News reports located on this page = 2.

New data reveals charitable habits of Merseyside residents

A new study of over 30,000 charity supporters has revealed Merseyside is among the most kind hearted counties in the UK. Data recently released from:- 'Ecclesiastical's Movement for Good Awards' has revealed that more than 700 county residents have so far pledged their support to a charity that is:- 'close to their heart.' Healthcare is the issue they care most about, with animal welfare and support for people with disabilities completing the top three most popular charity sectors in the county. People aged 46 to 55 are more likely to support a charity than any other age group within the Region. The Movement for Good Awards from Ecclesiastical Insurance will see a total of ₤1 million given to charities this summer. Members of the public can nominate a cause for a potential ₤1,000 award. More than 40 local charities now stand a chance to receive 1 of these ₤1,000 grants via nominations from kind hearted Merseyside supporters. The data has been taken from public nominations made in the weeks since the campaign launched. It shows that people living in the South East are the most supportive of charitable organisations in the UK.

Thanking supporters in Merseyside, Mark Hews, Group CEO of Ecclesiastical, said:- "We have seen a fantastic response to our Movement for Good Awards so far. With nominations still open we hope many more charities are put forward for a potential ₤1,000 award, which we know can make a huge difference to the work that charities do. So far the bulk of the nominations have been made in the South of England and by over 35s. We want to urge people in the North, and younger generations across the UK, to also get involved and nominate a cause close to their hearts."

Winners will be drawn at random and the more times a charity is nominated the more chance it has of being selected. It's quick and easy to nominate, you can vote for your favourite charity online at:- Ecclesiastical.com.  In the summer (2019), 10 charities will also be chosen by a panel of judges to receive ₤50,000 from Ecclesiastical for major projects that can make a real difference to communities over a number of years.  Owned by a charity, Ecclesiastical is the only financial services group that exists to give all its profits to charity. It has given ₤100million to charity over the past 5 years and is the 4th largest corporate giver in the UK.

The Top 5 Regions in the UK that submitted the most nominations:-

1. South East (8,400)
2. South West (5,179)
3. North West (3,450)
4. North East (2,927)
5. West Midlands (2,011)

Directory of Social Change (DSC), The Guide to UK Company Giving, 11th Edition.

Retailer creates up to 40 jobs with ₤800,000 investment

HOME Bargains have invested approximately ₤800,000 in its new store in St Helens, which officially opened on Saturday, 11 May 2019. Home Bargains is 1 of the UK's largest family run retailers, is creating up to 40 new jobs in the community with its store, at Linkway West St Helens. This is the company's 4th store within the Town, joining over 500 outlets across the UK. Opening approximately 50 stores a year, Home Bargains is bucking current trends in the industry. Joe Morris, operations director at Home Bargains, said:- "We're thrilled to be launching our fourth store in St Helens and look forward to welcoming customers through the doors."

With more than 4 million customers each week, Home Bargains is 1 of the country's best loved discount retailers and the 18,000 sq ft store, which is adjacent to Aldi, Costa and Superbowl, will offer shoppers a range of products, including:- homewares, health and beauty essentials, sweets, snacks and drinks, as well as fresh and frozen food. Joe added:- "Linkway West will be a great location for us and we're proud to be able to offer local people top-branded goods at exceptionally low prices."