Merseyside School children celebrate becoming Fire Champions at home of newly crowned Premier League champions

YOUNG people from Schools across Merseyside celebrated becoming Fire Champions, at the home of Premier League champions Liverpool.

265 children from 8 Schools came together at Anfield for a full day of activities in the largest Fire Champions event to date. The health and well being session, delivered by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, with support from:- Merseyside Police and St John Ambulance, and local charity Evolving Mindsets, incorporated physical activity and age appropriate methods to teach young people about:- road, fire and water safety, first aid, and mental health support and understanding during School exams.

Funded by the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership, the Fire Champions project is primarily delivered within Schools, over a 6 week period. The sessions use engaging, fun games and workshops to challenge preconceptions, spark meaningful conversations to promote healthy choices to keep children safe from harm.

The programme also focuses on subjects such as:- gangs, grooming, exploitation and County Lines, with the aim of building trust and better relationships between young people and blue light service personnel.

The latest cohort takes the total number of:- 9 and 10 year olds, to graduate as:- 'Merseyside Fire Champions' to 815, from:- 30 Primary Schools across the Region.

Merseyside's Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said:- "Investing in our young people is vital if we are to prevent them setting out on negative pathways that lead to serious violent crime and anti social behaviour. Sport is such a powerful mechanism that really engages young people aiding their fitness and mental health development, whilst giving them safe, positive opportunities and the chance to try new experiences and gain new skills. We are not only diverting young people from engaging in criminal or violent activity, but we are also improving their physical and mental health, empowering them with greater self awareness, constructive coping strategies and a positive mind set for the future to help them reach their full potential. Fire Champions also allows us to open up dialogue between blue light services and young people before they reach high School, to promote responsible behaviour and educate them on the dangers of common issues we see too often in our communities."

Director of the MVRP, Supt Georgie Garvey said:- "We are so proud to fund and support the Fire Champions scheme. It's an inspiring example of how early intervention can help us form new relationships with young people, building community resilience through opportunities they might never normally experience. By using a range of engaging techniques to help children to identify and understand when they feel they are not safe, we can help them stay in control of a situation, strengthening their protection factors, building:- self esteem, self confidence and self control. We are committed to keeping children safe from risky situations in their community and Fire Champions gives them those essential tools and the right ideals, to improve their prospects and aspirations to set them on the right path to a brighter future."

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service Group Manager Mark Sopp said:- "Fire Champions is a vital multi agency education programme that equips children in Years 5 and 6 with the knowledge and skills to stay safe as they transition into secondary education. This event at:- Anfield is a celebration of the collaborative work being delivered across over 30 Primary Schools in Merseyside. By bringing together key partners, including:- Merseyside Police, St John Ambulance, and Evolving Mindset. we're empowering young minds to make positive choices and build safer communities. To date, Fire Champions has reached a significant number of young people, and we remain dedicated to expanding this vital work."

Conservatives Secure Victory with Voters across:- Mere Brow, Banks, Hesketh Bank and Tarleton Decisively Rejecting Labour

THE local elections show that England's political landscape is hugely divided. Tonight, Conservatives in Southport and the Northern Parishes are celebrating following the election of:- Thomas de Freitas to Lancashire County Council, in the West Lancashire North Division.

Thomas de Freitas, the newly elected Conservative Councillor was elected with a 42.5% share of the vote, a huge increase in the party's fortunes following the General Election result in 2024. This is important as part of this area full under the new Southport constituency, of which has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Labour's MP Patrick Hurley. this means Labour has fail to hold on to their votes from the General Election in 2024, with their share of the vote collapsing from:- 38.3% in July 2024 to 10.58% in May 2025.

The Conservatives say that local people have:- "firmly rejected Labour with many angry at the:- scrapping of the Winter Fuel Allowance for thousands of pensioners, the impending Family Farm Tax and huge tax increases for working people."

They added:- "It's clear from this result that the Conservatives in the Southport constituency who pose the greatest threat to Labour and are the best way of stopping Labour at the ballot box in Southport and the Northern Parishes."

Thomas de Freitas added:- "I'm honoured to have been elected to represent the area where I grew up, work and live and want to thank everyone who voted. The hard work starts now and I'll be working to deliver for local people. I and my fellow Northern Parish Councillors will continue working hard for:- Banks, Mere Brow, Hesketh Bank and Tarleton. I will continue to stand up for all residents, businesses and local farmers, pushing back on Labour's plans to concrete over our agricultural land and put even more pressure on local infrastructure. At the General Election, it was a shockingly straight contest between:- Labour and the Conservatives, with the once dominant LidDems pushed aside. From our view it's looking like the next General Election, within the Southport Constituency, will be the same."

Mike Prendergast, Spokesperson for Southport Conservatives, highlighted the significance of this win:- "Thomas de Freitas's election is a testament to the hard work locally, he and his fellow Councillors put in for their local communities. Where Conservatives win, this leads to better outcomes for local people. At a national level, we know we have a lot to do to win back the support of those who might have voted for another party for the 1st time in their lives. That work continues and in Southport and the Northern Parishes we will be carrying on with that work across the constituency. Only the Conservatives can beat Labour in Southport and the Northern Parishes."

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