Partou women turn up the volume for Girls Out Loud

LEADING day nursery provider Partou, which operates settings across the North West, has announced a partnership with UK-based social enterprise Girls Out Loud that works to raise the aspirations of teenage girls through early intervention initiatives. And in an early double boost to the new collaboration, Partou Managing Director Samantha Rhodes has a become an official Girls Out Loud Ambassador, with 5 Partou team members joining its Big Sister mentoring programme, each woman committing to mentor a young girl for 12 months, offering guidance, encouragement and a listening ear.

The scheme begins with 2 full day training sessions followed by ongoing mentoring throughout the year, including:- group events, and concludes with a graduation ceremony.

Simone and Emily from Partou have already completed their training; under the direction of Girls Out Loud Founder/CEO Jane Kenyon MBE and lead coach Heidi Fletcher; and met their Little Sisters for the 1st time. Danni, Daniella and Tia will start their journeys shortly.

For Simone, becoming a Big Sister is a chance to give back. "Throughout my work and personal life, I've been fortunate to have some amazing mentors," she said. "I wanted to offer that same support to a girl who might need it; and I've quickly realised I'll learn a lot about myself along the way too."

Emily's motivation comes from her own experiences. "I grew up in a small family and would have loved the chance to have a mentor during my teenage years; someone outside my family to help make sense of things," she explained. "Those years can be difficult."

Both women admitted to some nerves before being introduced to their Little Sisters, but the meetings left them feeling more inspired than ever.

"I felt instantly more at ease when I met Sophie," Simone said, adding:- "She's lovely; and I'm really motivated to be the support she needs. I hope to give her tools and confidence she can carry through life."

Emily shared a similar experience, commenting:- "I was very nervous beforehand, but meeting Isobel made it clear why we were matched. It's been a positive and empowering start already."

This partnership with Girls Out Loud was initiated by Partou Managing Director Samantha Rhodes who has long been a passionate supporter of the charity. In her new role as an official Ambassador, she is helping to raise awareness, build connections and support fundraising so more girls can access the life changing opportunities it provides.

Samantha said:- "The work Girls Out Loud does is both inspiring and vital. I believe wholeheartedly in their mission to help girls grow in confidence, resilience and ambition; which aligns perfectly with Partou's mission to build a better tomorrow. It's a privilege to stand alongside an organisation making such a powerful difference."

Girls Out Loud founder Jane Kenyon MBE said she was excited to welcome Samantha onboard. Jane explained:- "Guided by the values of care, compassion and continuous learning, Samanatha champions a culture where every child, educator and family feel safe, supported and empowered. Her leadership is both strategic and heart-led, focused on delivering lasting impact through inclusive, child-centred care."

Jane she was also:- "deeply impressed" by Simone and Emily during their 2 day training session, and looks forward to meeting Danni, Daniella and Tia when they begin the process of becoming Big Sisters.

Jane said:- "The programme aims to empower girls with confidence, emotional resilience and self esteem, helping them to make better life choices and achieve their full potential. Through our new partnership, it is fantastic to see Partou women already having such a positive impact on what we do."

PROTECTING the environment and loving where you live were the messages young people shared last week on a trip to Liverpool Town Hall.

School children from across North Liverpool were invited to share posters they had made urging the community to stop littering and look after the local area.

They presented their ideas to the Lord Mayor, Councillor Barbara Murray, Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Communities, Neighbourhoods and Streetscene, Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, as well as:- Council staff and Liverpool Streetscene Services (LSSL).

The posters were part of a wider community project involving young people called Keep North Docks Tidy. Over the past few weeks, 7 Schools have been out in the community litter picking and learning about the importance of preventing waste and litter.

The young people then drew on their knowledge to create educational posters that were entered into a competition. Of the 150 pupils that took part, 14 winning posters were chosen to be presented at Town Hall.

These posters will now be made into large signs to be displayed within the community for all to see.

Keep North Docks Tidy is a pilot project created by:- Liverpool City Council, LSSL, Onward Homes, Keep Britain Tidy, Veolia, and primary Schools based in the North Docks neighbourhood.

North Docks is 1 of 13 neighbourhoods in Liverpool, including:- the Kirkdale East, Kirkdale West, County, Vauxhall, and Waterfront North wards.

It is home to a number of much-loved Liverpool landmarks, including:- Flower Streets, which won the Community Cohesion Award and People's Choice Award at this year's Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards.

The pilot will last for the remainder of the academic year and is centred around the key message of:- 'the environment belongs to everyone.'

It follows the introduction of a new Recycling and Waste Strategy by the Council earlier this year. The strategy focuses on promoting positive waste behaviours such as:- increasing recycling rates and cracking down on littering and fly-tipping.

Since last year, the Council has invested £950,000 on the creation of an internal enforcement team to tackle environmental crimes. They will be joined by an external team in the coming months, following a decision at June's Cabinet Member meeting.

Over the past 2 years, enquiries around litter in the City have fallen by 25%.

Following the end of the Keep North Docks Tidy pilot, the Council will look to see how it can be extended out to the other neighbourhoods in the city.

Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Communities, Neighbourhoods and Streetscene said:- "Ever since we've started this project, our young people have shown incredible passion and enthusiasm. Congratulations to everyone who took part in our competition and well done to our winners. It is clear from their hard work that protecting the environment and the local wildlife is a priority for them, as is keeping their community clean and safe for everyone; just as it is for us. We're proud to be able to help share their fantastic messages with our residents. Our young people have important things to say about their future, and we need to listen."

Joanne Danaher, Director of Housing and Home Ownership at Onward said:- "In Kirkdale, we are carrying out works that will make our customers' homes warmer, more comfortable and easier to run. We are committed to maximising the impact that programmes like this have and ensuring that the benefits can be felt throughout the area. 1 of the ways that we are doing this is by joining with partners to make improvements to local green spaces in Kirkdale. It has been fantastic to see these young people make such a positive impact as part of the Keep North Docks Tidy initiative. Working with partners like Liverpool City Council is enabling us to do more to create a difference in our communities."