- A SURE START FOR PARENTS AND TODDLERS IN
SOUTHPORT
- By Julia Brough.
A new initiative aimed at giving toddlers in Southport the best start in life has just secured £2.5 million from the Government.
Sure Start Southport will be working with families of children under the age of four and statutory and voluntary agencies to promote the health and wellbeing of children and their families and to determine just how the money should be spent during the next three years. Agencies include Health, Social Services, Education, Leisure, Home-Start and Parenting 2000.
Sue Lea, Sure Start Southport Co-ordinator, said:- "We are delighted that confirmation of our funding has now come through and are looking forward to working with families and responding to what they need in terms of support and access to opportunities."
"We want community involvement. We want families to fully participate in identifying local requirements and shaping future services. There will be different needs for different families. Some may feel there is a requirement for safer play areas while others may want further support for young mums. If needs are identified, as long as it's within the delivery guidelines, we'll see what we can do to meet them. It's going to be fantastic for parents in this area."
The programme is targeted at the central Southport area and covers parts of Kew, Cambridge, Norwood and Dukes Wards.
Initial consultation has already taken place with parents, community groups and agencies working with children and families and five priority areas for initial attention have already been highlighted. These are ante-natal services, outreach and home visiting, one-stop information and support, play, early learning and library development and safe play, safe environments.
To coincide with the launch of Sure Start, members of the project's Under 21s Pregnancy Club were also presented with special 'goody bag' during the launch ceremony.
A quality baby changing bag filled with a range of handy accessories including bonnets, bibs, changing mat, toothbrush and even a camera were presented to the young mums.
Paula Iddon, who attended the event with her husband David and children Bethany (two) and Victoria (five months), said:- "The bags are an excellent idea. We're really pleased with it. It's really well designed with a couple of compartments for things like juice."
Now that Sure Start has secured the funding work will now start in earnest. Nine new members of staff are presently being recruited and parent representatives are being sought to attend meetings to put forward suggestions for the area.
For further information on Sure Start or to become a parent representative, contact Sue Lea on Southport 512515.
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Southport slump as Wigan sail to glory.
By Dominic Bonner.
Wigan 38 - Southport 16
XLTHINK BIG sponsored Southport Rugby League faced unbeaten Ince Rose Bridge A of Wigan.
Southport Rugby League Club gave a valiant display of heart and guts against a greater adversary last Saturday - despite Ince Rose Bridge of Wigan fielding 6 northern premiership players whom are some eight divisions higher by comparison.
From the beginning this was always going to be a game of class versus bullish heart and steadfast determination. Going into the game with an even keel form of two wins, two draws and two defeats. Southport were always going fight an uphill battle from the off after the Bridge's Gareth Blackley opened up their opposition after five minutes.
The Bridge's shear pace and tactics showed as they flouted their lowly fielded opposition with a tirade of tries and conversions throughout the first half which seemed fairly unstoppable as Southport could only respond with one try early in the first half from Chris Dresher.
The second half was moreover a tale of equals in the mid-park, which often careless mistakes were at fault to Ince Rose Bridge's success. But it was Southport's failure to convert their try's that left a gaping hole for Wigan to exploit Southport's weak defense and plough more tries home early on to put it beyond the home sides reach.
However, Southport rallied their game to a closer knit team effort near the end. Tempers flared from Wigan's number 17 as Southport were out to prove their point as the Hightown home side team spirit united. Play began to get ugly from the visitors and Referee Greg Caswell from Warrington was forced to calm the tempo of the game before it got out of hand.
Southport's tries began to trickle home from Dresher and Newton to prove they were dead but not buried in this game. But every occasion for a penalty kick was sorely missed that Southport could have fought the game equally had they utilized their conversion opportunities. Their weak defense showed against this class side as the Wigan engine of Chris Prescott, Liam Davies and John Seddon rolled try's and penalty kicks home.
Despite a late consolation try in the seventy fifth minute of the game from Neil Newton. The dying embers of the game led the visitors to put the knife in Southport with Jason Dainty's final try of the match, pulling off a well earned victory.
This weeks match sponsor W. BARTON CATERING BUTCHER OF SOUTHPORT
Man of the Match Chris Brown sponsored by STEV RIGBY BUILDING CONTRACTOR SOUTHPORT.
Next game Saturday 23nd November is at home to Farnworth A K O 2-00 PM.
Anyone interested in Rugby League Contact John Marshall 01704 536309 or Doug Parkin 01772 813015.
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