton - Abdcct.

Letter to the Editor:- "GCSE and A-Level result"

"IF your child has just received their A-Level result, or is about to discover their GCSE results, it will likely be an anxious time for them, and you. Due to the unprecedented nature of this year, pupils haven’t been able to sit their exams; naturally, each young person will have their own reaction to this, with more than 1,100 already contacting Childline to say they felt robbed of an opportunity, or were otherwise worried about their results. We've heard from many young people who said they felt overwhelmed, anxious and stressed, depressed or unable to sleep because of the worry, and it's important that adults are around to support young people who are getting their results. The most important thing you can do is to remind your child they're not alone. There are lots of places to get advice and support, including:- Childline, where they can discuss their anxiety and look at potential next steps. If you know someone who didn't do as well as they'd hoped, reassure them the results won't determine the rest of their life. They can speak to a guidance counsellor or careers advisor about their options; whether that’s appealing, re-sitting, going to another University or College or changing to a similar course. The important thing is that young people should talk to someone they trust about their concerns and get advice about what to do next. Remember, your child may find it difficult to speak to you about their results. All you can do is be patient and supportive until they're ready to talk about their feelings. Let them know it's okay to take some time to think about what they want to do next, and if they’d rather talk to one of our specially trained counsellors, Childline is still here for children and young people on:- 08001111 or at:- Childline.Org.UK." Nina Bukowski, Childline Supervisor.

Total UK cases COVID-19 cases in and around Liverpool City Region

THE total UK daily number of lab-confirmed positive test results:- 1,441. The total overall UK lab-confirmed positive test results:- 316,367. Daily number of COVID-19 associated UK fatalities added to the total, was sadly reported to be:- 11, with the total number of deaths of people who have had a positive test result now standing at:- 41,358. In England, there are a total of:- 273,314 confirmed cases since the outbreak. North West - total of:- 49,499 confirmed cases. The number of COVID-19 patients currently in UK Hospitals:- 925. The current number of COVID-19 patients currently in mechanical ventilation beds in UK Hospitals:- 75.  Daily number of COVID-19 patients admitted to UK Hospitals:- 129. Due to new UK Government system of reporting we are having to sort out a new system to bring you the local area results, for the Liverpool City Region and surrounding areas.