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Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards crowns the Atkinson in its 2020 awards

19 February 2021
Charlene Smith
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Categories: Essential Sefton, Front Page, Latest News, Sefton Council, Your Sefton

The winners of the 2020 Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards have been revealed in a unique online ceremony to celebrate the outstanding contributions to the industry in what has been a challenging year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hosted by Coronation Street and Emmerdale actress, Huyton-born Eithne Browne, the ceremony was broadcast live into over 300 homes where the finalists were standing by waiting for the winners to be announced.

Guest presenters from across the city region including the Principal Dancer of the Royal Ballet Matthew Ball, music artist and international DJ Yousef, actress Leanne Best and chef Paul Askew helped distribute the accolades by video link in the 15 categories.

The People’s Choice award which saw 2,300 of votes cast from across the Liverpool City Region, was awarded to The Atkinson Sefton while the Lifetime Achievement award, recognising an individual’s lifelong creative contribution to the Liverpool City Region, was bestowed on photographer, independent filmmaker and visual artist Sandi Hughes.

Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said:

“I always like to say that the Liverpool City Region is the country’s cultural capital; that creativity is in our DNA and we’ve really seen that on full display during this past year. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, our region has continually responded with imagination, creativity and generosity to keep us all connected and our spirits high.

“I’d like to congratulate everybody who has been nominated for an award and give a special congratulations to our award winners. I know that all of these fantastic organisations and people will play an integral role in the region’s recovery after this pandemic – I can’t wait to see what they will produce.”

A panel of judges including Co-Chairs of the Culture Partnership Phil Redmond and Maggie O’ Carroll, chose the finalists from more than 700 nominations this year.

Maggie O’ Carroll said:

“Despite the region’s museums, art galleries, theatres and music venues having to close their doors for the best part of the last year, it was heartening to see how many nominations we still had for this year’s awards and the quality of work we received which made the judging all the more difficult!”

The cultural and creative sector has been responsive and has shown to be a lifeline for many communities. It has proved invaluable in supporting people in their own health and well-being during these extraordinary times.”

Phil Redmond said:

“Congratulations to all the winners tonight at what was a dynamic digital ceremony. I’m delighted we could still get together using the power of technology to celebrate this year’s achievements in what has been a crippling year for many cultural organisations. It just shows the resilience of the people of the Liverpool City Region who even now are making a significant impact to culture and creativity.”

During the ceremony, the Borough of Culture title was handed from Sefton to Halton, the next of the city region’s six boroughs to hold the title.

Sefton Councillor and Cabinet member for Communities and Housing Trish Hardy said:

“I’m incredibly proud of how everyone took up the challenge to think differently about how we could present this year’s Borough of Culture in Sefton. Covid-19 has had a massive impact in all areas and I am grateful for all the hard work that went into what has been a difficult year for the cultural and creative sector.”

Councillor Eddie Jones, Portfolio Lead for Visitor Economy, Heritage and Events, and Lead Member for Borough of Culture at Halton Council said:

“As we move forward into 2021 and into Halton’s Borough of Culture year, hopefully with the ongoing vaccine roll out there will be the opportunity to enjoy some of the culture and creativity the borough has to offer in more normal circumstances. We are looking forward to celebrating Halton’s Borough of Culture year and to further build on the fantastic work we have seen in previous years.”

Liverpool Designer Mary Lamb, Head of Liverpool based costume and fashion production space fabricationstudios, also announced the winner of the Dress it Up competition which was awarded to Velma Von Bonbon in the amateur category and Emma Russell in the professional category.

They have both taken away a prize of bed and breakfast at the soon to open INNSiDE by Melia Liverpool Hotel, cocktails in the Sky Lounge at the INNSiDE by Melia Liverpool Hotel, dinner for 2 at Luban Restaurant with a bottle of Drappier Champagne, and 2 x tickets to a Liverpool City Region located theatre show and the chance to exhibit the winning creation at the INNSiDE hotel.

