Knowsley Online

Learn how to grow your own.

A new project is underway to teach local people how to grow their own and transform derelict land in Knowsley.

Knowsley Adult Learning Partnership (ALP) has been given £150,000 from the Government to teach adults how to grow vegetables, plants and flowers.

The Growing Places students will work on disused land across the borough in a free course that will last around six or seven months.

It is part of the Government’s Learning Revolution, to encourage adults to learn for pleasure rather than just for exams and in a relaxed setting.

“The students will learn how to grow things they can eat, exhibit or sell,” said Cllr Graham Wright, Knowsley’s cabinet member for Children and Family Services.

“Some of the students might simply be interested in turning a local eyesore into something better.

bogus callers in the area

Residents in Knowsley are urged to be on their guard about bogus callers claiming to be from the council.

It follows an incident in which a resident in Kirkby was telephoned at home by someone claiming to be from Knowsley Council and who asked for her bank details in order to pay a rebate.

Mike Harden, Executive Director of Corporate Resources at Knowsley Council said: “The council can assure residents that our staff will never ask them for their bank details over the telephone.

“If a resident is in any doubt about whether the caller is genuine, they should not give out any of their personal details, whether it is over the telephone or on the doorstep.

“We would advise residents in this situation to ask for the caller’s name and which council department they work for and then contact us on 0151 489 6000 to check if the call is genuine.”

Special school is sporting success

A school for disabled children in Knowsley has swept the board in a host of championships and secured Olympic success.

Springfield school in Kirkby caters for pupils with a wide variety of complex learning and physical needs.

Dedicated work by staff, pupils and parents has lead to success at local and national level in cricket and boccia contests and gold, silver and bronze medals at the Special Olympics.

“This is about people going the extra mile to make sure the children can make the most of any opportunities,” said John Parkes, Springfield’s head teacher

“It’s a combination of staff using their expertise to find out what activities are available and the willingness of the parents to take these up.

“The pupils here have a lot of barriers to overcome in their lives. This success is a testament to the dedication of everyone.”

The school has taken up the Spanish sport of Boccia which is similar to the French game Boules. The children use adjustable ramps to help them target the balls.

They have done so well that two pupils, both aged 14, gained gold, silver and bronze in the event at the Special Olympics in Leicester.

A class team from the school also won the Regional Riding for the Disabled Art Competition and were runners up in the national finals.

Two other pupils are also now part of the national disabled athletics team.

“We are very proud of everyone and it has been an incredible year, “said John, “but it is the result of years of hard work.

“We have two outstanding government inspections behind us, an incredibly active school council that has helped with the design of a major playground imitative in the borough and one of our pupils represents Knowsley in the National Youth Parliament.”

Making chatter matter in Kirkby

Children's communication charity ' I Can ' joined forces with the Knowsley partnership to improve local children's communication skills.

500 local Kirkby families helped Make Chatter Matter with children’s communication charity   I CAN on Saturday 14th November 2009, in the area by the bandstand in Newtown Gardens, Kirkby Town Centre.

This family fun day event took place from 10am – 5pm and was organised in partnership with The Knowsley Partnership, Knowsley Council and Knowsley Health & Wellbeing Services who provided information and advice to local families about developing all children’s speech, language and communication skills in the early years.

Representatives from these agencies presided over a jam-packed day of free children’s magic, face painting and singing and rhyming sessions delivered by local staff from South Kirkby & Northwood Children’s Centres.

Parents and carers were given ‘communication’ goodie bags filled with information and resources that help develop children’s communication skills. This includes I CAN’s Chatter Matters DVD, which shows parents how to turn everyday situations, such as food shopping, into fun and interactive communication opportunities.

Festive Family Fun in Knowsley

Get into the Christmas spirit and enjoy some festive family activities in Huyton, Kirkby and Prescot.

To mark the start of Knowsley’s festive season special celebrations are planned for the Christmas light switch on events.

Children will be able to enjoy an ice rink, fairground rides, there will be special guests, and of course a visit from Father Christmas! For adults, there will be music and entertainment and a Christmas craft fair.

The fun starts at 3pm and the lights will be switched on at 5pm.

