Emergency services workers invited to enjoy opening night of 2024 Southport Comedy Festival

EMERGENCY services workers are being offered 60 free places at the opening night of the 2024 Southport Comedy Festival this September to thank them for everything they do to support the local community.

They will be given a warm welcome at the Comedy Bingo night which opens this year's Festival at:- Victoria Park, Southport, Merseyside, on:- Friday, 27 September 2024.

The event is sponsored by Anthony James Estate Agents and takes place in the heated and seated Festival Marquee.

It promises to be a fun night out, while also raising funds for local charity the Community Link Foundation.

Director Mark Cunningham said:- "The Community Link Foundation is a superb local charity which we have supported ever since its inception 10 years ago. We have always done all we can to support our local community through a range of fundraising initiatives. We are extremely proud of everyone who serves in our emergency services. They do an exceptional job to keep us all safe, and to save lives, in often the most traumatic of circumstances. This year, with the terrible tragedy in Southport in July and the rioting that followed, they have performed in ways which have earned the thanks and admiration of us all. We have contacted Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire and Rescue and the North West Ambulance Service to offer 60 free places to emergency services workers, and we would love to see them come and join us for a fantastic night out."

If you're in the emergency services and are interested in free tickets please contact:- SouthportComedyFestival.Com/Contact-Us.

General tickets are still available for the Comedy Bingo Night, on:- 27 September 2024.

All tickets are just £10 plus booking fee with proceeds raised on the night going towards the Community Link Foundation charity.

Tickets are available via:- SouthportComedyFestival.Com/Whats-On.

Comedy Bingo is a highly interactive show hosted by comedian Brendan Riley.

This event has been a sell out in both:- 2022 and 2023.

Doors open from:- 7pm with eyes down for the bingo at:- 8pm, for a fabulous night of fun(draising).

The Community Link Foundation is a local charity with a difference; which assists anyone in Southport and the surrounding areas who need financial support in a variety of ways.

It celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this year, having raised over a quarter of a million pounds for good causes and charities locally.

Southport Comedy Festival Director Brendan Riley said:- "We couldn't think of a better way to launch our 2024 Southport Comedy Festival! The Comedy Bingo night is once again kindly sponsored by Mark and Lyn Cunningham from Anthony James Estate Agents, who do so much to support our local community. Comedy Bingo is always a really fun night out for friends, families, couples, people on work nights out, anyone! At just £10 per ticket it's a great value night out too, and we'll once again be raising money for the Community Link Foundation charity. Plus you can win some excellent prizes on the night!"

The Comedy Bingo adds to a star studded line up of comedians for the 2024 Southport Comedy Festival sponsored by Halliwell Jones MINI.

The event takes place from:- Friday, 27 September 2024 to Sunday, 13 October 2024.

The full programme of events are now up on the Southport Comedy Festival SouthportComedyFestival.Com.

Rich Hall recently joined an already stellar lineup which includes:- undisputed godfather of modern stand-Up Ben Elton, German Comedy Ambassador Henning Wehn, Festival favourites Jason Byrne, Jimeoin, Godfather of Political Comedy Mark Thomas and Star of ITV'S The Chase Paul Sinha:- 'The Sinnerman,' comedy stars of TV Jo Caulfield ,Hal Cruttenden, Ria Lina, Patrick Monahan, Comedy Circuit favourites The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Review, Rising local star Katie Tracey, host of smash hit podcast:- 'Have a Word,' Dan Nightingale and Comedy Legend Mick Miller.

The festival is also supporting new talent once again with the Southport New Comedian of the Year competition sponsored by Dragon Soop and hosting 2 special events raising funds for local charities Southport Flower Show and Community Link Foundation, sponsored by Anthony James Estate Agents.

The Southport Comedy Festival organisers would like to thank all the businesses who have given their support to this year's festival. check out their logos on the festival website with links to their websites to see who has helped keep Southport smiling this year.

"I'm so relieved our colleagues felt able to intervene" says train boss

EMPLOYEES working for Northern are being given special training to help protect the rising number of vulnerable people using the railway.

The train operator's conductors, customer service and station staff interact with tens of millions of passengers a year; among which will be people subject to abuse, addiction and intimidation as well as a range of mental heath issues.

Having the confidence to act when they spot something:- 'not quite right' requires the right skills and a knowledge of the best:- 'next steps' to help the person in need.

The training forms part of Northern's membership of the Safeguarding on Rail Scheme (SRS).

It is delivered by the charity:- 'Railway Children,' whose work focusses on identifying individuals at risk and helping with early forms of intervention.

Over the summer, Northern employees came to the aid of 3 customers with potentially life saving interventions.

In July, a conductor made sure a passenger got swift medical treatment when her condition deteriorated on-board a Northern service. In August, a conductor helped a 13-year-old boy in distress while working a service heading to Manchester Piccadilly. And earlier this month, 2 employees at Blackburn station were praised for finding a missing 8 year old girl.

Lisa Leighton, people director at Northern, said:- "Everyone who works on the railway has an important part to play in supporting and protecting the vulnerable people who use our trains and stations. In the last 3 months alone, colleagues across our network have intervened to help people in distress on a number of occasions; and I'm so relieved they did. As someone who volunteers for Samaritans, I know how important it is for people to receive the help they need, when they need it most. Training courses like the 1 we're delivering to our employees could make all the difference to someone going through a hard time."

The Safeguarding on Rail scheme (SRS) was developed by the Department for Transport and British Transport Police.

Every year, British Transport Police intervenes in thousands of cases involving vulnerable people. This includes:- those involved in county lines activity, people suffering with mental health issues and victims of domestic abuse and child sexual exploitation.

You can contact British Transport Police via text message on:- 61016, or call:- 0800405040.

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with nearly 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.