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YOUTH PROJECT ON A ROLL AFTER PILOT SCHEME IS HAILED A SUCCESS
WIRRAL
teenagers will receive support from The Social Partnership’s youth
inclusion project for 12 months following a successful pilot scheme.
From February to March of this year the Woodchurch Neighbourhood
Management team funded a pilot youth scheme on the estate, primarily
to reach out to young people on anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs)
and acceptable behaviour contracts (ABCs), who had been classified
as ‘hard to reach’. Such was the success of the trial scheme
in reducing anti-social behaviour on the Woodchurch estate that the
Neighbourhood Management Team agreed to provide ongoing funds to
allow the project to continue until March 2009.
Run by a dedicated
team of youth inclusion workers, the service operates a drop in
centre at the Woodchurch Leisure Centre three days a week and
provides opportunities for youngsters and teenagers to break the
cycle of unacceptable behaviour.
Activities arranged
by TSP’s project workers include an angling club and regular visits
to places such as the Crocky Trial in Cheshire and Liverpool Museum.
They also plan camping trips for one in every four weekends and have
organised several alcohol-free teenage ‘raves’. To raise money for
the excursions, many of the teenagers have taken part in bag-packing
sessions at Sainsbury’s. Other activities have included youth
involvement in a number of community art projects, including the
graffiti mural on the underpass between the Woodchurch and Noctorum
estates.
Referral arrangements are now in place with local schools to enable
to project staff to contact the families of excluded pupils in order
to engage them on the scheme.
Liza Parry, director of The Social Partnership, said:- “Much
of the project’s success is down to the dedication of Marina
Cotgrave and Jaimie Cannon, who have gained the respect of these
youngsters by listening to them as well as offering guidance and
support. Their achievements were recognised recently when they were
nominated by Merseyside Police for a Tackling Drugs Changing Lives
national award and we are keeping our fingers crossed for their
success.
Both Marina and
Jaimie give up a lot of their free time to involve the youths in
meaningful and enjoyable activities that will not only divert their
attention away from the possibility of engaging in anti-social
behaviour but also teach them valuable life and social skills such
as team work.”
For more information
on the Youth Inclusion Project call Marina or Jamie on 0151 678 0015.
Office hours are 9am to 5pm.
DAVE HOCKLEY TRIBUTE
NIGHT
A tribute night to Southport
writer and actor, Dave Hockley, who died on 15 July at the age of
58, is planned for Saturday, 18 October. Dave was well known among
Amateur Dramatic circles in Southport, participating in a number of
productions.
He was also a poet, publishing a volume
of poetry called:- “Not In the Same Class”, and organising poetry
readings at Southport Arts Centre. Dave was active on the local
music scene in the 1970s and 80s, being a member of several local
groups, “Severed Head”, “Spirit Anthem” and
“The Very Ideas”, as
well as being a songwriter of note. Dave was a primary school
teacher in Lancashire for a number of years, latterly at Lordsgate
Township Primary School, Burscough. He was also a dedicated
supporter of Liverpool F.C.
Struck down by terminal cancer, Dave
spent his final days in Queenscourt Hospice, one of his last wishes
being that his friends in the local music, writing and drama scenes
would hold a benefit night for Queenscourt.
The event on 18 October will be held at
the Café Matisse, Cambridge Arcade, Southport, and will begin at
7pm. Artists appearing will be drawn from local musicians (Folk and
Rock), poets and actors, who will perform many of Dave’s songs and
poems. Well-known broadcaster, Allan Beswick, will be present, and
the evening will conclude with music from 3 local bands: The Runnies,
The Hampton Attic Band, Shot in the Dark and Fnarr Fnarr.
There will be no admission charge, but a
contribution to Queenscourt would be welcomed. |
Midwife of the Year Awards 2008 announces Southport midwife as UK
winner
THE 11th
Anniversary Midwife of the Year Awards announced the UK winner
selected by a panel of midwifery judges at a glittering awards
luncheon today hosted by TV presenter and new mum, Saira Khan. The
winning nomination for the Midwife of the Year Award was not only
selected from thousands of entries for all the midwives that
attended on the day but also from a number of entries for the same
midwife, Jan Sanders from Southport.
It was 1 nomination from a young mother in need of not only
midwifery support but also education and direction that made the
judges, with a collective experience totalling 112 years,
unanimously selected Jan Sanders at the Midwife of the Year 2008.
