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Every Thursday from 3^rd February, between 10am and 4pm, visitors to Southport Market will be able to enjoy a day of shopping, eating, drinking, and relaxing.

Held in the brand-new Extravaganza Space every Thursday, Southport Market’s weekly artisan market will be a chance for local traders and creators to showcase their wares. Stalls will include local crafts, personalised products, candles, beauty products, jewellery, accessories, homeware, stationary, and more.

Showcase

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council’s Labour Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, said:
“The new market event, held every Thursday in our Extravaganza space, provides traders with a fantastic opportunity to showcase their goods every week and for visitors to support local businesses.

“And as well as shopping for that unusual item or gift, people can also enjoy an international array of foods and drink on offer from the market’s permanent outlets.

The first event will be held on Thursday 3^rd February. Visitors attending the event have been advised to enter the Market via the Market Street entrance.

Strength to strength

Cllr Atkinson continued:
“Since the opening of the £1.4 million refurbishment and repurpose of the old Southport Market building was completed in July 2021 the new Southport Market welcomed, and continues to welcome, guests locally, regionally and nationally, and the space has gone from strength to strength.”

Find out more about Southport Market and keep up to date with what’s available and the latest events. 

Anyone interested in trading on the Thursday market can contact the team at southport.market@sefton.gov.uk

People living in Bootle’s Linacre ward are being invited to apply for ‘green’ grants to improve the area’s appearance.

Supported by the Linacre Ward elected members and funding coming from Sefton Council, the grants of between £250 and £1,000 are for new projects developed by local people. The scheme is managed by Bootle-based social enterprise Regenerus.

Apply

Any group of Linacre Ward residents can apply to the fund. They can be part of a community organisation working with volunteers, or just an informal group of friends and neighbours who want to work together on a local environmental project.

Organisers say that typical applications might come from groups wishing to hire skips for a community clean-up, or residents looking to create a new community garden on local wasteland.

Successful applications from previous rounds have included a project to improve one of the key gateways into Bootle, and a scheme to brighten up a local neighbourhood centre with new planters and hanging baskets.

Elsewhere in the town, funding created a community ‘pick your own’ fruit, vegetables and herbs project in a local park, and helped people in recovery to clear overgrown plots of land while learning horticultural skills.

Prepare

Ruth Livesey of Regenerus said: “We’re hoping for a very good response to the latest round of funding which comes at a great time to prepare for this year’s growing season.

“We’re looking forward to receiving some high-quality applications that will make a significant improvement to the Linacre Ward environment.

“At the same time, as previous rounds have shown, projects supported by the fund achieve the additional benefits of creating new friendships, promoting volunteering and getting residents more involved in looking after their neighbourhoods, especially young people.”

Forms

Fund guidelines and application forms can be downloaded from the Regenerus website – www.regenerus.org.uk.

The deadline for applications is Thursday 31st March.

Two months on from the international environment summit COP26, Sefton Council is pledging that 2022 will be the greenest year yet!

2022 will see a number of key projects reach or move towards completion and significantly reduce the carbon footprint generated from Council operations.

Work due to be completed later this year at Bootle and Southport town halls will result in carbon savings. It has consisted of new energy-efficiency measures such as double glazing and insulation , which will result in a 32% reduction in gas consumption. Across the Borough the installation of LED street lights is continuing with 3,311 lanterns installed so far along with 213 full column replacements. This has meant a saving 148,852 kWh of electricity already.

After significant progress towards a net zero carbon target of 2030 over the past two years, the Council is set to embark on key projects this year to reduce emissions Borough-wide.

Sefton Council recently approved plans for over £3 million to be spent on retrofit measures in over 500 homes in the Borough which will make homes more energy efficient, cheaper to run and better for the planet. Schools in Sefton are also getting involved in green projects like the AirWatch project to monitor air quality it playgrounds and set about improving it.

Cllr Paulette Lappin, Cabinet Member for Regulation, Compliance and Corporate Services said: “I am extremely excited to see all the projects and initiatives we have planned to combat the climate emergency in 2022.

“Every year we get closer to our target date of net zero carbon by 2030 for our own operations and to see progress continue steadily towards this target is fantastic and a testament to our commitment to eliminate our net carbon footprint.

“I was so proud to see all the efforts and pledges right across our Borough during COP26 and it seems that spirit has followed us into 2022. I know this year will be productive in reducing borough wide emissions and our work with residents, businesses, partners and schools will make Sefton cleaner, greener and healthier.”

The Council, alongside partners, businesses and schools will honour those pledges made during COP26 as part of the Council’s #IPledge campaign which saw over 50 business and schools make pledges towards a greener future.

You can find the latest Sefton Climate Emergency Annual Report here.