Volunteers urge families to take their plastic beach toys home

THE volunteers collect the toys, alongside other litter, to prevent them from entering the ocean and harming marine life. Rather than send the toys to landfill, they have been cleaned and donated to a local charity, Park View 4U, to extend their life and put the items to good use.

The St Annes North Beach Care group noticed 2 summers ago, how many toys they were collecting during their weekly beach cleans. Almost all remained in perfect working order and had no reason to be disposed of.

Michael Pearson, group leader said:- "Rather than add to the growing amount of waste heading to landfill, we decided to save the buckets, spades and plastic shapes knowing they could be reused. It is a joint effort between the two beach clean groups in St Annes and we are very happy to support local charities working with children."

In 2019 the toys were donated to Lancashire Wildlife Trust and this year to Park View 4U, as both charities work with children on environmental projects.

Emily Parr, Fylde BeachCare Officer commented:- "Unfortunately for the environment, a set of plastic beach toys can be picked up very cheaply at a pound store. Many families now seem to view taking the toys home as an inconvenience, instead choosing to leave them behind on the beach. Our concern is that people are viewing them as a disposable, single use item, rather than something that should be saved for future beach visits."

Plastic buckets, spades and toys are made of PVC, a type of plastic which is difficult to recycle and could take up over 450 years to break down in landfill.

Dave Foreman, St Annes North volunteer added:- "It's not only the toys themselves that are a problem, they all come wrapped in further plastic and we are frequently picking up the netted packaging and tags that have been ripped off and left."

The LOVEmyBEACH message for beach users is simple, when you visit the beach leave only footprints. This not only means dispose of you litter responsibly, but also take away any items which can be reused or recycled.

In the case of plastic toys, throwing them away is not the answer. Instead, reuse them on your next visit or pass them on to another family that could make use of them.

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RMT demands Government action for seafarers on the Atlantic Container Line fleet

SEAFARERS' Union RMT has written to the Shipping Minister, Kelly Tolhurst MP demanding Government action over the lack of jobs for British Ratings and the crew change crisis on ACL's 5 state of the art roll-on roll-off container ships working trans-Atlantic routes from Liverpool Port.

The ACL fleet was registered in the Port of Liverpool from 2016, when the Atlantic Sea was christened by Princess Anne, the first in Liverpool for 50 years. Yet earlier this week, ACL re-flagged 1 of its sister ships, Atlantic Sky, to the Maltese register; a Flag of Convenience and the biggest shipping register in the EU. ACL's owners Grimaldi Group have warned that the rest of the ACL G4 ships on the Red Ensign are also likely to be re-flagged.

The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) issued a warning to ACL earlier this month over the failure to repatriate largely Filipino crew when the ships are docked in Liverpool. Crew are being worked beyond their nine month contracts. All Ratings on the ACL fleet in question are paid below the UK National Minimum Wage and many have been working at sea periods well beyond the legal maximum of 11 months stipulated in the Maritime Labour Convention.

In the letter to the Shipping Minister RMT General Secretary, Mick Cash said:- "1 of the key causes of foreign seafarer exploitation and exclusion of UK Ratings is the lack of requirement to employ UK seafarers on the Red Ensign. Indeed, the UK Ship Register continues to present this to ship owners as 1 of the advantages to registration. This must change, and quickly. This tale of the shipping industry co-opting national registers to ride roughshod over seafarers' rights, UK Ratings jobs and the needs of workers in the port cities and towns of an advanced island economy is all too common. The Government must take the following actions, inside the Maritime Restart and Recovery Group and beyond to tackle these injustices:-

► Demand ACL commit to UK Ratings jobs on their UK registered fleet.

► Demand the Port of Liverpool tackle the crew change crisis.

► Introduce UK seafarer employment requirements on the Red Ensign.

► Ban nationality based pay discrimination against non-UK seafarers.

► Train thousands more UK Ratings over the next 2 years.

RMT remain committed to the DfT's Maritime Restart and Recovery Groups but the mess in our maritime industry illustrated at ACL must be sorted out to the benefit of Ratings in the UK and our battered skills base."

