Knowsley Online

Knowsley launches its Cleaner, Safer, Greener Charter

Knowsley is calling on locals to sign up to a pledge to make their neighbourhoods cleaner, safer and greener.

The Council is promoting an on-line pledge to mark the launch of Merseyside’s first Cleaner, Safer, Greener Charter. The charter is a commitment from the Council, local service providers and the public to work together to improve the appearance and quality of local streets and open spaces, and tells residents what they can expect from service providers.

Knowsley Council is one of the only local authorities in England, and the first on Merseyside, to develop this initiative.

Developed in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy, the charter is aimed at tackling a wide range of environmental issues including litter, graffiti, fly-tipping, dog fouling, street lighting and community safety.

Council Leader Cllr Ron Round, Chief Executive Sheena Ramsey and Cabinet Members Cllrs David Lonergan and Ken Keith joined local service providers to officially unveil the charter at Sawpit Park, Hall Lane, Huyton, this week.

Following the launch of the charter, each Knowsley resident will receive a summary leaflet giving invaluable information about key service providers and contact information.

Residents will also be encouraged to sign up to an on-line Cleaner, Safer, Greener pledge. Signing up gives residents the opportunity to tell service providers how they think their area could be improved. They will also receive regular updates and news of local clean-ups.

Lord Coe meets Knowsley's sporting youngsters

British Olympics chief Lord Sebastian Coe has been treated to the best of Knowsley's up and coming sporting talent.

Lord Coe visited the Merseyside Primary Youth Games and saw 150 pupils from the borough take on youngsters from other areas.

A squad from Christ the King learning centre in Huyton won the Cheerleading contest, in a new event that reflects the sport’s growing popularity.

Knowsley primary teams also won the Sports Hall Athletics and took Bronze medals in Basketball, Cricket, Netball, Girls Football and
Rugby Union.

Lord Coe attended the event at the Wavertree Aquatics Centre in Liverpool as Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

The event also highlighted the Playground to Podium programme that works to develop disabled sports people.

Fifteen members of Knowsley’s squad were disabled youngsters from inclusive and special schools who’s sporting talent will be developed through the programme.

Sport for all

Disabled sports people from Knowsley schools have scooped a series of medals at a national athletics event.

Thirteen pupils won through from a regional competition to reach the National Athletics for Disabled and Deaf Pupils final at Blackpool.

They excelled in the wheelchair racing, Javelin, Long Jump, Precision Club and sprint events at the regional contest at Manchester Sports City taking home 26 medals, including 11 Gold.

At the national finals at Blackpool's Stanley Park stadium, the Knowsley team won 12 medals - 4 Gold, 6 Silver and 2 Bronze. The points gained helped the North West team become outright winners.

The cost of taking part in the weekend event was met this year by a grant, applied for by two of the pupils taking part - Laura Webb from Kirkby Sports College and Brendan Farrell, from Springfield Special School.

Laura and Brendan, who were competing in the finals for the fourth time, secured £4,800 from the Big Deal fund.

Offenders carry out over 380 hours community payback on Knowsley’s winning project.

Following the announcement of Knowsley’s Community Payback winning vote on 18th June, the winning project, Langton Road public open space is now complete.

The project was completed last week by offenders on Community Payback, who removed litter, debris and graffiti from the area. A total of 384.5 hours were completed by offenders and 1.46 tonnes of waste were removed from the area during the clean up project.

The project was supervised by staff from the Merseyside Probation Trust.

The scheme has been endorsed by members of the local community, Knowsley Borough Council, Merseyside Probation Trust, and Merseyside Police.

Langton Road open space, part of Tower Hill open space is a central hub in the area, providing an access route for the immediate community to travel to shops, public transport, community facilities and schools. The area was identified by members of the public as an area which would benefit from community payback work. It is envisaged that each of the nominated projects will be completed by offenders within the next 18 months.

