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Mayor of Sefton swung into action to officially open Bootle’s new driving range

16 March 2022
Amy Hitchmough
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Categories: Front Page, Green Sefton, Latest News

Earlier this week, Sefton Council hosted an event to celebrate the official launch of the new driving range at Bootle Golf Course.Mayor of Sefton photographed putting at the new driving range at Bootle Golf Club

Mayor of Sefton, Cllr Clare Louise Carragher was joined by pupils from nearby Litherland Moss Primary and Litherland High School and the Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, Cllr Ian Moncur, to help the new facility swing into action.

Since its opening at the end of January, the 10-bay Bootle Golf Course driving range has proven popular with local players and newcomers to the game. Last week 18,750 balls were sold and 36 under 16s took part in the recent half-term offer of a free bucket of balls.

Speaking at Monday’s event, the Mayor of Sefton, said:
“We proudly describe Sefton as the centre of England’s Golf Coast, and it is wonderful to see the Council continue to develop our sports offering and promote fit and healthy lifestyles.

“The new driving range will mean golfers, both new and experienced, in Sefton will be able to practise all year round.”

For many of the local pupils, Monday was an opportunity to try out the sport for the first time. There were smiles aplenty and air shots all round.

Cllr Moncur, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said:
“As a Council, we have a firm commitment to investment in sports facilities for all of our residents.

“We are fortunate in our Borough to have a wide range of opportunities for golfers and now we hope the new driving range will provide many more people with a chance to try golf and take it up as a sport.

“A huge thank you to Green Sefton for their hard work in delivering and managing the fantastic new driving range facility.”

Sefton Council’s decision to build the new £420,000 floodlit driving range at Bootle Golf Course was backed by local people and course users during a consultation that took place in 2019.

Players can use its 10-bays to practise their swing between 8am and 9pm Sunday to Friday and from 8am to 7pm on Saturdays. Prices are just £6 for 100 balls or £4 for 50 and people can just turn up to the course shop, pay and play.

Adult prices to play a round at Bootle Golf Course start at just £9. Information about Sefton Council’s Bootle and Southport Links courses, including prices, can be found at www.sefton.gov.uk/golf.

People can also contact the Bootle Golf course office on 0151 928 1371 to book tee times.

At their meeting on Thursday 10th March, Sefton Council’s Cabinet gave the go-ahead for the Council’s Green Sefton team to seek a commercial partner to invest in its Southport Golf Links course.

Improvements for the course itself and the on-site White House Café building are included in the plans.

At the time Cllr Moncur said an investment partnership would enable the Council to achieve its huge, long-term potential and deliver the kind of course on which local golfers have said they would like to play.

Person takes a swing at Bootle's new driving range Golf club and ball at the new driving range in Bootle

Sefton Health Chief’s concern about possible rise in COVID cases when Government ends free LFD testing in April

16 March 2022
Martin Driver
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Categories: Front Page, Health, Latest News
Photo of Home Testing Kit components
Home Testing Kit components

With the number of COVID cases in the UK once again on the rise, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, Cllr Ian Moncur, has expressed concern that the Government is ending free LFD COVID testing from Friday 1st April,

Protect

Cllr Moncur said: “From Friday 1st April rapid LFD tests that people can use to make sure they are not carrying the coronavirus without showing symptoms, will no longer be available free for most people.

“Using regular LFD tests has let us know when we have the COVID virus without feeling unwell or showing the symptoms, and as a result we have been able to protect others and not pass it on unwittingly.

“I am worried that with COVID case numbers and hospitalisations in the UK already rising, people will not be able to afford to start paying pay for tests when they face huge rising prices in the shops and at petrol stations, an eye-watering leap in the cost of domestic fuel, increased train fares and, from next month the Government’s National Insurance hike.

“This could lead to a rise in infection levels across Sefton’s communities and increased pressure on our medical services again.”

Support

Currently, people in Sefton can collect free, rapid LFD test kits from the Borough’s COVID 19 Test Centres at Bootle Town Hall, Bootle Strand Shopping Centre and Southport Splash World rapid test centres. People who want support with testing can also get their test, and advice, at one of the Centres.

