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 â open 8am to 6.30pm.
Executive Director at Sefton Council, Andrea Watts, said: âWeâve seen incredible support from our residents over the past few weeks as weâve targeted testing for the South African variant across three ward areas in Southport. Thank you once again for your continued efforts, and I know weâll see people supporting us again this weekend by getting tested at the dedicated mobile unit on the Promenade.
âTo everyone that has supported us and taken up a doorstep test, youâve played a vital role in our work to help reduce the spread of this disease and to enable scientists to learn more about it. Itâs 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!â
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 canât do so from home, providing care and daily exercise.
Andrea added: âThere 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.
âEveryone should remember of course that wearing a mask when itâs 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.â
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 Councilâs 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 Governmentâs 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 Councilâs Labour Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, said: âWe 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.
âBut weâve also managed to secure additional external funding to completely transform the building, which shows real commitment from Sefton Council.
âIâm 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.
âThe 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.â
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: âWe 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.
âWeâll be refurbishing the existing market to create a new food hall and plenty of extra space, rejuvenating this beautiful social hub. While thereâs a range of exciting new features to add, weâll be retaining some existing features.
âWeâre 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.â
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
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 â please do not let dropping infection rate and the vaccine rollout lead to complacency, please continue adhering the shielding advice until March 31.â
Sefton Youth Worker Sue Logie speaks about the importance of LBGT+ History Month
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 weâve been celebrating some amazing people who form part of the LGBT+ communityâs past and present.
We caught up with one of Sefton Councilâs youth workers Sue Logie. She is the lead worker for New Beginnings, Seftonâs 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.
âSo, 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, itâs back and itâs time to educate again as February marks LGBT+ History Month.
 Iâm 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 ârealâ. Young people are developing into adults, and while the internet is great, the things they research is not always the correct information â 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 itâs ok, to see that amazing people have achieved and done amazing things, and being LGBT+ or indeed an LGBT+ Ally doesnât 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 â 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 didnât 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 letâs remember that is not world wide â 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 itâs important to also celebrate our allies people like Maya Angelou.
LGBT+ people have been around for 1000s of years, itâs 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 âThe Proud Trustâ and other organisations like âLGBT History Monthâ, who together put amazing resources out for us to use to educate, Iâm 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.
The surge testing operation to understand the spread of a South African variant of Covid-19 in Norwood Ward, Southport has now been completed.
Testing continues in Dukes and Cambridge wards.
Door to door delivery of home testing kits has stopped, and the Mobile Test Unit at the former Kew Park and Ride will close at 6.30pm on Wednesday, February 17.
Initial numbers from the operation, which is aimed at understanding any community spread of a variant of COVID-19 known as SARS-CoV-2 (or VOC-202012/02) which originated in South Africa, show around 90% of the tests delivered have been completed and collected.
Any residents whose kits may have been missed for collection are asked to phone Sefton Council on 0345 140 0845, leaving their name and address, and the Council will arrange for the test kits to be collected.
Seftonâs Director of Public Health, Margaret Jones, said âOur teams have visited just shy of 7,000 addresses in the last 2 weeks; which has been no mean feat.
âThe residents in the areas tested rightly deserve a huge thank you for being so willing to support us in this important task and help Government scientists learn more about this disease.
âAll positive COVID-19 tests from our targeted testing in Norwood Ward will be sent for genomic sequencing.
“This will help us to understand the spread of COVID-19 variants locally.â
âThe community have been magnificent with people being so supportive on the doorstep and wanting to do whatever they can to help our efforts.
âOver the last few days in wind, rain and snow a dedicated group of Council staff, other agencies and volunteers have pulled out all the stops to make this operation a reality and I cannot thank each and every one of them enough.â
Although the targeted testing in Norwood is complete, residents can still have a Covid-19 test done at Splashworld (if no symptoms) or can book a test at Southport Town Hall if they do have symptoms. Alternatively, they can call 119 and request for a home testing kit to be delivered.
Residents in Cambridge and Dukes wards who are aged 16 or over, should still go and have a test done at the Southport Theatre and Convention Centre mobile test unit on the Promenade, or can wait for our team to visit them with a home testing kit.
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 we canât do so from home, providing care and daily exercise.
Margaret Jones continued: âEveryone in all of our communities should continue to follow the national lockdown restrictions in order to protect our most vulnerable.
âThere 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 take extra care and try to limit their time away from home.
âPeople who live and work in these surge areas can use the Southport Theatre and Convention Centre mobile test unit on the Promenade, as long as they donât have coronavirus symptoms of a high temperature, persistent new cough or a loss of taste or smell.
âIt doesnât take long to get a test and some people may want to call in for theirs while they are out taking their daily exercise.â
Testing runs from 8am-6.30pm however it is recommended to arrive by 6pm to ensure you are tested, there is no need to book in advance
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