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Comic
Relief grant awarded to Wirral children's charity
COMIC Relief has awarded
Wirral-based charity, Stick 'n' Step, a grant for over £60,000; the
largest single amount the charity has ever received. The grant is
the equivalent of 6 children's places at Stick 'n' Step for 3 years
and will fund staff salaries for the Twilight and Saturday sessions
during that period.
Stick 'n' Step provides free conductive education and support
services to 70 children with cerebral palsy and their families and
carers. At any other conductive education centre parents can expect
to pay around £3,500 a year for a child's place, but Stick 'n' Step
is the only centre in the North West and North Wales to offer its
services completely free of charge.
 Conductive education works by helping children to learn new ways of
overcoming the difficulties caused by their disabilities. Their
muscles don't always work as well as they should, meaning simple
day-to-day tasks, like walking and talking, can be a big challenge.
At Stick 'n' Step they learn for themselves how to do all of these
things, whilst making friends and having fun.
Conductive education is currently not available on the NHS, so Stick
'n' Step receives no government or NHS funding. The charity relies
entirely on grants, community fundraising and its two shops
(situated in New Ferry and Formby) to cover its annual running cost
of £350,000.
Commented Clare Ashworth, Grant
fundraiser:- “Stick 'n' Step has come a long way since its
inception 12 years ago. It all started in a small church room and
with just 7 families, now we have a fully equipped, specialist
centre and we're supporting 70 families.
Being awarded this grant is a huge milestone for us and an
incredible accomplishment that the community of Merseyside should be
proud of. It's thanks to their many years of dedicated fundraising,
hours of volunteering and relentless support that we have been able
to get to this point. We are now in a position
where the benefits of what we do is being recognised by the likes of
Comic Relief. That, and what the future holds for Stick 'n' Step, is
all very exciting!”
Stick 'n' Step has received funding in the past from Comic Relief,
which led to the charity being featured on the BBC1 television
programme, Comic Relief Does Glee Club, in March last year. It also
appeared on BBC North West Tonight and BBC Radio Merseyside as part
of the Red Nose Day 2013 campaign. It is hoped that the prestigious
status of Comic Relief, alongside the names of other funders who
support the charity, will put Stick 'n' Step in a good position for
future grant successes.
For more information about Stick 'n' Step visit:-
sticknstep.org or alternatively call the centre
on:- 0151 638 0888.
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Water company
fears 'beauty-berg' Christmas chaos
WATER company United
Utilities is urging Christmas party goers in Southport not to flush
in a rush, in a bid to avoid a “beauty berg crisis” this
winter. Sales of make up removal, tanning and cleansing wipes, cotton pads
and cotton buds, are set to soar over the festive season, as
revellers prepare to look their best for Christmas parties. But with
at least one in ten likely to flush these items down the loo instead
of binning them, United Utilities fears large clumps of discarded
cosmetics; dubbed beauty bergs; will form and block up domestic
pipes and public sewers causing Christmas chaos.
The problem is set to peak following 'Mad Friday', the
busiest night of the year for Christmas parties, which this year
falls on the 19 December 2014.
Tony Griffiths, a United Utilities Wastewater Network Manager said:-
“Most people are now familiar with the problem of 'fatbergs';
solid masses that form in pipes due to discarded oils and fats. But
beauty bergs can be just as problematic.
What many people don't realise is that when flushed, discarded
cosmetic items such as make-up removal wipes, tanning wipes and
cotton pads also clump together to form hard, almost impenetrable
blockages. The result is one messy Christmas package that most
people would
 rather
not unwrap!”
United Utilities has launched a special strand of its Think Before
You Flush campaign to help tackle the issue, urging people to be “in
it to bin it” when it comes to cosmetic products. Supporting the campaign is leading
beauty vlogger Gabriella Lindley; the face of You Tube beauty
channel Velvetgh0st. As well as producing a special party make-up
prep and removal tutorial for the campaign, she's urging people not
to be forgetful flushers this Christmas.
To see Gabriella's party make-up guide, visit:-
unitedutilities.com/tbyf.
Gabriella said:- “Everyone makes an extra special effort to
look great for parties but in the rush to get ready, or when you get
in late after a fabulous Christmas do, it's easy to quickly flush a
beauty wipe or cotton pad without even thinking about it. But who
wants to wake up to blocked pipes? I don't, so I'm definitely in it
to bin it from now on.”
Earlier this Autumn, United Utilities revealed that it attends over
53,000 call outs to pipe blockages every year at a cost of £20
million. Those experiencing blocked domestic pipes pay £99 on
average for a plumber to fix the problem, without factoring in any
damage caused.
'Toilettiquette' Top Tips
To help avoid beauty berg Christmas chaos, United Utilities is
urging people to follow some festive flushing 'toilettiquette'
this party season:-
1) Be a bedroom binner winner – when getting ready, have your
bedroom bin handy for quickly disposing of cotton pads, buds or
tanning wipes.
2) Don't be fooled by flushable – even if your make up wipes
say 'flushable' they can and do still block pipes and sewers.
3) Avoid blocked pores AND blocked pipes – have your make up
removal wipes ready for when you get back in so you can wipe, bin
and sleep. You'll avoid blocked pores; 'panda eyes' and festive
flushing fiascos! |
