Liverpool Life 4:14 March 2 2016 by Steve Harrison

2 - March - 2016

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE... PAGE 2

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Charity dinner in memory of Southport chef

SPORT

PAGE 10

Rising stars are dominating European boxing circuit

©Stef Verite

£10.5m investment for Wirral Highway Transport

LIFEextra

CONCERN FOR BIN SLEEPERS

©Lewis Phillips-Calvert

NEWS

Homeless could be dicing with death

By ELLE SPENCER

Waste management firm Biffa has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of the fatal danger that homeless people face by taking shelter in bins. Last year Biffa found 175 people taking shelter in their bins, two of these occurred in Liverpool and one in Saint Helens. Concerned by these increasing numbers and the risk to people’s safety, the company has joined forces with charity Homeless Link in an attempt to save lives and educate vulnerable people on the dangers of sleeping in and around waste containers. Many people are not aware just how devastating the situation could be. Rough sleepers face severe consequences by sleeping in the bins because, depending on the type of collection truck used, the containers can be lifted up to six metres high before

the contents are tipped into the vehicle’s compactor crushing everything within. Big Issue seller Les told Liverpool Life: “I know loads of people who have had to go as far as to sleep in a bin. They feel like they have some shelter then whereas when they sleep on the street or in an alley they’re exposed to people, rats, and the weather. “It’s not right. I’m terrified of going out on the streets again. My hands are full of frostbite from all those years in the cold and I just can’t do it again. You can’t imagine what it’s like. “I was homeless almost my whole life but I have just found somewhere to live. I can’t tell you how grateful I am that I have somewhere because I couldn’t go back to living on the street.” Andy, another Big Issue Seller, also said: “I know people who

have been in those kinds of situations. I once knew a lad who kipped in a bin and it got set on fire. I’m going back years but that’s how bad it can be.” There have been at least eleven deaths caused by people sheltering in bins since 2010, according to figures from the Environmental Services Association. In 2012 a homeless man was crushed to death after the waste container he was sleeping in was tipped into the back of a bin lorry in Bromborrough, Wirral. His body was found later in the day when a horrified worker was sorting rubbish. Another life was similarly lost when 34-year-old Matthew Symonds’ remains were found at Biffa’s Avonmouth plant in 2014. He is thought to have taken shelter in a bin after being refused entry to a shelter, according to

Pictures © Biffa

Homeless Link. Biffa’s Head of Safety, Tim Standring, told Liverpool Life he believes his company did everything they could do avoid the outcome. “As a business we are absolutely committed to giving our drivers the tools, training and resources they need to help save lives and ensure people sleeping rough in or near bins get access to the help and support they need. “We’ve got evidence that the driver checked the bin in Mr

Symonds case and that’s the worrying thing – no matter how well we check there’s absolutely no guarantee that we’re going to find everybody.” While Biffa has introduced extra safeguards and installed cameras inside all vehicle compactors the company believes the only certain way of reducing the risk of danger, is to reduce the number of people sleeping rough. Biffa wishes to raise awareness of Homeless Link’s StreetLink

service, by which members of the public can alert their local authority about people sleeping rough in their area. They can do so by calling 0300 500 0914. The Whitechapel Centre in Liverpool has also said they are glad of the work Biffa and Homeless Link are doing and urge anyone who is concerned about a homeless person in the Liverpool area to contact them on 0300 123 2041. Small change - big difference Page 5

Life|News|2

Mayor calls for ban on race hate rallies By LEIGH KIMMINS

CHAOS: Police hold riot shields © Leigh Kimmins

RIOT: People join fascist protest © Leigh Kimmins

Mayor Joe Anderson has called for the power to ban disruptive rallies after a weekend demonstration by far right group, North West Infidels, saw the city centre descend into chaos. Mayor Anderson revealed on Monday his plans to pen a letter to Home Secretary, Theresa May, demanding the power to oust such groups plans of staging demonstrations in Liverpool. He voiced similar concerns last year when another far-right group, National Action, revealed plans to stage a ‘White Man March’ last year. “I am asking for a change in the law to give mayors the ability to stop these events taking place. This isn’t about banning free speech, but about banning people who incite racial hatred and Nazi views. “These people have no place in this city. The Mayor and elected representatives should be able to stop such groups coming in. They are not here to air their views, but to cause violence and