The Culture and Creativity awards were created as part of the Metro Mayor’s Percent for Culture initiative, to recognise the value and power for change that the arts, cultural and creative sector can bring in reinforcing the city region as one of the most vibrant and exciting places to live, work, study, visit or do business. The 2020 awards are delivered in partnership with Sefton Borough of Culture 2020 and sponsors including LuBan Restaurant, LuBan Kitchen, INNSiDE by Melia Liverpool, Davies Partnership and Accountable Recruitment.

This year’s awards covered arts and cultural events, innovation and creative activity that took place within the Liverpool City Region during the period 1st April 2019 to 12th November 2020.

Doorstep surge testing in Cambridge and Dukes wards to pause, testing to continue at Southport Theatre and Convention Centre

19 February 2021
Martin Driver
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Categories: Front Page, Health, Latest News

The surge testing operation across the Cambridge and Dukes wards of Southport will continue this weekend at the dedicated Mobile Testing Unit at Southport Theatre and Convention Centre, with doorstep testing to be paused.

Thousands of kits have been delivered to homes across the two ward areas, by Council and partner agency teams alongside volunteers, with door-to-door testing now stopping while Sefton Council awaits further direction from the DHSC.

Anyone aged over 16 living or working in the Cambridge and Dukes wards, particularly if they cannot work from home under the current restrictions, are being urged to continue to use the testing site at Southport Theatre and Convention Centre over the weekend – open 8am to 6.30pm.

For Southport residents not in those wards, they should follow the usual testing protocol dependent on if they have symptoms or not, with detailed testing information available on the Council’s website. 

Executive Director at Sefton Council, Andrea Watts, said: “We’ve seen incredible support from our residents over the past few weeks as we’ve targeted testing for the South African variant across three ward areas in Southport. Thank you once again for your continued efforts, and I know we’ll see people supporting us again this weekend by getting tested at the dedicated mobile unit on the Promenade.

“To everyone that has supported us and taken up a doorstep test, you’ve played a vital role in our work to help reduce the spread of this disease and to enable scientists to learn more about it. It’s been fantastic to see such a supportive response from our communities, likewise with the dedication of our teams on the ground visiting doorsteps come rain, snow or shine!”

To help stop the spread of the virus and its variants, aside from getting a test, residents should be staying at home as much as possible and only be going out for essential purposes; such as shopping for essential supplies, going to work if they can’t do so from home, providing care and daily exercise.

Andrea added: “There are no additional restrictions in place for those areas where surge testing is still being carried out, but we do encourage residents of those areas to take extra care and try to limit their time away from home.

“Everyone should remember of course that wearing a mask when it’s required, washing their hands regularly and maintaining social distancing are the best ways to stay safe and reduce the opportunity for the virus to spread.”

Southport Market work now underway

19 February 2021
Martin Driver
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Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Southport, Southport Town Deal

Southport Market is a step closer to being transformed into a leading food, drinks and events space, with work now underway. The market is scheduled to reopen in Spring 2021.

The ÂŁ1.4m scheme, which is a key enabler and an early part of Sefton Council’s Covid-19 recovery plan for Southport, will see 10 new food units and a feature bar installed.  This will be supported by a flexible events space able to host high-quality markets along with other events.

External funding from The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Southport Town Deal acceleration fund has been secured making the scheme possible.

Once complete it is hoped the revitalised market will act as an enabler for Southport, and forms early plans of an ambitious regeneration programme for the town following the Town Deal Board bid for ÂŁ50 million from the Government’s Town Deal. 

Medlock have been appointed to undertake the works, on behalf of Sefton Council, which are scheduled to take 12 weeks to complete, and have committed to a number of social value measures such as using local supply chains and sub-contractors. A number of extra measures will be put in place to ensure the site is Covid safe and meets all of the requirements with regards to construction sites.