Hollyoaks star opens learning centre

Hollyoaks star Kieran Richardson, who plays Ste, helped open Halewood Centre for Learning (CfL), on 3 July 2009, by giving out prizes to students and introducing them as they performed a song they wrote especially for the centre.

This is the first Building Schools for the Future (BSF) performing arts Centre for Learning in Knowsley to open its doors to students, so that they, along with the community, can see for themselves world class education with state of the art technology, as well as excellent facilities for arts, cultural, sports and leisure activities.

Knowsley Residents encouraged to ‘sign up’ for food waste recycling service

Knowsley residents are being encouraged to sign up to a new food waste recycling service.

Residents who participate in the service will be issued with a small caddyfor storing waste outside and a mini caddy for use in the kitchen. Food waste is emptied into the kitchen caddy then transferred to the external caddy for collection on a weekly basis. In addition, residents will be provided with free compostable liners to dispose of their food waste securely.

Councillor Dave Lonergan, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Delivery, said "This new service will help to improve recycling levels even more and significantly reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. The regular collections will alleviate concerns regarding degraded food waste. We need as many residents as possible to sign up for this new service in order for us to fully evaluate it.”

The food waste will be taken to a processing plant for composting and then used in agricultural, horticultural and domestic markets. Rotting food in landfill generates methane, a greenhouse gas that is 21 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.

Councillor Tommy Grierson who chaired the Waste Management Working Group and participated in the food waste trial said "A significant amount of household waste is food waste. I was happy to participate in the original trial and found the service to be clean and easy to use.

During the trial we were definitely recycling more and throwing away less and that has to be a good for the environment."

Meat, fish, bones, fruit, vegetables, bread, rice, ‘leftovers’ from your plate are just a few of the items that can be recycled.

• Signing up for the scheme couldn’t be easier! Simply:-Log onto www.knowsley.gov.uk and click on the ‘Food Waste Recycling Scheme’ button on the home page
• Call the Environment Hotline on 0151 443 2400 to register your details
• Call into the One Stop Shops in Huyton, Kirkby, Prescot or Halewood 
• Email your details to DNSCustomer.Services@knowsley.gov.uk

Kirkby mum Teri Durney gets a sneak preview of Knowsley’s new food waste recycling service.

Shelter launches new project in Knowsley

Shelter is launching a new children’s project on Friday 10 July to support vulnerable children and their families in Knowsley.

The Keys to the Future project will help families who are homeless or at risk of being evicted from their home, due to anti-social behaviour problems within the family.

The project will run for three years and is funded by Positive Destinations (a joint funding programme between BBC Children in Need and the Hunter Foundation), The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Knowsley Housing Trust. The project will support over 600 children living in Knowsley, whilst a specialist team will work intensively with 120 of the most vulnerable children, to provide tailored support.

Shelter Knowsley will work with partner agencies in the local area, such as schools, housing associations and health and social care providers, ensuring that these children are not missing out on vital services and support within the area.

The project aims to provide direct, tailored support to children on a one-to-one basis through recreational and educational activities. This will include a wide range of activities for children to play, learn, build their confidence and make friends.

It was back to the Swinging Sixties for a birthday party with a difference at a Knowsley School

Brookside primary celebrated forty years of success with a Flower Power street party and 1960’s Playground.

The day began with a research session on family and school life back in 1969 and ended with a competition to match the Sixties baby pictures to the relevant member of staff.

Trestle tables, balloons and bunting filled the school car park for a Hippie street party, with food and equipment supplied by Knowsley Council.

All staff and pupils at the school had dressed up in Sixties gear for the event and enjoyed post party games from the era, such as Oranges and Lemons.

“It’s a wonderful school,” said Deputy Head teacher Trish Lewis.

“The day has been a real team effort and the decision to make it a Sixties theme and for us all to dress up was made by all the staff.”