Motorists welcome £10m roads boost By CALLUM SMYTH

Wirral Council is to invest £10.5m in improving the borough’s highway and transport network. The funding is made up of £1m from the council, with the remaining £9.5m secured by them from the Department for Transport. The council has assessed the priorities for investment, and will start using the funds in those aeas of highest need. This includes roads that are in constant need of repairs due to high volumes of traffic and specific roads. Councillor Stuart Whittingham, Wirral’s Cabinet member for Transport and Technology

Life

Infrastructure, said: “We have pledged to provide transport fit for the future and are investing significant levels of funding in highway infrastructure as part of the Wirral Growth Plan. This huge investment will ensure local roads remain in good shape for many years to come, as well as improve road safety and journey reliability.” Paul Watters from the AA told Liverpool Life: “This investment will be welcome news to Wirral drivers and should put an end to short-term pothole filling by making bigger improvement to the fabric of the roads. “Potholes are the bane of road users lives whether they are on two or four wheels so the start of

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a renewal programme is excellent news. Some patience and extra care will be needed while the work is in progress.” Wirral Council has fixed 8,000 potholes on the borough’s streets in the past year, and this latest tranche of investment will include £2.2m for resurfacing works already allocated to specific roads. Wirral South will see the largest investment of £813,268, closely followed by Birkenhead which will receive just under £750,000. Wirral West and Wallasey will also benefit from the plan, seeing £614,533 and £585,980 respectively. The investment will see improvements and repairs taking place between now and 2019.

antisocial behaviour,” said Anderson in a statement. Currently, only the Home Secretary has the power to ban such demonstrations but Liverpool’s senior elected representative is pushing hard to change that after 34 arrests were made and thousands of pounds of costs were incurred after the weekend’s unsavoury scenes. Around 500 anti-fascist protesters showed up at St George’s and Lime Street to voice their disgust towards the far-right group and violence soon erupted as tensions frayed, Merseyside Police confirmed that one of their officers was taken to hospital with concussion and a 21-year-old girl was rushed to hospital by a police officer after being struck by a missile. Abbie James, from Huddersfield, may require plastic surgery on her wound. Many are keen to ban such rallies from the city after the events left the area around Lime Street and St. George’s was left in tatters. The racially motivated group, who spent a large majority of the afternoon hemmed into a corner, daubed Swastika signs

on the walls of the 200-year-old building and both groups left a sticky mess with eggs covering the area. Cobble stones were also ripped from the ground in the area and used as missiles making for ugly scenes as the Merseyside Police, supported by the Greater Manchester Police, tried to move the group towards Lime Street to ferry them back to Manchester. Anti-Fascist protesters lined the streets as the group were escorted to a back entrance of Lime Street and thankfully disruption remained at a minimum as the demonstrators boarded their train, accompanied by officers. The cost of policing the demonstration is thought to be around £60,000. Cheers erupted in Lime Street as anti-fascist group, United Against Fascism, unfurled a banner and celebrated. Joe Anderson also revealed on Tuesday that he has had to change his phone number as a barrage of threatening calls have come in from far-right individuals. Merseyside Police are now investigating the matter.

Ray has a date with panto

Children compete to help recyling By SAM DAVIES Liverpool school pupils are set to take part in a competition to help the city council’s recycling drive. They will be challenged to use their modelling and art skills to create a figurehead, named Recycle Michael, who will be used to reinforce the message of reducing, reusing and recycling. Models will be constructed out of clean recyclable materials such as paper, cans, cardboard and plastic drinking bottles by children working together in classes. The competition which is open to all primary and secondary schools will be launched tomorrow by Mayor Joe Anderson at Sacred Heart Primary School. Mayor Anderson said: “We need to recycle more in this city – we are improving and we have increased our recycling rate by about 8% but we want to cut the amount we send to landfill by a lot more. “We have an ambitious target of recycling 55% of our waste but we are determined that we will achieve it – and it is our young people who are often the keenest to recycle.”