• Thursday 19 November Huyton Town Centre
• Friday 20 November Kirkby Town Centre 
• Friday 27 November Prescot Town Centre

Don’t forget your Christmas shopping while you enjoy the festive fun. Knowsley’s town centres and Kirkby market are once again serving up a bumper yuletide shopping offer with extended shopping hours and entertainment for kids.

In addition to the usual Tuesday, Friday and Saturdays, Kirkby market will be open all week from Friday 18th December providing plenty of chance to stock up on Christmas gifts and essentials, many at hugely reduced prices.

Free parking is available in all Knowsley town centres at Christmas time and all year round, or you can easily use the bus or train, making your Christmas shopping trips hassle free.

Making Chatter matter in Kirkby

Children's communication Charity 'I Can 'joins forces with the Knowsley partnership to improve local children's communication skills.

Local Kirkby families are being invited to Make Chatter Matter with children’s communication charity I CAN on Saturday 14th November 2009, in the area by the bandstand in Newtown Gardens, Kirkby Town Centre.

This family fun day event, taking place from 10am – 5pm, has been organised in partnership with The Knowsley Partnership, Knowsley Council and Knowsley Health & Wellbeing Services to provide information and advice to local families about developing all children’s speech, language and communication skills in the early years.

Representatives from these agencies will be presiding over a jam-packed day of free children’s magic, face painting and singing and rhyming sessions delivered by local staff from South Kirkby & Northwood Children’s Centre and South Kirkby Childcare and Early Years Team. 

Parents and carers will be given ‘communication’ goodie bags filled with information and resources that help develop children’s communication skills. This includes I CAN’s Chatter Matters DVD, which shows parents how to turn everyday situations - such as food shopping - into fun and interactive communication opportunities.

Local Kirkby speech and language therapists and I CAN’s expert professional advisors will be on hand all day to support families and answer questions. Representatives from The Communication Trust, a 35 strong coalition of community and voluntary organisations with expertise on speech, language and communication, will also be supporting the event to find out what children and young people in Kirkby think makes a good communicator.

This event marks the launch of a co-ordinated approach from partners in Kirkby to provide children with the best chance of future success.

‘Making Chatter Matter in Kirkby’ will include a range of creative activities to develop speech and language at children’s centres, as well as better access to speech and language services and information for families.

Damian Allen, Executive Director for Knowsley’s Children and Family Services, said: “Good communication skills are an important foundation upon which all future learning and social interaction is built. The importance of promoting a child’s communication abilities and confidence cannot be underestimated. This fun event is a unique way of getting important information to parents, and directing them to the best place should they need help, whilst their children have a really good time and are entertained.”

I CAN Regional Communication Advisor for the North West, Louisa Reeves, says; “Communication skills are the bedrock learning skills for the 21st century. Children need to possess the ability to speak, listen and understand. Starting this ‘communication’ journey as early as possible really helps children to make friends, learn and achieve their potential in life.

We are absolutely delighted to be working with our partners in Kirkby to address the speech, language and communication needs of local children in Kirkby and beyond. Supporting parents to develop children’s communication skills and identify children who require extra support is a passion that we all share. We want to ensure that Kirkby is building future generations of little chatterboxes!”

Communication difficulties are life limiting. A child who struggles to speak will find it hard to read, write and make friends. In Kirkby, one in ten children will have more severe communication difficulties that may require long-term support. Evidence suggests that in socially deprived parts of the UK, upwards of 50% of children are starting school without the communication skills they need to learn, thrive and make friends.

I CAN is the children’s communication charity. www.ican.org.uk or www.talkingpoint.org.uk

Knowsley youngster makes history in the Commons

A fifteen year old schoolboy from Kirkby joined over 300 Members of the UK Youth Parliament to make history when they took over the House of Commons Chamber in Westminster on Friday.

It is first time in 300 years that anyone other than MPs have debated in the Commons and sat on the green benches.

This historic move saw Chris Browne a pupil at Springfield Special School and 12-18 year olds from across the country debate on issues of concern to young people.

The five issues being debated were:

1. Youth crime and how to tackle it
2. Public transport for young people 
3. Jobs for young people and the economy 
4. Lowering the voting age to 16  
5. University fees

Chris Browne, Member of Youth Parliament for Knowsley, said:

“I was very excited to visit the Palace of Westminster and felt really privileged to speak in the House of Commons on this ground breaking occasion, raising the voice of Knowsley’s young people.

