NORTHERN RAIL GIVES AWAY THOUSANDS OF FREE RAIL TICKETS FOR ONLINE LAUNCH

THE UK’s largest rail operator, Northern Rail, has this week launched a nationwide competition, giving away thousands of free train tickets over the few weeks.

The great ticket giveaway is to celebrate Northern’s launch of its new online ticketing facility, allowing passengers to buy tickets to any UK destination. The new online service offers customers no hidden charges such as credit card, booking or postage fees and the opportunity to purchase tickets for all rail operators.

Competition entries can be registered at:- northernrail.org  with weekly prizes allocated until 23 October 2011.

Ian Bevan, Managing Director of Northern Rail, comments:- "We are thrilled to be able to offer our customers another way of purchasing tickets for not only our trains, but all trains that operate across the country. Our new online ticket service will allow our passengers to buy before they travel, avoiding queues at stations and giving them a more enjoyable journey experience."

Southport Sports Therapy Graduate Wins Student Travelling Scholarship Prize

GRADUATE Sports Therapist Amanda Turner from Birkdale, Southport, is the winner of the 2011 Society of Sports Therapists Student Travelling Scholarship. The prize for the Edge Hill University Graduate is the chance to spend a month with the Athletic Therapy team at the University of Windsor in Canada and also visit some of the country’s top sporting teams.  It has been a whirlwind few weeks for the former pupil of Christ the King High School and Southport College. Amanda, the second eldest of 5 children, became eligible to apply for the Student Travelling Scholarship when she heard she had obtained a First Class Honours Degree in Sports Therapy. The award is only open to First Class Honours Graduates. Amanda then fought off stiff competition from a high level of entries from the 16 universities throughout the United Kingdom with which the Society of Sports Therapists collaborates, culminating in a final interview process. As part of her clinical training at Edge Hill, Amanda has spent time working with Warrington Wolves Rugby League Club. The experience she gained there will undoubtedly stand her in good stead as she is introduced to new and unfamiliar sports, such as American Football, Ice Hockey and Baseball.  Speaking before she left for Canada, Amanda, a passionate fan of all things sport was looking forward to the trip. She said:- "It will be a great chance to broaden my Sports Therapy knowledge and skills as I will have the opportunity to spend time with different sporting professionals who work in sports that we do not see much of in the UK."  Professor Graham N. Smith, Chairman of the Society of Sports Therapists, who was one of the interview panel on the day said:- "I am confident Amanda will be an excellent ambassador for The Society of Sports Therapists and will be a credit to Edge Hill University and the Sports Therapy team who have taught her. I know that she will enjoy and benefit from the experience as will everyone she meets."

PUTTING A STOP TO SPEEDING MOTORISTS

IN the last 12 months Merseyside Police has handed out almost 11,800 fixed penalty notices to speeding motorists.  Between July 2010 and July 2011, the Force fined 11,792 drivers for breaking the speed limit in Merseyside.

Last year 27 people lost their lives on the roads of Merseyside and 484 people were seriously injured with many of those collisions being as a result of excess speed.  In 2009, 46 people were killed and 500 were seriously injured. While this is a 41% reduction in fatalities from 2010 to 2009, the Force works hard to ensure this reduction continues.

Merseyside Police's Roads Policing Department holds monthly campaigns concentrating on different aspects of road safety in a bid to reduce the number of casualties on the roads of Merseyside.  This month sees the department focusing on speeding motorists and officers will be out in force carrying out enforcement and educating drivers about the dangers of breaking the speed limits.

Sgt Paul Mountford said:- "Breaking the speed limit undoubtedly causes road traffic collisions and we are determined to change the mind set of people who think 'it won't happen to me' and put their foot on the accelerator when they should be putting it on the brake. We see the carnage caused by collisions and the devastation faced by families as a result of road traffic collisions and we are committed to making our roads safer for everyone.  While year-on-year we have seen a significant reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads, just one death is a tragedy and we are determined to see more lives saved. We are committed to ensuring that motorists who put people's lives at risk by driving carelessly or dangerously are successfully prosecuted and we will continue to work hard alongside our partners to see further reductions in road casualties."

AINTREE HOSPITAL GOES ON TOUR TO ASK PUBLIC ABOUT THEIR HEALTH SERVICES

A series of events aimed at understanding the health needs of people living across North Merseyside are being held this autumn. ‘Listening to You’ events will see staff from Aintree University Hospital visit locations in Liverpool, Knowsley and Sefton and ask questions to local residents about how access to health services can be improved. The events are specifically aimed at people who usually find it difficult to access health services either, due to accessibility problems, language barriers or cultural issues. Shabir Abdul, Head of Equality and Diversity at Aintree University Hospital said:- "We want these events to give people a chance to ask questions and raise issues they have away from the wards and departments inside the hospital. Understanding the barriers that people face in accessing health services will give us a greater understanding of how we can improve things. The NHS is for everyone, and these events will give us the chance to make sure it remains the case for all those requiring healthcare." The events take place in Liverpool, Seaforth, Kirkby and Aintree throughout September and October. For more information visit:- aintreehospitals.nhs.uk.