Knowsley Online

Fifty years of community spirit

The wraps came off a mosaic that celebrates fifty years of a community coming together in Knowsley.

Swanside community centre in Huyton was set up in 1962. It’s still going strong and provides all sorts of activities, many run by local volunteers. 

To mark the club’s Golden anniversary, children and volunteers at the Malvern Mums after school club that meets there have created a mosaic.

It took 18 months to make and was unveiled by local councillors Ron Round, leader of Knowsley Council and Graham Wright, Knowsley’s cabinet member for Children and Family Services.

“It looks beautiful and has made a real difference to the outside of the building,” said Jan Owens, one of the Swanside centre managers.

KHT helps to ‘Stop a Loan Shark’

Activities to raise awareness of the dangers of loan sharks and the devastating impact they can have on communities were held in Halewood as part of a special initiative

Knowsley Housing Trust (KHT), part of the First Ark Group, worked with KMBC and the England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) all last week to help residents recognise the problem of loan sharks in the area and direct people to agencies that can help if they are struggling financially.

Staff and their mascot ‘Sid the Shark’ visited schools and youth groups, the local library, leisure centre and many other groups and venues, giving out information and advice. They also carried out an informative ‘walkabout’ in Halewood.

Sid and the team spoke to 829 residents in person throughout the week and a further 730 were reached via the community messaging service.

There have been several high profile convictions of loan sharks operating in KHT neighbourhoods – including one who dealt loans to 145 people with APR rates ranging from 886% to 131,000%. They became intimidating when ‘customers’ could not pay.

Andy Coulson, Social Responsibility Coordinator with KHT, said: “Illegal money lenders prey on vulnerable people who don’t think they have any other option.

Young People’s Question Time comes to Knowsley

Last week, over 80 young people took part in the first ever Knowsley Young People’s Question Time, held at Ourplace Youth Facility in Huyton.

The event was organised by Knowsley Council’s Rights and Participation Team, as part of Parliament Week 2012 - a national awareness week which aims to build greater awareness, understanding and engagement with democracy in the UK.

The panel was chaired by Sheena Ramsey, Chief Executive of Knowsley Council, and consisted of Rt. Hon George Howarth MP; Chief Superintendent Mike Cloherty, Area Commander for Knowsley; Councillor Eddie Connor, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Community & Culture; Julie Young, Director of Schools and Educational Attainment; Liam Robinson, Chair of Merseytravel & Integrated Travel Authority; as well as Harry Campbell, Knowsley Member of Youth Parliament (MYP).

During the event, young people from across the borough asked the panel a diverse set of questions on issues including transport, apprenticeships and mental health.

Free parking to boost Christmas shopping in Knowsley

Shoppers in Knowsley will once again enjoy free Saturday parking in the run up to Christmas.

It is hoped the move will make it even more attractive for people to shop local this Christmas, supporting Knowsley’s local town centre traders and markets.

The initiative will apply to all council run car parks and parking bays every Saturday throughout December.  All maximum stay restrictions will also be lifted so shoppers can park in any of the council’s car parks for as long as they need, for free.

Knowsley’s town centres have something for everyone – from a bargain hunter’s heaven at Kirkby Market to fantastic locally produced produce at the Prescot Producers’ Market on Saturday, Dec 1. Shoppers can enjoy high street names as well as small, independent retailers in all Knowsley’s shopping centres.

This year, as well as its usual opening days on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, Kirkby Market is open every day from 21 December right through until Christmas Eve. So, come along and stock up on all those last minute bargains and soak up the atmosphere at your friendly, local market.

Plus, every Saturday before Christmas you’ll get a free turn on the Kirkby Market tombola whenever you spend £5 at a participating stall. You could win vouchers to spend on the market and make your Christmas shopping go even further!

Prescot Producers’ Market

Popular Prescot Producers’ Market is returning to bustling Eccleston Street this Saturday (December 1) with a festive feel.

As always there will be quality local produce and crafts along with festive fun at this month’s market.

The market will see some Christmas entertainment along with a nativity scene set within the street. This month we’ve also extended our opening hours to 4pm to give you extra time for picking up your Christmas shopping.

After you’ve finished your Christmas shopping don’t forget to pop along to Church Street and support the Prescot Town Team, who are holding a Christmas Celebration event which will see the town’s Christmas lights switched-on. The event will run from 3 to 5.30pm.

The market is open from 9am until 4pm this month and then returns on the 2^nd February 2013 (and every first Saturday) as its usual time of 9am till 2pm

If you are a local business and want to get involved in the market you can call 0151 443 2298 for more information. Knowsley-based businesses or residents may be eligible for free stall space.

