Liverpool 1 scores debut duo for football fans

LANDSEC has announced a duo of football focused concepts are to open at Liverpool ONE. Crossbar, a new kind of football experience, and premium sports retailer, Pro:Direct Soccer, will be making their debuts at the destination next spring. Both will add to the unique experience-led offer at Liverpool ONE, reflecting its position as the heart of the UK's most sociable City.

..Pro:Direct Soccer, the world's leading premium online football retailer, is creating a 6,000 sq ft PD:FC store. Showcasing elite on pitch gear, training essentials, terrace-inspired fashion, and city-ready tech clothing and trainers, it will set a new benchmark for football retail. The store will blend cutting edge performance innovation with products that celebrate the game and its culture beyond the pitch. More than a store, PD:FC is a cultural hub, drawing from the streets, stadiums, and creative influences that make Liverpool and Merseyside a global epicentre of football and lifestyle.

..Located above Pro:Direct and spanning 25,000 sq ft over 2 floors, Crossbar will open its 1st-ever location at Liverpool ONE. Situated on Manesty's Lane, occupying the upper levels of the former Flannels and Beauty Bazaar Harvey Nichols with an entrance on the ground floor, Crossbar will feature tech-enabled state-of-the-art football boxes with reactive projection, motion tracking, and surround sound. Alongside the gaming floor will be a bar and casual dining area, while upstairs, Club 11 will provide a full restaurant experience.

Rob Deacon, Director of Asset Management at Liverpool 1; Landsec, commented:- "Experience is at the heart of everything we do at Liverpool 1 and we want to create enjoyable moments for visitors every time they are here. Crossbar will be a strong new anchor that provides even more reasons to visit or lengthen an existing trip. Joined by PD:FC's City debut, the brands further reaffirm Liverpool ONE's position as 1 of the UK's leading retail and leisure destinations."

Sam Baldock, Chief of Brand at Pro:Direct, added:- "Liverpool is a global icon of football culture; a City where history, passion, and creativity have shaped the game's identity. Bringing our PD:FC concept to Liverpool 1 is about more than opening a store; it's about cementing our vision in 1 of football's defining Cities. Located in the heart of the City, Liverpool 1 was the clear home for our City debut, and we can't wait to welcome everyone through the doors."

Brett Duarte, Founder of Crossbar, added:- "We have a lifelong passion for football so bringing our new kind of football experience to life is a momentous landmark for the Crossbar brand. We have been searching for the perfect location to launch for some time, and Liverpool ONE's second-to-none reputation and quality line-up of leisure and retail brands made it the obvious choice."

Together with the recently opened 7,000 sq ft Anthropologie store, the 38,000 sq ft of signings complete the re-letting of the former Flannels and Beauty Bazaar Harvey Nichols units.

Wirral Nursery 'goes blue' for World Children's Day in support of UNICEF

TEAM members and children at Partou Park Wood Day Nursery and Forest School in Bidston have celebrated World Children's Day by taking part in a host of blue themed activities to help raise funds for UNICEF.

At the start of 2025, Partou; which operates 114 settings in the UK; announced an official partnership with the United Nations agency which works to protect the rights of children, provide humanitarian aid and ensure that every child can reach their full potential.

Tori Platt, Partou Park Wood Acting Nursery Manager, said:- "World Children's Day is about every child regardless of their background, nationality, gender, ability or circumstances. It's a global day of action and awareness celebrated in November each year. All our rooms came together to celebrate our wonderful little people. We created lots of different blue activities including:- messy play, sensory play, decorating biscuits and having a blue themed picnic, while also putting together a cake sale for the children to collect on their way home from Nursery. We thank everyone for taking part and for all the donations to UNICEF."

Partou team members around the country, and children if they chose to do so, were invited to wear something blue for the occasion and/or make a donation to UNICEF.

The Partou logo also turned blue for the day across its social media channels.

Other initiatives to support the fundraising efforts included:- decorating nurseries in blue and creating pictures using blue craft materials. And team members could enter a special prize draw to win a hamper of blue themed goodies with all proceeds going to UNICEF.

Established in 1975, Partou is the biggest childcare group in the Netherlands with more than:- 700 settings, over:- 70,000 children and 9,000 team members.

Following the 2024 merger of:- Just Childcare and All About Children, to become:- Partou UK, it now cares for around:- 9,000 children and employs more than:- 2,000 dedicated childcare professionals in the UK, including:- 240 apprentices.

Through its partnership with UNICEF, Partou is supporting a portfolio of targeted early learning initiatives and broader flexible funding ensuring more children have the right to the best possible start in life, nurturing/supporting their health, learning and development.

This includes supporting Early Childhood Development (ECD) by contributing to UNICEF's:- '5 Million Futures' programme which aims to offer 5 million children globally access to quality pre-school education by 2030. Through this initiative, UNICEF is working with young children and their families to ensure that the most vulnerable children can gain the life long benefits of accessing quality learning in the early years.

Partou is also providing flexible funding to enable UNICEF to deliver fast, effective aid. For example, through the:- 'Global Humanitarian Thematic Fund,' Partou is supporting the provision of rapid assistance to vulnerable children in crisis and emergency settings.

Samantha Rhodes, Partou Managing Director, said:- "It was wonderful to see so many of our nurseries, team members, children and families come together to support World Children's Day and raise much needed funds for UNICEF. World Children's Day shines a powerful spotlight on every child's right to safety, education, play and voice. Partou's philosophy;:- 'children lead the way,' mirrors this by encouraging child led learning and exploration; promoting respect, empathy and inclusion; and supporting hildren's emotional and social development through play and choice. This approach encourages children to express themselves, make choices and be heard; values that are central to World Children's Day."

Louise Lane, Chief Marketing and Partnerships Officer at UNICEF UK, said:- "World Children's Day celebrates the incredible resilience of children to learn, play and grow even in the hardest of times and it's thanks to the generous support of partners like Partou that UNICEF can scale up its efforts to support the wellbeing of children everywhere. A huge thank you to all team members and children for their incredible fundraising efforts this World Children's Day that will help ensure every child has the happy, healthy, and safe childhood they deserve."

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Liverpool 1 scores debut duo for football fans

Wirral Nursery 'goes blue' for World Children's Day in support of UNICEF