Festival comes to Liverpool Dancing on Ice champion Ray Quinn will play Peter Pan in the star-studded Easter pantomime at St Helen’s Theatre Royal. Read our full preview of the show, plus interviews with cast and crew in next week’s edition

Merseyside on ‘struggling’ list By BETH COLLINS Liverpool and Birkenhead have been named in the top 20 most economically struggling cities. This is according to new research conducted by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, an independent organisation that works to encourage social change. The research showed that ten of the UK’s top 12 economically struggling cities are in the North of England whilst no cities from the south are in the top 24 of the table. Rochdale, Burnley, Bolton, Blackburn and Hull were at the top of the list, which studied employment rates, the numbers of highly qualified workers, types of jobs and migration rates. Frank Field, Birkenhead MP, told Liverpool Life: “It is disappointing to see Birk

LAUNCH: Joe Anderson

MP Frank Field

enhead perched so high up the league table of Britain’s struggling towns. Sadly, though, this news comes as no surprise. The town’s voluntary groups in recent weeks have reported growing numbers of struggling families who, despite being in work, cannot make ends meet without help from a food bank. “There is a clear need for the Government to play its part to

ramp up productivity in lower paying industries so that higher earnings can become commonplace across the board, without the need for job losses to offset a higher wage bill. The research also found that the northern cities that appear in the list were falling behind a substantial amount compared to the national levels. Josh Stott, policy and research manager at JRF, said: “Britain has the potential to become a more prosperous country, with George Osborne’s Northern Powerhouse playing a key role in rebalancing the economy. “But it must reach all parts of the North to ensure prosperity is shared. To rebalance the economy and ensure local growth provides opportunity for all households, the Treasury needs to ensure areas outside of core cities are not left behind.”

By JENNY KIRKHAM The UK’s biggest pop music festival will move from Birmingham to Liverpool this September. Fusion Festival, which attracts more than 50,000 annually, will host the event at Otterspool Promenade on September 3 and 4. The festival is now in its fourth year after previously boasting performances from Ed Sheeran and The Vamps in 2015. The line-up and ticket information for the event will be announced in April. The move follows Liverpool being declared a Unesco City of Music in recognition of its musical heritage. Claire McColgan, Liverpool’s culture director, said: “We’re delighted that Fusion Festival is heading to Liverpool. “It’s a real coup that this city is going to host yet another major music event this year which will bring with it a creative and economic boost to the area.” Damien Sanders, event director of Fusion Festival, said: ‘We are so excited to finally announce that Fusion is coming to Liverpool. Liverpool is such a vibrant, fun city”

Life|News|3

Tale of toffee lady sticks with Blues

By CONOR ALLISON

A Liverpool author has published a children’s book in conjunction with Everton in the Community, meeting with fans at a book signing in Waterloo. Jude Lennon, using the club’s iconic Toffee Lady as the main character and title for the book, tells the fictitious tale of the mascot searching for her lost sweets before the big match. Talking to Liverpool Life about the original Toffee Lady, football’s first mascot, Mrs. Lennon said: “The original Toffee Lady was a real person called Molly Bushell, who started off making sweets from a doctor’s recipe to help her children with coughs and colds. She added to the recipe until she finally perfected the sweets, which became popular she had to get a shop. “The Toffee Lady started giving away sweets before the matches of the local team - a tradition that still happens before every game to this day. The book tells us what happens when she loses her toffees before a match. She frantically searches the landmarks close to the football ground to find it.” The illustrations for the book have been produced by children from Gwladys Street Primary School,

something which Mrs. Lennon feels adds to the club’s local spirit: “Everton are very community orientated. In a world full of corporate and big business it’s a refreshing change. “It would have been easy to find a professional illustrator for such a great project, but Everton and I both felt it was important for the children of Gwladys Street to be involved. The grounds of Goodison Park are right next door to their school and the club do a lot of work with them. The children were all excited to be involved. “When Everton arranged for me to visit the school to present the illustrators with their own copies, they also arranged for former player Pat Van Den Hauwe to come along and sign the children’s books for them.” The book also brought to light an interesting connection between Mrs Lennon and Molly Bushell, as she went on to explain: “I posted a status update on Facebook explaining about the book and my friend Katie Bushell messaged me to tell me that it was her great, great, great, great, great Grandmother. “That was certainly a bit strange but actually sums up the community of Everton and indeed the STORY TIME: Katie Bushell’s son, Elia, sitting with Jude reading through the city of Liverpool. Everyone knows book. © Katie Bushell someone who knows someone.”

