Knowsley Online

New dementia service for Halton

A service which helps families cope day-to-day with dementia has seen such a success in Knowsley that it is now expanding into Halton.

The Admiral Nurse Service, which is provided by specialist dementia nurses, will be based in the community and the nurses will work with local families to ensure they are better able to understand and cope with the changes which can occur with dementia. They will work with the family to make informed decisions about their future needs, to enable the family to stay together for as long as possible.

Admiral nurses play a unique role in care management by joining up the different parts of the health and social care system, and help address the needs of family carers and people with dementia in a coordinated way.

The Admiral Nurse Service is delivered by 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and works in partnership with Dementia UK which governs and monitors the service. The service has been running in Knowsley since 2011.

 

Prescot Cables 3 - Droylsden 2

SATURDAY 27^TH February 2016 - EVO-STIK DIVISION ONE NORTH

Prescot Cables defeated Droylsden in five goal thriller at Hope Street.

Cables Manager Andy Paxton made just two changes from the team which had drawn away to Bamber Bridge in midweek, Anthony Shinks and Rob Doran replacing Jacob Jones and Andy Scarisbrick.

Cables kicked off playing towards the Knowsley End and there was an early opportunity when Staunton-Turner played Lloyd Dean through on goal, but he was adjudged offside. Doran, Dean and Josh Nichoslon then linked up on the left with Doran crossing into the penalty area but his cross was cleared by the Droylsden defence. Cables were dominating possession in the early stages of the game and another good passing move between Doran and Dean set up an opportunity for Staunton-turner whose shot was deflected over the bar for a corner. Bannister took the corner which Droylsden keeper Steve James collected comfortably.

Cables won another corner shortly afterwards again taken by Bannister, Doran having his first shot blocked then hitting his second attempt over the bar. On a rare excursion into the Cables half, Barber crossed form deep into the penalty area for Hasler Cregg who shot wide of the far post. Bram Johnstone caused Cables hearts to flutter when he headed the ball back to Marcus Burgess who just managed to collect it in time from Droylsden striker Brandon Zibaka.      

Knowsley group reach semi-finals for Battle of the bands

Knowsley band Skylights are through to the semi-finals of Liverpool Rocks, Battle of the Bands.

The group have been competing with 40 bands, over four rounds and two venues to reach the semi-finals. 

They are now hoping to get through to the finals, which take place on Friday, 22 April at Liverpool’s O2 Academy.  The winners will receive £1,000 as well as performing at the X&Y Festival this year.

The semi-finals take place on 11 and 20 March from 7pm at the O2 Academy.  Tickets on the door are £7.

Skylights are part of EnChord – a group of musicians and singers from Stockbridge Village -  who meet weekly in Knowsley. The group is for anyone who is aged 13-19 who lives in Knowsley and has a passion for music. For more information about Enchord, or if you’d like to get involved, contact Eliza on 0151 443 5628 or email [email protected]

Pictured – Skylights at a recent performance.

Success in Budapest

Six local martial artists have just won fifteen medals in the Open European Taekwondo Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

 

Six members of the North West Spirit Taekwondo Team went to the tournament as part of the Global Taekwondo International (GTI) squad, representing England. There were many teams in attendance from around the globe, with top fighters from countries such as Romania, Poland, Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands. It was a tough tournament, with a very high standard of competition; but the North West Spirit fighters held their own and returned with 15 medals - 1 gold, 5 silver & 9 bronze.

17-year-old Michael McCaw struck gold after a convincing win over his Scottish opponent in the final of the blue/red belt sparring division. Michael dominated the bout from start to finish, leaving no doubt in the umpires’ minds that he deserved to be crowned European Champion.

The squad’s youngest member, 10-year-old Joe Southern, gave a solid performance at his first international tournament, winning silver in sparring and bronze in patterns. His team mate, 11-year-old Callum Edwards, won a hard-earned bronze in sparring after a tremendous effort against the older, taller boys in his division. He also took part in the team events as part of the GTI England boys team, earning two further bronze medals in team patterns and team sparring.