“Having Members of Youth Parliament in the House of Commons shows young people do care about politics. It was fantastic to debate the issues which are really important to children and young people in Knowsley and throughout the country.”

Damian Allen, Executive Director for Children and Family Services, said:

“This historic trip to the House of Commons gives young people first-hand experience of what life is like in Parliament, perhaps inspiring Chris and the other Members of the UK Youth Parliament to become a future parliamentarian and certainly improving young people’s interest, involvement and engagement with both local and national politics.”

Fun tails on the farm

Chickens, hens, rabbits and even a rat were amongst the book lovers who enjoyed a good story down on the farm.

Acorn Venture Farm, in Kirkby, hosted the storytelling event, which welcomed children under five and their parents to listen to a story with a difference.

Visitors gathered in the barn on bales of hay before being treated to a live story telling performance by professional company Zoolab.

The children also had the chance to meet special guests Tracey the tarantula and Trudy the rat, and to learn all about the different animals found on a farm.

Organised by Knowsley’s Library Service, the event formed part of the borough’s Around Knowsley in 80 Reads challenge, which has seen authors popping up to tell a story in unusual places across Knowsley.

Damian Allen, Knowsley Council’s Executive Director for Children and Family Services says, “Listening to stories is always great fun, but experiencing this on a farm amongst the animals is really exciting for children. Events like this not only help to develop their love for books, but also a love for animals.”

“It is important we encourage our children to read from an early age. Incentives such as ‘Around Knowsley in 80 Reads’ has helped bring storytelling to life, and demonstrated how fun reading can be.”

Andrea, from Kirkby, enjoys reading with her two-year-old daughter Eva amongst the farmyard animals.

Order,order,order

Budding young politicians in Knowsley have been given an exclusive ‘behind the scenes’ look at how the Council operates.

Pupils from All Saints in Kirkby and the Halewood Centre for Learning visited Knowsley Council as part of Local Democracy Week.

During their visit, the pupils learnt about the political history of the Borough, were given a tour of the Mayoral Parlour and Council Chamber and found out about the importance of Electoral Registration and voting.

The youngsters, who are members of their School Council, also took the opportunity to quiz the Mayor of Knowsley, Cllr Dave Smithson, and Cabinet Member, Cllr Ken Keith, on a wide range of topics including the roles of the Mayor and Elected Members and how Knowsley’s new Learning Centres originated.

Liam Corrigan, 14, is a pupil at All Saints in Kirkby. He said: “It is a really good insight into what happens inside the Council and I found the visit really interesting, particularly being able to see how the Council makes decisions and I also enjoyed seeing the Council Chamber and the Mayor’s Parlour.”

Cllr Ken Keith, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate and Customer Services, said: “This has been a really worthwhile experience, not just for the pupils but also for the Council. It is extremely important and useful for us to engage with the young people of Knowsley and hear their views. These youngsters will be eligible to vote in a few years and it is good that they know more about the Council and the democratic process.

“I was very impressed by the level of interest they showed during their visit and by the questions they asked me.”
 

 Cllr Ken Keith and the Mayor of Knowsley, Cllr Dave Smithson, with pupils from All Saints in Kirkby inside the Council Chamber.

Sports personalities show support for local talent and sporting achievements in Knowsley

Knowsley will be recognising local people who have made outstanding achievements in the field of sport and physical activity, at a star studded event on Monday 19 October at Kirkby Suite.

The event organised by Knowsley’s Sport and Physical Activity Alliance, acknowledges individuals who have excelled in sport and those who work tirelessly behind the scenes to inspire local people of all ages to get active, strive for great achievements or have impacted on an individual’s health and wellbeing.

Guest speakers on the evening will include sporting personalities, Steve Smith, Great Britain High Jumper, Paul Sculthorpe, ex St Helens and Great Britain Rugby League Captain, and Eddie Hemmings, Sky Sports presenter who will compare the evening.

Steve Smith is Britain’s most successful ever high jumper and is still the current British Record Holder. An achievement he set 16 years ago at a staggering 2 meters 37 or 7ft 10’!. Steve is now one of the country’s best motivational speakers with extensive experience of working with leading corporate organisations and elite level sport.