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Events success
for City
LIVERPOOL'S 2013 events
programme has already been hailed a huge success, attracting around
600,000 people.
BOA – which Liverpool led
the national commemorations for; was the most attended event so far
this year with 300,000 visitors. River Festival and Music on the
Waterfront saw 125,000 head to the waterfront, and in its first
month of opening, Central Library has welcomed a massive 100,000
visitors.
Retailers and tourist attractions also reported a massive boost in
visitor numbers during the events.
BOA - Both Liverpool ONE and City Central BID reported the BOA weekend as
their busiest retail days so far in 2013.
BID (which covers areas such as
Church Street, Williamson and Clayton Squares) also saw a dramatic
rise, recording more than 1 million visitors, compared with 600,000
during the same period in 2012.
Liverpool ONE, which hosted free
live music on Chavasse Park as part of the commemorations, saw a 33%
increase in footfall.
The Albert Dock saw a 145% increase in visitors over the BOA weekend
(more than 100,000 people). Visitors to the Merseyside
Maritime Museum more than trebled; welcoming 10,424 people during
the Saturday and Sunday. On average the Museum of Liverpool
welcomes between 4 to 6,000 visitors. During the Saturday and Sunday
there were 15,701 visitors.
River Festival/Music on the Waterfront:- River Festival attracted more than 100,000, and Music on the
Waterfront saw 25,000 descend on the Pier Head across the weekend.
The Albert Dock reported an 82% increase in footfall; more than
80,000 people. Merseyside Maritime Museum saw 6,195 visitors
and 7,692 to the Museum of Liverpool on the Saturday and Sunday.
Albert Dock 25th birthday:- There was a 20% increase in the number of visitors; more than
45,000. Merseyside Maritime Museum saw 4,304 visitors and
7,256 to the Museum of Liverpool on the Saturday and Sunday.
Central Library:- The library saw 17,000 visitors on its first day. This has now
increased to 100,000 in the first month. 27,408 items have
been issued, nearly 12,000 IT sessions have taken place and 4,284
new members have signed up. Central Library's archives are
also proving very popular with 1,610 archives issued and more than
200 enquiries already logged with the team.
In Other Words Festival:- Organised in partnership with Writing on the Wall, this was the
City's biggest ever literary festival with more than 350 events, 88
venues, 85 organisations and 72 authors involved.
The event attracted 22,000 people.
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, said:- "It's hard to believe
we're only half way through the year and we've already had an
enormous number of high calibre events.
These latest statistics once again reemphasise the importance of
culture and how Liverpool thoroughly deserves its reputation as one
of the leading cities when it comes to putting on high-quality, free
events.
We work closely with partners across the City, and the outcomes
really are a win-win situation for everyone. These events will have
brought millions into the local economy, supported jobs which is
extremely valuable in this current climate, and, importantly,
brought a feel-good factor to the City. I want to thank all
those responsible for working so hard and making these events such a
success - here's to the next 6 months!"
Events still to come in 2013 which are organised by or supported by
the City Council include the Liverpool International Music Festival
which runs from 18 August 2013, until 22 September 2013, (information and ticket
booking at:-
limfestival.com), Pride,
Brazilica, the Irish Festival, Halloween Lantern Carnival and
fireworks at Sefton and Newsham Park on 5 November 2013.
Pam Wilsher, Head of Visitor Economy Development for Liverpool
City
Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LCR LEP), which encompasses the
City Region's official Tourist Board, VisitLiverpool, said:-
"Events play an integral part in the success of the destination's
Visitor Economy and attract local people and visitors from across
the region, country and beyond; which is demonstrated by these
encouraging figures. The destination has become well renowned for
staging national and international events; and a hugely successful
events programme for 2013 continues to further build on this
reputation. Visitors not only enjoy the events and fantastic
atmosphere they provide, but they also experience the shops,
restaurants, bars and hotels; which results in a positive economic
impact for Liverpool City Region's Visitor Economy."
Peter Cronin, Director of Development and Marketing for Albert Dock
Liverpool, said:- "Battle of the Atlantic, On The Waterfront
and Albert Dock's 25th birthday celebrations saw huge crowds
enjoying the waterfront animation. We are always proud to work with
the City to promote cultural activity, as it brings real return for
the Dock businesses and attractions."
Ged Gibbons, Chief Operating Officer for City Central BID, which
represents 630 businesses in the retail heart of Liverpool City
Center, said:- "Liverpool is fortunate to have a brilliant
team of people working behind the scenes to pull together its world
class events programme. The benefits of such large scale events like
the Mersey River Festival ripple right through the City's economy
and also serve to strengthen and promote the City's appeal as an
amazing destination to visit and enjoy.''
Donna Howitt, Liverpool ONE Marketing Director, said:- "We are
committed to providing a varied experience for our customers and our
schedule of events and enlivenment throughout the summer means that
there is always something to enjoy. A strong Citywide events
programme means that we as a City can work together to provide an
outstanding experience for visitors, and as we can see, it's
working."