16-year-old Demi McCaw was the squad’s most junior member in terms of experience. Despite having only taken up taekwondo six months’ previously, her success at national tournaments and dedication to training earned her an England squad place. In Hungary, she drew some tough matches against much more experienced Romanian fighters, but manged a bronze medal in sparring and a silver medal in patterns at her first international tournament.

Liverpool’s black belt ladies – Stef Davies (33) and Lucy Sanders (33) – had tough opposition in the senior divisions, where they went up against some of the Europe’s best taekwondo practitioners. Both ladies earned podium places in the patterns event, where Stef took silver and Lucy took bronze; and Stef also won a bronze medal in sparring. Both ladies competed in the team events as part of the GTI England ladies team, each winning a silver medal for special technique and a bronze medal in team sparring.

The North West Spirit Taekwondo Team are now back in training, hoping to build on their experience in order to achieve further success at future tournaments.

Further details on North West Spirit Taekwondo classes can be found online at www.halewoodtaekwondo.com.

A Royal response to a nursery’s monarchy project

Children at Oak Tree Nursery have been learning about Her Majesty the Queen, who has also helped them with their project!

The children, aged between three and four years, have been finding out about the Queen and her family and produced a book containing using facts about Queen Elizabeth. As part of their research, they made crowns, produced drawings and paintings of the Queen, as well as talking part in a Royal tea party.

The children wanted to share their creativity with the Queen and forwarded on to her a selection of drawings and paintings they had produced.

They were delighted to receive a response from her Lady in Waiting who said the Queen was delighted to have received the pictures from the children at Oak Tree Nursery.  To help with their project, staff at Sandringham House forwarded an information sheet, including the Queen’s daily routine, what she likes for breakfast and forthcoming events she will be attending, which the children will now use to further develop their project.

Cllr Gary See, Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services, commented “The children have been so enthused to learn all about the Monarchy and were really excited to send her their drawings.  To receive a response from the Queen’s residence is fantastic for everyone who took part and something they didn’t expect.  The children can’t wait to use the information sheets provided to further develop their project.  It’s great that their interest and imagination has been captured in this way.”

Pictured– children from Oak Tree nursery receive a response from Sandringham House.

From left to right Cameron Tan, Sonny Horrocks, Eddie Hannah, Oliver Ryan, Madeline Ryan, Anna Hives, Lottie Quane with staff Melissa Bigley and Sue Quane.

Prescot Cables 2 - Brighouse Town 1

SATURDAY 13^TH February 2016 - EVO-STIK DIVISION ONE NORTH

Prescot Cables defeated Brighouse Town in an exciting game at Hope Street.

Cables Manager Andy Paxton made three changes from the team which had lost to Mossley two weeks ago, Jacob Jones, Darryl Patton and Lloyd Dean replacing Anthony Shinks, Rob Doran and Andy Scarisbrick.

Before the game there was a minute’s silence in memory of Dave Parry, a loyal supporter of Cables who had recently passed away.

Cables kicked off playing towards the Hope Street End and soon applied the pressure on the Brighouse defence, James Edgar’s accurate cross into the penalty area being headed out for a corner by a Brighouse defender. The corner taken by Edgar was headed out for by Pollard for another corner again taken by Edgar which was overhit and sailed out of play. Joe Evans then intercepted a pass from Brighouse’s Leon Henry and played the ball through the Brighouse defence for Lloyd Dean who attempted to round Hagreen in goal who managed to get a hand to the ball and conceded a corner which was cleared by the Brighouse defence. As play switched from one end to the other, Daniel Facey found himself clean through with only Marcus Burgess to beat but Burgess saved well.

On 16 minutes Cables were awarded a penalty for what the referee deemed to be dangerous kicking by a Brighouse player. Phil Bannister stepped up to take the perfect penalty stroking the ball into the far corner of the net. On 25 minutes Brighouse created an opportunity for Ben Atkinson whose powerful shot was palmed away by Burgess for a corner.

