Readers Photos and Letter:- "Williams BMW Liverpool International Tennis Tournament 2018"

"I would like start by saying thank everyone who supported this years Liverpool International Tennis Tournament.  It was a fantastic event, despite Sunday's audience being affected by the heat and the World Cup. It is not often you can say heat as a reason for audiences taking shelter at an event in UK! This event sadly does not get the press it requires or deserves from the national media.  This is the biggest in Europe and longest running.  Why does Liverpool get left out so often?  If this was down South, or in Manchester, it would be daily TV coverage!  These are 2 photos I took at the amazing event. Despite the lack of national press, its wonderful to see as so many local businesses active and able to take a major role in such an outwardly appearing and great events.  Anders Bourg and his team do an amazing job each year, despite all the difficulties with raising funds for a large sporting event like this.  He always manages to get big names, as well as up and coming names that are amazing to watch. In fact most of the up and coming go on to become major names within the sport.  Where else can you get a fantastic line up like this and have local businesses taking an active role, along with sensible ticket prices?" Richard Moore from FishLocks.Co.UK.

Funding boost to reduce rough sleeping in Liverpool

LIVERPOOL City Council has been awarded more than ₤280,000 to help reduce the number of rough sleepers on the City's streets. The money, awarded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), will fund new accommodation places for up to 40 rough sleepers, as well as access to a range of services.

It will also be used to recruit 5 new members of support staff to work with rough sleepers to help them thrive in their new housing and ensure they can access other services to meet their needs. The announcement comes in the wake of news that the Council's temporary winter night shelter, Labre House, has been granted planning permission to open as a full time facility for the next 15 months.

Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Lynnie Hinnigan, said:- "Since we opened Labre House in November, the number of people sleeping rough on the streets has already reduced. However there are around 25 people who do not yet feel able to take advantage of the support offered or who move in and out of temporary accommodation. There is also a small number of people using Labre House who have no access to public funds. The new funding will help these groups by looking at their needs, identifying personalised accommodation and helping them to begin living more settled lives."

The City Council and its partners applied for the funding earlier this year. It will provide rent payments and fund the purchase of furniture and white goods to help rough sleepers establish their homes. It will also provide greater access to mental health services, rehabilitation and other treatments along with help and advice with financial issues. It will be in addition to the range of over 700 units of temporary accommodation which the Council already funds.

If all goes according to plan, the new measures will be in place by the Autumn to prevent people from sleeping rough in the cold weather.

Cllr Hinnigan added:- "Despite being under severe financial pressure, the Council and its partners already provides a broad range of support for people in our City who find themselves in dire circumstances. This funding will go to further support the services we offer with the ultimate aim of encouraging people off the streets and into accommodation for good. There is always room inside for anyone who needs it. We cannot make people come in off the streets and engage with us but we can make it as easy as possible for them to access the services they need once they have."

Liverpool City Council's Always Room Inside campaign means no 1 has to sleep on the streets of the City. If you have concerns about someone who is sleeping rough, you can call the helpline number:- 0300 123 2041.

The City of Liverpool College launches world's 1st course in Esports

IN a global 1st, The City of Liverpool College has partnered with alternative education provider, VSI (Visionary Sports Investment), to deliver a ground breaking course designed to harness the emerging talent within Esports, helping people build a career in the fast growing industry.

Esports; or electronic sports; is the umbrella term for organised, competitive computer gaming, usually between professionals. It is one of the world's fastest growing industries and a recent report has predicted that 2018 revenues for Esports will hit ₤683 million, a staggering 38% increase from 2017's ₤495 million.

As part of the course, students will learn how to host small and large scale events for single player and multi player Esports teams, create business plans to develop teams, create online communities and promote events through digital marketing. They will also get the opportunity to explore the culture of Esports, its audience and fan base and different game genres that make up the most popular ones in current times.

To celebrate the launch of the course, The City of Liverpool College is hosting a FIFA World Cup Tournament, on Saturday, 30 June 2018, at its Arts Centre, to encourage applications, where prospective students will have the opportunity to find out more about the course and compete in or watch a live FIFA tournament, as well as sign up for the course.

Elaine Bowker, principal of The City of Liverpool College, said:- "Esports is a huge industry in which professional players can forge incredibly successful careers. However, so often young people are leaving education without the right skills they need to turn their talent into a business. Having been the first college in the country to create a dedicated digital academy, offering young people coding, software development and a range of digital skills, we are proud to be delivering this innovative new course, which will equip students with the real life practical skills they need to carve out a successful career in the Esports industry."

Before collaborating with The City of Liverpool College, VSI has traditionally worked with high profile international footballers, cricketers, rugby league and rugby union professionals on post-graduate education programmes, and has developed the Esport education concept in response to industry demand.

Andy McIntyre, chairman of VSI, said:- "As the digital world continues to grow at a furious pace, organisations, strategies and the people involved have to adapt and change to harness opportunities arising. Through collaboratively developing this world 1st course with The City of Liverpool College, we are at the forefront of creating the industry leaders of tomorrow and working to meet the skills requirements in this burgeoning industry."

In addition to the FIFA tournament, the event will feature speakers from VSI sharing their industry expertise as well as YouTube personality MrWilliamo. To register for the event, go online now...

Kingsway Tunnel investment for future savings

A major ₤7.5m investment to rewire and replace the lighting in the Kingsway Tunnel has been completed, providing more efficient infrastructure and substantially reducing running and maintenance costs.

The LED lighting units have been installed with a lifespan of at least 20 years, reducing CO2 emissions by around 450 tonnes and making up to ₤90,000 savings on electricity, each year. The old electrical infrastructure has been replaced with new cables installed in the tunnel invert below the road surface, making them easier to access for maintenance.

The project is part of an on going 10 year tunnels investment programme to maintain both Mersey Tunnels and keep them operational for the 26.5 million vehicles that pass through them each year. The investment programme will also include renewal of wall cladding in the Kingsway Tunnel, resurfacing of 3 Km approach roads at Gorelink, Wallasey, renewal of the lane control system in both tunnels and rewiring of the Queensway Tunnel.

Interesting facts...

► 75 miles of cable have been installed - the equivalent distance between Liverpool and Leeds.

► 1600 light fittings have been replaced.

► 6.5 miles of cable tray and baskets have been installed.

► 4.5 miles of steelwork and brackets support the new installations.

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of Liverpool City Region, said:- "Completing this significant investment in the Kingsway Tunnel without any additional closures has been a major achievement and I would like to congratulate everyone involved. More than 26 million people use the Mersey Tunnels every year, making them a vital element of our transport system, and it is vitally important that we invest properly in their continuing maintenance and safe operation."

Liam Robinson, Transport Portfolio Holder, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said:- "The Kingsway and Queensway tunnels are a vital part of the Liverpool City Region's transport infrastructure and are crucial in supporting our economy. Keeping them efficient and safe is a significant undertaking costing millions of pounds each year. This investment has not only brought the electrical network and lighting system up to date, but will also provide substantial savings in future years."

The 1.5 mile (2.4 km) Kingsway (Wallasey) Tunnel opened in 1971 and was built to accommodate the rise in traffic when the Queensway (Birkenhead) Tunnel was unable to cope with the increase in post war traffic.