Author: Martin Driver

Over the Christmas and New Year break, Sefton Council will be supporting more than 9,000 local families by providing them with meal vouchers, worth £15 per child per week.

Local supermarkets

Vouchers can be used to buy food from local supermarkets, either in-store or online by eligible families who qualify for free school meals.

Accepted by supermarkets across Sefton, the half-term meals vouchers can only be spent on food and essentials and can’t be used to purchase alcohol, tobacco, lottery tickets, phone top-ups or stamps.

Bleak

Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing said: “Sadly, for a lot of families across Sefton and the UK, this Christmas is looking bleak because as people worry about fuel bills, inflation, interest rates and prices in the shops all of which have rocketed.

“By providing around 9,000 Sefton families with these meal vouches for the school holiday period, we can hopefully help to ease some of their concerns and help to make Christmas a little happier and New Year a little brighter.”

Cost of living

Free school meals and how to apply for them is one of the areas covered in the special Cost of Living section that Sefton Council has set up on its website at www.sefton.gov.uk/costofliving.

Other areas include Welfare Benefits, help with rent and Council Tax, debt advice, health and wellbeing, foodbanks & food pantries and a link to the Sefton Support Hub.

Additionally, there are details of the Emergency Limited Assistance (ELAS) scheme, which can provide a one-off payment to Sefton residents experiencing severe hardship, a disaster or emergency.

Toy Appeal

Cllr Hardy added: “Another way people can brighten up Christmas for children across our Borough is to donate to The Mayor’s Toy Appeal.

“Each year, we ask those who can donate toys and gifts for children and young people and every year we are bowled over by Sefton’s generosity.

“People can find out how and where to donate at www.sefton.gov.uk/toyappeal.” 

With a range of freshwater bodies across the Borough, including lakes, ponds, rivers and stretches of canal, Sefton Council is reminding people about the dangers of going onto ice.

Tragic news

Cllr Ian Moncur, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing said: “Today’s tragic news from Solihull is a sad reminder of the dangers of going onto ice on lakes, ponds, rivers and canals and our thoughts are with the individuals and families involved in yesterday’s incident.

“I want to remind people that no matter how firmly frozen surfaces appear to be, the ice can, in reality, be uneven and very thin in places.

“With water temperatures so low, cold water shock can set in immediately. Very quickly this leads to rapid breathing, your blood pressure shooting up and a loss of muscle control and strength, leaving you unable to swim or rescue yourself.”

Never go onto the ice

Cllr Moncur said that the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) advises that people should never go onto the ice to rescue somebody and that they should call 999 and ask for the Fire and Rescue Service.

He also said people should keep dogs on leads close to frozen water bodies to ensure they stay safe and to prevent the temptation to rescue them should they fall through.

Advice

The RLSS UK advises that if you do fall through ice, you should:

• Keep calm and shout for ‘help’.
• Spread your arms across the surface of the ice in front of you.
• If the ice is strong enough, kick your legs to slide onto the ice.
• Lie flat and pull yourself towards the bank.
• If the ice breaks, work your way to the bank-breaking the ice in front of you anyway
• If you cannot climb out, wait for help and keep as still as possible. Press your arms by your side and keep your legs together. Keep your head clear of the water.
• Once you are safe, go to hospital immediately for a check-up.

Assistance

If you see someone fall through the ice, the RLSS UK says you should:

• Shout for assistance and phone the emergency services – call 999 or 112.
• Do not walk or climb onto the ice to attempt a rescue.
• Shout to the casualty to ‘keep still’ and offer reassurance to keep them calm.
• Try and reach them from the bank using a rope, pole, tree branch, clothing tied together or anything else which can extend your reach.
• When reaching from the bank, lie down to avoid being pulled onto the ice.
• If you cannot reach them, slide something which floats, such as a plastic bottle or football, across the ice for them to hold onto to stay afloat whilst help is on the way.
• If the casualty is too far away, do not attempt to rescue them. Wait for the emergency services while calming and reassuring the casualty.

Vital

Cllr Moncur added:
“This is all vital advice from the Royal Life Saving Society UK which can help to save lives but the very best way to stay safe is not going onto the ice at all.”