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Author: Ollie Cowan

Freshfields Rescue host pub quiz double-header to celebrate 40th birthday

20 March 2019
Ollie Cowan
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Categories: 2019 - Sefton's Year of friendship, Essential Sefton, Front Page, Latest News, Your Sefton

Freshfields Animal Rescue is continuing its mammoth 40th birthday celebrations with two charity pub quizzes in April.

As part of the yearlong commemoration of the much loved animal rescue shelter, Freshfields have teamed up with a Southport pub quiz host for a double header of trivia and game nights in April.

Oragnisers are hoping the quiz nights, hosted at the Freshfields Pub, Formby and Kokomo Wine Bar, Southport will raise much needed funds to help abandoned, abused and unwanted animals who have been rescued by the shelter.

Naomi Clarke, Community Fundraiser at Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre, said: “Everyone loves a good quiz and we’re inviting everyone to come down to either night to tickle your trivia tastebuds and be in with a chance of winning some great prizes!

“They are both guaranteed to be fantastic evenings and we are formally laying down the challenge for you to pit your knowledge of pop culture, music and current affairs against some of the finest quiz brains in Sefton – and it’s all for a great cause.

“At Freshfields Animal Rescue the need for our services never stops, and we simply would not have reached our 40th year without the fantastic support of our local communities across Sefton.

“Our quiz host, Ollie Cowan, has been a close friend of Freshfields for some time, and in the spirit of Sefton Council’s ‘Year of Friendship’, this is another brilliant way for us all to come together and change lives for the better.

“Invite your friends, spread the word, and we look forward to seeing you there.”

Ollie, who hosts Jolly Olly’s Quiz Night at Kokomo Wine Bar, Southport every Wednesday evening, said: “The team at Freshfields Animal Rescue do some incredible and selfless work helping animals and I am delighted to be able to play a small part in helping celebrate their 40th birthday.

“We’ll have games, trivia, raffles and lots of prizes to give away so please get your teams together and join us at the Freshfields Pub, Massams Lane, Formby on Friday April 12 and Kokomo Wine Bar on Bold Street, Southport on April 17 from 8pm.”

For more information about both quizzes visit www.facebook.com/jollyollysquiz.

Find out more about Freshfields Animal Rescue via www.freshfields.org.uk

Register your appliances for a safer 2019

19 March 2019
Ollie Cowan
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Categories: Essential Sefton, Front Page, Latest News

Registering your appliance’s details is now as vital a safety precaution as fitting life-saving smoke alarms.

It applies whether you are a home owner, tenant or landlord.

Safety recalls on appliances are rare, but if a problem arose it’s crucial the appliance can be located and a free repair made.

And there is no better – or easier – way to instantly be on the manufacturer’s radar than to take a few seconds on www.registermyappliance.org.uk registering each appliance.

Once registered, in the rare instance of a safety repair, a qualified engineer would visit to perform a quick fix, making the product safe for the rest of its working life. It is a simple means to ensure safety.

There are 170 million large appliances in use in UK homes. Multiple ownership is now common – over 2 million freezers are now in four-freezer households.

We rely on such domestic appliances daily for important jobs – chilling food, cooking, cleaning and washing. And it doesn’t matter if your appliance is not new – you can register appliances up to 12 years old.
So it makes sense to minimise risk by registering as many products as you can. Make 2019 your safest year yet by visiting www.registermyappliance.org.uk.

Active Alma astounds instructors as she turns 100!

18 March 2019
Ollie Cowan
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Categories: 2019 - Sefton's Year of friendship, Active Sefton, Essential Sefton, Front Page, Latest News

A Maghull woman is proving that age is just a number as she continues to impress instructors at Sefton’s Active Ageing sessions – at 100 years old!

Alma Jones, who celebrated her landmark birthday on Tuesday March 12, is a familiar face at her local Active Ageing Falls Prevention class and she insists keeping active is key to her longevity.

Bootle born Alma regularly joins other elderly residents at St Andrews Church, Maghull for the weekly classes where skilled instructors help Over 65s to develop muscle strength and improve balance, with the aim of preventing potentially serious falls or accidents.

As well as attending the sessions, Alma, a mother of two, admitted to keeping a very active lifestyle from an early age – including rock-climbing, fell walking, hockey and tennis – is the secret to reaching 100!

Alma said: “Not only are the Active Ageing classes fantastic for keeping well and building up your muscle strength, they’re also a great opportunity for people to make friends and have a chat between exercises!

“I love coming to the class. I have always been very active and throughout my life I’ve done lots of exciting things like rock-climbing and made sure I always kept fit by swimming, cycling and general good living.

“I still swam right up until my nineties and played sports too. Now I enjoy this Active Ageing class and I can assure you, you know which muscles you use at the end of it!

