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Councillors
welcome new affordable home ownership opportunities in Liverpool 8.
2 housing projects aimed at
would-be homeowners in Liverpool 8 were praised by Liverpool City
Councillors who visited them. Cosmopolitan
Housing Association is developing 4 modern 3 bed family homes on a
vacant plot of land between existing Victorian terraced homes on
Lime Grove, off Lodge Lane, whilst another project in nearby
Kingsley Road is offering local families the chance to physically
build, and then purchase, their own home.
The £550,000 project at Lime Grove has been grant funded by the
Homes and Communities Agency and is due for completion by late
autumn 2012. It will offer local people the chance to own a brand
new two storey home, valued at £130,000, complete with gas central
heating, double glazing, off-street parking and a small rear garden,
with the option to purchase in affordable stages through shared
ownership.
Councillors, officers and officials from Cosmopolitan Housing
Association who visited the site today admired plans for the new
homes and welcomed the opportunities being presented for would-be
home owners in the Lodge Lane Housing Renewal Area. Councillor Ann O'Byrne, the
Council's Cabinet Member for Housing and Community Safety said:-
"We are absolutely committed to improving the quality and choice
of housing in Liverpool. These 2 innovative schemes are just
part of our ambitious plans to work with our partners to tackle the
issue right across the city, giving people the opportunity to live
in good quality accommodation with decent community facilities."
Cllr O'Byrne met local Ward
Councillor Tim Beaumont and Cosmopolitan Housing Group Chief
Executive John Denny at Lime Grove, before travelling to the nearby
Liverpool Habitat for Humanity site in Granby-Toxteth. The project
off Kingsley Road, is the largest of its kind in the country and
will enable up to 32 local families to part-build their own homes,
trading their labour for a reduced purchase price in a deal known as
'sweat equity'.
Nine of the homes are already completed and occupied, with the
second phase of 23 now underway, thanks to a financial kick-start
from Cosmopolitan. The project had stalled in late 2010 due to the
recession but a £2m investment from the Liverpool-based association
last year helped to get building working underway again.
John Denny, Chief Executive of Cosmopolitan Housing Group said:-
"This area of Liverpool has long been associated with lack of
opportunity but projects like this show how together we can help to
make a difference. We are proud to be working with the local
community and our partners at the Council on these two exciting
projects, both of which are giving people a chance to own an
affordable home in what's now beginning to be seen as one of the up
and coming areas of the city."
The Councillors were given a tour
of the new homes by Liverpool Habitat for Humanity's Executive
Director Liza Parry and Chair, the Rev Dr Shannon Ledbetter.
They also met families who are being helped onto the home ownership
ladder through the project, including George Anyakwo, who is one of
the latest people to sign up for the Habitat homes with his wife
Linda and their two children. Said George:- "It's great
to have the opportunity to help build your own home. Quite apart
from saving money you also get to learn new skills, meet new people
and be part of the community even before you live there. Without
this scheme we probably couldn't afford to own a home of our own."
Liza Parry, the charity's Executive Director, said:- "It's
great to be able to show Cllr O' Byrne and her colleagues from
Liverpool City Council the progress that has been made here, and we
very much appreciate their support. We are also very grateful to
Cosmopolitan who, along with our other funders, volunteers and
supporters, as well as the residents themselves, are helping us to
realise people's dreams of having a home of their own. We were
very encouraged to hear last week that the government has just
announced £30m of funding to support more self-build projects in the
UK like this one. We're very keen to bid for a share of that funding
and I think many housing professionals will be equally keen to visit
this project here in Liverpool to see what we have achieved so far
and share some of the learning."
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Bring back our
children's love of skipping
BHF urges schools and youth
groups in North West to encourage fun exercise by signing up to Jump
Rope For Heart. A survey conducted by the British Heart
Foundation (BHF) has found that 78% of 7 to 16 year olds from
North West enjoy playing outside at school, yet 61% do not own a
skipping rope. The BHF is keen to put skipping back on the map
through its Jump Rope For Heart scheme, encouraging schools to have
fun whilst raising vital funds for the nation's heart charity.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Jump Rope For Heart which
has seen five million children take part in a skipping event for
schools and youth groups. 20% of the funds raised can be kept by the
school or organisation signed up to the scheme as well as a free
skipping kit worth up to £100.
