Knowsley Online

Huyton Arts and Sports Centre for Learning joins London’s 2012 Get Set network

Pupils and teachers at Huyton Arts and Sports Centre for Learning celebrated today as they officially joined London 2012’s Get Set network.  This is in recognition of their commitment to the Olympic and Paralympic values.

Huyton Arts and Sports pupils celebrating their participation in the Get Set network

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) awarded Huyton Arts and Sports Centre for Learning a plaque and certificate to acknowledge their involvement in the London 2012 education programme. 

They now join schools and colleges across the UK as members of the special London 2012 community – the Get Set network - and will receive access to exclusive competitions and 2012 Games related opportunities over the coming years.

Children learn ‘Respect’ for citizenship

A book that helps to educate children about being a good citizen is being handed out in schools across Knowsley.

The ‘Respect Your Life, Your Choice’ book, produced by the charity Children’s Safety Education Foundation (CSEF), covers subjects such as bullying, peer pressure, hate crime, anti-social behaviour and personal safety.

Knowsley Housing Trust (KHT) has funded copies of the book for children at Knowsley Park Centre for Learning, Kirkby Sports College, Huyton Arts and Sports Centre and Halewood Centre for Learning.

Terry Bonner, KHT Operational Director of Landlord Services, said: “This book delivers some very important messages to young people in our neighbourhoods about what it means to be a good citizen.

Putting their names on new steel work

Work has begun on a new, state-of-the-art Special Educational Needs (SEN) school as part of Knowsley’s Future Schooling Programme.

To mark the occasion, VIP’s signed some of the steel girders that will form the skeleton of the building in Southdene, Kirkby.

The specialist facility will cater for children aged three to 19 with needs ranging from Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty to Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

The school, being built by Balfour Beatty, will replace Springfield School and The Elms and is due to open in September 2012.

Honoured for their outstanding service

Three former Knowsley councillors are being honoured for their outstanding service to the borough, totalling more than 80 years.

John King, Danny Smith and Ernie Parker have each been given the title of Honorary Alderman, one of the highest honours bestowed by the council.

The honour is only given in exceptional circumstances and has only been presented to eight other people.

Awards to recognise Good Neighbours in Knowsley

Nominations are now open for the 2011 Good Neighbours in Knowsley awards, which are now in their third year.

The awards are set up by the Knowsley Partnership so that residents can acknowledge and thank the people who make their community a better place to live. Having such people in your neighbourhood helps to build community cohesion, which is a measure of how well different members of the community get on with one another.

It is important to recognise the significance of people who make a positive contribution to the local community.  As well as the fact that they deserve recognition for their efforts, it serves as a reminder to everybody else that we all have a role to play to make the community stronger.

Knowsley to celebrate business and regeneration successes

Business success and transformational regeneration initiatives are to be celebrated at the Knowsley Business and Regeneration Awards.

Individuals, local companies and entrepreneurs are now being invited to nominate themselves or others for one of the 12 categories in the prestigious awards, which include SME of the Year, Low Carbon Economy Award and Employer of the Year.

This year, the awards have been broadened to include a number of new categories celebrating success in the built environment as well as economic prosperity, including Best Housing Scheme of the Year.

The awards are open to all businesses, whether small or large, as long as they are based within Knowsley. The winners will be named at a dinner and awards ceremony to be held on Friday, October 7.

Bringing old wood to life in Knowsley

Creating artwork is as easy as ABC for residents involved in an exciting and unusual project.

As the borough’s new leisure park nears completion, residents have been helping to produce unique artwork to be displayed at the new facility.

Knowsley’s Arts and Heritage Service has teamed up with Gordon Young, one of the UK’s leading public artists, to create the pieces which will be unveiled when the facility opens on 26 September.

Inspired by Edward Lear’s Nonsense Alphabet, which he originally wrote to amuse the grandchildren of the 13th Earl of Derby on his visits to Knowsley in the 1830s, the council has been challenging residents to create a modern day Knowsley Alphabet. 

New garden looking rosy

Residents at a sheltered housing scheme in Prescot can enjoy a brand new garden after gaining funding from Knowsley Housing Trust (KHT).

KHT’s South Avenue Supported Housing scheme now has new vegetable plots and raised beds where the residents will be able to tend to the plants.

National success for local school squad

A school football team in Knowsley has come runner up in a national school football competiton.

The team of nine to 11 year olds, from St Aidan’s Catholic Primary School, Huyton, just missed out on the English Schools’ FA National Schools Football title in a penalty shoot out.

The journey to the final was a long one, beginning with a successful victory in the initial Huyton area competition. They went on to represent Huyton at the North West finals, where they played the champions of local North West areas to be crowned the North West Champions.

Following this tremendous success, the team travelled to Newcastle to play the winning teams from each northern region. Their performance was outstanding as they were undefeated throughout the competition.

South African visit strengthens school links

A school project on the African Apartheid was brought to life for Huyton students when the Principal and Vice Principal from a Cape Town High School paid a visit.

Pupils from Huyton Arts and Sports Centre for Learning welcomed the South African education professionals to the borough last week.

The visit from Anthony Hess, Principal and Jeremy Adams, Vice Principal from Groenberg High School in Cape Town aimed to further develop international links and help develop the school’s community cohesion programme.  Community cohesion brings together people from all walks of life, regardless of their age, background or gender.