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With Eurovision just around the corner, Liverpool City Region is amping up the celebrations and Sefton’s communities are being invited along for the party.

Local celebrations

Culture Liverpool, in partnership with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, has launched EuroGrants, which will support local groups to host their own Eurovision celebrations. Grants of up to £2000 are available for community groups, non-profit organisations and schools across Sefton to fund projects which will take place in May or June.

Communities are encouraged to submit applications for projects and events that are inspired by Eurovision, focusing on local cultures and heritage. Events that are run by non-profit organisations will take priority and should be free or low cost to attend.

Plenty of opportunities

Meanwhile, anyone interested in job or volunteering opportunities during Eurovision can visit a pop-up shop, hosted by Sefton@Work and Job Centre Plus, in Bootle Strand.

Open Wednesdays and Thursday between 10am and 2pm until mid-April, the Eurovision Pop-Up Shop is the place to find out about the wide range of opportunities at the May events.

Speaking about the opportunities available, Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Skills and Regeneration said: “Although sadly, it is not possible for the Eurovision Song Contest and Festival to take place in Ukraine as it should, holding it here is creating a whole host of opportunities for local people, including those Ukrainian people who are currently staying in Sefton.

“So, if you’ve been thinking about getting involved in the Eurovision Song Contest but have been having trouble making your mind up, visit our Pop-Up shop at Bootle Strand on a Wednesday or Thursday.

“They won’t offer you a glass of Bucks Fizz, but they will help you find a Eurovision role that might be suitable for you.”

There are plenty of opportunities available, including hospitality, catering and cleaning, in both paid and volunteer roles.

The closing date for EuroGrants applications is 5pm on Wednesday 29^th March. Successful projects will be notified at the start of April. To apply for a EuroGrant and for a full list of conditions visit the Culture Liverpool website.

To find out more about volunteering and job opportunities, email seftonatwork.info@sefton.gov.uk or call the Sefton@Work team on 0151 934 2610.

Cared for and care experienced young people had the chance to meet one of Merseyside’s largest businesses this week and learn more about the shipping and logistics sector on a visit to Peel Ports in Seaforth.

A group of young people were given a very special tour of the port and got the chance to talk to the different businesses which operate at the port. They were able to learn more about the work each of the different businesses do within the port  and the equipment and machinery used.

This visit to Peel Ports gave our young people a valuable insight into the jobs which exist in the industry and make useful contacts for the future. The young people on the visit came away with an enthusiasm for the work placements and work experience opportunities that Peel Ports are offering as part of Sefton’s Caring Business Charter.

The visit was the latest initiative to come out of the Charter which aims to link our cared for and care experienced young people with local employers opening up opportunities for them in their chosen sectors. Just as traditional parents would try to link their children up with professionals in industries they were interested in, the Council, as corporate parents, are aiming to do the same via the Caring Business Charter, with the support from local businesses and partners who already work with the Council.  

Phillip Hall, Port Director, Peel Ports Group said:

“We are really proud to be part of the Caring Business Charter, and hope that the attendees felt that it was worthwhile for them. I thought it went well and we enjoy showing people behind the Port gates, it’s a full ecosystem that is made up of many different customers and tenants, each undertaking their own specific business. We are the enabler to allow those customers to operate.”

The Charter represents a commitment from local business and partners to offer high quality opportunities to young people who have experience of the care system. Some businesses have committed to guaranteed interviews for care experienced young people or work experience, while others have committed to paid roles and apprenticeships.

The list of signatories to date stands at over 50 businesses and covers a range of industries from construction and project management to hospitality and healthcare.

We are still keen to hear from any local organisations who may be interested in signing up to the charter, or who want to know more about how they can take part in our scheme.

Please contact Macy Loasby (macy.loasby@sefton.gov.uk) for a chat about how your business can help our young people here in Sefton.