“The school is due to amalgamate in two years time and it will be rehoused in a new, multi purpose centre in the heart of Stockbridge Village so there are exciting times ahead as well”

Knowsley cabinet member for Children’s Services, Cllr Graham Wright congratulated Brookside on its celebration and ongoing success

He said: "This school has had a number of very good Ofsted inspections and the behaviour of the pupils has always been highlighted as impeccable.

“They deserve to take time out to celebrate what they have achieved and they have a great future ahead as well.”

Staff and pupils at Brookside Community Primary School, Stockbridge Village, celebrate the school's 40th anniversary with a 60's party

Young people in Knowsley get ready for Open Weekend

Funky street dance, multi sports activities and youth clubs are just some of the free activities on offer for young people in Knowsley over Open Weekend on 10 and 11 July.

Knowsley Council and its partners are working together to improve positive activities for young people and making sure there are things to do on Friday and Saturday nights, the time young people and communities say they need them most.

Friday night sees a mobile bus deployed to interact with young people not involved in education, employment or training to encourage them towards a range of positive opportunities, while the Tower Hill Project in Kirkby is aimed at bringing together young people and older members of the community with the aim of breaking down barriers between them and building positive relationships.

Also on Fridays there is street-based youth work in Whiston, the Roby Park area of Huyton and Cronton Village, plus kickboxing sessions at the Arncliffe Centre in Halewood, multi-sports activities at Halewood Leisure Centre and youth clubs at Lickers Lane Youth Club in Whiston and the Roundabout Community Centre on Stockbridge Lane in Huyton.

Saturdays bring the New Moves Funky Street Dance workshops at St George’s Church Hall in Huyton, Roby Youth Club on Merton Crescent, and youth activities at Webster Park in Kirkby as well as youth project work in Southdene. The new Westvale Youth Centre in Kirkby will also be open throughout the weekend.

Successful Raid on counterfeiters by trading standards officers

Trading Standards Officers from Knowsley Council have joined police and customs officials in seizing thousands of cigarettes, counterfeit DVDs and dozens of items of computer equipment.

Eight premises in the Borough were targeted in a joint operation run by Knowsley Council, HM Revenue and Customs and Merseyside Police.

At a property in Westvale, Kirkby, officers seized 20,000 cigarettes, 2,319 copy DVDs, DVD rewriters, 10 computer hard drives, 12 memory boards, four external hard drives and various other items including ink jets, blank DVD cases and floppy discs.

Police officers also found a small amount of cannabis.

All of the goods have been retained and the Council is now investigating the product counterfeiting activity. This type of offence can lead to prosecution which could result in a fine or imprisonment and assets could be seized under the proceeds of crime legislation.

Cllr Ken Keith, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate and Customer Services, said: “This seizure shows how seriously Knowsley Council and our partners take the problem of counterfeit goods.

“We recognise that it can be tempting to buy counterfeit items that are cheaper than the real thing but there can be no guarantees about the quality or safety of the product being bought. Counterfeiting costs the economy a lot of money and the real victims are legitimate businesses who sell genuine goods and lose out to cheap, illegal imitations.

“I would urge anyone who is aware of counterfeit goods being sold to contact Knowsley Council’s Trading Standards team on 0151 443 4737.”

Knowsley's gems shine at tourism awards

Tourist attractions in Knowsley were recognised once again at this year’s Mersey Partnership Annual Tourism Awards.

Acorn Farm in Kirkby scooped Small Visitor Attraction of the Year, a gong for which The National Wildflower Centre in Huyton was also shortlisted.

Knowsley Hall made the shortlist for Guest Accomodation of the Year, and Partnership for Learning in Halewood was one of only three companies across the whole of Merseyside to be shortlisted in the Business Tourism of the Year category.

The awards are yet another example of some of the fantastic tourism gems which Knowsley has to offer visitors and residents.

Cllr Graham Morgan, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills, said: “I’d like to take the chance to congratulate the tourist attractions which were shortlisted or won awards this year.