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council’s Labour Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, said: “We know just how much of an important asset Southport Market is to the town, which is why this project is such a cornerstone of the Southport Town Deal. 

“But we’ve also managed to secure additional external funding to completely transform the building, which shows real commitment from Sefton Council.

“I’m thrilled that a number of new food and drink traders have already signed up to be a part of the new Southport Market, demonstrating a real confidence in the scheme. This will see a number of new local businesses established, creating substantial new job opportunities in the hospitality industry which, as we know, has been hit so hard over the last 12 months.

“The new flexible events space will also create many opportunities for individuals or local businesses to trade again demonstrating that Sefton is not only business friendly but open for business.”

The project will act as a catalyst for the regeneration of Southport and surrounding area and will provide a vital boost to the local economy and continued regeneration of Southport’s market quarter and King Street.  The market will also include units for fresh produce stalls, creating a true market feel to the building.

Chris Addy, Project Director Medlock FRB Ltd said: “We are excited to be working alongside Warrington architecture and interior design specialist @DV8 to transform the historic Southport Market for Sefton Council.  We will be delivering a full remodelling and fit-out.

“We’ll be refurbishing the existing market to create a new food hall and plenty of extra space, rejuvenating this beautiful social hub. While there’s a range of exciting new features to add, we’ll be retaining some existing features.

“We’re excited to be working on such a huge project for Sefton Council and eager to get the market up and running for a great start to the summer.”

Enabling works already completed mean Blackhurst Butchers, who have been trading in the market for over 20 years, will move to a brand new, self-contained unit at the front of the market, and will continue to trade throughout the works.

 

Sefton residents up the vaccine ‘Q’ with pioneering new technology

18 February 2021
John McCabe
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Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Uncategorized

Sefton residents have recently been alerted to their clinically extremely vulnerable Covid-19 status as part of a national push by Government.

QCovid, a new predictive risk model developed by Oxford University, uses technology that analyses a combination of risk factors based on medical records, to assess whether somebody may be more vulnerable than was previously understood, has helped clinicians identify, for the first time, a new group of people who may be at high risk from Covid-19.

In letters to those affected, including those residents already known to be clinically extremely vulnerable, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHCS) is urging residents to continue shielding until March 31 – vital information on how to do this can be accessed by visiting the Sefton Council Covid-19 webpages.

Also in the letters, is confirmation that those residents now categorised as clinically extremely vulnerable will receive their vaccination jabs sooner, which was one of the key drivers to develop the innovation.

The risk model has been combined with emerging evidence gathered from the first wave of the pandemic following a study commissioned by England’s Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty and funded by the National Institute for Health Research. The research found there are several health and personal factors, such as age, ethnicity and BMI, as well as certain medical conditions and treatments, which, when combined, could mean someone is at a higher risk from COVID-19.

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

“The vaccination programme is the most vital tool we have in limiting the impact of Coronavirus in our communities. The arrival of QCovid and the fact it has enabled even more of our clinically extremely vulnerable residents to be administered with their first Covid vaccine jab, is reassuring for them and their many loved ones.

“While this an important step forward, I want to echo the sentiments of the letter sent to them from the DHCS and urge caution from all clinically extremely vulnerable residents – please do not let dropping infection rate and the vaccine rollout lead to complacency, please continue adhering the shielding advice until March 31.”

Sefton Youth Worker Sue Logie speaks about the importance of LBGT+ History Month

17 February 2021
Charlene Smith
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Categories: Front Page, Health, Latest News, Sefton Council
Sue Logie and Sefton’s Chief Exec, Dwayne Johnson, attending Pride in Liverpool

LGBT+ History Month is an annual celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender history, which raises awareness of prejudice against the LGBT+ community while celebrating its achievements and diversity. During the month we’ve been celebrating some amazing people who form part of the LGBT+ community’s past and present.