However, with the Government ending funding for local testing from the start of April, these test centres will close.

Cllr Moncur also says he is worried that the charges for tests, which could be as much as £6 each, will mean households on the lowest incomes, already making difficult decisions about whether to eat or heat their homes, will have to make a further choice on whether they can afford a COVID test before visiting someone who is potentially vulnerable.

Vulnerable

He said: “Once again, despite the Government’s talk about levelling up, those least able to pay are being put at the most risk with a greater chance they might unknowingly passing on COVID to those vulnerable relatives, friends and colleagues.

“We will continue to give out the free test packs at our Test Centres while stocks last until Thursday 31st March when we have to close them.”

Sefton Council is continuing to advise that people remain cautious and considerate to others, continuing to wear face coverings in busy indoor areas and on public transport and maintaining social distancing where necessary.

For the rest of March, people who do have coronavirus symptoms of a new continuous cough, a fever or a loss of smell or taste, can still get a PCR test at one of Sefton’s four local walk-through test centres. These are located at Bootle Town Hall, Crosby Library Car Park, Haigh Road, Netherton Activity Centre and Southport Town Hall and are open every day from 8am to 6pm. They will also close after Friday 1st April.

Drive-through Mobile Testing Units will also be visiting Litherland Sports Park, Maghull Town Hall and Southport, Esplanade Park and Ride through March. A link to the schedule can be found at www.sefton.gov.uk/testing-in-sefton

People can book a PCR test by visiting www.nhs.uk/coronavirus  or calling 119.

New council Tech Rooms will support refugees across Sefton

16 March 2022
Ollie Cowan
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Categories: Borough Of Culture, Business and Economy, Essential Sefton, Front Page, Latest News

Sefton Libraries team are set to install special technology rooms in Southport, Bootle and Crosby, designed to help refugees and isolated residents throughout the borough.

Funded via a grant Arts Council England, the brand new state of the art ‘Tech Rooms’ will be installed at The Atkinson Library, Bootle Library and Crosby Library, with its primary uses being to help refugees and asylum seekers access language courses, while also helping isolated residents connect digitally with distant family members.

Use of the Tech Rooms, which come fully equipped with top of the line audio and visual communication equipment, will also be available to small business owners and students from across the borough.

Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, said: “We’re delighted that our bid for Arts Council funding for this project was successful and we can now begin creating these highly beneficial Tech Rooms.

“Primarily we envisage the rooms being of the most benefit to those residents who are ‘digitally isolated’ and need a way to reconnect with family and friends who are far away.

“We also will use the rooms to facilitate specialist language learning for refugees and asylum seekers so they can better integrate with their communities and study in a safe, high tech environment.

“There are also huge benefits for local businesses, small enterprises and home workers who will now have access to the highest quality digitally enabled workspaces.”

Darren Henley, Chief Executive Officer, Arts Council England, added: “Our artists, arts organisations, museums and libraries are experts in making villages, towns and cities better places to live, work, visit or play.

“This investment means they’ll be able to help more people across England to lead happier, more creative lives.”

Sefton Libraries were successful in securing a Libraries Improvement Fund grant of £68,000 for the project from Arts Council England. Work to create the rooms will begin from April.

Sefton Council celebrates its social care workforce this Social Work Week

14 March 2022
Martin Driver
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Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Sefton Council

A group of people stand outside the front entrance of Magdalen HouseThis week is Social Work Week (14th-18th March) and Sefton Council is shining a spotlight on its Children’s and Adult Social Care workforce; from Social Workers, Occupational Therapists and Social Care Practitioners to Business Support Officers, Family Support Workers and everyone in-between who helps to make a difference and support both services to run effectively.

The week, organised by Social Work England, coincides with World Social Work Day which recognises the hard work and dedication of social workers on an international stage. The theme for the day is ‘Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind’ and the theme for the week is ’Social Work and Me’.

Sefton Council will be hosting several events across the week and is encouraging staff to attend as many as possible. Highlights include an inspirational talk from brothers Andy and Matt Smith (Smash Life), a celebratory cinema night at local community cinema, The Plaza and various health and wellbeing drop-in sessions that will explain more about the Council’s offer to employees.

