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Important transport information ahead of the Giant Spectacular

20 September 2018
Ollie Cowan
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Categories: Essential Sefton, Front Page, Latest News, Merseytravel

Check timetables and plan your journeys a few days before the event – don’t leave it until the last minute.

These are important messages from transport leaders as the Liverpool City Region gears up to welcome back the Giants for Liverpool’s Dream – their third and final visit to the streets of Liverpool and, for the first time, Wirral.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to join the event, taking place between 4th and 7th October, placing a significant increase in demand on public transport services during the four days – as well as closing many major road routes.

City Region transport providers have worked together to put plans in place to help keep people moving and there will be changes to some services and timetables as a result of the event.

Whether they travel by rail, bus, ferry or car, anyone travelling to, from and around the city region during this time to either enjoy the events or for other purposes is strongly advised to check timetables, plan their journeys and allow extra travelling time to avoid disappointment.

For the latest information about services, customers should check with the relevant transport operator in the run up to and on their day of travel. Information will also be available online and via social media.

There will be extra staff from a variety of transport providers deployed at key locations during the four days to provide information and support people with their journeys.

Thursday 4th Oct – Normal Thursday timetables apply – there will be no additional late night services so please check last train and bus times

Friday 5th Oct – Commuters are advised to check for any changes to their usual timetable and need to be prepared to make changes to their journey.

Sunday 7th Oct – Fans travelling to and from Anfield for the Liverpool FC vs Manchester City game which kicks off at 16:30 are advised to allow extra travelling time and be aware of these key changes to our services – especially in and around Liverpool City Centre.

Key information

Merseyrail

Thursday services will run as normal, passengers are advised to check their last train times before they travel.

There will be changes to services on Friday 5th, Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th Oct.

A special events timetable will run and passengers are encouraged to visit the Merseyrail website or pick up a leaflet from any staffed station.

The following applies to all three days:
•Trains will not stop at all stations to allow for additional and more frequent services.
•James Street and Lime Street lower level (underground) will be closed to aid crowd control and movement
•Wirral line services will start and end at Liverpool Central station and will not be stopping at Moorfields.
•Northern line passengers travelling to the city centre should use Moorfields as trains will not be stopping at Liverpool Central.

Jigsaw Group helps house more than 250 people with affordable homes in Bootle.

19 September 2018
Charlene Smith
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Categories: Business and Economy, Front Page, Latest News, Regeneration, Sefton Council

On September 18, Peter Dowd MP joined Jigsaw Homes Group Chief Executive, Hilary Roberts to officially launch our new development on Buckley Hill Lane, Bootle, with a ceremonial tree planting.

 Jigsaw Group worked closely with Sefton Council, Homes England and Seddon Group to deliver the ÂŁ5.6m development of 57 new homes in August 2018. Comprising of 39 bungalows, 14 apartments and four houses all available for affordable rent, the development offers a mix of properties all let to local people with a housing need.

The development incorporates numerous energy efficiency features and the design maximises the effective use of space.

 Less than two miles away on Beach Road, Jigsaw Group developed a further 35 homes for affordable rent.  In total, the two developments provided new homes for more than 250 people in the area.

 Hilary Roberts, Jigsaw Homes Group Chief Executive said, “This highly enjoyable event celebrated our successful partnerships in delivering much needed affordable homes in Sefton.  We will continue to seek opportunities to provide more affordable homes across Merseyside.”

 Peter Dowd MP said “It was a pleasure to be at the official launch of the new development on Buckley Hill Lane. It’s a brilliant example of what positive partnerships can deliver, new affordable homes for local people and providing long lasting home security.  It’s good to see a Labour Council working proactively with developers to tackle the housing crisis.”

 Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, added: “Both the Buckley Hill Lane and Beach Road developments offer much needed and good quality housing for residents in Sefton. This scheme highlights how positive working relationships between a developer and the Council can bring about high calibre housing design and expediently delivered developments.”   

 We pride ourselves on providing quality new affordable homes.   As an approved Homes England partner, Jigsaw Group, formed following the merger of New Charter Group and Adactus Housing Group, is one of the biggest developers in the country.  The Group delivered 800 new homes in the last financial year and successfully housed over 3,000 people across the local authorities it works in.  Looking ahead, the Group’s development strategy aims to provide 2,700 new homes over the next three years.