Acoustic festival pulls all of the right strings By LEWIS CALVERT

STAR IN THE MAKING: Thom Morecroft is one of many taking to the stage this weekend © Thom Morecroft

The third annual Liverpool Acoustic Festival is two weeks away, bringing with it a host of award winning musicians, spoken word artists and local talent across venues on Hope Street. The two day festival has been growing in popularity and for the first time includes performances in the Music Room at the Liverpool Philharmonic. The new venue will be headlined by poetry and music group Phrased & Confused on March 18 and renowned Liverpool artist Ian McNabb the following night. In a statement Paul Dunbar, Festival Director said: “It seemed the logical step to push out of the walls of Unity and onto Hope Street, bringing a bigger offering of acoustic music to the city.” Award-winning Scott Matthews headlines Unity on March 18, whilst Ian Prowse closes

the festival the night after. The festival brings with it an expected intimacy and fluidity at its events with audience members expected to drift from room to room to watch musicians perform. Matthew Linley, Artistic Director and CEO of Unity Theatre added: “The fantastic music, the huge potential of the festival and the warmth and friendly nature of the vibe... it’s incredibly exciting to see the festival spread out this year.” The festival will also showcase over 50 rising stars from around the city, one of which is Thom Morecroft, who spoke to Liverpool Life. The 25-year-old said: “I’ve played the Liverpool Acoustic Festival every year since the first one. It’s a brilliantly put together line-up, all the crew involved are exceptional and I’m thrilled to be making my Liverpool Philharmonic début.”

Originally from Shrewsbury, Thom has been living in Liverpool for almost six years and the opportunity for emerging talent to earn a living with these kinds of festivals is one he is grateful for. He said: “The internet presents interesting new challenges and forces us to stand on our own two feet. The competition is alarming. I’m just booking a tour at the moment around the UK and realising there are just millions of people doing the same as me. It is pretty staggering.” But the singer-songwriter is more concerned about his performance in the coming weeks. He added: “I’m really looking forward to doing the Saturday afternoon this year. I’ve only been able to watch the Saturday afternoon other years and it always struck me as the most relaxed and beautiful part of the whole two day experience.”

‘Brake’ on the case of elderly drivers By ELLE SPENCER A road safety charity is campaigning for stricter regulations concerning elderly drivers following the recent crash that took place at The Belvedere Academy. The accident which took place two weeks ago occurred when an 80 year old pensioner mistook the accelerator pedal for the brake causing her car to lurch forward on to the pavement and injure children leaving the school in Toxteth. The pensioner’s license was revoked and she pledged never

to get behind the wheel again but the incident has since incited a number of calls by road safety charity Brake to improve the way in which elderly drivers licenses are regulated. A spokesman for Brake said: “We do know that drivers over 80 are proportionately involved in more crashes and this could become a more pressing problem in coming decades with an aging population. “The government needs to look at how this can be enforced, rather than simply expecting drivers to self-certify that they are fit to drive.”

Currently motorists over 70 are only legally required to update their license every three years via a self-assessment form with no medical or driving checks and while GP’s are able to refer older drivers in need of assessment to the DVLA, who will then arrange a test free of charge, however unless there is evidence of a medical condition or a road accident having took place, this is on a purely voluntary basis. The Forum of Mobility Centres which deals with around 13 to 14,000 assessments of older drivers across the UK each

year, says they believe that age is not always a useful tool in distinguishing whether or not a person is still fit to drive. The DVLA will refer a person to the Mobility Centre for one of three reasons; first that a GP has told a motorist that they have a medical condition that the DVLA must be made aware of – and it is the driver’s responsibility to do so; secondly that a GP has contacted the DVLA directly to inform them or thirdly, when a police referral has been made which usually occurs following an accident or incident involving an elderly or disabled person.

Chief Executive, Ed Passant told Liverpool Life that they employ both an occupational therapist and a driving assessor who are able to make decisions on peoples driving and advise the DVLA on whether a license should or should not be revoked. “Age isn’t always a useful indicator of driving ability. There are some 70 year olds who are perfectly capable and others who are not at all. What we do hope is that there is an increasing awareness of our services and that GPs and consultants are able to make better use of our services.”

