Liverpool to open London Embassy

LIVERPOOL is set to do the business at the heart of the nation’s capital, as it opens its own Embassy in London.  The city council have announced the ambitious plans to open ‘The Liverpool Embassy’. Located just a few minutes walk from Liverpool Street, EC2, it will promote the city’s commercial and business offer and help secure vital investment.

The move follows the success of Liverpool’s presence at Shanghai World Expo 2010. The Embassy will build on the impact of the city’s Pavilion at the event, showcase the city as a competitive, international business location and present investment and development opportunities to investors.

Opening on January 21, 2011 at New Broad Street House - a prestigious address close to Liverpool Street and the city’s financial district – the office will create a high-impact awareness of The Liverpool City Region in the capital to a UK, European and International audience. Adjacent to the internationally renowned Broadgate complex, it has easy tube access to City and Heathrow Airports and is also supported by a wide range of bus routes.

The Liverpool Embassy is one of the first major initiatives of the city’s ‘One Plan’, a new vision for the city, which aims to draw on the strengths, resources and expertise of the public and private sector to sell the city nationally and internationally.

City council Leader, Councillor Joe Anderson, will officially announce the Liverpool Embassy at a special event the Town Hall with Max Steinberg, Chief Executive of Liverpool Vision, and business leaders.  He said:- “I’m absolutely determined that, in these difficult economic times, Liverpool continues to grow, thrive and prosper. We know, from our year as European Capital of Culture and from our recent success at Shanghai World Expo, that people from outside the city want to do business with us. It’s more vital than ever that we do not take our foot off the accelerator and that we continue to find innovative ways of working with the private sector to secure investment and drive this city forward.  The Liverpool Embassy is a big part of this plan. It will promote our unique assets, give us a strong presence in the nation’s capital and encourage investors to come here. And it will position us as a business-friendly, ‘can-do’ city, ready and willing to work closely with businesses and embrace new ideas and innovation.  Liverpool has a new-found confidence and we want to showcase this to the world. The Embassy gives us a great opportunity to demonstrate to investors and high profile decision makers that the new Liverpool is a competitive, international business location, a leading cultural capital and a city of opportunity which welcomes investors with open arms.”

The Liverpool Embassy will focus on some of the most successful elements of Liverpool’s award-winning Shanghai Expo Pavilion, including exciting audio-visual films, conveying the city’s transformation, business-friendliness and investment opportunities. Technologies such as Touch Screen and 3D TV will also be used fully immerse visitors in the experience and allow them to interact with the films.  It will highlight the city’s economic strengths; its property investment opportunities; its infrastructure and position as gateway to the UK and the world; and its digital, creative and research offer.

The Embassy will also feature:-

• A private and comfortable reception area

• A suite of two business meeting rooms with the flexibility to be converted into one boardroom

• Exhibition and seminar space

• Video-conferencing facilities and full 2D and 3D projection capabilities for presentations

• Lunch-dinner function room

• Hi-tech, interactive touch-screen walls, offering conversion into sponsor branding

Chief Executive of Liverpool Vision, Max Steinberg, said:- “We have big ambitions for the future of Liverpool – a new way of working which focuses on stronger partnerships between the public and private sector. The Liverpool Embassy is a symbol of this ambition.  Liverpool is a city which has always looked outwards. We showed that through our presence at Shanghai and we are now going to the capital to make it easier for potential investors to hear our story and to find out about the great opportunities which exist in Liverpool. Opening an Embassy reaffirms our commitment to do things innovatively and to become more business-friendly to overcome the recession and propel Liverpool further and faster than ever before.”

The project is being delivered by Liverpool City Council, working in partnership with Liverpool Vision and Downtown Liverpool in Business. The partners will be working closely with private sector companies to secure sponsorship and attract influential visitors.

Initially open for 3 months, with a view to extending its term in London, the Liverpool Embassy will pave the way to a programme of linked and complementary initiatives aimed at attracting trade and investor interest and positioning Liverpool as a competitive and progressive business location.

These include a series of ‘Investment Open Days’, to be held in Liverpool on May 3 and 4 2011. It is hoped the work at the Embassy will help attract a significant number of high-profile investors to Liverpool for these events. There will also be a series of high-profile events to mobilise the support of politicians, business leaders, academics, venture capitalists, and journalists; and a senior Liverpool presence at the MIPIM event in Cannes in March.

Guy Wallis, Partner at respected Liverpool law firm DWF, who came up with the idea for the Embassy, said:- “A major way that Liverpool can demonstrate that it is a place where business can thrive is for business leaders from this city to get down to London to attend events at the ‘Embassy’.   By explaining what they do and how successful their businesses are, they can help the process of changing the perceptions of Liverpool to encourage people, who might not otherwise have thought of doing so, to take a serious interest in the city as a place to do business.  Liverpool excels in a number of areas. It must now get that message across so that we become perceived as a place where excellence exists and where businesses can thrive. The opening of a Liverpool ‘Embassy’ in London will send a message that Liverpool does mean business.”

