Front Page Archives - Page 131 of 465 - My Sefton News Channel

Sefton Council celebrates Black History Month 2021

6 October 2021

Amy Hitchmough

No comments

Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Your Sefton

During this Black History Month Sefton Council will be celebrating the incredible history, achievements and contributions of black people in our communities and across Merseyside.

Throughout the month, we will also be shining a light on some of the people and organisations who are striving for equality and diversity in our Borough. This includes an update about the Council’s joint work with the Liverpool City Region’s Combined Authority, to drive the race equality agenda across the whole City Region.

There are a range of exciting events happening across the Borough, some of which are based on this year’s national campaign ‘Proud to be’, which encourages people from our black communities to share their own personal and unique stories.

We’ll be keeping people updated about these activities but to kick off, here are a few to highlight;

Sefton Libraries

Sefton Council will be hosting a series of library events during half term. Aimed at young people, the sessions will open up conversations around Black history. Children will be encouraged to think about who they are, where they come from, their heritage and how they are ‘Proud to be’.

Parents can sign up for their children to join one of two groups — one in Crosby Library, and one in Bootle. Both events are free, but booking is essential to help manage numbers.

Please email nwokoarts@gmail.com with any questions. Drinks and snacks will be provided, please bring a pack lunch for the longer sessions. Parents are welcome to stay to join the session if they would like too.

Bootle Library

Saturday 16th October 11:00 am – 12:00pm, Introduction

Join workshop leader Maria Paul to take part in some icebreaker games and to meet the rest of your group.

Monday 25th October 11:00 – 2:00 pm, What is in a name?

What is in a name? We will creatively explore our names and where they originate from, investigating their meaning and celebrating the richness and diversity of our names.

Tuesday 26th October 11:00 – 1:00 pm, Mask Making

Our final session will be an African mask making session, using the origins of our names as inspiration for what we make. Afterwards, we will engage in a movement session and small performance wearing our masks.

To book tickets and find out more information, visit the event page.

Crosby Library

Saturday 23th October 11:00 am – 12:00pm, Introduction

Join workshop leader Maria Paul to take part in some icebreaker games and to meet the rest of your group.

Wednesday 27th October 11:00 – 2:00 pm, What is in a name?

What is in a name? We will creatively explore our names and where they originate from, investigating their meaning and celebrating the richness and diversity of our names.

Thursday 28th October 11:00 – 1:00 pm, Mask Making

Our final session will be an African mask making session, using the origins of our names as inspiration for what we make. Afterwards, we will engage in a movement session and small performance wearing our masks.

To book tickets and find out more information, visit the event page.

Southport against Racism Community Event

The Southport Against Racism Community Group are holding a fun-packed event entitled ‘Proud to be Black in Southport’. The event brings communities together to enjoy artists and talent from across the Borough with performances including music, poetry and spoken word.

The event will take place on Saturday 30^th October at Greenbank High School, Southport.

To register for free tickets, people can visit www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/proud-to-be-black-in-southport-tickets-184136746967

People can stay up to date and get involved by joining the event group ‘Southport Against Racism’ on Facebook.

Black History Month in Schools

Black History Month magazine has sent 500 resource packs to UK schools which include information about key moments in Black British History and a wide variety of lesson plans. People can find the resource packs by visiting www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk

Cllr Trish Hardy, Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing at Sefton Council, said:

“We are proud to be celebrating our black communities throughout Black History Month and beyond. As a council, we are incredibly grateful for the contributions black people continue to make to not only our Borough, but across the UK.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how black people across our Borough are ‘proud to be’ and to continue conversations on how we can build a stronger, more united society.”

Catherine Ross, the editor of Black History Month UK, said: “It’s been a challenging time for many black and brown people, with so much in the media about racism, inequality and injustice. We wanted the theme of Black History Month 2021 to focus on celebrating being black or brown, and to inspire and share the pride people have in their heritage and culture – in their own way, in their own words.”

Warning over hits to people’s mental health and unpaid carers’ income, from Universal Credit cut

6 October 2021

Martin Driver

No comments

Categories: Front Page, Health, Latest News

As the Government’s £20 cut in Universal Credit, which will affect many families across Sefton, comes into effect today, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, Cllr Ian Moncur has expressed his concern about the effect it will have on people’s mental health.

Pushed into poverty

Cllr Moncur said: “Around ½ million families across the country have been forecast to be pushed into poverty by today’s cut by the Government, including many Sefton households.

“Poverty puts huge day-to-day strain on individuals and families, but it can also be the first step to poor mental and physical health.”

During the pandemic the already-high proportion of Sefton households relying on Universal Credit has increased. Many of them are working families. More Sefton families are now in the absolute or relative low-income categories and the eligibility for free school meals in the Borough has risen.

During the COIVID-19 pandemic Sefton Council has given out over 4,800 payments for emergency help and made over 2,700 Discretionary Housing Payments to help people struggling with rents and bills.

Raising the risk

Cllr Moncur continued: “Research funded by the Nuffield Foundation, has shown that when the then Chancellor George Osborne lowered the benefit cap in 2016, it had the effect of raising the risk of experiencing mental ill health among those at-risk of being capped by around 10 percentage points.