 For more information, visit www.jigsawhomes.org.uk or Twitter @JigsawHG.

Sefton’s Public Health Annual Report supports 30 Days of Sefton in Mind

19 September 2018
Ollie Cowan
No comments
Categories: Front Page, Health, Latest News

Sefton Council’s 30 Days of Sefton in Mind campaign is well underway, using the 30 days that fall between World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10) and World Mental Health Day (October 10) to support good mental health and wellbeing in the borough. 

The campaign has seen support from across Sefton including Bootle’s own football legend Jamie Carragher who named Burbo Bank beach in Crosby as his favourite place to go to help promote his mental wellbeing.

To support the campaign, the Council’s Public Health Annual Report (PHAR), which explores mental health in young people, is being shown after having made the finals for a national award.

Sefton’s report has been recognised as one of the best in the country and was shortlisted for The Association of Directors of Public Health’s (ADPH) Annual Report Competition, which highlights the successes of PHARs from across the country.

First unveiled to the public in July, the PHAR was presented for the first time in video format as a way of making the report more accessible and easier to understand. With this year’s theme focusing on young people growing up healthy and happy, a digital format proved the best way to raise awareness of the issue and making the report more accessible to residents, particularly children and young people.

Cllr Ian Moncur, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing said: “We’re delighted that Sefton is paving the way for future annual reports after being shortlisted among the best in the country.

“Annual reports can often be text heavy and difficult to access and so this year’s video aimed to bring public health to the forefront using channels that are modern and interesting to our target audiences. I hope that we have encouraged more people to view the video and give thought to the issues raised.”

There is no single reason why children and young people experience problems with their mental health. Factors such as growing up in a challenging home environment; having a disability; being a looked after child or a young carer; not being in education, employment or training; being exposed to domestic abuse; or having a parent with mental health problems can have a negative impact on mental health.

In Sefton, the number of people from some of these vulnerable groups is higher than the national average.

Cllr Moncur added: ““In Sefton we are dedicated to creating the right conditions and environments to promote and improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

“We continue to work with partners to develop early intervention programmes to promote emotional resilience which will empower children and young people to be able to cope better with difficult circumstances and do well in school and in life.”

The report is set to be presented to Sefton’s next Health and Wellbeing board on Wednesday 19 September.

The PHAR film and a short supplementary document can be viewed online at www.sefton.gov.uk/PHAR

Big Blues Festival Countdown

19 September 2018
Charlene Smith
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Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Sefton Council, The Atkinson, Uncategorized

It’s nearly that time of year…one of The Atkinson’s favourite events returns with a stronger than ever line up.

 The Big Blues Festival is now in its fourth year and once again it promises to be a weekend of great music, great food,  great ale and great fun as we celebrate what rock, rhythm and blues has to offer!

 The line-up is as big as it is bold and presents music that is desperate to be heard, with headliners  DrFeelgood and  Ian  Siegal, it’s a weekend you really don’t want to miss!

 Formed on Canvey Island in Essex in the early 1970s, Dr Feelgood remains one of the most popular and exciting live rhythm and blues acts in the world. The raw and uncompromising style of their performance resulted in the album Stupidity that immediately went to the number one position in the U.K. charts.

 Dr Feelgood have also enjoyed global success with a string of hit singles including Milk and Alcohol, Roxette, Back in the Night, Down at the Doctors, She Does it Right, Going Back Home and See You Later Alligator – which gave the group their first gold record.

 The current line up features the rhythm section Kevin Morris on drums and Phil Mitchell on bass, both 29 years in the band and Steve Walwyn on guitar who has been with the band for 23 years. Vocalist Robert Kane (formerly of the Animals) is the most recent addition – joining in 1999 after the tragic death of Lee Brilleaux. The band continues to tour extensively throughout the World and enjoy a loyal following at home and abroad.

They are supported by George Shovlin and George Lamb the winners of 2017 Little Blues Acoustic Stage.

 Ian Siegal needs no introduction; he’s a force within the UK blues scene winning countless awards. In more than a quarter century of touring Ian Siegal’s mission statement has barely changed: songs that are real, shows that resonate, vocals served raw. Today he is considered by many to be the most compelling British blues artiste since the great names of the sixties.