As well as the events, the Council is encouraging teams to take some time for themselves and step away from the desk, allowing time to reflect. Activities being promoted include taking part in a team beach litter pick, enjoying a team breakfast whilst reflecting on the challenges and achievements throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and taking the time to find out about local community groups and initiatives teams could get involved with.

Cllr. Mhairi Doyle, M.B.E., Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, said:

“Social Work Week and World Social Work Day is an opportunity for us to celebrate and shine a spotlight not only our Social Workers, but on every single person who plays a part in making a difference to our communities right across the Borough.

“Social work can be an extremely tough job, but it can also be one of the most rewarding. I hope by taking the time to reflect on their amazing achievements, our teams can see the amazing work they do day in, day out.”

Cllr. Paul Cummins, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said:

“I’d like to wish everyone a great week of celebrations and reflection. I know how hard both our adult and children’s teams work every day for the benefit of our communities, so I hope everyone can find the time to take a moment to reflect on that hard work.

“It has been an incredibly challenging couple of years for our workforce and this week is all about celebrating our people and their dedication to their roles and Sefton.”

Sefton Council currently has a range of exciting opportunities within its adult and children’s social care services. To find out more about our adult social care opportunities, please visit: https://ats-sefton.jgp.co.uk/vacancies?ga_client_id=b69e7212-766a-46c6-ab54-991244d24d0c. To find out more about our children’s social care opportunities, please visit: https://ats-sefton.jgp.co.uk/vacancies?ga_client_id=b69e7212-766a-46c6-ab54-991244d24d0c&occupational_areas=Children%27s+Social+Care.

Sefton urges people to think about fostering during LGBT+ Fostering and Adoption Week

10 March 2022
Charlene Smith
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Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Young People

This week we are celebrating LGBT+ Fostering and Adoption Week (7th – 13th March). We want to take this opportunity to encourage lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender+ people to think about giving a loving home to a child and foster with Sefton Council.

Sefton needs more foster carers from all backgrounds regardless of their sexuality, gender, single, married, in same-sex relationships, race, ethnicity or religion.

If you feel like you have space in your hearts and your home, then please get in touch with us.

For this year’s celebration, we are sharing Mark and Dave’s beautiful story. The couple have been fostering with Sefton for 15 years and say with the support and help from Sefton and the fostering community, becoming foster carers has been the best decision they have ever made.

Mark: At the moment we’ve got three foster children 6, 10 and 13. We also have other previous foster children who are still with us and are a massive part of our family.

Sometimes we have to count how many plates we need at the table and how many seats we need there is that many of us. That includes children their friends their partners, we’re just one big family and we love it.

Dave: We have different experiences of fostering children of all ages. It’s great to see the young ones coming through, they are such a delight. They’re learning and their minds are like sponges. They want to be loved and to be hugged and its beautiful.

When you’re looking after the teenagers you can really get stuck in with sports and games. We like the outdoors so it’s great for us to get out and about with them.

There’s never a shortage of one of them wanting to play a game of pool, badminton or have a rounders tournament in the back garden. Seeing them wanting to engage is heart-warming.

Mark: When our eldest came to us he was sad. We gave him the stability and support he needed during difficult teenage years. 10 years on and he’s working and he’s really doing well in his life and being in foster care hasn’t held him back because we’ve pushed him forward and encouraged him.

Dave: If anyone from the LGBT+ community is concerned or worried or apprehensive about fostering, please find out more. We started 15 years ago, and it has been an amazing journey we’ve never been held back, and we’ve always been encouraged to be the carers that we are today.

Mark: I completely echo what Dave has said. If you are thinking about fostering honestly it is one of the most rewarding things you can do. It can be challenging at times, but you are bringing happiness and life to children who actually need love, a good home and support.

Sefton’s Foster Carers are paid for their skills, receive full training and support, plus allowances.

Anyone who is thinking about fostering can find out more by speaking to one of the team or by visiting the dedicated website at https://seftonfostering.co.uk/ 

Or call the freephone number – 0800 923 2777

If anyone is thinking about adoption, please visit www.adoptioninmerseyside.co.uk.

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