Mother Samantha Cull wrote a 3 page letter of commendation regarding
Jan Sanders’ exceptional work stating:- "Whatever stage in
your life you become a parent, especially when you are young and on
your own, it is difficult and she helped me through that time in my
life. She helped me get my life back on track by connecting me with
amazing support groups like Sefton Women’s & Children’s Aid and the
Linekar Street Children’s Centre who have special confidence
building course called APPLE, which covers Ante-Natal, Post-Natal,
Parenting, Learning and Education and was devised by people that
work alongside Jan to help people like me. The result is that I am
now studying to become a nurse and I am securing a future for me and
my baby.
I now have lots of friends from the centre and a new future and that
is all thanks to Jan.”
On winning the award, Jan Sanders said:- “I don’t feel that I
do anything special but I do love the young people that I work with
and I know they have so many needs that are not answered evenly
across the health service. What we have on Merseyside is very
special and it gives me and the team I work with a real sense of
success to see young parents make positive steps forward in their
lives. This award is so unexpected. I am at a real loss to
know what to say and I am delighted to have been nominated to
represent the North West but to win a national award for what I do
is absolutely amazing. “
Jonathan Parry, Chief Executive of the Southport and Ormskirk NHS
Trust said:- “We are absolutely delighted that Jan has been
recognised for such a prestigious national award. Jan always
demonstrates professional commitment to her role and always strives
to go ‘that extra mile’. This award highlights her hard work
and ability and it is pleasing that this was a unanimous decision by
a panel of judges who are award winning midwives themselves.”
In addition to the Midwife of the Year Award, two further awards
were created to meet the demands of the profession to celebrate
success and encourage new talent. The winner of the Lifetime
Achievement Award went to Scottish midwife Gillian Elborn from
Stirling Royal Infirmary who has served 38 years supporting her
community.
Gillian Morton, General Manager of Women, Children's & Clinical
Services and Head of Midwifery NHS Forth Valley:- “Gill has
worked for many years in NHS Forth Valley, initially as a Labour
Ward Sister, then as a Community Midwife. Jill now works within the
Tulip Team, within the integrated midwifery team system. Gill
is an extremely professional, conscientious and enthusiastic midwife
who continues to contribute to the unit in a number of ways. Gill is
a very caring individual who supports and empowers the women and
families in her care, as well as her midwifery colleagues. I
am personally delighted that Gill's work has been has been
recognised by a wider audience and I congratulate her on her
achievement. “
The winner of the Student Midwife of the Year went to another
Scottish midwife, Lesley- Ann More. In her nomination letter her
tutors regarded her as a real talent that had overcome private
misfortune to produce professional star quality. In a unique twist
to the awards and for the first time ever, the Student Midwife of
the Year Award went to another representative of Stirling Royal
Infirmary.
Gillian Morton, was delighted to hear that Stirling Royal Infirmary
had 2 heroes working for the hospital:- “The Department of
Nursing & Midwifery of the University of Stirling is delighted to
hear that one of our student midwives, Lesley-Anne More, has been
awarded the Mamas and Papas ‘Student Midwife of the Year’ bursary.
This bursary is to enable a final year student midwife to gain work
experience in an area of expertise not available locally.
Lesley-Anne intends to undertake an elective placement later this
year and we are certain that this experience will enable her to
develop a deeper understanding of the demands of the Midwifery
Profession as she continues her midwifery education.”
A representative from Mamas & Papas said:- “Over the last 11
years we have seen the same names come up for awards again and
again, which is a great testament to their consistent standards of
care. What is unusual is for multiple nominations to arrive
for the same hospital midwifery unit and this goes to show that
Stirling Royal Infirmary has a class of care and talent that shines
out on a national level. The people of the Forth Valley area should
be very proud of their local midwives as they have received one of
the greatest accolades any individual can win; the vote of the
people they serve and the vote of their colleagues. “
Nursery brand Mamas & Papas, along with support from The Royal Bank
of Scotland, have together issued thousands of nomination forms in
stores, magazines and online and this year witnessed a record number
of entries. The awards recognise the dedication and commitment well
beyond the call of duty which is delivered day in and day out by
practising midwives in the UK and the ‘peoples award’ is determined
by the parents whose lives they have touched in a remarkable way.
The awards were held in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire on Wednesday, 1
October 2008 where midwives, the nominating parents and the children they
helped deliver attended a glittering celebrity luncheon hosted by
new mother and BBC Money Programme presenter Saira Khan. |
