St Teresa's Super Sports Days!

ST Teresa's, Southport, Year 2 children spent a thoroughly enjoyable day at Rock and River, in Ormskirk, taking part in Archery, climbing and den building activities. All of the children joined in enthusiastically and challenged themselves with new skills and problem solving. They also had a look at the accommodation where they will be sleeping in the summer when they go for a 2 day activity break.

St Teresa's uses its Sport Grant to heavily subsidise sports trips such as this 1, as well offering:- free gymnastics, dance and archery after school clubs for the children. The school also takes part in the Massage in Schools Programme and welcomed parents into a coffee morning where the children popped out of class to give their parents a massage using the strokes they had learned.

Parents said:- "What a lovely start to the day; when is the next 1?" also "What a great thing to do. I will look forward to having some more massages at home..."

Hospice chosen as national charity for faithful Order

1 of the oldest Orders of Christian chivalry, The Order of St Lazarus, has chosen St. Joseph's Hospice, in Merseyside, as its new national charity. The Order has already presented a cheque for ₤2,000 to Hospice Chief Executive, Mike Parr, and has pledged to raise further funds over the coming years following a recommendation from the Archbishop of Liverpool, the Most Reverend Malcolm McMahon. Just like the modern Hospice movement, caring for the most vulnerable people in society has always been at the heart of:- 'The Order of St Lazarus,' which was founded back in the Middle Ages,  in 1099AD. The Order of St. Lazarus is a Military Order and is led by recently appointed Grand Prior, Anthony Dickinson, with a membership throughout Great Britain. The Order raises money for good causes in many different ways from hosting events and dinners to sponsored walks and carol concerts as well as through regular collections.

Fr Simon Henry, Chaplain General for the Order of St. Lazarus in Great Britain, said:- "We are proud to be associated with the great work which St Joseph's Hospice continues to undertake in the Archdiocese of Liverpool for people of all faiths and none. It is a true reflection of Our Lord's command to love 1 another as He has loved us. The Order has supported a large number of charities over the years but we are very pleased to name St. Joseph's Hospice as our new national charity. Our foundations are very much aligned and we hope to build a long standing relationship with the Hospice over many years to come."

Mike Parr, chief executive of St. Joseph's Hospice, said:- "We are honoured and incredibly grateful that the Order of St. Lazarus is putting its faith in us to deliver high quality care and compassion to our patients and their families. We feel very privileged to care for people living in our Archdiocese and, on behalf of all Hospice staff, patients and families, we would like to thank Fr Simon Henry, Grand Prior Anthony Dickinson, and all members of the Order for their generosity and support both now and in the future."

New Specialist Community Perinatal Mental Health Service for mums in Lancashire and South Cumbria

LANCASHIRE Care NHS Foundation Trust is launching a brand new, specialist Community Perinatal Mental Health Service, which will support new and expectant mums living in Lancashire and South Cumbria. The brand new service will launch from January 2019 and will offer psychiatric and Psychological assessments and care for women with complex or severe mental health problems during pregnancy up to 1 year after giving birth. The service will also provide pre-conception advice for women with a current or past severe mental illness who are planning a pregnancy. The Trust is 1 of 35 new sites across the Country to have been awarded funding, as part of a drive by NHS England to enable access to specialist Perinatal Mental Health community services across the Country by April 2019.

Dr Gillian Strachan, Consultant Psychiatrist at Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust and Clinical Lead for the Perinatal Mental Health North West Coast Strategic Clinical Network said:- "This additional ₤1.3 million investment for specialist Community Perinatal Mental Health Services will mean that women across Lancashire and South Cumbria will be able to access high quality services when and where they need it. We are determined to work in partnership across the Region to make sure that women and babies are given the best start in life and this is a positive step towards that. It's a much needed addition to the investment in the Cumbria and Lancashire Mother and Baby Unit which we launched earlier this month."

The team will be made up of a variety of different health professionals including:- Psychiatrists, Specialist Nurses, Psychologists, Psychotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers and dedicated administrators who will work together to provide a comprehensive service to mums and their infants, depending on their individual needs. The team will also work closely with the Trust's Perinatal Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) and existing services across:- maternity, mental health and health visiting.

The Trust is looking to coproduce this specialist service with stakeholders living in Cumbria and is holding an event so that you can have your say in this exciting development. If you are interested in attending, please obtain a ticket online and confirm your attendance. For more information about this exciting development please visit:- LancashireCare.NHS.UK/Perinatal-Mental-Health.