EMERGENCY: MSFR members learn new life-saving procedures

Life-saving scheme starts in Merseyside By JENNY KIRKHAM

A life-saving scheme will see North West Ambulance Service work together with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service to improve the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest. From February 29 when a person dials 999 to report a suspected cardiac arrest both North West Ambulance and Merseyside Fire and Rescue will respond and whoever reaches the casualty first will start providing life-saving treatment. Once the ambulance crew arrives, advanced life support will commence and the patient will be handed into the care of NWAS. Deputy Chief Fire Officer Phil Garrigan of Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service said: “Emergency services are already very successful in working closely together, so this scheme makes sense and is a natural progression for us. “Only firefighters who have received the appropriate training and are fully qualified to use this equipment will administer treatment to people who have suffered cardiac arrest. This is in addition to the first aid training all firefighters receive.” Similar schemes launched in 2015, throughout Lancashire and Greater Manchester, have been considered a massive success and emergency services are expecting the same results in Liverpool. Under the new scheme Merseyside Fire and Rescue will be contacted when a suspected cardiac arrest is reported near a Fire Station. North West Ambulance Service, Director of Operations, Derek Cartwright comments: “This is an extremely positive project and it’s great to work with MF&RS on a scheme that will contribute to saving lives in Merseyside “Last year, the ambulance service responded to around 2100 incidents in Merseyside where the patient had suffered a cardiac arrest – sadly, despite everyone’s best efforts, not everyone survives but everyone deserves that chance and this is what this scheme will give people.” When acting as First Responders suitably trained Fire-fighters from Merseyside Fire and Rescue will give lifesaving medical treatment in the form of CPR and the use of an Automated External Defibrillator, stabilizing the situation until advanced clinical care is provided by ambulance crews. They may then continue to assist in providing extra help with CPR, allowing medical staff to focus on more advanced skills and treatment.

Life|News|4

Venue is best four years on the run

JMU Journalism on tour in London By JAMES GAMBLE

By CALLUM SMYTH

The ACC Liverpool has won the Best UK Conference Centre at an awards ceremony in London for the fourth consecutive year. The venue was named Best UK Conference Centre at the M& IT Industry Awards. The ceremony, held at Battersea Evolution, London, celebrates the best UK venues, destinations and suppliers in the events industry, as voted for by meeting industry professionals. Bob Prattey, chief executive of The ACC Liverpool Group home to BT Convention Centre, Echo Arena and Exhibition Centre Liverpool - said: “We are thrilled to have retained this award, particularly in the year that we opened Exhibition Centre Liverpool and Pullman Liverpool while continuing to host fantastic events.”

Chemical spill hits binmen By JENNY KIRKHAM

Three bin men have been taken to hospital after a chemical spill in Bebington caused them breathing difficulties. A toxic vapour was released from the bin lorry at around 10:15 am. The bin collectors were taken to Arrowe Park hospital complaining of sore throats, dizziness and stinging eyes but have since been given the all clear. Residents were told to keep windows and doors shut as emergency services put a 100-metre cordon around the area, including the junction of Church Road and Fairacres Road. Chemical incident specialists were continuing their investigations throughout the afternoon. The bin lorry belongs to Biffa whose officials were working with emergency services at the scene.

GROUP VISIT: JMU Journalism students visited the Guardian in London.

©JMU Journalism

Third year JMU Journalism students ventured to London this weekend for a visit to the Guardian and Sky News, as well as an overnight stay in the capital. Text students walked through central London to the offices of the Guardian and The Observer, where they were given industry tips by seasoned reporters and editors. Radio and TV students got

the coach down on Friday morning and visited Sky News headquarters. JMU Journalism Programme Leader Jackie Newton said of the trip: “Third year can be really stressful, so we wanted to give students time to enjoy themselves while finding out more about how the big media companies work. The Guardian and Sky did us proud and I think the students got a lot out of the visits.”

Vigilance plea to drivers after crashes By ELLE SPENCER

Dramatic accidents over the last two days have caused diversions and delays which saw traffic at a standstill. The most recent crash occurred on Lower Lane in Fazakerly yesterday and caused major traffic in the area, while early reports by Inrix claimed there to have been six vehicles involved, Merseyside Police said the crash was caused by a van which caused damages to a gas pipeline

resulting in the road having to close. Bus services in the area were also affected and motorists were warned to use alternate routes and follow diversions put into place by the council. Delta Taxi’s driver Adam Doyle said: “I was taking a passenger in to the City Centre and unwisely decided to travel though Fazakerly. Even though I was streets and streets away from Lower Lane, traffic was still at a standstill and the journey took

me twice as long.” Meanwhile the collision that occurred on Queens Drive leading to Old Swan on Monday involved two heavy goods vehicles and a people carrier. The lorries which collided also overturned, one spilling its load of crushed cars and the other a container full of sand and gravel effectively blockading the road. While the driver of the car sustained minor injuries and no one else was harmed in the crash, the accident required a clean-up