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"Helping small businesses protect mental health and wellbeing vital in the wake of Covid-19" says FSB

FSB Merseyside and Cheshire to host virtual support event following decline in mental health during lockdown. The impact of social distancing, illness and deaths of loved ones and anxiety resulting from 24 hour media coverage of the Coronavirus pandemic has been extremely challenging for many people. More than half of adults and over ⅔ of young people said their mental health worsened during lockdown, according to a report by the mental health charity Mind. For small business owners facing up to the huge challenge of re-starting in the worst recession on record, taking steps to protect their own wellbeing and employee's mental health, now and in the future, is paramount. In response, FSB Merseyside and Cheshire is to hold a virtual support event on Mental Health and Wellbeing for small business owners. This interactive session, to take place, on Tuesday, 8 September 2020, from 9.30am to 11am, will provide practical guidance and support to business owners on managing mental health and wellbeing. Registration is here.

FSB Area Leader Yvette Hastings said:- "Poor mental health can have a devastating impact on small business owners, as well as their employees. Despite the many positives, the reality is that starting and running a business brings challenges that can be very stressful and make it harder to cope with poor mental health. This has become worse during the Covid lockdown and when poor mental health affects you, or your staff, it can be difficult to know where to turn. Our event will address this head-on by helping business owners understand and deal with stress, supporting employers in managing staff remotely, outlining best practice as people return to work and also the legislative obligations around mental health. It will also highlight resources that are available to help."

Attendees will hear from 4 expert speakers, who will also lead breakout sessions. The are as follows:-

► Cath Lee, Imagine Independence.

► Karim Samani, TechDisinfect.

► David Hughes, David Lynch Foundation.

► Lynn Delaney, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

In light of our It's ok to talk about mental health campaign, FSB has produced 7 tips on protecting your mental health and wellbeing:-

► Facts Minimise Fears... It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the constant stream of news. Take breaks if it's affecting you, including from social media platforms. Remember to be mindful of the information that you share. Get factual information from trusted sources, such as the World Health Organisation, Public Health England and local authorities.

► Stay Connected... If you're self isolating, working from home or changing business practices, it can be challenging to adapt to a new routine. Try and stay connected through social media, video calls or virtual coffee mornings. Sharing positive experiences can help your mental wellbeing.

► Take Time Out... Make time for hobbies you enjoy; it can help you to relax and take your mind off things. Learning a new skill, like cooking or drawing, can build confidence. Try to keep a regular routine as much as possible.

► Don't Forget Physical Health... Taking care of our physical health can help how we feel. Stay well rested, eat balanced meals and keep active as much as possible. If you feel able to, activities like stretching, yoga or meditating can help relieve stress.

► Support Others... Stay connected with your friends, family, colleagues and neighbours, and let them know you're there. Even a simple text can go a long way, especially if they are self isolating. Many small businesses are like families, so building these support networks can make a big difference for your staff.

► Talk to Children... If you're a parent, or know someone who is, it's important to look out for children's mental health and wellbeing too. Talk to them and answer their questions without alarming them. You can help children to express their feelings in positive ways, like being creative.

► Reach Out... If you're feeling stressed or anxious, it's important to talk to someone you trust, like a partner, friend, relative or colleague. You can also talk to a professional if you feel you need help. The organisations below can offer help, advice and support if you need it.

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LGA responds to an Education Policy Institute Report

RESPONDING to an Education Policy Institute Report which found that ˝ of the parents said the Government hasn't given enough childcare post lockdown, Cllr Judith Blake, Chair of the Local Government Association's Children and Young People Board, said:- "Good quality early education can make an enormous difference to children's lives, with around 40% of the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers emerging by age 5. Councils have long raised the issue that funding for early entitlements is not enough, impacting on the quality of provision and the availability of good support for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Maintained Nursery Schools support many of the most disadvantaged children and achieve outstanding results. However, the additional funding they receive to deliver this level of education is only guaranteed until the end of this academic year. The Government needs to use the forthcoming Spending Review to properly resource all early years settings to ensure that we can make a significant difference to the attainment gap."

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Total UK cases COVID-19 cases in and around Liverpool City Region