“Acorn Farm has won award after award and I’d urge anyone who has not yet visited this lovely farm to do so, especially if you’re looking for a fun family day out this summer.

“It goes to show the little gems that we have in Knowsley, and that you don’t have to head into big cities for a great day out.

“This summer it would also be fabulous to see more local people exploring some of the tourist attractions and parks they have on their doorstep.”

Acorn Farm Manager Fiona Smith said: “We are very proud to have received this award which belongs to all the people, both staff and volunteers, who have worked so hard over the years to create Acorn Farm for the community.”

The Mersey Partnership Annual Tourism Awards are organised by The Mersey Partnership and supported by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), Merseytravel, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Liverpool ONE, ACC Liverpool and BBC Radio Merseyside.

They celebrate the very best businesses in the City Region’s visitor economy, now worth £1.3billon a year and supporting 23,000 jobs.

BBC television presenter Ranvir Singh hosted the celebrations in front of 500 guests at the BT Convention Centre, Liverpool on Thursday, 18th June.

Anyone wanting to find out more about Knowsley’s tourism offerings can log on to www.visitknowsley.com. A list of events taking place in the borough is on the council’s website www.knowsley.gov.uk

No alcohol zones introduced in Knowsley parks

Alcohol free zones are being set up in Knowsley to tackle crime and anti social behaviour caused by binge drinking.

The Safer Knowsley Partnership, which includes Merseyside Police and Knowsley Council, is taking the measure after successfully securing the borough’s first Designated Public Place Orders back in 2008.

The orders have been approved in Wignall Park, Court Hey Park, Stadt Moers, Millennium Green and Henley Park, and will come into force on July 16, 2009. The orders will make it an offence for anyone to drink alcohol after being required by a police officer not to do so. Police have the power to confiscate and dispose of alcohol and it is an arrestable offence to fail to co-operate, without reasonable excuse, with a police officer's request. The ban does not affect drinking in any licensed premises.

Knowsley Council’s Licensing Committee approved the orders on June 25, 2009. They are part of the Safer Knowsley Partnership’s  on-going commitment to reduce alcohol related crime and disorder and anti-social behaviour.

The order has been introduced following extensive consultation with the public, businesses, schools, licensed premises and councillors.

Steve Agger, Service Director for Crime and Disorder at Knowsley Council, said: “I am confident that the alcohol free zones will have a real impact on crime and safety in the area. As a partnership, the council and the police will not tolerate what is a national trend to binge drink in public and these new powers will help to reduce crime and disorder and complement other work taking place across the borough including prosecuting outlets who sell to underage people."

Chief Superintendent John Young, Area Commander for Knowsley, added “These new powers will send out a clear message that alcohol related disorder and associated anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated. We will continue to carry out education initiatives and enforcement action, working together with local partners, to ensure that our borough is a safer place which everyone can enjoy visiting.”

Disabled children aim high in art competition

Children and young people attending Special School in Knowsley have taken part in an art competition to find out what interests them and how they like spending their free time.

Pupils were invited to enter the competition as part of the borough’s Aiming High for disabled children and young people programme.

The competition was divided into four age categories, which were all inundated with entries of a very high standard.

In two special award ceremonies the lucky winners were presented with a certificate and treated to Argos vouchers for first, second and third prize. The art work from the winning entries will be reproduced for the programme’s newsletters, flyers and other publicity materials and all the entries will be displayed in council buildings around the borough.

Cllr Graham Wright, Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services, said:

“The competition was a great way of encouraging the children to bring out their creative talents. The judges had a tough time choosing the winners because all the entries were excellent and worthy of winning a prize.

“It will be really rewarding for the children to see their work reproduced on publicity materials for the Aiming High for disabled children and young people programme and recognition of the obvious time and effort they put into their entries.”