“Another conclusion drawn from this research was that the lower benefit cap may have meant people with poorer mental health being pushed further from the labour market as a result.”

Additionally, Cllr Moncur expressed concern that unpaid carers of disabled people will also be hard hit by today’s cut.

Shortfall

He said: “Government ministers have claimed people just need to work an extra two hours a week to make up the £20 shortfall.

“This has been disputed but even if it were correct, under the Government’s rules, people who receive the carer element of Universal Credit already have to spend at least 35 hours a week looking after a severely disabled person.

“It would be very hard for them to take on paid work, even if their caring responsibilities made it possible.”

Concerned

Cllr Moncur added: “I would urge anyone who is concerned about the effect the Government’s £1,040 annual cut in their income will have on their mental or physical health or who is an unpaid carer, to visit the Sefton Directory at www.seftondirectory.com/.

“The Directory contains a whole range of information and advice for people who live with disability or who may be carers.

“Anyone who has difficulty accessing the Directory online can call our Contact Centre on 0345 140 0845 who will be able to point them in the right direction for support and advice.”

New bins introduced across Sefton at littering hotspots

6 October 2021

Martin Driver

No comments

Categories: Front Page, Green Sefton, Latest News

The Council’s Green Sefton Service has secured funding for 48 replacement bins to be installed at key littering hotspots across parks and coastal locations.

Green Sefton is responsible for managing more than 500 bins across 121 sites and is using its successful bid for funding to target locations with high footfall and those that have historically been affected by nuisance littering.

New bin installed at Crescent Gardens, Seafront Gardens, Waterloo

A total of £22,358 in UK Government funding has been awarded to the Council under the Resource Action Fund to help support its important work to improve the ‘binfrastructure’ (bin infrastructure) within litter-prone hotspots.

The Resource Action Fund is an £18 million fund, provided by Defra and managed by environmental charity WRAP, which supports resource efficiency projects in England in the key areas of food, plastics, textiles, recycling and litter. It does so through a variety of mechanisms including large and small-scale grants.

Open top 80-litre capacity bins across 48 spots, are being replaced with larger 120-litre capacity bins with a covered top. Twenty of the new bins will feature a bright yellow top so that they are easier for people to spot when using those spaces.

Cllr Ian Moncur, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said:

“Sefton has 22-miles of stunning coastline, more than 30 parks and around 180 open spaces. All these places have been more popular than ever throughout the pandemic, for both residents and visitors, as people have enjoyed spending more time outdoors.

“Sadly, not everyone has helped to protect these spaces by taking their rubbish home or using the bins provided. At the coast this can threaten rare species and damage sand dunes, and in parks it is incredibly unsightly and undermines the hard work our Green Sefton officers undertake on a daily basis to keep these spaces clean and tidy.

“Our aim here is to target key sites where we regularly see bins reach capacity. We’re also targeting areas with high levels of footfall where aimless littering often affects our communities who rely on these spaces.”

Locations that will benefit from the new bins are:

Ainsdale Village Park
Botanic Gardens, Southport
Bowersdale Park, Seaforth
Duke Street Park, Formby
South Park, Bootle
Amos Square Park, Litherland
Bedford Park, Southport
Crosby Coastal Park
Derby Park, Bootle
Hesketh Park, Southport
Seafront Gardens, Waterloo

Green Sefton officers will monitor the impact of the new bins and it is hoped that they will reduce littering levels in some of the Borough’s most-used outdoor spaces.

Larger capacity bins may also help to reduce the frequency that they need to be emptied, freeing up officer time to carry out essential maintenance across other popular visitor locations.

Claire Shrewsbury, Director of Insights and Innovation WRAP, said:

“We are pleased to be able to support Sefton Council to improve and expand its binfrastructure network with grant support through the Resource Action Fund. Resource efficiency projects such as this will help us achieve our goal of diverting and reducing waste, and better managing resources.”

Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said:

“Nobody wants to see litter in their communities. It tarnishes town centres, harms our wildlife and wastes taxpayers’ money cleaning it up.

“A key part of tackling this blight is to ensure that local areas have the right bins in the right places. That is why the Government is investing in the binfrastructure fund so we that we can have hundreds of new bins across the country, making our communities cleaner and safer.”

Cllr Moncur added:

“Sefton is a clean, green and beautiful Borough and the cleanliness of our outdoor spaces is very important to us. We want to reassure our residents that we are doing everything our resources allow to tackle littering through schemes like this, and we will continue to explore ways to reduce litter.”

People are also reminded that littering is a criminal offence and can ultimately result in a fine for those that continue to flout the rules. Anyone witnessed dropping litter by a Civil Enforcement Officer can be issued an on the spot Fixed Penalty Notice of £75.

People in Sefton are being urged to get their flu and COVID-19 vaccines

5 October 2021

Martin Driver

No comments

Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Uncategorized

People in Sefton are being urged to get their flu and COVID-19 vaccines as soon as they are offered, to boost their immunity this winter.

