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'Ain't 3 Mountains
Challenge' for Rock Choir Leaders in aid of charity
ON the 8 July and 9 July, 4 intrepid Rock
Choir Leaders from the Northern region, will be taking on the famous Three Peaks
Challenge, that is to climb the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales
within 24 hours, to raise money for the UK's leading music therapy charity, Nordoff Robbins.
But they will be adding a unique musical twist as the adventurous four will be
singing in beautiful and hopefully, not too breathless harmony, on the top of
each mountain! Rock Choir Leader, Anthony said:- "It's been a long term
ambition of mine to complete the Three Peaks Challenge, so to be able to add a
musical twist to it and raise money for such a worthy cause as Nordoff Robbins,
is a dream come true. I just hope we will have enough breath left to hit those
high notes when we get to the top of each mountain!"
Throughout the Rock Choir Summer term 2017, members from across the North, will
be fundraising in the lead up to the event, so look out for some exciting
musical events in your Town! On the final day of the challenge, Rock Choir
members from the region, will be joining them for the last leg of the trip, on
the summit of Snowdon, to sing loud and proud at the highest point of Wales,
also known as:- 'the land of song.'
Nordoff Robbins is the largest independent music therapy charity in the UK,
dedicated to changing the lives of vulnerable and isolated people. It supports
thousands of people in its own centres and by working in partnership with a wide
range of organisations including care homes, Schools and Hospitals. When
delivered by a trained practitioner, music therapy can help a child with autism
to communicate, reduce anxiety for those living with dementia or provide comfort
and celebrate the life of someone facing terminal illness. Almost ₤2,500 has
been raised for the charity so far.
Hannah Sheedy, Nordoff Robbins Head of Fundraising says:- "We are so
grateful to have the incredible support of Rock Choir who like us, believe in
the power of music. The ambitious fundraisers at Rock Choir taking on the
intense 'Ain't 3 Mountains High Enough' challenge are raising vital funds which
will enable us to reach more vulnerable and isolated people with our
life-changing music therapy. As a charity our work is dependent on loyal
supporters such as Rock Choir and we are so thankful to their team for going the
extra mile and taking on this challenge. Thank you Rock Choir, you are
absolutely brilliant"
The team will be tackling Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon, guided by
professional guides, Central Adventures,
online.
Rock Choir's uplifting ethos of fun, friendship and community spirit is a huge
part of its attraction. At an individual level, it helps improve people's
self confidence, enables them to develop new singing skills, and enjoy a dynamic
new social life. Singing together and achieving such a great sound gives members
a huge sense of fulfilment. Added to this is the glamour and excitement of
performing in public, which for many is a truly liberating experience.
Follow the journey as Rock Choir Team North take on the 3 Peaks Challenge
for charity, Nordoff Robbins and to donate visit their Just Giving
Page.
To find venue and time details of your nearest Rock Choir rehearsal and to book
a FREE taster session, go to:-
RockChoir.Com or call:- 01252 714 276.
Getting to the heart of
caring – new creative competition launches in Southport
A Creative writing and photography
competition seeking poets, authors and photographers has launched in Southport
with the challenge of getting to the heart of what caring for family or friends
means.
The competition, launched by national charity, Carers UK and supported by
Specsavers Healthcall, is open to everyone and welcomes poems, short stories and
photography on all aspects of caring; exploring the joys, challenges and
complex emotions that come with looking after a loved 1. 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes for the competition stand to win high street gift
vouchers, whilst for entries making the shortlist, an anthology will be printed
and sent back containing their work.
Heléna Herklots, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said:- 'We have had an
overwhelming response to our creative writing competition in recent years,
receiving hundreds of poems and short stories that reflect the true realities of
caring; the good, the challenging and the humorous; resonating with all
carers, no matter what their circumstances.
Caring is such an important part of life. Carers are holding families together,
enabling loved ones to get the most out of life. Yet caring is too often a
hidden issue, something that happens behind closed doors. In looking after a
disabled, older or ill loved one, many believe they are "just" doing what any
parent, sibling, or friend would do. But that's not the case. Carers need
practical and emotional support to help look after themselves and their loved
ones well.
Our creative writing and photography competition helps carers to realise that
they are not alone and that support is available. We hope that by reaching more
families than ever before through our competition and partnership with
Specsavers Healthcall, carers will know that Carers UK is here for them with
advice, information and support, whenever they might need us.'
Nizum Yakub director of Specsavers Healthcall in Southport, says:- 'We are
proud to support the creative competition in Southport. In the course of our
home visits to in the local area, we hear a wide range of inspirational stories
that deserve to be heard. The competition acts as an ideal opportunity to
celebrate both the fantastic care available in the area and the experiences of
those who benefit from it.'
You can enter 1 or more category with:-
Up to 2 poems, each no longer than 40 lines.
One short story, of up to 1,000 words.
Up to 4 photographs.
The deadline for entries, is Monday, 31 July 2017.