Balloon release raises the issue of bullying

Eight year old Kai Wood made light work of a balloon release at a Knowsley school to raise the issue of bullying.

The event rounded off a week of activities at St Mary and St Paul's primary in Prescot about the problem.

They’d had assemblies and lessons about how to spot bullying, what to do about it and how to avoid becoming a bully.

Poems, drama and even a rap where used as each class took their turn to highlight the issues.

“There were somethings they just didn’t see as bullying, like calling someone a name,” said learning mentor Janette Bird, who’d helped organise the week.

“In an exercise in our Circle Time, I asked them to call me some horrible names and I ripped a piece of paper each time they did it.

“At the end I showed them the torn pieces of paper and I said that’s how people feel when they’ve been called names – ripped apart.

“I then stuck the pieces back together and showed how it would never be the same again and that’s what bullying does to a person – even when it s over.”

The school has a Thoughts box where pupils can leave messages anonymously about any worries. These are then taken up by staff.

Each of the school’s year classes released three balloons, with tags saying “St Mary and St Paul’s says No to Bullying.”

Safer crossing for Hospital route

Crossing safely at one of Whiston’s busiest junctions is now much easier, thanks to improvement works carried out by Knowsley Council.

Following a number of accidents at the junction of Dragon Lane and Stoney Lane, near Whiston Hospital, traffic lights have been introduced to make the route more pedestrian and cyclist friendly.

Local residents and councillors had expressed concerns about crossing the junction, particularly as it is often crossed by vulnerable road users including the elderly on their way to and from the hospital. The road is also used on a regular basis by pupils walking or cycling to and from St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Centre for Learning.

As a result of investment by the council the junction now has a traffic light system which will make crossing the road much easier and will also improve safety for cars and other vehicles navigating the junction. The inclusion of advanced stop lines will also make the road safer for cyclists.

Pupils say walk don’t park!

It was time to walk the walk in a campaign to keep children safe at a school in Knowsley. 

Pictured: (l to r) Cllrs Graham Wright, Ron Round and Bob Maguire join pupils from St Margaret Mary’s infants to put a stop to dangerous parking.

School governors at St Margaret Mary’s Infants in Roby have joined staff in a crackdown on drivers that put pupils at risk. 

The school fronts onto the really busy Pilch Lane and congestion, speeding and careless parking pose a real danger. 

“We’ve been trying to get this through to drivers for years,” said Cllr Bob Maguire, Chair of the school’s governors. 

Merseyside student wins a place at prestigious London dance school

 Elizabeth Butler from Whiston in Merseyside has been accepted for professional dance training at one of Europe’s premier schools for dance training and education, Central School of Ballet (CSB) in London which is this year celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Elizabeth aged 16 has been dancing since she was just three years old. She has now completed her first few weeks at CSB, one of only 39 pupils accepted for a place on this three year degree course, a BA (Hons) in Professional Dance and Performance (accredited by the University of Kent)CSB is the only dance school in the UK to offer this unique qualification.

Elizabeth was selected from 350 applicants who applied to CSB this year. Entrance to CSB is through auditions which are held between October and March each year in London, Glasgow, Leeds, Italy and Japan.

The process involves performing for the school’s teaching staff, all of whom are ex-professional dancers themselves. The course’s main focus is on Classical Ballet supported by Contemporary Dance as an additional subject, and also includes tuition in Choreography, Spanish Dance, Pilates, Jazz Dance, Drama, Dalcroze Eurhythmics, Singing and Contextual Studies.

KHT Shines at awards

Knowsley Housing Trust (KHT), part of the First Ark Group, has been honoured in college ‘Oscars’ for its efforts in helping young people gain work experience.

Andy Coulson, KHT’s Social Responsibility Coordinator, was presented with the ‘Employer Award’ at the Knowsley Community College (KCC) Shine Awards, held at Huyton Suites.

KHT teamed up with the college in a new Work Pairings scheme, an innovative project which gave five young people the chance to get hands-on experience and valuable work skills. They were each partnered with a mentor for one-to-one support to give them a taste of daily life in different departments at KHT.

KHT has also worked closely with KCC in many other projects throughout the year, all designed to help young people gain the skills and experiences they need to get full time employment in the future.

The Shine Awards are the college’s equivalent of the Oscars, recognising the ‘stars’ of 2011/2012 from the many talented students and young people that have excelled in apprenticeships or courses, to the hardworking staff and local employer partners.

Andy said: “We were very impressed with the young people who all showed great enthusiasm and drive to learn.