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Sefton celebrating World Tourism Day

Graphic celebrating Sefton's tourism

To mark today’s World Tourism Day, Sefton Council is taking to social media to celebrate the Borough’s attractions.

Tourism brings tens of thousands of people to the Borough and in 2018, generated £555 million of income to the local economy.

Spectacular

Sefton’s 22 miles of spectacular coastline define the Borough and are the focus for visitors and tourists as well as being enjoyed by residents.

From the traditional seaside town of Southport in the north to the 100 iron men that make up Sir Antony Gormley’s world-famous artwork, ‘Another Place’ on Crosby beach in the south, Sefton’s coastline has something for everyone.

Walking, cycling, kite surfing, sea-fishing and bird spotting are among the popular activities enjoyed by visitors and local alike.

Wildlife

There are beautiful beaches and a vast stunning landscape of protected sand dunes and woodlands, which are home to an array of wildlife including red squirrels, Natterjack toads, rare sand lizards and exceptional species of flora and fauna. Large numbers of migrating birds use it as a stopping-off point in spring and autumn.

It is for this reason, the Sefton Coast enjoys high levels of protection including Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Area of Conservation two areas designated as Marine Conservation Zones.

And with the UK’s highest concentration of championship links courses, including Royal Birkdale, our Golf Coast is the perfect place to pitch a holiday.

Events

In addition to its coastline, Sefton also has areas of woodland, impressive parks and a number of annual events including Southport’s World Musical Fireworks Championships, Air and Flower Shows and Comedy Festival.

A recent addition to Southport’s attractions is the refurbished Market featuring mouth-watering delights and delicacies from around the world, with ten stalls and traders, as well as a feature bar and drinks space, to choose from.

Funding

Earlier this year, it was announced that Southport is set to receive £37.5 million of Town Deal funding from the Government. Key themes of the town’s Investment Plan are a new Marine Lake Events Centre, the creation of the UK’s first light, water and sound show in the Marine Lake, and Les Transformations de Southport which will see the streets that inspired Paris’s famous boulevards turned into high-quality public spaces.

Plans to increase tourism in the south of Sefton include a proposal for the UK’s first ‘Flying Cinema’ to transport visitors on a tour of the British Isles and, a Virtual Reality Time-Travel Tunnel will take visitors on a journey through the ‘History of Bootle and Liverpool’, including an experience of the city’s blitz.

These and measures to encourage visitors to nearby Crosby to stay longer, form part of Sefton Council’s Levelling Up bids to the Government, which total almost £34 million.

Find out more about visiting Sefton.

Sefton Council is taking to Facebook and Twitter to share images celebrating Sefton’s attractions through the day.

BIPC Liverpool and British Library join forces to announce major new support lifeline for businesses across the Liverpool City Region

The Business & IP Centre Liverpool (based in Central Library) and the British Library have announced the roll out of several new local Business & IP Centres (BIPCs) across the Liverpool City Region.

Tuesday 21st September sees the official launch of more BIPCs in libraries in Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, St.Helens and Wirral.

Anyone with a business idea or wanting to develop an existing business can now access a new range of specialist support services.

Following last year’s spending pledge of £13million in government funding towards a major expansion of the British Library’s Business & IP Centre network, many more local libraries are being equipped with dedicated workspaces, business resources and expert support for aspiring business owners. The expansion builds on the proven track record of support delivered by BIPC Liverpool.

Since being set up six years ago, BIPC Liverpool has helped over 3000 people start or grow a small business.

Mayor of Liverpool Joanne Anderson says:  

“Liverpool’s Business & IP Centre is a brilliant success story and has provided a huge amount of support to countless individuals. The concept of providing help to anyone with a business idea, regardless of their background, is social value in action.

“What’s hugely encouraging is that over half of those who have benefited and set up a businesses are women and a third are from ethnic backgrounds – more than triple the national averages for business ownership in the UK.

“This is largely due to the accessibility and community-based ethos of library-based business support, so I’m delighted to see that the success of BIPC Liverpool will now be replicated across the City Region enabling many, many more people to benefit.”

The new BIPCs will be situated in Crosby, Huyton, Birkenhead, St. Helens and Allerton libraries. Each will be equipped with a core set of resources including a powerful range of free business databases, provided by the British Library. There will also be a programme of events, workshops and one-to-one advice sessions delivered in collaboration with local business leaders, professional advisors, successful entrepreneurs and community partners.

Liz Jolly, Chief Librarian at the British Library, says:

“At their heart, libraries are trusted spaces with professional staff who have a mission to connect people with information. Our BIPC Network harnesses the power of libraries, bringing in expertise from the local community to help people from all walks of life turn an idea into a successful business.

“We’re delighted to mark this next chapter in the Network’s journey, growing from 14 to over 100 new regional and local Centres across England. Our mission is to put business support in every library, whilst maintaining our commitment to ensuring IP workshops and events are also open to everyone online.”

Culture Minister, Caroline Dinenage, says:

“It’s brilliant that small businesses and entrepreneurs will now be able to access invaluable support and resources across the Liverpool City Region.”

Details of individual library opening times and range of BIPC services can be found at www.liverpool.gov.uk/bipc 

To find out how InvestSefton, Sefton Council’s business growth team, can help your business contact 0151 934 3452 or email investsefton@sefton.gov.uk or visit www.investsefton.com

Save a life this month, by becoming a Zero Hero and learning how to help prevent suicide

Man opening shirt - Superman-style to reveal a large zero on his undershirt.As Friday’s World Suicide Prevention Day approaches, Sefton Council is encouraging people to find out about The Zero Suicide Alliance.

