Letters To Editor:- "Please help me find my Father"

"I am in the process of trying to trace my father. I was adopted shortly after birth 48 years ago. I managed to trace my birth mother several years ago. She has never given me the name of my father nor given me any details about him apart from the 'fact' that he is called Bernard. With this information I have managed to piece together from an aunt of mine that my mother knew a Bernard MacGuinness (I don't know whether this is the correct spelling of his name) at the time. I would like to hear from anyone who knew either Cynthia Rimmer (my mother) or Bernard MacGuinness or anyone connected with Cynthia around 1956.

Cynthia Rimmer now lives in Australia but was born and spent her youth in Southport (she was in Southport at the time of my birth and lived at the time in Merepark Drive with her sister Frances Baker, who still lives there now). My mother worked at Hinde's leather and lamp shop on Lord Street, Southport around 1956/7. She was later married to a John Brew of Virginia Street Southport - the marriage didn't last long and I believe John died in a car crash on Scarisbrick Road.

Cynthia also had another sister Laura Smith who was a store manageress and who lived in Lineker Street Southport. Laura is now dead. Cynthia Rimmer's first marriage was to John Brew, and that marriage didn't last long. She left Southport and went to Chester where she met Cyril Dodd who became Cynthia's second husband. She had/has two children with Cyril Dodd - my half brother Ian and sister Jane. Cynthia is now a Rimmer again having divorced Cyril Dodd several years ago.

Anyone who could provide any further information about Cynthia Rimmer and Bernard MacGuinness or anyone else connected with Cynthia in or around 1956 (I was born in February 1957) should contact me by telephone on 01254 
888872. Or email me at:- peterwilding@msn.com

Any information whatsoever about these things would be greatly appreciated."

Peter Wilding (Born in Southport and originally named, but not christened, Perry Rimmer).

Mock Elections break records

THERE'S another general election taking place away from the TV cameras as young people around the country get their first taste of democracy and political debate. A record 1,500 schools, primary and secondary, have registered to take part in the Y Vote 2005 Mock Elections, run by the Hansard Society and supported by The Electoral Commission and the Department for Education and Skills. 

The Hansard Society has run mock elections since the 1950s, with the aim of actively engaging students with the electoral process. Pupils nationwide are learning about the political, social and moral issues of the world by standing as party candidates, speechwriters and canvassers in a mock election.

Over 300, 000 young people are in the throes of the campaign, debating national and local issues. As well as school students, young people outside formal education are taking part in the largest Mock Election to date.

Michael Raftery, Mock Elections Project Manager at the Hansard Society said:- "The Y Vote Mock Elections for schools mirror the excitement and buzz of a real election, raising awareness of Citizenship, and the benefits of active democracy. They enable young people to fully participate, from standing as party candidates, writing speeches and canvassing support, to building ballot boxes and  designing campaign posters. Mock elections are a great way to help young  people understand how the democratic process work...."  ...continued...

...continued... "....  Recent research from the National Foundation for Educational Research shows that 61% of school students say they will vote in future general elections. Our aim is to help encourage that enthusiasm and interest."

Cash boost 'to turn people green'

MORE people than ever are being encouraged to volunteer to help improve their local environment in CSV's Environment Agency Action Earth campaign - thanks to a cash boost from the Home Office.

Extra funding from the Year of the Volunteer campaign means that even more grants are still available for volunteers and community groups who want to register an environmental project. The funding from the Home Office is being added to the £50 grants already provided by the Environment Agency. The funding is to support volunteers across England and Wales to improve the environment they live and work in. The money can be used by volunteers to help buy tools for their project or to provide light refreshments for hard-working volunteers.

So far, there have been over 600 projects registered. Among them is a inner city project in which young people with special learning needs will identify a number of 'grot spots' in Bradford and then clean them up in June, and the revival of a Chiswick House Kitchen Garden in May, in which a neglected, overgrown 17th century Kitchen Garden will be transformed into an educational site for kids.

The Environment Agency Action Earth campaign, supported for the second year running by the Environment Agency and run by the UK's largest volunteering charity, CSV (Community Service Volunteers) was launched on January 1st and runs through until World Environment Day on June 5th. There is also an opportunity to win one of five award categories and receive a further £300 cash prize to be invested in their project. Finalists will be announced on World Environment Day, Sunday 5 June 2005.

In England and Wales, World Environment Day it is promoted by the Environment Agency, who encourages practical, action oriented engagement with environmental issues. Volunteering for a community environmental project such as Environment Agency Action Earth is one of 12 pledges people are asked to sign-up to at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/wed to take positive action to protect and enhance their world.

Sir John Harman, Chairman of the Environment Agency said:- "We welcome this boost for our work with CSV on Environment Agency Action Earth. We encourage everyone to get involved and support their local environment, as thousands of people have done already, from picking up litter to finding new ways to recycle goods."

This is the second year that the Environment Agency has supported the Action Earth campaign with grants and prizes. Last year saw over 900 projects registered and over 15,000 volunteers taking part. During Action Earth 2004, more than 10,000 trees were planted, 428 tonnes of paper recycled, 4,000 sacks of litter collected and more than 30,000 metres of pathway cleared.

This year has been designated the Year of the Volunteer in the UK and the Action Earth 2005 campaign will underline the positive impact made by volunteers to the environment. Each month of the Year of the Volunteer has a theme and May 2005 is 'Environment' month.

To register a project or get more information, call CSV Environment on Tel:- 0121 328 7455 or go to the website www.csv.org.uk/actionearth

To find out more about how you can get involved with World Environment Day 2005 and how you can take part in the Environment Agency's unique online pledge campaign and make a difference to your world in 2005 visit:- www.environment-agency.gov.uk/WED