We caught up with one of Sefton Council’s youth workers Sue Logie. She is the lead worker for New Beginnings, Sefton’s LGBT+ youth group, which provides a safe space for young people to socialise and share experiences. Sue was also winner in the prestigious LCR Pride Awards 2019.

We asked Sue about her experiences as she continues to support young LGBT+ people and why LGBT+ History Month is important to her.

“So, another year passes, and we are bang into February 2021 with no warning, I sit wondering where has the year gone, it cannot be time to run LGBT+ History Month again, however it is here, it’s back and it’s time to educate again as February marks LGBT+ History Month.

 I’m a believer in educating, in all areas of life, some of the ethos of youth work is the fact that we are informal educators. We work with young people in an environment that is not a traditional education setting. We provide insight and guidance, fact and figures and sometimes, we just tell it how it is, we are ‘real’. Young people are developing into adults, and while the internet is great, the things they research is not always the correct information – in we step to give advice from Sexual Health to Exploitation.

 LGBT History month is an important time for me, so many people are not aware of the LGBT Community who have made so much difference to peoples lives. We all get to learn about Henry 8th, World Wars and now children and young people in years to come will learn about the effect COVID had as this is for sure a historic event. Young people who are questioning their identity or knowing that they are part of the community or even adults need visible LGBT+ people and even LGBT+ Allies, to know that it’s ok, to see that amazing people have achieved and done amazing things, and being LGBT+ or indeed an LGBT+ Ally doesn’t make a difference to their achievements, this also extends across all of the minority groups.

 Alan Turing: most people will now know his name, his story has been made into a film with Benedict Cumberbatch playing the lead role of Alan.  He was an English mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, and theoretical biologist. Turing played a crucial role in cracking intercepted coded messages that enabled the Allies to defeat the Nazis in many crucial engagements, including the Battle of the Atlantic, and in so doing helped win the war. Alan was also a gay man in a time when it was illegal, he was arrested and charged, he was given Gay Cure Therapy, he died, an inquest says Alan committed suicide. Despite these accomplishments, he was never fully recognised in his home country during his lifetime due to the prevalence of homophobia at the time and because much of his work was covered by the Official Secrets Act.

 So now I ask was Alan Turing and his work pivotal and should I have learnt about him in school – absolutely YES! Does the fact he was gay have an impact? In my opinion Absolutely YES. Just because of who he wanted to fall in love with does not change that fact he was amazing at what he did, Alan being gay didn’t impact on the fact he helped us win the war! In 2009, following an Internet campaign, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown made an official public apology on behalf of the British government for “the appalling way he was treated”. Queen Elizabeth II granted Turing a posthumous pardon in 2013. The “Alan Turing law” is now an informal term for a 2017 law in the United Kingdom that retroactively pardoned men cautioned or convicted under historical legislation that outlawed homosexual acts

 Alan Turing is just one of many LGBT+ People who have shaped history and have been persecuted, Martha P Johnson a prominent figure in the Stonewall riots, Mark Ashton who co-founded LGSM supporting mining communities during the strikes,  without them, their activism and for some of them the suffering the took,  would LGBT+ people have the rights they do now and let’s remember that is not world wide – probably not. The fight is not over, and we are also lucky that we have so many LGBT+ Allies who fight for the community something we must not forget either, so it’s important to also celebrate our allies people like Maya Angelou.

LGBT+ people have been around for 1000s of years, it’s not a new thing, it is also very much not a choice. Therefore, our LGBT history is just as important be celebrated and learnt like every other bit of history.

And just like Coronavirus will be a piece of History, LGBT+ people will continue to be part of history while we are still fighting for rights and amazing people create, do or become standout representatives while being proud of who they are.

Working alongside ‘The Proud Trust’ and other organisations like ‘LGBT History Month’, who together put amazing resources out for us to use to educate, I’m proud that I do this, we as youth team do this and as a Local Authority we do this, to do our bit to educate not just young people in Sefton, but the people of Sefton and beyond, even with the negative comments we receive.

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