 

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Top Gift for Animal Lovers

Treat your loved one to an adoption pack for Valentine’s Day

Forget chocolate hearts and candlelit dinners - give your animal loving, other-half a gift with a difference this year.

From just £30, you can adopt charismatic creatures including tigers, white rhinos, lions, African elephants, adorable meerkats, and giraffes. Furthermore, half of every adoption purchase goes directly to specially selected conservation projects, helping to fund work with endangered species both overseas and in the UK.

Each adoption includes

• Free admission ticket to the park.
• Personalised adoption certificate
• Animal fact sheet, fridge magnet (or digital wallpaper with virtual adoptions
• Inclusion on the adopter’s board at Knowsley Saf
• Optional extras include, cuddly toys, additional contributions to conservation projects and enrichment devices for the animals can be selected.

Find out more at www.knowsleysafariexperience.co.uk/adoptions

Knowsley welcomes Volair

Leisure services in Knowsley are being protected in the future, thanks to the creation of a new ‘not for profit’ organisation to manage them.

The borough’s swimming pools, gyms, sports pitches, velodrome, BMX track and fitness classes will all be run by the new company, Volair, in a bid to protect these services from the threat of future Government cuts.

The council has reviewed how it delivers its services to see where savings can be made by doing things differently – this is due to the significant funding cuts imposed on the council by the Government. As a result, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet agreed at its meeting last week that leisure services will be managed differently from 1 April 2016.

All of the current Active Knowsley facilities, staff, activities, contact details and opening times will stay the same, but they will operate under a new company called Volair.  Volair is a bespoke, council owned and controlled organisation that has been established to maintain leisure services across the borough. It’s a ‘not for profit’ organisation so any profits will be ploughed back into the services it provides.

The creation of the new company is not about cutting services – it aims to create sustainable and long-term leisure provision in Knowsley, run at no cost to the council.  Extensive research into alternative options for running leisure services has been conducted and the most favourable option was the creation of a Local Authority Trading Company.

Cllr Andy Moorhead, Leader of Knowsley Council, said “Given the budget pressures we face, we have had to review how we can do things differently across a range of council services – leisure was a service which presented opportunities to be managed in a different way, help the council to make savings, but importantly, avoid the need to cut our leisure services.  The creation of Volair is an important step forward in ensuring leisure services continue across the borough, which I know are very well used amongst not only our own residents, but those in neighbouring areas too.  I am sure it will be a great success and go from strength to strength.”

Kevin Schofield, Managing Director of Volair, added “I’m delighted to be able to maintain the delivery of our popular and valued leisure services across Knowsley.  As a standalone organisation, Volair will have more flexibility to realise cost savings whilst maintaining and delivery quality facilities and services. What this means for users is its business as usual.  I look forward to welcoming our current members, as well as new customers, to Volair.”

To find out more about the great range of activities and facilities on offer call 0151 443 2200 or visit www.activeknowsley.gov.uk 

Volair’s new website - www.volair.org.uk –  will be available from 1 April 2016.

Tyresafe launches campaign for Mums -To - B

PUTTING SAFE TYRES ON THE PRE-BIRTH CHECKLIST:

Around 700,000 new babies will make their first journey home from hospital this year.

Alarmingly, more than one in four of those may travel home on illegal or dangerous tyres*.

With this shocking statistic in mind, TyreSafe - the UK’s tyre safety organisation – is launching a brand new awareness campaign aimed at pregnant women. TyreSafe is encouraging mums-to-be to add CHECK TYRES to their pre-birth checklist in anticipation of the most important journeys they will ever make – the trips to and from hospital, before and after the arrival of a new-born baby. While the heavily-pregnant mums may not be able to carry out the checks themselves, they should ask a partner or local TyreSafe retailer to ensure their tyres’ air pressure, condition and tread depth are safe and legal.

Pregnant Janine McCarthy, 25, knows only too well about the dangers of defective tyres.

She had a miraculous escape after a defective tyre on her car rapidly deflated, causing her vehicle to spin out of control and crash into the central reservation on a busy motorway near her home. The car flipped six times before coming to a standstill.