Entries can be submitted
online or sent in the post to Creative writing
competition:- Carers UK,
20 Great Dover Street,
London,
SE1 4LX,
UK. To find out more or book a home eye test call:- 0800 652 4948 or visit:-
Specsavers.Co.UK.
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Edge Hill University takes
gold
EDGE Hill University has achieved Gold,
the highest rating in the national Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), for
delivering:- 'consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for
its students.'
The Gold award; which has been given to less than ⅓ of Universities
nationally and only 3 Universities in the North West - indicates that teaching
at Edge Hill is of:- 'the highest quality found in the UK.'
The TEF was introduced by the Government to build evidence about the performance
of the UK's world class higher education sector, complementing the existing
Research Excellence Framework with an analysis of teaching and learning
outcomes.
The awards were decided by an independent TEF Panel of experts, including
academics, students and employer representatives.
The TEF measures teaching excellence in 3 key
areas:-
► Teaching quality:- teaching that stimulates and challenges students, and
maximises their engagement with their studies.
► Learning environment:- the effectiveness of resources and activities (such as
libraries, laboratories and work experience) which support learning and improve
retention, progression and attainment.
► Student outcomes:- the extent to which all students achieve their educational and
professional goals, in particular those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The specific findings for Edge Hill University indicate that:- "Students from
diverse backgrounds achieve consistently outstanding outcomes", and that "very
high proportions of students continue with their studies and progress to
employment or further study."
The findings also acknowledge:- "Very high
levels of student satisfaction with 'teaching on my course' and outstanding
levels of satisfaction with 'assessment and feedback', and 'academic
support', notably exceeding the provider benchmark."
Dr John Cater, Vice-Chancellor at Edge Hill University said:- "I am
delighted that Edge Hill's strategic focus on employability and nurturing
institutional culture has been recognised with a Gold rating from the TEF panel.
Colleagues from across the University all play a part in achieving and
maintaining this Gold standard and I am grateful to every one of them."
Madeleine Atkins, Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for
England, said:- "Students invest significant amounts of time and money in
their higher education. They rightly expect a high-quality learning experience
and outcomes that reflect their potential. The UK already has a high bar for
quality and standards, which all universities and Colleges must meet. But the TEF judges excellence above and beyond this, clearly showing the highest levels
across the sector.
The TEF measures the things that students themselves say they care about: high
quality, engaged teaching and a supportive, stimulating learning environment
which equips them with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve their
potential, and then to progress to a good job or further study."
Police advice to visitors to
both Armed Forces Day and the River Festival in Liverpool
MERSEYSIDE Police have offered a warm
welcome to the thousands of visitors heading to Liverpool this weekend, running
over Saturday, 24 June to Sunday, 25 June 2017, for Armed Forces Day and the
River Festival, and offering advice to make sure they have a great time and
enjoy the event safely.
Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Dave Charnock, said:- "On Saturday
the City will be honouring the work of our Armed Forces personnel as it hosts
the national Armed Forces Day Celebrations between 11am and 5pm. The
celebrations will be attended by His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex who will
be representing The Queen, senior political and military representatives, the
Mayor of Liverpool and civic representatives, and hundreds of service personnel;
both Regular and Reserve; from the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force. Cadets and
veterans will also attend. There will be a military parade that will march from
St George’s Hall to the Pier Head and this will be supported by a host of other
attractions including gun salutes, flypasts and displays including everything
from planes, helicopters, diving equipment and rigid inflatable boats, to tanks,
a field hospital, simulators and marching bands. The Royal Navy’s type 23
frigate, HMS Iron Duke, will also be docked in the City for the celebrations and
the day will close with the military Beat Retreat. For full details of the
celebrations, for full details of the day, head to:-
CultureLiverpool.co.uk/whats-on The Armed
Forces Day celebrations will be complemented by the City’s popular River
Festival, which has grown in popularity year after year and attracts thousands
of the visitors to the City, and will take place on Saturday and Sunday. The
River Festival will be sited across Albert Dock, Salthouse Dock, the paved area
of the The Strand, Mann Island and Dukes Dock and will host a wide range of
activities. A number of vessels, including tall ships, will be sailing in to the
City to take part in the event and will be open to visitors across both days.
For full details and timings of the Mersey River Festival events
website, follow @merseyfestival on Twitter and
Mersey River Festival on Facebook. We want people to have a safe and enjoyable
time and make sure the weekend is memorable for all the right reasons which is
why we are offering some tips and advice to ensure everybody’s day out goes
smoothly. Visitors to both events can help us by giving themselves plenty of
time to get to the City, arriving in good time so they can make the most of the
celebrations. Merseyside Police constantly reviews its staffing levels for any
large scale public events and visitors can expect to see high visibility
policing throughout the weekend. They may also see an armed presence, but I want
to reassure them that this is not in response to any direct threat aimed at
either of the events, but is part of the national response to recent events and
will provide a visible reassurance for the thousands of people who will come to
enjoy our fabulous City during the weekend.”
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