Knowsley Online

Mini torch relay in Knowsley

Young people across Knowsley will be taking part in their own mini torch relay next week to celebrate the countdown to the London 2012 Olympics. The official Olympic torch relay is already planned to visit the Liverpool City region on 1 June 2012.

The torch will visit each Centre for Learning across Knowsley during Tuesday and Wednesday next week, starting with Kirkby Sports College and finishing at Huyton Arts and Sports College.

During the two days, pupils will take part in a range of activities including an opening ceremony and sporting events, including athletics, football, handball and tennis.

During the two day event, the torch will be carried by a number of young sporting stars, who are pupils at the Centres for Learning. Alongside this, the Romanian Paralympic swimming and tennis team will be supporting the torch relay at Kirkby Sports College. The team are visiting the borough as part of their pre-games training for London 2012.

The commonwealth mini torch relay supports National School Sports Week, which is taking place during week commencing 27 June. During the week, a range of sport and physical activity opportunities will be showcased by the Sport Development and School Sport Partnership in Knowsley’s excellent leisure facilities .People of all ages can take up a new sport for the very first time, join one of the local sporting clubs or train to be a sports leader or qualified coach

Cllr Eddie Connor, Cabinet Member for Community, Leisure and Culture, said “This is a fantastic opportunity for our young people to be involved in the Olympic preparations in such a fun and innovation way. Hopefully, this will inspire our young people to continue their interest and participation in sporting activities.”

Prescot Festival

Download 2011 festival brochure and schedule

Giant bus walks into the record books

Schools across Knowsley took part in a record attempt to be part of the biggest ever “Walking Bus” this month.

The event was organised by the road safety charity Brake and supported by Knowsley Council’s Road Safety and Travel Plan Team, with the aim of promoting road safety messages which allow children to enjoy walking to school safely.

In Stockbridge Village, more than 400 pupils from Brookside, St Brigid’s, St Albert’s and Nine Tree Primary Schools as well as The Elms, Christ the King Centre for Learning and the local Children’s Centre all took to the streets with help from local Police Community Support Officers, community groups and other agencies.

Nationally, around 100,000 children walked on the day to raise awareness of road safety.

“This is a fun event but it has a serious message too,” said Cllr Dave Lonergan, Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills.

Private landlords advice

Private landlords in Knowsley can get the very latest advice and support at an event being held in the borough next month.

The fourth private landlords’ forum is being held at the Gallery in the Huyton Suite at 5:30pm on Thursday 21 July.

As with the three previous successful events, a number of topics will be discussed. This time, the subjects will be:

• Launch of new Anti-Social Behaviour Pack
• Advice and guidance on tenancy sustainment (by Villages Housing) and; 
• Tackling damp and mould growth through condensation

Landlords will also have the opportunity to speak to specialist council officers and network with other landlords.

Cllr Dave Lonergan, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills said: “The feedback we have received from landlords after the first three forums has been extremely positive and they have found the events very useful.

“I’m sure this summer forum will be equally valuable for landlords in Knowsley and give them plenty of useful advice and support.”

Landlords wishing to attend should telephone 0151 443 2287 or email housing@knowsley.gov.uk

The date for the winter forum has been set for 17 November 2011. Further details will be announced nearer the time.

Have your say on future development in Knowsley

Plans which set out how Knowsley could develop in the future are being discussed with residents as part of a 10 week consultation exercise.
Knowsley residents will this week receive a leaflet from the council, which summarises the proposals which will

form the basis of a Local Development Framework (LDF). This plan will shape the way Knowsley develops to 2027 and beyond, including the potential to create more than 7,000 new homes and increase employment opportunities for local people.

The leaflet contains a summary of the full Core Strategy Preferred Options Report, which will be published on 27 June. The full report will outline the key aims of the Local Development Framework including:

• create attractive places for people to live, work and spend their leisure time;
• deliver several thousand new homes in Knowsley over the next 15-20 years; 
• create opportunities for new employment; 
• support regeneration priorities; 
• decide how our town centres and smaller shopping areas should be developed; 
• improve transport links, including walking and cycling; 
• make the best use of Knowsley's green spaces; and 
• decide how we tackle climate change and resource management.

Closing date nears for Olympic torchbearer nominations

The UK will be playing host to the Olympic and Paralympic Games next year. As part of the preparations for the big event, the organising committee are searching for 8,000 torchbearers to carry the Olympic Flame across the North West

The committee are asking for people to nominate someone special who has made contributions to the community, or who has made a great personal achievement. This is a once in a lifetime chance for someone inspirational to carry the Olympic Flame in our region. People of all ages can be nominated, and half of the torchbearers are expected to be aged between 12 and 24 years old.

Cllr Eddie Connor, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Community and Culture said: “We know through our Sport and Physical Activity Awards and Good Neighbours campaign that we have a huge community spirit here in Knowsley and many incredible characters who do so much for so many and would make worthy nominations to become a torchbearer.

KHT helps young apprentices get on the career ladder

Two young apprentices are carving out a career in quantity surveying with help from Knowsley Housing Trust (KHT).

KHT has helped to fund placements for Shaun McKee and John Thomson with Liverpool construction consultancy Tweeds, through the Working Neighbourhood Fund.

Shaun and John, both from Huyton, are gaining hands-on experience in project management and cost consultancy, working on some large-scale building projects worth millions of pounds.

Steve Heverin, Operational Director of Investment at KHT said: “Giving young people the opportunity to gain practical experience in their chosen careers will help them greatly when looking for a job.

“Youth unemployment is soaring, so it is more important than ever to support young people entering the jobs market in every way we can.”

Creative Art Showcase

A SHOWCASE of artwork produced by people who use Alcohol Service Knowsley (ASK) went on display at ASK’s Wilson Road base in Huyton.

The art group has been running eight months, providing therapeutic activity sessions and mutual support for people who access the community alcohol service.

The project has been a partnership approach between NHS Knowsley Arts in Health and Mersey Care NHS Trust’s Addictions Service, developed for ASK clients to access alongside treatment, to help prevent relapse.

ASK use a range of measures to support service users including psychosocial interventions, community detox and brief treatment clinics, as well as offering complimentary therapy and family support.

Sir Bert Massie visits Knowsley to unveil new facility

 National Carers Week marks the launch of Knowsley’s Centre for Independent Living
Disability rights campaigner Sir Bert Massie, CBE was welcomed back to Merseyside during National Carers Week to officially open a new facility which will help disabled people in Knowsley to live more independently.

The Liverpool-born campaigner performed the grand opening of Knowsley’s Centre for Independent Living, a brand new one stop shop which has been developed with the help of disabled children and adults as well as carers in Knowsley to offer support, advice and equipment to help people to stay living at home.

The Huyton-based centre features an open plan equipment showroom as well as a hub for services that will enable people with disabilities from Knowsley to access advice, advocacy and support services under one roof.

Pupils get set to free their feet

Students in Knowsley are being challenged to ‘free their feet’ and try walking to school.

Schools in the borough are among 300 nationally to take part in the Free Your Feet campaign being run by pedestrian charity Living Streets, which aims to increase the number of pupils coming to school on foot.

Taking part are students from Huyton Arts and Sports, Kirkby Sports College and Knowsley Park centres for learning.

Students at the school will learn the health benefits of walking and brush up their road safety skills to give them the motivation and confidence to try walking each day.

As an incentive all schools who register to take part in Free Your Feet are given resource packs by Living Streets for students and one child at each school will win a £50 prize for taking part.