The Zero Suicide Alliance is a made up of National Health Service trusts, businesses and individuals who are all committed to suicide prevention in the UK and beyond.

Free training

To achieve this, the Alliance is promoting a free suicide prevention training course for everyone. The short, online training teaches you how to spot the danger signs, and how to reach out and support someone in need.

After the training, you will be able to identify when someone is showing they have suicidal thoughts or behaviour. You will also be able to speak in a supportive manner and to encourage them to contact appropriate correct services or support.

You can access the courses at www.zerosuicidealliance.com/training

Expertise

The full course takes around 30 minutes, but there’s a shorter version that just takes a few minutes. It has been developed using expertise from clinicians at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and a leading e-learning training provider.

People in Sefton can also find out about mental health support available, on Sefton Council’s website at www.sefton.gov.uk/healthandwellbeing .

NHS advice for over this August Bank Holiday weekend

NHS treatment information posterHealth professionals in Sefton are encouraging residents to contact NHS 111 first if they need urgent medical advice over this August Bank Holiday weekend. They are also reminding people of the wide range of support that will be available.

NHS111

People who need urgent health care across Sefton are being encouraged to contact NHS 111, by visiting www.111.nhs.uk or by calling 111 if they do not have access to the internet.

NHS 111 is staffed by trained professionals and clinicians, who will direct you to the most appropriate health service. It is fast and simple and the easiest way to be sign posted to the right service that you or a loved one needs. This could be a GP out-of-hours, a walk-in centre or a local pharmacy. In an emergency, you should call 999.

There any time

Dr Pete Chamberlain, GP and chair of NHS South Sefton CCG, said: “NHS 111 is there any time to advise you how to safely manage your condition at home, or direct you to the right health service for your needs. This may include a local walk-in centre, GP, pharmacy or hospital. If appropriate, 111 are able to book appointments with GP out-of-hours over the bank holiday weekend too.”

“Remember, in a life-threatening medical emergency such as loss of consciousness, stroke or serious injury, you should always call 999 straight away.”

Trusted information

Dr Rob Caudwell, GP and chair of NHS Southport and Formby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “The NHS website has a wealth of trusted information and support as well as really helpful guides to some of the most common conditions that people can often treat at home. 

In addition, many local pharmacies will be available over the bank holiday weekend to provide advice and support on how to treat some of these conditions. You can also still get your COVID-19 jab over the bank holiday at walk-in vaccination sites.”

Mental health support

For anyone over 16 in need of urgent mental health support as they no longer feel able to cope or be in control of their situation, there is a free 24-hour telephone service on 0800 145 6570. There is also free, confidential, 24/7 text message support for anyone who is feeling overwhelmed or is struggling to cope. The service, run by Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, is staffed by trained volunteers who will work with you, to take your next steps towards feeling better. For this service text HEAL to 85258.

Litherland Walk in Centre is open 8am to 8pm and is operating a telephone triage and appointment system to keep everyone safe by supporting social distancing. Local residents are advised to book an appointment before visiting the centre by calling 0151 475 4667.

Pharmacies

Many local pharmacies are open over the bank holiday weekend and pharmacists can offer expert advice on appropriate treatments for a wide range of conditions affecting adults and children.

The NHS has produced a range of easy to follow online ‘self-help’ guides to common conditions such as indigestion, ear infections, sprains and strains and Mersey Care have developed their own range of self help guides for a range of physical and mental health conditions. You can also find trusted advice about hundreds of health conditions on NHS.uk and the NHS app which provides secure access to a range of NHS services.

For detailed information on where you can go for your COVID-19 vaccine and information on other health services including pharmacy times over the bank holiday weekend please visit the CCG websites: southseftonccg.nhs.uk  / southportformbyccg.nhs.uk

Information on urgent mental health support can be found via: https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/urgent-help and Mersey Care’s range of self-help guides can be found on: https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/are-you-a-service-user/self-help-guides 

The latest information about Litherland Walk-In Centre can be found at: https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/our-services/south-sefton/walk-centre-litherland 

And a range of helpful self help videos to common conditions and how to treat them is available at https://bit.ly/SelfCareSefton 

You can also check @NHSSSCCG or @NHSSFCCG on Twitter, or ring NHS 111.

Bootle Canalside: The Story so Far

We want to know what you think of our plans for Bootle Canalside…

You can fill in the feedback forms which can be found at the entrance and on the container stalls

Just pop it in on of our drop boxes when you are done

 

But first, let us tell you the story so far…

Sefton Council purchased the Strand in 2017 and since then it has been at the heart of transformation and regeneration plans for Bootle.

The area adjacent to the Strand alongside the Leeds-Liverpool Canal has been put aside to house a multi-functional, open air food, drink and events space while the longer term ambitions for the Strand are developed.

The site was granted planning permission for this use in July 2021.The site has the name ‘Bootle Canalside.’

Bootle Canalside is set to host a temporary, five day, pop up event over the August Bank Holiday. Local food and drink traders will serve food and drink from around the world from refurbished shipping containers in a nod to Bootle’s industrial history.  The event will be an opportunity to test the site with the community and gather feedback on what people in Bootle want to see from this exciting, new venue.

Bootle Canalside, once completed, will include an urban garden, food and drink offer, leisure uses and events spaces. It will be a vibrant recreation and leisure area that makes full use of its fantastic setting and brings a new element to Bootle’s local economy.

 

So tell us… what does Bootle need?

Have you enjoyed your time at Bootle Canalside?

How can we make the site better?

 

What do you want to see from Bootle Canalside?

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