Sefton’s registrars will continue to operate during the 2022 Christmas shutdown period.
Registrars will be available, via appointment only, to register a death in the borough at Southport Town Hall on:
December 23 (9.15pm – 3pm)
December 28 (9.15am-4pm)
December 29 (9.15am-4pm)
December 30 (9.15am – 3pm)
January 03 (Normal Office Hours)
For more information or to book an appointment call 0151 934 2012/2013/2011.
Sefton Council will be holding an event to launch its Childhood Poverty Strategy on Thursday, 1st December, in Bootle.
Several prominent guest speakers will be in attendance, including council, public health, and NHS representatives. Invitees will then be welcomed to give their views on the strategy.
The Tackling Poverty Strategy explores the drivers of child poverty and its impact on children and families. Almost 8,000 under-16s in Sefton (almost one in six) were living in poverty last year. The cost-of-living crisis is making that situation worse. Poverty has no longer-reaching impacts and can harm children’s health, education and future prospects.
Running up to 2030, the new Strategy sets out a blueprint a local approach to tackling child poverty in Sefton, with actions linked to people’s finances, prospects, and places.
The Strategy says that Sefton Council is committed to increasing opportunity in employment and education and supporting the most vulnerable members of its communities. Sefton Council will continue working closely with partners in the voluntary sector, health, employers, further education facilities and community groups.
Cllr Trish Hardy who is Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing said: “Tackling childhood poverty is key to us achieving all our priorities and should be squarely at the centre of everything we do, and this is the next step in the work we have been doing since 2015 on welfare reform and anti-poverty.”
Research has shown that living in poverty can lead to poor health in children, and this effect can last into adulthood. It can also lead to poorer educational results which in turn effects young people’s opportunities for the rest of their lives.
When Sefton’s new Childhood Poverty Strategy was agreed by the Council’s Cabinet in October, Cllr Hardy said:
“We know that all of the life expectations of children in poverty are limited by their experiences which they have no personal control over.
“As a council we can’t change it, but we can do our damnedest to minimise the impact of poverty on the children we have a responsibility to in this Borough.”
Hot on the heels of Sefton schools’ successes in the Educate Awards, came the announcement that the Borough’s Redgate Primary has won gold at the National Teaching Awards.
The Early Years Team of the Year Award recognises those teams whose dedication and commitment have helped transform children’s early learning and development. These very early years of a child’s life are recognised as key in shaping their lifelong learning, development, and achievements.
Redgate Primary’s team was described by the judges as having “a passion and enthusiasm for their work which is unmistakable. They embody why getting it right in the early years is so vital!”
Earlier in November, Litherland High School won the The Communication Award, Maghull High School won in the Outstanding Commitment to STEM category and St Elizabeth’s Catholic Primary School won the Outstanding Commitment to Sport in Primary School category in The Educate Awards ceremony at Liverpool Cathedral.
Additionally Netherton Moss Primary School was named runner up in the Outstanding Commitment to the Environment and Stephanie Wardale from Hillside High School was runner up in the teacher of the Year category.
You can find out more about Sefton’s Educate Awards successes here.
After a fantastic response last year, Southport Eco Centre’s Christmas campaign is back.
The Centre’s Education Service has once again teamed up with The Atkinson and the cast of the upcoming pantomime Aladdin to help spread some Christmas cheer and some important eco messages about how we can all reduce, reuse and recycle over the festive period.
The campaign is supported by an interactive online competition running from the 1st to 12th December, which has been designed and created by the Eco Centre teachers.
Participants are invited to visit www.southportecocentre.com and open a stage door on every day. Behind each door they can learn from the cast members, including actress Patsy Kensit and local radio presenter Claire Simmo, the ways we can all be more eco-friendly.
Participants can download the entry form and use the facts revealed by the cast members, to be in with a chance of winning a family ticket to the show. Shopping vouchers supporting Southport BIDs shop local campaign are also up for grabs. All entrants will also earn learning credits towards Children’s University.
The campaign supports Sefton Council’s climate emergency declaration and the call for positive action.
Darren Lloyd, resident teacher at the Eco Centre and designer of the campaign said:
“We know Christmas is a fantastic time for our children, but it is also a testing time for our planet due to amount of waste generated during the period. Our young people have very real concerns about the impact we are having on our planet and this campaign gives them an opportunity to engage in a fun way while helping spread some extremely important messages.
“The response to last year’s campaign was phenomenal so we hope our schools and communities will get behind it once again.”
The campaign is part of the centre’s longstanding partnership work with the Merseyside Waste and Recycling Authority.
Cllr Tony Concepcion, Chairperson of MRWA said:
“The amount of waste created often rises around the holiday period, but Christmas doesn’t have to cost the earth.
By planning before you buy, only purchasing what you need and recycling everything we can, we can all make Christmas a little bit greener.
We’re proud to support the Southport Eco Centre’s campaign to show people the importance of ease of having an eco-friendly Christmas.”
Cllr Paulette Lappin, Sefton Council Cabinet Member for Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services said:
“This is a great opportunity for young people in Sefton to learn some important eco-messages that are touched with the magic of Christmas.
“And for them to win the chance of a family trip to Aladdin at The Atkinson at the same time.”
People can find out more at www.southportecocentre.com
Sefton Council is supporting the national White Ribbon campaign’s 16 Days of action to help eradicate domestic abuse across the borough.
White Ribbon Day 2022, which falls on Friday November 25th, aims to raise awareness about the challenges — and dangers — women and girls face in day to day life.
The 2022 campaign coincides with the start of the United Nation’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence and campaigners have identified 11 traits people can pledge to show in support of women and girls.
While the 16 Days of Activism is welcomed by Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, she said it comes at a time when many women and girls will be fearing an increase in cases of domestic abuse.
Previous research has shown that during football tournaments, like in the ongoing World Cup, domestic abuse has risen dramatically.
Figures jumped by up to 27% during England World Cup games and reached 32% when they were defeated. But figures also rose when England won.
Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing said: “Whether it is physical emotional or sexual, domestic abuse and coercive control that can go with it is unacceptable at any time.
“We fully support White Ribbon Day 2022 and the 16 Days of Activism that follows and we ask men everywhere to recognise the necessity for them to stand up and take responsibility in working towards a future without violence against women.
“The first step towards this is wearing a white ribbon and making the promise to never commit, excuse or remain silent about male violence against women.
“Right now there will be people, and statistics show the vast majority of them will be women, across Sefton living in fear while the World Cup is taking place.
“Because abusers can be controlling making leaving an abusive relationship very hard, it is vital that friends and family support someone they suspect is being abused.
“Encourage them to speak to you or a professional about what is going on.”
Cllr Hardy said the tell-tale signs to look out for can include the person making excuses for their abuser’s behaviour, a high incidence of sickness absence or a nervousness talking openly when their abuser is around.
She added: “In an emergency, people should always dial 999 but if they want to find out how they can support someone they suspect is being abused, they should visit www.sefton.gov.uk/domestic-abuse.”