 In 2018 he will be touring a new album, his first studio recording of new songs in six years. Produced by American Jimbo Mathus, it is classic Siegal: full of the dark and light, clever word play and rough-hewn voicebox he is known for. It also marks the first studio recording with the band he hooked up with in 2013. Frequent touring has evolved a distinctive sound featuring Dusty Ciggaar’s tex-mex infused guitar licks. We are delighted to have him headlining the Saturday night of our 2018 Big Blues Festival.

 Xander and the Peace Pirates are a testament to musical integrity and personal strength. Combining soul, blues and rock, their pervasive blend of inspired song writing and memorable performances has already seen them enrapture audiences from around the world.

 Brothers Keith and Stu Xander were discovered on YouTube by Gibson Brands CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz, and during their subsequent performances for the company at numerous international events from LA to Dubai, the band caught the attention of not just an ever-growing collective of fans but also industry legends such as Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Rolling Stones) and Rick Allen (Def Leppard).

 Defying all expectations, lead singer and guitarist Keith Xander was born without a right arm below the elbow and plays guitar using a prosthesis and hook with a pick attached at the end. Although many who have seen Keith play believe him to be an extraordinary guitarist despite of his falsely perceived ‘disability’, he is a virtuoso musician in his own right and his playing rivals the best in the industry. The band established themselves as a live-performance juggernaut.

 Sam Kelly’s Station House has been in the business more than 40 years . His “Station House” band has been featuring on the U.K. music scene for many years. A “groove” band with dancing very much in mind. Their musical catalogue includes Johnny Guitar Watson, Keb Mo, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Gary Moore, Stevie Wonder, Little Feat, to name but a few. The band’s unique sound is influenced by New Orleans second line, soul, jazz, calypso, reggae and British funk.

 With three ‘lead’ singers supported by percussionist and internationally acclaimed drummer, the result is an eclectic fusion of music with its roots firmly based in the blues.

 The UK blues sensation Rebecca Downes is fast establishing herself as one of the star attractions amongst the new vanguard of blues performers in the UK, with her unique and powerful voice, drawing influences ranging from Blues and Soul to Jazz and Rock.

 Tom C Walker will be on the road with his new 4-piece band. A finalist of the UK Blues Awards, in 2017 he released the Into Space EP with the single Sweet Angel, straight in the Top 20 in the IBBA Blues charts while selling thousands of copies world wide in the first few months of release.

 In July 2017 The Tom Walker Trio hit the road for Tom’s first headline UK tour, “The Into Space UK Tour,” quickly selling out the Birmingham show before playing before Mungo Gerry at the legendary Ealing Blues Festival.

 Big Blues Festival tickets are on sale now ÂŁ48 festival ticket / ÂŁ35 Saturday ticket / Headline gigs are available for Dr Feelgood and Ian Siegal ÂŁ17 available online at https://www.theatkinson.co.uk/events/big-blues-festival-2018/ via the Box Office on 01704 533333 and over the counter during opening hours.

 Don’t forget the Blues Matters  Little Acoustic Stage entertaining everyone in the foyer on Saturday lineup includes;  Mojo Hand – 1.30-2.15pm, Michael Woods – 3.15 – 4pm, Rowland Jones – 5-5.45pm and Trevor ‘Babajack’ Stieger –  5.45-6.30pm.

 Join the mailing list online and stay up to date with the events, activities and exhibitions coming up at The Atkinson. Plus receive offers!   

Free event to show residents how to keep warm and well this winter

19 September 2018
Ollie Cowan
No comments
Categories: Front Page, Health

Sefton continues to help vulnerable people get through winter by hosting a Keep Warm, Keep Well event next month.

The Local Authority, alongside Sefton OPERA are holding a free event at Bootle Cricket Club, Monday October 1, 10.30am-4pm.

Information stands will be open between 11am and 12.30pm including blood pressure checks, chair based exercises, and massage.

A free tea dance will take place from 1.30pm including live music from Memory Lane, Bootle Bells, Ernie and our very own Elvis! 

Over a million families won’t be able to meet basic costs of living this winter, facing an income shortfall of up to ÂŁ9,331 per year.  Many vulnerable people will be hit hard, including older people and those in ill-health, living in energy inefficient homes that are difficult and expensive to heat. 

Please contact on 0151 330 0479 or 07452 867 648 admin@seftonopera.org.uk for further details

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