operation that lasted most of the day and night. All traffic on the M62 was unable to turn right on to Queens Drive for hours and with lanes blocked and traffic diverted in both directions. This does not include the general traffic and delays that were simply caused by the bad weather. The Met Office have also put Liverpool under a yellow severe weather warning and have said there is likely to be snow

and ice in the area last night continuing into today which will make driving conditions more dangerous. While Merseyside Police have said there is no link between the two accidents a spokesman did remind all motorists to take extra care on the roads during the current bad weather. He said: “We would like to remind all motorists to be extra cautious at this time. Plan your route carefully and allow extra time for your journey.”

campaign in many of Fairtrade’s network of over 600 Fairtrade Towns, 1350 Fairtrade Schools and 170 Fairtrade Universities, and 7,500 Fairtrade Places of Worship. The local community are being asked to join in to highlight the severe lack of food security faced by farmers around the world. Councillor, Emily Spurrell, said: “Liverpool became a Fairtrade city in 2004 and this fortnight will encourage more people in the city to buy fair trade produce. “Buying fair trade is more than

just buying food with a logo, it is about being aware of where your food comes from and ensuring that the people the produce comes from are getting a fair deal. “The breakfast will be an opportunity to find out more about fair trade and why is it so important.” About 795 million people are undernourished globally and make up half of the world’s hungry people, nearly 400 million are estimated to live on small farms, despite them

working hard to grow the food we eat. Dr Sara Parker, Chair of the Liverpool City Fairtrade steering group, has said: “I have been involved in the Fairtrade City movement since it began in the late 1990’s and it’s great to see LJMU doing so much to promote Fairtrade not only within the University but within the wider community. “Flag making workshops with school children and the Research café that is open to the public help to raise awareness of our

Fairtrade status and push the movement forward”. Following on from this for the whole of Fairtrade fortnight local people are being asked to post a selfie on Facebook, Instagram or twitter with their Fairtrade product, naming the place where they purchased the product and using the hash tag #LivFairtrade. These pictures will then be used to help celebrate Liverpool as a Fairtrade city and also help raise awareness of where Fairtrade products are available to buy throughout the city.

Students unite to promote Fairtrade By KATIE BRAITHWAITE

LJMU and Fairtrade are coming together for two weeks to promote the importance of buying Fairtrade products. Fairtrade Foundation will be raising awareness and understanding on the challenges facing famers and workers by offering free Fairtrade breakfasts each morning for the next two weeks at various locations across the University campus. Until 13 March, thousands of events will be held to promote the

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International dancer opens baby ballet school By KAMARA SAMUELS A former International dancer who attended a Liverpool dance college opened her own ballet school for toddlers in Winsford last week, and she is excited to pass her passion on to the next generation of dancers. The new Babyballet School opened at the Polar Palace Play Centre and St Chad’s Church Hall on February 23 with over 60 children starting. International dancer, Natasha Gillan, will be teaching the youngsters and is looking forward to the future ahead. She told Liverpool Life: “The opening was a great success. They all loved the magical world of ballet.

“I love children and teaching and knew instantly this was my future so I decided to open my own Babyballet School. “It’s scary starting my own business but exciting too, and the interest already shown proves there is a need for such an academy in Winsford.” The 29-year-old attended Merseyside Dance and Drama College in Liverpool before leaving at the age of 18 to dance around the world, including America and China. Miss Gillan said: “My time at Merseyside dance and drama was a wonderful experience and I made some life-long friends. “They had a good balance of performing and teaching.

NEW DANCE SCHOOL: Baby ballet school in Winsford I learnt a lot from there but I think I learnt more when I left and went out into the big wide world of performing and teaching dance for all ages between

2-80 years old.” After becoming homesick and getting engaged a year ago, Miss Gillan decided it was time to put down roots and return home. She taught fitness and dance classes at various dance schools when she returned to the UK with one of them being a Babyballet school, and she has now been given the opportunity to open her own in Winsford. Miss Gillan said she already has a few events planned throughout the year for the school. She said: “Our biggest will be our teddy bears picnic in the summer, where Twinkle Bear and Flutterstar the fairy will come to meet the children.”