Prize winners from Knowsley Central Primary Support Centre
(L-R: Daniel Winstanley; Ryan Jones; Daniel Clarke; Paris Foster; Jonathan Horton and Pauline Coulter, Children and Family Services Manager for children with disabilities)

Arts teaching hits the mark

Ten schools in Knowsley have received national recognition for the excellence of their arts education.

Arts Council England has awarded 4 Artsmark and 6 Gold Artsmark awards to primary, secondary and further education centres.

The awards follow rigorous examination of the sort of arts projects and teaching provided.

Artsmark awards went to Huyton with Roby, St Andrew The Apostle, St Joseph's and Westvale primaries.

Artsmark Gold awards went to St Luke’s, Park View , Malvern and Evelyn Community primaries, Halewood College and Kirkby Sports College.

They will be presented with their awards at an evening reception at Brindley Arts Centre in Runcorn in September.

Knowsley’s Cultural and Creative Learning sector is now running courses to help other schools learn how they can reach arts award standard.

Cllr Eddie Connor, Knowsley's cabinet member for Leisure, Community and Culture, said: “This is great news for the schools involved and, most of all, for the pupils who are being given the best introduction and education in the arts possible.

“Boosting attainment in our schools is a key feature of the Knowsley Children’s Plan and we are now running training sessions to help others apply for Artsmark status this year.”

State of the art centre for young people, designed by young people opens in Knowsley

Last night (Thursday 25th June) saw the launch of the new Westvale Youth Centre in Kirkby, offering local youngsters a safe place to socialise, and the opportunity to get involved in a range of activities such as sports and arts along with accredited courses and awards such as Duke of Edinburgh.

The new centre has been designed to the specifications of the young people who will use it and was officially opened by Anne Weinstock, Director of the Youth Task Force. Young people showcased all the centre has to offer with DJing, rapping and an electric guitar performance on the staged area, while others surfed the net and created animation on the new suite of computers. Young people from the centre also prepared healthy snacks and ‘mocktails’ for the guests.

Knowsley’s ‘Big Deal Grants Panel’ made a symbolic presentation to the young people at the centre with a cheque for £80,000, the money was awarded to the centre in October 2008 and has been used to add value to the project through additional interior design and the purchase of equipment.

Jade’s the ideal candidate to succeed

A Northwood teenager who rates Hillary Clinton as her inspiration is aiming to be the first lady to progress with a new Kirkby-based youth charity.

Described as “a jewel” by her tutors at Moorgate Road based Rathbone, artistic Jade Lea Hogg has drawn a line under her troubled past and taken her first steps towards a career in child care. And she believes that the current United States Secretary of State is the perfect role model for any woman wanting to achieve.

“Hillary Clinton is just amazing” says Jade, who recently designed a poster depicting the former first lady’s varied career for her classroom. “She is very successful and has done so much – and she really doesn’t look 61.”

Jade joined Rathbone (which took in its first trainees back in February this year) after struggling with her daily journey to and from her home to St Helens College. Now 17, Jade moved to the Knowsley area from Lowestoft in Suffolk three years ago and found the transition difficult. Upheavals at home meant she couldn’t complete her GCSEs.

Engaging on the Entry to Employment course – which gives 16-18-year-olds the support they need to gain work – Jade has enjoyed picking up new skills and qualifications and will soon go on work placement at a local nursery school. She is also about to move into her own place and being the creative type (she studied art and design at St Helens) she plans to decorate her front room in fetching shades of black and grey!

On your bike – whatever your ability.

A bid to get more of us on our bikes has been underway in Knowsley.

Events for national Bike Week in the borough included a taster day to get children with varying abilities cycling.

The ‘Wheels for All’ day provided demonstrations of bikes that able and disabled young people could use.

It was held at Springfield Special School in Kirkby and there were representatives form Knowsley’s six special schools.

The Council’s cycling development officer, Kelly McKeown and Bike It officer, Ian Alt demonstrated various bikes and training was offered to the children.