Each year, GPs in the borough call on those who are eligible to get their flu jab to help protect themselves, their family and friends. This year the offer of a flu jab is being extended to anyone aged 50 and over, as well as to those in high-risk groups.

With COVID-19 still in circulation, vaccinating against flu is more important than ever before.

Extremely contagious

Dr Pete Chamberlain, local GP and chair at NHS South Sefton CCG said: “Flu is extremely contagious and it can be debilitating for anyone and for those in ‘at risk’ groups it can have a serious impact.”

“If you are very young, old, pregnant or living with some health conditions, you could become seriously ill with flu. So, we are asking everyone that is eligible for the flu jab to ensure they get it as soon as it is offered. It is a simple procedure that could ultimately save lives.”

The NHS is also delivering the COVID-19 booster and. many GP surgeries are already contacting their most ‘at risk’ patients to arrange suitable appointments for their jabs. Those eligible for the COVID-19 booster will be able to have it from at least six months or 26 weeks after they have had their second jab. People should not contact their NHS as they will receive a letter or text inviting them for their booster jab when it is their turn. It may be possible for some people to have both jabs together, but people are being advised not to delay getting either vaccine, if they can’t be administered at the same time.

Increase your protection

Dr Rob Caudwell local GP and chair of NHS Southport and Formby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “We would encourage you to get your vaccines as soon as possible to increase your protection rather than waiting to get them at the same time. COVID-19 and Flu are completely different viruses. Flu changes strains each year, so getting this vaccination is just as important to protecting yourself and those around you this winter.”

“Health and care systems are working harder than ever to provide the best service they can, so getting your jabs is another important way to help us to help you through the busy winter period.”

Defending ourselves

Margaret Jones, Sefton Council’s Director of Public Health said: “Vaccination is the best way we can protect ourselves both against flu and the COVID-19 virus, so I would urge everyone to get their flu jab and COVID booster as soon as they are invited or offered them.

“By getting vaccinated we are not only defending ourselves against these very unpleasant and, for some people, dangerous viruses but we are also protecting our family, friends and colleagues.”

Health and social care workers are among those eligible for the booster, via the National Booking Service to receive their booster at least six months or 26 weeks after they have had their second jab.

Seriously ill

Research has shown that you’re more likely to be seriously ill if you get flu and COVID-19 together at the same time.

Dr Rob Caudwell, adds: “It’s amazing that so many people have had their COVID-19 vaccine, and if you’ve yet to have yours, it’s never too late.”

For more information on flu, visit the NHS website at – www.nhs.uk/conditions/flu

Those who are eligible for a free flu vaccine this year include:

children aged 2 to 15 (but not 16 years or older) on 31 August 2021 – who will be offered a nasal spray
those aged 6 months to under 50 years in clinical risk groups
pregnant women
those aged 50 years and over
those in long-stay residential care homes
carers
close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
frontline health and social care staff employed by:
a registered residential care or nursing home
registered domiciliary care provider
a voluntary managed hospice provider

More information about the COVID-19 booster programme is available here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/

Sefton Council retains Navajo Charter Mark at annual awards ceremony

5 October 2021

Martin Driver

No comments

Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Sefton Council

At the annual Navajo Awards Ceremony, held at The City of Liverpool College on Friday 1 October 2021, Sefton Council was once again awarded the Navajo Charter Mark for displaying good practice and commitment towards its LGBT+ staff and community.

Sefton became the first local authority to receive the charter mark back in 2018, marking its commitment to LGBT+ people across the Borough.

The Navajo Merseyside & Cheshire LGBT+ Charter Mark is an equality mark sponsored by In-Trust Merseyside and supported by the LGBT+ community networks across Merseyside– a signifier of good practice, commitment and knowledge of the specific needs, issues and barriers facing LGBT+ people across Merseyside.

Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing said:

“Sefton Council is committed to ensuring that our Borough enables everybody to be their true selves. In retaining our Navajo Charter Mark for the second time, we are once again sending a strong message to LGBT+ people across Sefton and beyond that we are an organisation that values them, understands their needs and will continue to make sure we do everything we can to support them.

“Although receiving the Navajo Charter Mark is a signifier of good practice, we know there is always more work to do. As part of the Navajo assessment process, four independent assessors met with various colleagues, partners and service users to gather evidence, enabling them to produce a report that the council will review and act upon to improve services.”

The process to receive the Navajo Charter Mark consists of ten assessment criteria, each asking for supporting resources. These resources include documents such as the Equality & Diversity Policy, an equality monitoring form, or brief details of working procedures, for example specific staff policies.

Cllr Ian Maher, Leader of Sefton Council said:

“The Navajo Charter Mark assessment process is not an easy one, but I would urge all organisations across Sefton, big and small, to work to become Navajo accredited.”

Organisations wanting to find out more about the free Navajo Charter Mark and the process involved can visit the website.

Sefton Council are also reminding people to complete LCR Pride Foundation’s Sefton LGBT+ Survey, which has been extended until Friday 15 October. Those wanting to have their views can click here.

Please follow & like us

Front Page