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Bootle is set to enter the prestigious national gardening competition run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

Community groups in the town have teamed up with Sefton Council to enter Bootle into the Urban Community category of the well-known North West In Bloom event.

The desire to put Bootle forward for the competition came from a network of friends’ groups and community organisations involved in growing activities under the umbrella of the ‘Taking Root in Bootle’ network, which is supported by Well Sefton, a public health initiative.

With the help of the Green Sefton Team from the local authority and the Taking Root Co-ordinators, groups are already working hard to brighten up Bootle’s highways, parks and green spaces by planting plants and flowers and installing new artwork.

However, In Bloom isn’t just about flowers as it encourages volunteers and the local community to improve their environment by undertaking litter-picks, tackling grotspots and helping to improve parks and green spaces.

Ruth Livesey from social enterprise Regenerus, who co-ordinates the network, said: “There are many community groups and local volunteers already putting a lot of time and energy into planting food and flowers.

“Entering the In Bloom competition is a great way to celebrate their hard work and achievements, and to recognise how community growing brings people together.”

A series of fun days took place in local community gardens over Easter to launch Bootle in Bloom. These were held at North Park and South Park in Bootle and Netherton Community Garden.

They featured a range of fun activities such as face painting, cooking demonstrations and craft workshops, as well as opportunities for everyone in the community to get involved in planting and cleaning up the local area.

Mark Shaw, Sefton Council’s Green Sefton Manager, said: “This is another great example of our Council teams working with our local community to bring about improvements to the place we are all proud to live in.”

2019 has been designated Sefton’s Year of Friendship. Anyone interested in making new friends by getting involved in community growing and the Bootle in Bloom project can contact takingrootinbootle@gmail.com.

Sefton Council is holding a ‘Moving on’ event to help young people with a disability and their families find out more about their options when they leave school and approach adulthood.

The drop-in event will take place at Crosby Leisure Centre on Wednesday, 22 May from 10am to 2pm and is targeted at Sefton residents aged 14-25 years who have a disability or special educational need.

This is a great opportunity for young people and their parents or carers to find out about colleges, supported employment, volunteering, welfare rights, health, social service support and other local opportunities.

Over 35 providers have been confirmed for the drop-in event to help answer any questions and provide information. There will also be lots of fun and interactive things to do on the day.

Dwayne Johnson Director for Social Care and Health said: “Leaving school and becoming an adult can be a stressful time for any young person as they start making decisions about their future.

“Moving On will provide an opportunity for young people in Sefton to learn more about their options and help them make the right decisions about their future.”

For more information, contact Sefton Council’s Transition’s Coordinators Kevin Leavitt or Sonya Wall on 0151 934 4354 or 0151 934 3887 or email kevin.leavitt@sefton.gov.uk or sonya.wall@sefton.gov.uk

There are just days left for anyone in Sefton wishing to have their say in the European Parliamentary Elections to ensure they are registered to vote.

More than five million voters across the North West England region will go to the polls on Thursday 23 May to elect the region’s eight Members of the European Parliament (MEPs.)

But in order to be able to vote, people must be on the Electoral Register by Tuesday, May 7. If you’re not registered already, visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote as soon as possible.

European Union citizens living in the North West are eligible to vote in the United Kingdom or their country of origin but not both. To vote in the United Kingdom, they must be registered to vote and have completed an additional form available at www.northwestvotes.gov.uk by Tuesday, May 7.

Anyone who is already on the electoral register can also choose to register by post. Applications for a postal vote in this election must be received by 5pm on Wednesday, May 8.

The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on Wednesday, May 15. To find out more visit www.yourvotematters.co.uk

A full list of candidates for the European Parliamentary Elections is available at www.northwestvotes.gov.uk

Joanne Roney OBE, Regional Returning Officer for the European Elections in the North West, said: “We don’t want anyone who wants to have their say in these elections to miss out because they are not registered.”

The European Parliamentary Elections are run using a form of proportional representation. Voters have one vote only, and this can be cast for either a political party or an individual candidate. Each party puts forward a list of candidates for the North West and the allocation of the eight MEP positions will depend on the overall share of the vote that a party or individual candidate receives in the region.

MEPs represent the whole of the North West region and so everybody who is eligible to vote in the region will be voting from the same list of parties and candidates.

The North West region covers Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside.