Knowsley Online

Listening Ear (Merseyside)

Annual General Meeting
2008-2009

Thursday, 25th June 2009
@
St Nicholas’ Centre

Programme

                                12.30    Welcome Tea & Coffee
                                            View displays

                                1.00    Presentation of activities and achievements
                                           in 2008-2009
       
                                Special guests:

                                Cllr. Dave & Sarah Smithson
                                (Mayor & Mayoress of Knowsley)
                                Rosemary Hawley
                                (Chair NHS Knowsley)
                                Gordon Jones
(Joint Commissioning Manager for Mental Health & Substance Misuse Knowsley PCT)
       
                                1.30        Buffet Lunch
                                              Tour of Listening Ear (Halewood) facilities

                                2.00        AGM formal business

Festival of fun on the way

A fun packed day is in store for local people as plans are put in place for the annual Halewood Festival 2009.

The event, held at Halewood Leisure Centre on Sunday July 5, is completely free and with lots of new activities to keep everybody entertained, it promises to be bigger and better than ever.

New attractions for 2009 include a community parade with a Rose Queen procession to launch the event at 12 noon . There is still time for local groups such as brownies, scouts etc to be involved in the parade by contacting the event organisers.

A new marquee will also be part of the festival with plenty of information on offer on relaxation and wellbeing including how to lead a healthier lifestyle with free health checks, fitness testing and complementary therapies all provided free of charge.

There is still time for craft stallholders to apply in the Craft Fayre and already there are lots of unusual stalls where you can pick up a great gift for that special someone.

Reader in Residence comes to Halewood

Halewood Library are to have their own ‘Reader in Residence’ to promote reading throughout June.

Sarah Mclennan, is a lecturer in Creative Writing at Liverpool John Moores University, and Co-ordinator of the Dead Good Poets Society - an arts organisation that promotes live literature events in Merseyside. She will be visiting Halewood library each Monday through June, and will be on hand to offer residents advice on what will make a good read over the summer; whether it be whilst lazing on the garden or relaxing by the pool on holiday. She will also be looking for recommendations from readers on what great books they have read.

Sarah will have the chance to meet residents of all ages from Halewood during her time as a reader in residence. Secondary school pupils will be working with her as she helps them produce a book on the positive aspects of being a teenager. She will also be dropping into the Arncliffe Centre to reminisce with older residents and on Saturday mornings children will get the chance to spend time with her as they learn about story telling and crafts.

Sarah will also be promoting the borough’s Summer Reading Challenges. Knowsley Libraries are challenging adults and children in the borough to read six books over the summer and win some great prizes.

For more details contact Halewood Library on 0151 443 2086

Festival of fun on the way

A fun packed day is in store for local people as plans are put in place for the annual Halewood Festival 2009.

The event, held at Halewood Leisure Centre on Sunday 5th July is completely free and with lots of new activities to keep everybody entertained, it promises to be bigger and better than ever.

New attractions for 2009 include a community parade with a Rose Queen procession to launch the event at 12noon. There is still time for local groups such as Brownies, Scouts etc to be involved in the parade by contacting the event organisers.

A new marquee will also be part of the festival with plenty of information on offer on relaxation and wellbeing including how to lead a healthier lifestyle with free health checks, fitness testing and complementary therapies all provided free of charge.

There is still time for craft stallholders to apply in the Craft Fayre and already there are lots of unusual stalls where you can pick up a great gift for that special someone.

The new Mayor and Mayoress of Knowsley have been officially welcomed into office.

Cllr Dave Smithson, from Halewood, was handed over the Chains of Office by Cllr Michael Foulkes, who has served as Mayor of Knowsley for the past year. The official welcome took place on Friday, during a special “Mayor Making” ceremony held at the Huyton Suite.

Cllr Smithson was first elected as a councillor in Knowsley in May 2000. Since then, he has done a lot of work for the borough, including serving on scrutiny committees and being a school governor. Since 2006 he has been the Chair of the Halewood Area Partnership Board and was elected to Halewood Town Council in 2003.

His wife Sarah, who will be Mayoress during her husband’s term in office, is also a councillor in the Halewood area for both Knowsley Council and Halewood Town Council. Sarah has also served as a school governor and is a member of the board of trustees at St Mary’s Day Care Centre in Halewood.

Cllr Smithson said “I am honoured to have been elected as Mayor. I am looking forward to meeting the people of Knowsley and getting involved in the local community. Cllr Foulkes has done a wonderful job over the past year, so it is a tough act to follow, but I am excited to serve the borough of Knowsley.”

Cllr Smithson and his wife will be supporting two main charities this year. These are Listening Ear Merseyside, a community-based charity which provides a free, confidential counselling and support service; and Lyndale, a voluntary group and charity providing care and support to people affected by cancer and their families and friends. The Mayor and Mayoress will also be supporting other local charities in the area.

Teenagers get HeadSpace at their local library.

The days when libraries were places where young people were shushed up and shooed out are over.

Knowsley Council is launching new spaces in its libraries where young people can relax, read a book, talk to their friends, or take part in an activity.

Local teenagers have been involved in the design of the so-called HeadSpace areas and young volunteers are being recruited to help run them.

Twelve year old Sarah Graham, is a member of a young people’s group that has played a central part in the development of HeadSpace.

She said: “I think it is a great idea that we have a HeadSpace of our own. You can escape all your troubles there and meet up with your friends, do homework and read.”

Thirteen year old Harry Biddlecombe, who has also been involved, said : “There are not many places locally for people of my age to go when they’re out with their friends – you can end up just walking the streets or hanging around in parks.

Festival of Fun on the Way

A fun packed day is in store for local people as plans are put in place for the annual Halewood Festival 2009.

The event, held at Halewood Leisure Centre on Sunday 5th July is completely free and with lots of new activities to keep everybody entertained, it promises to be bigger and better than ever.

New attractions for 2009 include a community parade with a Rose Queen procession to launch the event at 12 noon. There is still time for local groups such as brownies, scouts etc to be involved in the parade by contacting the event organisers.

A new marquee will also be part of the festival with plenty of information on offer on relaxation and wellbeing including how to lead a healthier lifestyle with free health checks, fitness testing and complementary therapies all provided free of charge.

There is still time for craft stallholders to apply in the Craft Fayre and already there are lots of unusual stalls where you can pick up a great gift for that special someone.

The event will rock to the sounds of ‘Reverberate’ giving youngsters the opportunity try some live DJ, rap and MC workshops. All the usual children’s activities are on offer with an arts and crafts funzone, face painting, seaside fun and small fairground rides.

The Children’s Fancy Dress Competition will take place at 2.30pm at the Main Arena so children up to the age of 15 are asked to dress up in something funky and wild with lots of prizes on offer

“it’s a family thing”.

Team to Kayak Windermere for Breast Cancer Research

Web site http://www.windermere2009.co.uk

A Team to Kayak Lake Windermere, over 4 days to raise funds for Breast Cancer Research. Event to take place on August 15th 2009-August 18th 2009.

It is hoped to cover the distance of the length of Scotland to help raise funds for the above, and that’s 275-miles.
Volunteer Kayakers who seek adventure to help raise funds for the above, please apply to team@windermere2009.co.uk . Team accommodation is available.

The reason we are planning this event is because when my wife was 16 years old, she lost her mother, who was only 42 to breast cancer and at the age of 42 my wife Angela, was also was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. She undertook a Lumpectomy followed by 6 months of chemo and also a double Mastectomy and reconstruction.

Why the distance: As a husband of a person who is going though this treatment, it’s made me realise how many other people in the UK are going though this on a day to day existence. So with this in mind, it’s for all the people across this great country we do this event. It’s also for the moment that your loved one is first diagnosed, and this long path you travel together starts. There is no stop of points until your reach your goal. And that’s the day then they tell you ‘Your Clear’, and it’s for all the Doctors, Surgeons and Nurses who give us their care and devotion along the way. And it’s also from me, to say ‘Thank you, with all my heart for giving my wife and our life back together.

