Bradbury Fields awarded Freedom of Liverpool

AN organisation which has supported blind and partially sighted people since the 1850's has been awarded the Freedom of Liverpool. Bradbury Fields; formerly known as the 'Liverpool Voluntary Society for the Blind' is dedicated to working with blind and partially sighted people, helping them to become part of their local communities.

At a service at Liverpool Town Hall, on Wednesday, 27 June 2018, it was granted admission to the Freedom Roll of Associations and Institutions; the highest honour the City can bestow.

Lord Mayor, Cllr Christine Banks, said:- "I am truly delighted to have awarded Bradbury Fields the Freedom of Liverpool. It has helped generations of people who suffer from poor sight to live as normal a life as possible and be able to do all of the things that we all take for granted."

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson added:- "We are fortunate to have Bradbury Fields based in Liverpool, making such a huge difference to the lives of so many people. Their work is much valued and appreciated, and awarding them the Freedom of Liverpool is our way of saying thank you."

The organisation was established in 1857 to provide a service for blind people in their own homes, and in the beginning, this meant teaching reading skills to enable blind people to access scriptures.

Today, it employs 26 members of staff who work in partnership with Liverpool, Knowsley and Sefton Councils and Royal Liverpool and Aintree Hospitals to provide eye clinic liaison services and a statutory rehabilitation service for people aged from 1 to 105.

The emphasis of all their services is to help blind and partially sighted people to gain as much independence as they wish.

Philip Longworth, Chief Executive of Bradbury Fields, said:- "Bradbury Fields is honoured and delighted to have been awarded the Freedom of the City by Liverpool City Council. We are pleased to have been recognised for our contribution to the local community for over 160 years, supporting blind and partially sighted people to maintain independence and have a quality in their lives."

The Wonderful World of Words

LIVERPOOL Libraries are celebrating 25 years of partnership working with children's reading charity BookTrust through their Bookstart Early Years programme. 'The Wonderful World of Words' event will take place at Liverpool Central Library, Thursday, 5 July 2018, from, 10am to 1pm.

Families with children under 5 are invited to come along to the Central Library to enjoy poetry with Levi Tafari and Terry Caffrey as well as storytelling, rhymes, and games with Bookworm Players. The morning will also include craft activities and information stalls from Health Visitors and the 1 to 1 Midwives team will be available. There will also be the opportunity to collect your Bookstart pack if you've not yet received one and pick up a free book!

There will also be a celebration event to commemorate 70 years of the NHS and our special relationship with health visitors. There will be a display of local history archive material relating to the NHS in Liverpool in Discover and on the third floor of Central Library.

Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism and Events, Cllr Wendy Simon said:- "The Wonderful World of Words event at Liverpool Libraries promises to be another spectacular event with BookTrust. With lots of activities for children and families, as well as a way for us to say thank to you to the wonderful NHS Health Visitors, who distribute the Bookstart packs to infants across the City."

Diana Gerald, CEO of BookTrust said:- '"e're delighted to be celebrating 25 years of Bookstart and such a successful partnership with Liverpool Libraries. The Wonderful World of Words event is a fantastic way to encourage young children to read, enjoy stories and get all the family reading together. BookTrust reaches 3.4 million children every year through books, resources and support. Events like these go such a long way to inspiring a generation of readers and BookTrust is committed to making them as successful as possible."