Frank McKenna, chairman of Downtown Liverpool in Business, said:- “The Embassy is further proof of the city council’s willingness to listen to and work with the private sector. The idea was born from speaking to business leaders and it’s great to see the council move so quickly to turn an idea into reality.”

CCTV images released in connection with Asda theft...

WEST Mercia Police have released CCTV images of two men they want to speak to in connection with a theft from Asda in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. 3 men went into the Market Street store at about 2.35pm Sunday, 5 December. One forced the drawer of a secure till and stole £500. When a cashier returned he ran off. The men then walked to the adjacent car park and got into a blue Vauxhall Corsa, registration SA60 TWU, which was being driven by a further man. The Corsa had been hired in Liverpool. A man in his 40s from Liverpool has been arrested on suspicion of theft and released on police bail until 24 January, pending further inquiries. Anyone who recognises the images or anyone else with information is asked to contact PC Catherine Atkinson at West Mercia Police on:- 0300 333 3000 quoting incident:- 409-s-051210 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on:- 0800 555111.

Letters to the Editor:- "The Ribble Valley"

"HAVING just returned home to The Ribble Valley from the delightful town of Southport, I felt I had to drop you a line to say what a pleasure it was to visit Southport in the run up to Christmas. The streets were clean, the town looked to be thriving and there was a festive air everywhere.  More than that, however, my husband and I found a delightful new kitchen showroom on Eastbank Street (No. 72) We are hoping to purchase a new kitchen next Spring and we found the owners to be so pleasant and friendly. Their range is in-toto, a premium inline range of quality German kitchens. Simon and Jane have been hit badly by the recession and they have invested so much into this new business, both financially and emotionally, that they deserve a little success, so I just wanted to say, if anyone at all in your area is thinking of buying a new kitchen, please pay this go-ahead young couple a visit. You never know your luck - you might end up with a dream kitchen at a very modest price!"  Mrs. E. A. Scholes - Clitheroe.

10 DAYS OF MARITIME MAGIC COMES TO NORTH WEST

A MAJOR international boat show is to be held in the North West in 2011 – and it will see the biggest sailing event in living memory take place on the River Mersey.

Some 400,000 people are expected to attend the inaugural Liverpool Boat Show, which takes place from April 29 to May 8 in the surroundings of the historic Albert Dock.  Hundreds of the world’s leading boating brands will exhibit at the event, which will also have war ships and historic tall ships in attendance.

The show will include a Sea Shanty festival, comedy festival and a host of have-a-go activities for committed sailors, enthusiasts and those new to the sport. Leading brands such as Coutts Bank are backing the event.  2 open regattas during the show will see about about 150 boats compete in a series of spectacular races on each of the two weekends.

Round the world sailor Sir Robin Knox-Johnston is chairman of the steering committee for the show, which is being delivered by Marine Industry Events Ltd in partnership with Liverpool City Council, the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), Liverpool Vision, British Waterways, Albert Dock Liverpool, The Mersey Partnership and the Liverpool Waterfront Partnership.

Sir Robin said:- “I have had the pleasure of experiencing Liverpool's sheer love of yachts and all things connected to the sea through my association with the Clipper Round the World yacht race, the Tall Ships event, and Liverpool's Year of the Sea. The Liverpool Boat Show will be staged in the very heart of Liverpool, in the magnificent surroundings of the Albert, Salthouse and Canning Docks - the largest collection of Grade 1 listed buildings in Britain - and on one of the most architecturally stunning waterfronts in the world.  We will use this unique historical setting to create a boat show unlike any other, with the potential to become one of the most important and spectacular events of its kind in Europe.”

Up to 3 races will be held each day on the weekends of April 30 and May 7, with classes for modern racing yachts, ultra-fast multi-hulls, local classes and traditional nobbys.

The regattas – comprising the Royal Dee Yacht Club Spring Regatta and the Liverpool Yacht Club Kindred Clubs Regatta – will be one of the main highlights of the Liverpool Boat Show, which takes place in the splendid surroundings of the Albert Dock.  Competitors from across the UK and Ireland are expected to take part in the regattas, which will see boats racing against each other on courses in front of the Albert Dock.

Organisers urged enthusiasts and clubs from across the region to submit their entries for the races to secure a place in one of the most spectacular sailing events of the year.

Alastair Soane, chair of the race committee, said:- “This will be the biggest sailing event for probably 70 or 80 years on the River Mersey and interest is already very high. We expect a significant number of entries from the thriving North West sailing community."