The event is about 'awareness for breast cancer'. If we save one life, than we have done what we can, and I couldn't ask for anymore.
I would like to thank you for your help and support.

Donations online at our just giving website http://www.donatetobreastcancer.org/windermere2009

Alastair Campbell

Team & Event Organiser (Scotland) 01776 703 007

Graham Campbell

Tel: 0151 448 0082 (England / Halewood-Liverpool)

All the fun of the festival

A date not to be missed in the 2009 calendar is Sunday 5th July, the date just announced for the Halewood Community Festival which promises to be bigger and better than ever.

Over 4,000 local people enjoyed their own community showcase event last year and with a wide range of both indoor and outdoor attractions, the popular summer festival, is once again being hosted at Halewood Leisure Centre in Baileys Lane.

With a fantastic line up in a larger main arena of birds of prey, martial arts, cheerleading and air cadets, plus a dance extravaganza including belly dancing, line dancing and disco dancing, the free event has something to keep everyone entertained.

New for 2009 is a parade to launch the event with a Rose Queen procession, a Relaxation/Chillout Marquee and also a Craft Fayre where you can pick up some great hand crafted gifts. Organisers are appealing for Brownies, Scouts, Cubs and any other community organisation to be involved in the parade.

All the usual children’s activities are on offer with arts and crafts funzone, face painting, seaside fun, small fairground rides and a fancy dress competition for children with great prizes on offer. There is also a great line up of sports demonstrations including Ju Jitsu and Athletics.

A free shuttle bus service will be available from local residential areas to and from Halewood Leisure Centre provided by Merseyside Transport Trust.

There will also be a variety of stalls and information stands in the many marquees, with all sorts of information on local projects and community appeals. There is also the opportunity to find out more information on starting your own business by dropping into the Fresh Start Enterprise Zone.

The festival will run from 11-4pm with the Mayor of Halewood Town Council opening the event.

If anyone from the local community would like to be involved in the Festival please contact Carla Simkin on 443 2156.

New centre at the heart of Halewood

A new centre which will transform the services on offer to Halewood residents has opened this week.

The Halewood Centre is a ground-breaking new facility which brings together a range of Knowsley Council, NHS Knowsley and community services under one roof, and is the successful culmination of a project spanning more than two years.

The £8m centre is at the heart of a major £15m scheme to regenerate the old Raven Court site.

Halewood residents can access a wide range of over 30 public services at the new centre including a Knowsley Council One Stop Shop, a brand new library, three GP surgeries, a community dentist and pharmacy services.

Other services include a Post Office, Knowsley Housing Trust, Knowsley Works Plus and other NHS services such as diabetes, heart and blood services.

In addition, there is even the headquarters of Halewood Town Council, Halewood Credit Union, and Halewood Citizens Advice Bureau.

There are also crèche facilities, meeting rooms which can be used by local community groups and office space for new business start-ups.

But there is more to the innovative centre than just bricks and mortar – residents will benefit from the integrated way all the organisations based there are working together, which will improve the quality of services they receive.

Cllr Ken Keith, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate and Customer Services said: “The Halewood Centre will transform the services we offer to residents and is a fantastic new development at the heart of the community.

“I would urge people in Halewood to visit the new centre and see for themselves the fantastic facilities on offer.

“This is much more than a new building – residents will undoubtedly benefit from the joined-up way all the organisations based there are working together.”

Rosemary Hawley, Chair of NHS Knowsley, said: “I’m sure the people of Halewood will be as proud of this new centre as we are. With such a comprehensive range of health and community services, the benefits and convenience this centre will bring local people are immeasurable.

“This is a landmark in the development of Halewood. This Centre will provide local people with access to essential services in their community, meaning that people will have the best health treatment and community facilities on their doorstep.I would like to congratulate everyone involved for bringing the vision of the new Halewood Centre into reality.”