Knowsley Council also ran its annual competition that called on primary pupils in Year 5 to design their dream mountain bike.

The two winners who design the most creative cycle will each be presented with a mountain bike later in the year.

National Bike Week ran from June 13 to 20 and promotes cycling as an alternative form of transport as well as a source of fitness and fun.

Cllr Graham Morgan, Knowsley’s’ cabinet member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills, said: “Knowsley Council runs a variety of free bike rides and cycling promotion schemes throughout the year and we are committed to getting more people cycling both for work and leisure.

“The events during Bike Week were aimed at getting young people with a variety of abilities to try out cycling and think about what appeals to them about bikes.”

Cllr Graham Morgan with Sam Walsh at the Wheels for All event at Springfield Special School

History in the making.

Children in Knowsley are helping to revive the building skills of the past.

Skilled professionals are teaching the youngsters how to make bricks, stained glass panels and how to carve stone.

It is part of a conservation project to preserve the area’s historic buildings by teaching the next generation traditional building techniques.

These skills are fast dying out yet demand for craftspeople who know how to work on older buildings is growing.

The lessons in schools are “Have a Go” taster sessions and construction students at local colleges are being taught the methods for real.

The Conservation Skills and Interpretation Project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the taster sessions are being held at St. John Fisher, Overdale and Prescot primary schools.

Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills, Cllr Graham Morgan, said: “It’s not often that our young people get the chance to use a chisel and mallet, throw clay into a brick mould or even see delicate pieces of glass being cut.

“The chance to learn these fascinating skills with some of the industry’s finest craftspeople might inspire them to pursue this as a career.

“The conservation project is aimed at preserving our marvellous historic buildings but also passing on these vital building techniques for future generations.”

 Children at Overdale Primary School, Kirkby taking part in stone carving.

A local knitting group in Huyton has attracted a range of budding knitters of all ages.

The Knit Wit Group, funded by Knowsley Council, started off with just two members back in February. Now, the popular class has up to 20 knitting fans of all ages going along each week.

The bug for the old tradition has even spread to the younger generations, as children as young as 11 make sure they brush on their knitting skills during the school holidays.

The group not only provides a place where people can do something they enjoy, but it also enables them to do their bit for charity. The group knit clothing and accessories for babies and young children, donating them to the Liverpool Women’s Hospital. All proceeds made from selling the hand-knitted items go towards buying machinery for premature babies.

The North Huyton Area Partnership Board and elected members in Longview have been involved in the project and helped raised funds since it was first launched last year. The knitters meet at Longview shops from where the council-backed drop-in advice centre runs every week.

Balloons to fill the sky on Rainey Day

Families across Knowsley are being invited to attend the third annual Rainey Day event at King George V Sport Complex in Huyton, on Sunday 28th June 2009.

Rainey Day is a family fun day, organised in memory of John Rainey – a Knowsley Council employee and a champion of the rights of disabled people.

The event is free to attend, and will run from 11am through to 4pm.

The activities will include music, dancing, the NorthernSign Choir, football coaching, wheelchair basketball and boccia – a fast paced wheelchair sport.

There will also be stalls representing local agencies to promote their services, especially those for disabled people.

These will include a Good Neighbours in Knowsley stall, where residents will be able to get free cups, tea-bags, and tea-towels, to encourage them to spend more time with their neighbours.

British Sign Language interpreters will be available on the day.

Leader of Knowsley Council, Cllr Ron Round, said: “It is right and fitting that the event carries the name of John Rainey. The contribution that John made to the rights and opportunities of disabled people in Knowsley was enormous.

“There will be something for all the family to enjoy, and I hope that as many people as possible will be able to attend the event.”

One of the highlights of the day will be the release of three hundred balloons, as part of a competition to see which one can travel the furthest. Last year’s balloon release was won by Paul Walsh from Roby, whose balloon travelled over 269 miles before it landed in West Bexington, Dorset.