Mr Soane, a past Commodore and President of Liverpool Yacht Club who sits on the steering committee of the boat show, added:- “We already have expressions of interest from clubs and individuals in Scotland, Wales and Ireland and we are keen to get representation from the sailing fraternity right across the UK, including the South coast.

The combination of the festival atmosphere of the show and the spectacle of the racing will make these truly unique events and we’d urge potential participants to register as soon as possible.”

A number of North West clubs are supporting the regattas, including Liverpool Yacht Club, the Royal Mersey Yacht Club, the Royal Dee Yacht Club, West Kirby Sailing Club, Wallasey Yacht Club, Dee Sailing Club, Blundell Sands Sailing Club, Liverpool Sailing Club, Hoylake Sailing Club, West Lancs Sailing Club and the Nobby Association.

Mr Soane said:- “The entire North West sailing community is throwing its weight behind the Liverpool Boat Show and we are determined to make it a show like no other and to showcase to a whole new generation the pleasure and benefits to be had from sailing.”

Information about the Liverpool Boat Show can be found at:- liverpoolboatshow.com.

Severe weather creates stock level crisis for BHF Shops in Merseyside

STAFF and volunteers at British Heart Foundation (BHF) shops in Merseyside are appealing to households across the county to keep donating to their local BHF Shop despite the bad weather.

The recent extreme weather conditions have meant that people have struggled to get out to take their unwanted goods to BHF shops, with shop managers reporting a drop in donations of up to 80% in areas worst hit by the snow. The charity is urging people to hold onto their goods and donate them when it’s safe to do so.

BHF Furniture & Electrical Stores in Merseyside are also suffering a massive dip in donations, and store managers are urging people to book their free household collection which will be made as soon as possible.

Stock donations are the lifeblood of BHF shops, which raise £22 million annually to fight heart disease, the nations biggest killer. Last year, the bad weather had a severe impact on donations, creating a loss of £1 million in sales for the nation’s heart charity.

Mike Lucas, Retail Director at the British Heart Foundation said:- “The bad weather is already affecting our stock levels, and we urge the public to donate to their local shop once the weather has improved and it’s safe to do so. For those that are struggling, we can arrange a free collection to ensure donations are still making it into shops and making a difference to heart patients.”

BHF shops would be greatful for donations of good quality clothing, handbags, shoes, books, DVDs, CDs and bric-a-brac.

To find the location of your nearest BHF shop please call:- 0844 412 5000 or visit:- bhf.org.uk/shops.

Christmas getaway begins at JLA

DESPITE the arctic conditions experienced throughout the region and its impact on travel arrangements, Liverpool John Lennon Airport (JLA) is once again gearing up for the great Christmas and New Year ‘Getaway’ with over 200,000 passengers expected to pass through the Airport over the holiday period.

The traditional Christmas getaway started at the weekend. This followed the end of term for many schools across the region and passengers have started to head off on flights from Liverpool to seek some much needed Winter sun, go skiing, visit relatives, or look for Christmas and New Year festivities across Europe.

With even more long haul connections from Liverpool available with KLM via their Amsterdam Schiphol hub, passengers are expected to be jetting off to a wide selection of destinations not just in Europe but across the world.

As usual, popular flights for passengers are expected to be winter ski destinations, The Canary Islands and southern Spain for some warmer winter weather and Christmas city break destinations. Visitor numbers arriving to the region via the Airport are also expected to continue to grow over the festive period too.

Passengers will also be able to take advantage of the new retail facilities at the airport and grab some last minute presents. A £12m development programme to expand and enhance many passenger facilities is now nearing completion with the new World Duty Free shop already seeing brisk trade.

JLA Management are once again keen to remind all passengers to allow plenty of time to pass through the Airport during this busy period and that stringent security restrictions still apply with passengers being urged to arrive at the Airport early ahead of their flights.

Restrictions on liquids carried in hand luggage are still in place and can cause disruption for passengers, who are asked to think carefully about what items they are intending to pack in hand luggage, before they set off for the Airport - especially those who are travelling with presents for friends and relatives.

With many airlines encouraging online check-in and hand luggage only, passengers are reminded that all items in hand luggage including wrapped Christmas presents are subject to search as part of the current aviation security measures that are in place at all UK Airports. To avoid disappointment at the security search point and to help keep security queues to a minimum, passengers are being asked to travel with their presents unwrapped if they are to be carried in hand luggage.

Andy Gower, Airport Director at JLA commented:- “Once again we are expecting the Christmas and New Year period to be one of the busiest times of the year for the Airport as passengers from across the region take advantage of the wide choice of destinations available from here this Christmas. We are asking passengers to help us to help them and avoid some of the disappointment we have seen in previous years by coming prepared and to think about what they are carrying in their hand luggage.”