|
Still time
to order a Letter from Santa in aid of NSPCC
THE NSPCC are reminding
people across the North West region that there is still time to add
some extra magic to a child’s Christmas this year by ordering a
Letter from Santa. The charity’s annual fundraising campaign gives
family and friends the chance to nominate a special child to receive
a personalised letter from Santa, for a suggested donation of £5.
Over 200,000 letters have already been ordered, over 20,400 of which
have been ordered by local parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and
friends in the North West region. To arrange for a child or
newborn baby to receive a personalised letter from Santa in time for
Christmas, please visit:-
nspcc.org.uk/santa or telephone
them on:- 0845 839 9304. Orders can be placed online and by
telephone until Sunday, 18 December 2011. Any order placed by post
must be received by Friday 16 December. Letters will be sent out
daily until 19 December 2011. Louise Stimson, NSPCC Head
of local fundraising in the North West, said:- "This year’s
Letter from Santa campaign has already raised an amazing amount of
money for our services and helplines, which includes our ChildLine
service for children and young people. But our elves still have more
magical letters they can send to local children so please get your
orders in before 18 December 2011. By making a donation when
arranging for a child or newborn baby to receive a personalised
letter from Santa, people will be helping to make sure ChildLine
volunteers are there to support young people whenever they need us;
including over the Christmas period." Over the
12 days of Christmas last year, from 24 December 2010 to 5 January
2011, ChildLine counsellors in the North West at the Manchester and
Liverpool ChildLine bases answered 2090 contacts from children and
young people across the UK and Channel Islands via telephone, email
and 1-2-1 chats. (Manchester base 1200 and Liverpool base 890
contacts). One young person contacted the service saying:-
"I just want someone to chat to really as I have no-one with me this
Christmas. Mum and dad are working today and I want to cry and feel
angry. I just want someone to say Happy Christmas to me and give me
a present, but I have had nothing. I just don't wanna be alone."
Another young person posted a message on the ChildLine
website:- "I was really looking forward to Christmas. We
started putting up the decorations today but whilst we were putting
them up my Mum got annoyed and started swearing at my Dad and said
she hated Christmas. My Dad is an alcoholic and I am thinking about
running away." Louise, continued:- "The NSPCC’s
ChildLine service is available for young people 365 days a year,
which is why we are aiming to raise £1.6 million through Letter from
Santa to help make sure we can continue to be there for all children
and young people whenever and however they need us." This
year’s Letter from Santa campaign is being supported by Heart FM.
Order leaflets can also be found in a range of stores including
SPAR, Debenhams, Thorntons, Matalan and Rowlands Pharmacy.
Please note that names and
potentially identifying details in this report have been changed to
protect the identity of the child or young person. |
 |
Double awards
success for Ramada Plaza Southport
DOUBLE celebrations have
been taking place at the Ramada Plaza Southport after it was named
Hotel of the Year, while one of its staff received a prestigious
industry award.
The 4 star Ramada Plaza was crowned the best in the country by Glenton Holidays, a package holiday tour operator which has taken 22
coach parties to the Marine Lake hotel over 2011.
Hotel General Manager Enda Rylands said:- "We are thrilled to
have received this award from Glenton Holidays, which highlights the
hard work and excellent customer service of our staff. We’ve
welcomed about 1,000 Glenton visitors in 2011, and we’ve had
consistently high levels of feedback which is wonderful."
Kevin Miller, Commercial Manager of Glenton Holidays, added:-
"The stunning Ramada Plaza has proved very popular with our
customers in the two years we have worked with the hotel. The sheer
elegance of the property and the magnificent panoramic coastal
views, combined with a hard working and friendly team, have created
the perfect holiday base for our tours."
The Ramada Plaza features 133 stylish rooms including eight with
floor to ceiling windows offering panoramic views of the Southport
coastline. Other facilities include a fitness suite, four meeting
rooms and a brasserie. It is ideally situated next to Southport
Theatre and Convention Centre and the Portland Hall Spa.
The hotel’s Reservations and Sales Office Manager Nicky Goodwin has
also been honoured by the Institute of Hospitality in its annual
Aspiring Managers awards. Along with just 8 other hotel staff
members across the country, Nicky was rewarded for her commitment to
the highest standards of quality and service.
Nicky Goodwin won a year’s
complimentary membership of the Institute, a professional
development programme, a hotel break and a trophy.
Nicky explained that she began her career in hotels more than 20
years ago as a chambermaid, working her way up the ranks to her
current position. The 36 year old, who lives in Southport and has
worked at the Ramada Plaza since it was built in 2008, said:-
"I’m absolutely delighted to have won this award and feel recognised
for the years of hard work I’ve put into my career."
Enda explained that he nominated Nicky due to her commitment and
success in driving occupancy and revenue for the hotel. He added:-
"She has helped achieve year on year growth by utilising
revenue management and distribution tools despite a difficult
economic climate. She is completely dedicated to the success of the
hotel."
|