“We balance, stretch and make sure we keep as fit as possible in the class. I’d encourage anybody to come to one of our classes as it’s not only a fantastic way to keep fit, but it’s also very beneficial for making friends.”

At a recent Active Ageing class Alma was presented with a bouquet of flowers and a cake from instructors and her fellow members sang happy birthday to her.

She followed up by celebrating her landmark birthday surrounded by family and friends at her home.

Cllr Ian Moncur, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “Alma is a fantastic lady and she has proven that you can still lead an active and healthy lifestyle, even at the age of 100!

“Our Active Ageing teams, are committed to helping anyone who is unsteady on their feet or wants to gain more confidence walking through their free twelve week courses.”

Active Ageing is a Free 12-week programme designed to help with the prevention of falls for those aged 65 and over and who live within the South Sefton area.

The programme includes a range of exercises aimed at focusing on improving strength and balance to help reduce the risk of a further fall occurring.

For more information about the Active Ageing programme, which is funded by South Sefton CCG, and other available courses, please call 0151 934 2352.

/Ends

Learn more about money with Southport Money Advice Group

13 March 2019
Ollie Cowan
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Categories: Front Page, Health

Southport Money Advice Group are holding a free learning exchange event on Wednesday 27th March 2019 in Southport. The event will discuss money as an issue nationally and locally and its impact on health and wellbeing.

With record levels of household debt, this event explores the changing policy context, the impact of debt on local communities and shows how residents and organisations in Southport are working together to improve access to money advice services.

Who is the event for?

The event is open to agencies and organisations who work with residents (e.g. community and resident’s groups, charities, statutory and third sector organisations and registered social landlords) and who want to find out more about money advice.

It will provide an opportunity to meet over lunch with service providers within the area and to learn more about other money and wellbeing services available in Southport.

Who’s organising the event?

The event is being organised by the Southport Money Advice Group and partners as part of a ‘Neighbourhood for Learning’ and is one of nine taking place across the north-west.

The overarching Neighbourhood Resilience Programme aims to bring together residents, academics, local groups and services to research and improve underlying social, economic and environmental factors which affect people’s health and wellbeing.

You will hear about:

  • Changing national money and health policy context
  • The impact of financial difficulties on health and wellbeing
  • Examples of how ‘Neighbourhoods for Learning’ are working together to change services to benefit local people
  • How simple changes away from the negative language of debt can positively impact on people with financial difficulties
  • What residents and organisations have done so far to improve access to money advice services in Southport

Book your free place here.

 

International Social Prescribing Day

13 March 2019
Ollie Cowan
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Categories: Front Page, Health

This Thursday (March 14) sees the first International Social Prescribing Day organised by the Social Prescribing Network.

Haven’t lost you yet? Good, because Living Well Sefton is celebrating by showing you what is just around the corner in Sefton to make you feel better about yourself. All will be revealed at the end of this article.

In the meantime, what does social prescribing actually refer to?

It sounds rather clinical but it is about signposting people to a range of local, non-clinical services and activities. This is because having positive mental wellbeing is as important as having good physical health.

For example, where you live, how you live and who you live, work and socialise with, all impact on your health and wellbeing. Pointing people in the direction of different activities such as cooking, gardening, crafting, volunteering and walking can improve their lifestyle – and outlook on life.

International Social Prescribing Day represents the first annual international celebration of social prescribing. Clinicians, allied healthcare professionals, community groups, voluntary organisations, patients, medical schools, academics, and students across the UK and world will host a series of events and activities across the globe to raise awareness of social prescribing in people of all ages.

Dr Marie Polley, co-founder of The Social Prescribing Network and Senior Lecturer in Health Sciences at the University of Westminster, said: “Raising awareness of social prescribing for professionals and the public is a crucial next step now that social prescribing has been included as part of the future NHS.”

In Sefton, we have a thriving voluntary, charity and faith (VCF) sector with numerous organisations and groups geared up to bring out the best in people.

Living Well Sefton has links with many VCF partners and they have been helping people find their goals in a way that works for them. This may be stopping smoking, getting out more, or taking up a new hobby.

If you live in the Southport area the Brighter Living Partnership has lots of groups and courses to choose from whether you’re interested in gardening, learning to cook delicious recipes or catching up with friends in the Sunshiners group.

For those in the Netherton area, there is the Feelgood Factory which has its own green space nearby for growing vegetables, fruits and herbs as well as daily groups such as craft, reading, yoga as well as  walking football and stress clinics.

While those living in the Bootle area can pop in to the May Logan centre and try out their social walking club, gardening group, groups for older people and the free health checks they provide at the Strand By Me shop.

Whatever it is, Living Well Sefton and all its various partners are here to support you. Give us a call on 0300 323 0181 or refer into our service via the website home page.

For more reading on social prescribing click here:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/social-prescribing/

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