MERSEYSIDERS GEAR UP FOR THE MANCHESTER TO LIVERPOOL BIKE RIDE

THE NSPCC are going back to its historic Merseyside roots and is calling on people across Liverpool to join them by taking part in a bike ride to the City on Sunday 29 May.

Final preparations are underway for the bike ride which will begin in Manchester and follow 37 miles through to Otterspool Park in Liverpool.  For Liverpudlians, 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 Merseyside after the ride. Booking is recommended to guarantee a seat and the cost is £23. for one rider and a bike.

Lizzie Pickup, NSPCC corporate fundraising manager for Merseyside commented:- “Liverpool is renowned for its history of giving and we’d love to see Liverpudlians come together to support the charity through taking part in the bike ride. There are still places available for the ride so get involved and join the fun! 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. £1 donated for every mile of the ride could pay for a member of the public to talk through their concerns about a child with us, and for us to report these concerns to the child protection authorities. ”

Tickets for the ride are priced at £16 per person and participants must be over 8 years of age. Riders under 16 MUST be accompanied by an adult over 18 and wear a helmet.

For more information and your fundraising pack and to book your place on the ride please visit bikeevents.com or contact Elizabeth Pickup, corporate fundraising manager at the NSPCC on 0161 628 1221 or send a email. 

The money raised .will go towards supporting the NSPCC’s 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. 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.

Merseytravel’s Conning plan unveiled

WORK is nearing completion on a major new feature at The U-Boat Story attraction at Woodside Ferry Terminal.  A life-size replica of the Conning Tower of German U-boat U-534 will be open in time for the late spring Bank Holiday weekend of the 28 May 2011. Engineers crafted the replica to allow visitors the chance to experience what it would be like to stand on the bridge of the historic vessel, and from inside, experience using a periscope to view across the River Mersey.  U-Boat Story opened in 2009 and has far exceeded the expected visitor numbers, with the 100,000th visitor expected through the doors shortly.

Neil Scales, chief executive of Merseytravel, which owns and operates Mersey Ferries, said:- “This is the latest in a series of developments we have undertaken to ensure the Mersey Ferries maintains and enhances its position as the most popular paid-for attraction in our region.  Many visitors have asked to see inside the conning tower but this has not been possible for a number of reasons including the fact that we cannot make it fully accessible to everyone. The accessible replica will show visitors just what it was like inside the original - as well as giving them a fantastic view of Liverpool and the Mersey through the periscope!"

Cllr Mark Dowd, Chair of Merseytravel, added:- “The plan to reposition the Ferries as a major tourist attraction is paying dividends for the Merseyside economy. We are helping the region generate around £34million per year in income, and are supporting the equivalent of 742 full time jobs.  More people than ever before will be able to experience life aboard U-534 through this addition to the Woodside attraction.”

Designed by Duncan Howarth of modelartanddesign.com, and built by PC Engineering, the forward looking design ethos, and the extraordinary convergence of PC’s project management and traditional metal-working skills, ensured the integrity of Merseytravel’s original vision.   To celebrate the new addition to the attraction Woodside Ferry terminal will host a number of fun activities for children including Potty Portholes and Potty Periscopes clay tile making and free paper boat or kite.  There is a Wilfred Owen display featuring facts and pictures of his time in Birkenhead along with Wilfred’s more light hearted poems set to music for children to join in or play percussion.   Activities will take place daily between 1130 to 1300 hrs.