Get into gear and join the Manchester to Liverpool bike ride in aid of the NSPCC

FANCY a new challenge this Spring? Then why not join the NSPCC’s Manchester to Liverpool 39 mile bike ride on Sunday, 30 May 2010.  The NSPCC are calling on people across the North West to dust off their bicycles, saddle up and take part in the NSPCC’s Manchester to Liverpool Bike Ride to support the charity’s Child’s Voice Appeal.

The bike ride will begin on Sunday 30 May 2010 from between 8am to 10am at Salford Watersports Centre at the Quays where riders will follow a flat, mostly traffic free route through Manchester via Old Trafford and Stretford, and join the Trans-Pennine Trail, riding approximately 39 miles through to Otterspool Park in Liverpool.

If you live in Liverpool, a coach service will run once in the morning from Liverpool to Manchester, leaving at 7am, to take riders to the start and then at intervals throughout the afternoon to take riders back to Manchester after the ride. Booking is recommended to guarantee a seat and the cost is £22 for 1 rider and a bike.  Tickets for the ride are priced at £15 per person. For more information and your fundraising pack and to book your place on the ride please visit:- bike-events.com or contact Amanda Gilmour, corporate fundraising manager at the NSPCC on:- 0161 628 1221.

Amanda Gilmour, corporate fundraising manager for the NSPCC, said:- “The NSPCC’s Manchester to Liverpool bike is a great way to have fun, get fitter or simply enjoy the great outdoors. Why not sign up with family, friends, work colleagues and neighbours, get sponsorship for the ride and enjoy a fantastic days cycling whilst helping to end cruelty to children.”

The money raised will go towards the NSPCC’s Child’s Voice Appeal which will help the charity expand it’s vital helpline services – ChildLine the UK’s free, confidential 24-hour helpline for children and the NSPCC Helpline for adults concerned about a child – so that no child's cry goes unheard. Manchester has a ChildLine base in the city centre and the NSPCC Helpline for adults concerned about a child is based at Salford Quays. Liverpool is home to the Hargreaves Centre which houses a ChildLine base and offers services to children and young people living with abuse, domestic violence and alcohol and substance abuse within their families.

For further information about supporting the NSPCC locally call on:- 0161 628 1209 or via email.

Brown going down says White Van Man

NEARLY half of Britain's White Van Man drivers, that were asked, would offer David Cameron a job tomorrow.  The poll by leading van insurer, Express Insurance (expressinsurance.co.uk),  found Nick Clegg, the second most employable of the three main party leaders with 31%, and Gordon Brown the least, with 22%.  Worse still for the Prime Minister, 8 out of 10 White Van Man voters have no confidence in him continuing as leader of the Labour Party.  As a nod to the political apathy in the aftermath of the expenses scandal, almost 13% of the nation's plumbers, electricians, builders and delivery drivers that were asked said that they will not cast a vote for anyone on 6 May 2010. A further 12% of replies who showed an affiliation to a certain party said they would not actually vote.  Although Cameron's Conservatives currently have 27% of the White Van Man ballot box, ten percent ahead of Labour, and 14 in front of the Lib Dems, Independent candidates will secure 1 in 10 votes according to the Express Insurance poll. The remaining percentage made up from 'other' and 'non' votes.  "With 2.5m registered Light Commercial Vehicles in the UK, the White Van Man has a powerful voice, and one the politicians need to listen too." says Tony Way, Managing Director of Express Insurance.  The Express Insurance White Van Manifesto, which brings together the views of around 2,000 owners, puts the National Debt and Immigration issues at the top of the agenda with 33% and 28% respectively with Employment standing at 20%, Health 6%, Tax 5%, Education 3%, and the on-going war in Afghanistan 3% next in order of importance.  Ironically, the poor state of roads was the most important issue for just 2% of those polled.  That said, the majority of Britain's White Van Drivers - some 58% - would like to see the removal of speed cameras altogether, with 30% saying they think they should be left alone and 12% voting for more to be installed.

135,000 MERSEYSIDE HOMES TO GET NEXT GENERATION BROADBAND

BT has announced that a further 135,000 Merseyside homes and businesses will benefit from faster ‘next generation’ broadband by the Spring of next year.

Anfield, Birkdale, Caldy, Childwall, Churchtown, Cressington Park, Gateacre, Heswall, Hooton, Lark Lane, Mountwood, Neston, Netherley, Simonswood and Stanley are among the 56 North West communities included in the latest roll-out plans for BT’s pioneering 21st Century Network (21CN).

The BT investment makes broadband speeds of up to 24 Mb/s available – more than double the maximum speeds previously available to the majority of UK homes and businesses.  BT intends to roll-out these higher speed services to exchanges serving around 75% of the UK – 20 million homes and businesses – by spring 2011. More than 300 UK exchanges will be upgraded in the phase of the programme, representing another 2.8 million homes and businesses. The network is available on an open, wholesale basis to all companies providing broadband services.  Around 60% of North West lines have already been upgraded. The faster speeds are delivered over copper lines.

Mike Blackburn, BT’s North West regional director, said:- “This faster broadband service will play a major role in helping our region attract and retain inward investment. It is a major step forward offering numerous improvements and opportunities - and faster broadband for many customers in Merseyside.  Companies providing broadband services can customise their products and services to match more closely the needs of businesses and households. Services delivered over next generation broadband can be quicker, more efficient and offer a much wider range of features than those previously available.  For householders, the service supports the growing demand for high-speed access to a range of online services – including HD television, online gaming and a range of other internet and communications services.  For businesses, it enables smaller firms to operate like bigger companies, quickly responding to changes in the market in a way once only available to much larger enterprises. For example, companies, such as restaurants, hotels or estate agents, can quickly and easily voice-enable their websites so their customers can access the information over the phone rather than via a computer screen.”

A further announcement on BT exchanges due to be upgraded by Spring 2011 will be made in the Summer.

INJURY SHOOTING - OAKGATE CLOSE, CROXTETH

MERSEYSIDE Police are investigating an incident in Croxteth on 27 April 2010, in which a 25 year old man suffered a gun shot wound to his back.

Officers were called to Oakgate Close, off Storrington Avenue, shortly after 10.30pm by a female passer-by who came across the injured man in the road.

An ambulance was called and he was taken to a local hospital where he has undergone emergency surgery. His condition is currently described as 'critical'.

At this early stage of the investigation the motive for the shooting is unclear.

Oakgate Close, Storrington Avenue and part of Worrow Close have been cordoned off while forensic examination of the scene is carried out. A search of playing fields behind Oakgate Close is also being carried out, although the school itself has remained open.

High visibility patrols have been stepped up in the area to provide reassurance to the public and house to house enquiries are being carried out.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any other information is asked to call Merseyside Police's anti-gun and gang crime Matrix Unit on:- 0151 777 5699 or Crimestoppers anonymously on:- 0800 555 111.