Celebrate National Tree Week

GET fit and have fun on the Forestry Commission estate at Bidston Moss Community Woodland at Birkenhead, Brickfields community woodland in St Helens and new Town Lane community woodland in Southport as part of National Tree Week running from 25 November to 6 December 2009.

National Tree Week is the UK's largest tree celebration. The annual event is a great chance for communities to explore their own local forests and woodlands.

With paths, trails, cycleways, boardwalks and a fishing lake, the Bidston Moss Community Woodland, off Wallasey Bridge Road near Birkenhead, is an ideal place for all the family to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and enjoy outdoor exercise and recreation in a greener, cleaner community area. The Bidston Moss Community Woodland is just one part of Newlands (New Economic Environments via Woodlands) - a partnership scheme involving the NWDA and the Forestry Commission.

The £59 million NWDA-funded regeneration scheme is rejuvenating around 381 hectares of the Northwest’s derelict, underused and neglected land to stimulate economic growth and further opportunities for leisure and environmental improvements.

Even small areas of new woodland can make an important contribution to tackling climate change by absorbing carbon as they grow. Trees can also provide a renewable energy source in the form of wood fuel.

Bidston Moss Community Woodland is a good example of this. £2.7 million of NWDA funding is being provided for the 68-hectare Bidston Community Woodland via Newlands, to regenerate the area’s disused landfill sites. Newlands is transforming a significant part of Birkenhead’s derelict and underused land into an extensive public recreation space and community woodland. Bidston Moss is situated to the west of the M53 motorway - forming one of the key gateway sites into the Liverpool - and is close to the ‘NewHeartlands’ Housing Market Renewal area.

The Brickfields project is another example and has also been funded by Biffaward, a multi-million pound environment fund managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT), which utilises landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services. Additional funding of over £300,000 from EU Objective One via The Mersey Forest Trust has been secured for Birckfields.

That is not forgetting the cycle routes, pathways and a mountain bike skills course, of the new Town Lane community woodland, off Bentham’s Lane in Southport. That area is an ideal place for all the family to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and enjoy outdoor exercise and recreation in a greener, cleaner community area. The NWDA is providing resources to keep Town Lane maintained for the next 20 years and the Forestry Commission will manage the woodland it creates through the project for a further 79 years, making a secure period of nearly 100 years of management for the area’s green space. Over £300,000 of additional funding has been secured from European Union Objective One Programme via The Mersey Forest Trust.

In the last ten years the Forestry Commission has increased tree cover in the North West by over 11%, with Merseyside being one of the areas to benefit most.

The £59 million NWDA funded regeneration scheme is rejuvenating around 381 hectares of the Northwest’s derelict, underused and neglected land to stimulate economic growth and further opportunities for leisure and environmental improvements.

Tim Oliver, Newlands Project Manager, says:- “These areas are just some of many new areas of woodland that have been created in Merseyside and other parts of the North West over the last decade. Community Woodlands are part of the Forestry Commission’s aim to promote a healthier lifestyle in urban areas by creating clean, green recreational areas for families and future generations to enjoy. Community woodlands are also a key part of our long term woodland management plan for a greener and more sustainable future.”

Further information about is available online via these two websites:- forestry.gov.uk/newlands  and newlandsproject.co.uk.

BOOK REVIEW:- "TITANIC AND LIVERPOOL"

THE book is written by Dr Alan Scarth of Merseyside Maritime Museum, and is the first book to deal explicitly with the relationship between Titanic and her home port of Liverpool goes on sale this week.

Titanic and Liverpool includes a number of sources and illustrations never published before. The 192-page volume by Dr Alan Scarth of Merseyside Maritime Museum puts the legendary White Star liner in the context of transatlantic migration from Liverpool to North America.

If you had been behind the Titanic on that fateful night in 1912, the last word that flashed before your eyes as the great ship was lost to the sea would have been ‘Liverpool’. The ship’s loss, a national and international tragedy, was also a tragedy for its home port and this fascinating book explores the history and myths surrounding the sinking, highlighting for the first time new and extraordinary stories that link Europe’s pre-eminent port and its most famous maritime loss.

Using material from the White Star line archives, the extensive holdings of the Merseyside Maritime Museum, new illustrations and a variety of historical sources, Alan unearths the full back story of key characters and companies: many of her key officers and crew were either from Liverpool or had strong links with the port, the ship’s owners were based in the City, many of the most colourful tales emerging from the disaster relate to Liverpool people and here, where appropriate, we find out what happened to them after the sinking.

Titanic and Liverpool will be compulsory reading for anyone interested in the Titanic and also for anyone hoping to understand Liverpool’s role as the great processing port of Europe and gateway to the US and Canada.

Titanic and Liverpool is published on 26 November 2009 by Liverpool University Press, price £9.95.

Trust shares expertise with EU

SENIOR EU Health Specialist, Chris White, of the North West Health Brussels Office visited Southport & Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust this week to meet Microbiology Consultant Dr Judith Bowley, and Trust Chairman Sir Ron Watson.

Because the Trust has a reputation as a leader in infection control and prevention, Mr White was keen to see how we could help to spread best practice across other EU Member States. It is hoped that a funding stream can be identified to enable us to build on our expertise and share this with others.

Sir Ron said of Chris's visit:- "I have worked with Chris for some time in conjunction with work done at European level. I am delighted that he was able to visit the Trust when in the North West for a short time. We want to be in the forefront of developments in infection control and pass on our skills to others within the EU as far as we can."

Wyn hands over

MIKE Barker has taken over as the Centre Organiser for the British Red Cross, Southport Centre which is based at All Souls Community Hall, Norwood Rd. Retiring leader Win Wilbraham handed over the reins and stays in charge of Medical Loan and retains her position as the treasurer of the centre. Anyone wanting information about first aid training or speakers for groups can contact Mike on:- 01704 530729.