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Millions won't even walk 1000m
7 MILLION
people would rather use their cars than take a 1000 metre walk,
according to an exclusive survey into green issues by whatcar.com.
In other words, 23% of all of Britain's motorists would rather drive
for a distance that would take just 12 minutes on foot, despite the
obvious environmental and health benefits of walking.
Estimates suggest that driving the same distance can take between 2
and 12 minutes, depending on traffic conditions; so many of those
who drive in built-up areas don't save any time.
Medical
research also suggests that 3 half hour walks a week can double an
average person's fitness level, improve their health and prolong
their life.
Other facts highlighted by the survey include:-
30.2% of motorists rate the environment as very important to them.
4.5% say it is not at all important.
14.6% say their car's environmental impact is very important to
them. 7.3% say it isn't at all important.
29.9% of respondents said they wouldn't pay more for a greener car,
with the majority of them saying they would need a £500 tax
incentive to buy green.
Although 71.2% of motorists know their car's carbon dioxide rating,
just 36.3% said it affected their car choice.
65.8% of motorists support the introduction of an additional VED
band to tax cars that emit more than 275g/km of carbon dioxide, with
49.8% saying drivers of such vehicles should be paying more than
£800 a year in road tax.
36.9% were in favour of banning higher-emitting cars from town
centres altogether, but only 12.8% felt diesels should be treated
the same way.
42.7% supported a ban on all private transport in town centres if
public transport is improved sufficiently.
29.9% said that the congestion charge would have to top £20 a day to
stop them driving into towns and cities. A further 28.8% said they
would stop if the charge topped £5.
42.7% said they never used public transport.
46.2% thought hydrogen fuel cell technology represented the future
of motoring.
Just 9.3% said diesel and 2.0% petrol. Stop-start
technology was only rated by 11.5%.
"The survey has clearly highlighted 2 things: 1st, that
motorists do care about the environment and are aware of their
vehicle's impact, but also that the car is very much an integral
part of everyday life for many and something they are not prepared
to give up," said Iain Reid, whatcar.com producer.
All-night vigil
AT St Luke’s
Church of England Parish Church in Formby last Friday night 7
September from 9pm to Saturday morning, 8 September 2007, the Parish
Church Council’s Policy Committee, held a Prayer Vigil. They felt
that there was the need for prayer to find God’s direction for our
church and for His direction for the choice of a new vicar. It is at
least five months since our last vicar held her last service at the
church. The committee decided to following the example of the Rev
Emanuel at St Mark’s in Shyira. A person reported to us that various
parishioners attended during the evening, some of whom returned in
the morning, a few stopped all night and others joined the worship
during the early morning. Prayers, meditation, and hymn singing took
place throughout the vigil. It has been considered by those who
attended as well worth while. |
Family Wanted – Liverpool
THOUSANDS of
children in the UK are waiting to be adopted or fostered. Now people
in the North West are being given the opportunity to find out if
they could make all the difference to the life of a local child at a
free BBC Family Wanted event. The BBC’s Family Wanted Campaign
aims to encourage potential new adopters and long term foster carers
to find out if they have what it takes to be a child’s parent or
carer.
The BBC Family Wanted drop-in event at Broughton Hall High School,
offers people a 1-stop shop where they can meet local agencies to
find out more about what is involved in fostering or adopting a
child. They will have the chance to ask questions face to face and
get details about the local need for adopters and foster carers.
There will also be local foster carers, adopters and adoptees on
hand to talk informally about their personal experiences.
Nicky Campbell, the face of the Family Wanted Campaign, says:-
"I was adopted shortly after I was born and couldn't have wished
for better parents. This is a hugely important campaign for the BBC
to be running, and I hope it can help other children find a family
and a future."
There are currently over 70,000 children in public care in the UK,
with more than 4,000 needing adoption across the UK every year and a
shortage of over 10,000 foster carers.
The Family Wanted Campaign runs throughout the summer with a wealth
of programming on BBC TV and radio. Free Family Wanted packs are
available - including an information magazine and a regional booklet
profiling children in need of care in the North West region. You can
request your free pack by calling 0800 888 809, texting PACK to
63399 or by logging on to the website
www.bbc.co.uk/familywanted.
Your local BBC Family Wanted event will take place at Broughton Hall
High School, Yew Tree Yew Tree Lane, West Derby, Liverpool L12 9HJ
on Saturday 8 September 2007.
To find call 0800 888 809. No tickets are required.
08
community funding unveiled
MORE than
£400,000 has been made available for grassroots Capital of Culture
projects. The Liverpool Culture Company launched its latest
annual grants process, which will fund a huge range of work between
April and December 2008. Voluntary and community groups,
public sector arts and cultural organisations, and individual
artists are all being invited to apply for the cash.
Councillor Warren Bradley, leader of Liverpool city council and
deputy chair of the Liverpool Culture Company, said:-
“Communities have been at the heart of Liverpool’s plans for Capital
of Culture since we won the bid back in 2003. Over the past 5
years our annual funding scheme has enabled thousands of local
people to express their creativity through some really exciting
projects – spanning everything from literature to film-making; dance
to drama. This latest grants process will play an important
part in 2008, by allowing people local people to add their own voice
to the programme and make a significant contribution to the Capital
of Culture.”
The grant scheme is split into 2 strands:-
1. Creative Communities:- Total of £210,000 available: (£180,000
available under the ‘World in One City’ theme, for awards of
between £500 and £5,000. £30,000 available under the ‘Sporting
Chance’ theme, for awards of between £300 and £3,000).
2) Innovation and Development:- Total of £180,000 available for
voluntary and community groups (awards of between £500 and £9,000
available). Total of £20,000 available for individual artists
(awards between £500 and £2,000 available).
Application forms and guidance (including eligibility details) are
available to download at
www.liverpool08.com; just
click on ‘our communities’, then ‘funding’.
Hard copies are
available from Liverpool city council’s community resources unit by
calling (0151) 225 2316. The closing date for applications is
Monday, 8 October 2007.
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