Dr David Fleming, Director of National Museums Liverpool said:-
"Events such as The Battle of the Atlantic commemorations mean a
lot to the people of Liverpool, and they draw huge crowds to the
Waterfront. We're always delighted that the Museum of Liverpool,
Merseyside Maritime Museum and International Slavery Museum are part
of such commemorations. Liverpool's museums, like the City Council,
are part of the fabric of the City, and we must be in tune with what
local people think."
Jeremy Roberts, Chairman of the Albert Dock Tenants Business
Association, said:- "The first quarter of this year has been
record breaking for many of our tenants here at Albert Dock. In its
25th year of regeneration it is positive to see such results at the
Dock which will be further boosted by our fantastic summer events
programme and the ongoing work with our waterfront partners, making
Liverpool the premier tourist destination it is."
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Ingeus
helps 11,000 people into work in the North West on the Work
Programme
NEW figures from the
Department of Work and Pensions show that Ingeus is helping to get
thousands of people back to work in the North West.
Commenting on the news, Barry Fletcher, Director of Ingeus in the
North West, said:- "We are really proud to have helped over
11,000 thousand people to get jobs across the North West."
Ingeus Job starts in Year 2 of the Work Programme in the North West
= 7,157
Ingeus job starts in the North West on the Work programme since it
started = 11,370
Case study:-
Robert successfully
gains high-flying career at Solarfilm
An unemployed man from Astley
Village is reaching new heights with his new job as a film maker.
However, 21 year old Robert Headley's role is nothing to do with the
big screen.
Robert has finally ended a frustrating 12 months of relentless
job-seeking by landing a job with Solarfilm, a Chorley business that
manufactures colourful adhesive materials used to decorate model
aeroplanes.
Supported by Ingeus, which delivers the government's Work Programme
in the North West, Robert was given the job-seeking skills and
confidence boost needed by his Ingeus employment adviser. And
because Ingeus works with employers to understand their recruitment
needs and then provides a range of candidates most suitable for
vacancies, Robert knew that, when he was called for an interview, he
had a real chance of succeeding. "Over the course of the year, I applied for more than 250
jobs. It was a rollercoaster ride of optimism and disappointment,
especially when some companies didn't even acknowledge my CV."
Robert has been appointed by Solarfilm with support from the
government's Youth Contract, which incentivises employers to offer
job opportunities to people aged between 18 and 24.
"We have employed young people before, but the prospect of
sorting through hundreds of application forms is quite daunting when
you're also part of the hands-on production team. This time we worked with Ingeus, which took away the time consuming process and provided its
services free of charge. Ingeus gave me hope that, somewhere,
there was a job for me. At a time when I thought there was no
future, they helped me find one." said
managing director Andrew Hardman.
Robert says he is thoroughly enjoying his job as a machine operator
and a product packer. He's learning new skills all the time and has
already earned his place as a valued member of Solarfilm's
workforce. "Having a job is so important. As
well as earning a wage, I have regained my dignity and self respect,
which were starting to ebb away. Ingeus and Solarfilm have helped me
restore both."
Local Labour
Euro MP disappointed by unambitious EU agriculture agreement
LABOUR'S EU agriculture
spokesperson, Brian Simpson MEP, has described an agreement on the
future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as a "serious
missed opportunity."
Speaking as the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee decided
on a range of funding measures for the next seven years, Mr Simpson
welcomed some moves towards reform but added that the majority of
the proposals were weak and unambitious. The scope of the agreement
was decided by the European Parliament's CAP negotiating team and it
will face a final vote by all MEPs in the autumn, once the wider EU
budget has been finalised.
Mr Simpson said:- "The European Parliament has been debating
the future of CAP for some time now. Labour has always maintained
that we need to bring an end to inefficient farming and promote
sustainable, competitive models that benefit rural communities as
well as the wider public.
I am pleased that the new agreement has prioritised the need for
greater transparency when it comes to spending on agriculture. This
is taxpayers money and they have the right to know how it is spent,
so members of the public will be able to find out how much
beneficiaries of CAP receive and how they are using the funds.
But in addition to greater transparency, Labour also proposed a
series of radical reforms to ensure that farming in the UK and EU as
a whole is modern, green and fit for the future. Unfortunately,
we've seen most of these proposals rejected in favour of the status
quo."
Labour believes that the funding allocations proposed in the
agreement will undo much of the limited agricultural progress
already achieved, and has criticised the UK government for not
pushing for more reform when the CAP was discussed in the European
Council.
Mr Simpson said:- "We've ended up with an agreement between
the European Parliament and national governments that is a real step
backwards. Its supporter say there will be more money for
environmental measures, but in reality I can see few tangible
environmental benefits. Frankly, I agree with the many conservation
groups that are calling this agreement a 'green wash'.
On top of the limited environmental gains, it is a real shame that
there will be even more money spent on production subsidies, or to
put it another way - more money wasted on inefficient farming. These
are funds that could be much better spent on rural development
programmes, to stimulate competitiveness and enhance biodiversity.
Labour supported CAP reforms that would have promoted financial
efficiency, environmental protection and investment in our prized
rural communities, whilst at the same time rewarding good farming
practices. Despite a real opportunity for radical change, we've been
left with an un-ambitious agreement that fails to fully reform the
CAP." |