Over 25,000 schools and youth groups across the UK have signed up to
the event in the past 25 years and the BHF wants to continue
encouraging children to learn 'cross-overs' and 'jumping
jacks', bringing skipping ropes back into the playground.
Aimed at 7 to 16 year olds, Jump Rope For Heart is easy to set
up in a school or youth group in North West. The free skipping kit
includes skipping ropes, a skipping skills DVD and sponsorship forms
as well as other helpful information.
To celebrate the silver anniversary of the skipping sensation, Jump
Rope For Heart, the BHF created the Silver Skip tutorial video for
children across the UK to learn some exciting new moves. The skip
can be tried by all and the step by step tutorial video can be
paused as you learn new techniques together such as cross-overs and
arm wraps. The video is available at
bhf.org.uk/jumprope.
Beck Bayram, Jump Rope For Heart Project Manager at the BHF, said:-
"It's fantastic that over three quarters of children in North
West love playing outside at school. We want to encourage schools
and youth groups in your area to sign up to Jump Rope For Heart and
use the children's love of the outdoors to skip and raise money for
our life-saving work."
If you would like more information
or would like to register your school/youth group for Jump Rope For
Heart by clicking on
here.
CUTS STAND IN THE WAY OF BOOSTING
PATIENT CARE
AS the Prime Minister
announces a range of measures to improve patient care in hospitals,
UNISON, the UK's largest union, is warning that this will be
difficult - if not impossible - to achieve at a time when NHS Trusts
are facing serious financial problems.
The union said that, in particular, it would be difficult for nurses
to realise the Prime Minister's ambition for them to exert more
independence and authority if there is no money or process in place
for them to address problems.
In a recent UNISON survey into patient nurse ratios, more than 70%
of respondents said that there was insufficient nursing staff to
deliver safe, dignified care.
Gail Adams, UNISON head of nursing, said:- "The NHS is
constantly evolving and developing new ways of improving patient
care. Many patients are very happy with the level of care that they
receive, but for those that are not, it is only right that
improvements are made.
Many health workers would welcome more independence and autonomy, as
well as training to allow them to address problems. But this will be
pointless unless there is money available to put in place the
changes that they suggest.
Nurses know that lack of staff and increased demand are real issues
that affect the quality of patient care. However, all across the
country, nurses and other health workers are losing their jobs,
wards are closing and patients are having so-called non emergency
operations cancelled. Trying to improve patient care in the way that
the Prime Minister suggests, against a backdrop of cuts, will be
very difficult, if not impossible. Staff, as well as patients,
are a good barometer of how well services are running, and should
also be asked if they would want their loved ones or friends treated
at the hospital in which they work."
59 year old man assaulted in
Bootle
MERSEYSIDE Police are
appealing for witnesses after a 59 year old man was assaulted on
Linacre Road, Bootle, at about 11pm on Monday, 28 May 2012. The 59
year old victim, who was carrying a bag of takeaway food, had just
walked on to Linacre Road from Hornby Flats when he was approached
by a youth armed with a wooden post, believed to be about 2 feet
long. The youth confronted the victim and then threw the post at
him, causing him to fall to the floor. The youth and another male
were then seen to run off down Violet Road. The victim, who suffered
head injuries, was taken to hospital and is currently being treated
at Walton Neurological Centre, where his condition is described as
critical. Officers would like to speak to anyone who witnessed the
incident and has information which could help them with their
inquiries. Detective Inspector David Keegan, said:- "This was
a particularly nasty assault and I would appeal to anyone who has
any information to contact us. I am particularly interested in
talking to the occupants of a white Ford Fiesta, which was seen in
the area around the time of the incident. And I would also like to
appeal to a woman with a pushchair who may have seen the assault to
come forward as she could have vital information which could help us
find those responsible." Anyone with information can contact
detectives at Sefton CID on:- 0151 777 3011, or Crimestoppers on:-
0800 555 111. |