Life|News|5

Fresh roast dinner delivery service

Free sessions to support creativity by BEN CUMMINGS

by KAMARA SAMUELS

A roast dinner delivery service is fast becoming the city’s favourite as a Liverpool mum sends homemade roasts fresh with a homely touch. Donna Walker launched the delivery service two years ago and has since become a huge success, with around 100 orders being taken every Sunday. The 54-year-old mother-of-two says she enjoys cooking for a lot of people and aims to give a five star service. Donna Walker said: “What makes us different is the fact everything is cooked fresh and you get four meats, not three like you would at any carvery, plus four different vegetables. “I make sure the last dinner served is as spot on as the first. Some Sundays we have to stop taking orders by 1pm as there is a high demand for them.” Donna prepares the roast dinners fresh on Saturdays to ensure the next day runs smoothly and has three drivers who deliver. Donna said: “I’ve been told they are raved about across our city and everyone is talking about them. “That gives me a lot of satisfaction. I don’t earn a lot of money but certainly enjoy cooking for everyone.” With nearly 5,000 fans on Facebook, Donna’s roast dinners has a 4.8 star rating on average from nearly 90 reviews.

World’s smallest monkey

by HANNAH HODGSON

The world’s smallest species of monkey ‘which was born at Chester Zoo in January’ is now finally big enough to spot. The Eastern pygmy marmoset, born on January 3 is yet to be named or sexed and will only measure up to five inches in length and weigh up to just 150 grams when fully grown. The South American primates are native to the forests of Peru, Brazil and Ecuador where they are threatened by habitat destruction and their capture for the pet trade.

RECREATION: The venue which will offer free activities © Ben Cummings JMU Journalism

A recreational venue in Widnes, which is currently helping young children make films is to be hosting free sessions for all visitors who wish to attend. The Studio on Lacey Street, which launched in April 2010 will host a range of activities over the next few months including music rehearsals, film making, Morris Dancing and Arts and Crafts. Project Manager Louise Nulty said: “We’re about reducing isolation and encouraging participation. We deal with predominantly young people and we have our ‘Sunday Supergroup’ with deals with over-16s and we want to get them to explore different instruments” At the moment, The Studio is working with young children who are working at making their own short films. The films deal with a wide variety of subjects that range from the effects of war to the long-term effects of

losing your pen. “I think some young people get let down if they start on a project but it doesn’t end. Here whatever we set out to do, we will get an end product.” Louise, who has been there since August 2012, said the studio is now funded by the People’s Health Trust and still receives numerous donations. “We don’t just limit ourselves to a particular area as we have connections with the community as a whole. We’re very integrated,” she added The venue will also be playing host to other activities throughout the coming years. Volunteer worker Ged Janus told Liverpool Life: “We’ll soon be starting an Open Mic Comedy Night. I came here as a volunteer and Louise supported me. We try to offer support and safety and people can come to us if they need any advice. We’d like to tell people about us so they are aware of our facilities. The hardest part is just getting

people through the door and it’s free now.” A lot of the young people who have attended The Studio have gone on to expand on their musical talents Fellow volunteer worker Stephen Cole told Liverpool Life: “It’s strange because we’re watching youngsters grow into adults. The Studio acts as a crutch for a lot of artistic people. When you listen to them you can tell that they’ll be good. “We had someone who formed a band, then went solo and then formed a separate band afterwards.” Speaking about the future of The Studio, Louise said: “We’ve got a choir coming up soon and some street dance sessions. We also have our ‘supergroup’ working with the Sound Minds mental health charity. In the sessions with the young people we always ask them ‘What do you want to do next?’.” The Studio will be continuing the film sessions until March 20.

Drive to stop giving homeless change by BETH COLLINS A new initiative aims to show local residents, visitors and tourists to the city how their spare change can have a big impact on the lives of those sleeping rough in Liverpool. The new campaign called ‘Chang£’ is also trying to banish the misunderstanding people have about those who are begging and sleeping rough being homeless and those who are homeless having to sleep rough. The latest research shows that the number of rough sleepers spotted on the streets in Liverpool has risen on average from around 9 to 15 since 2011.

David Carter, Chief Executive of the Whitechapel Centre said: “For the price of a sandwich on the high street which is £3 or so, we can provide six hot, nutritious cooked breakfasts for people who’ve spent the night out in the cold. £10 pays for an internet connection for a month, allowing people to contact their families, welfare services and find out about job opportunities.” Liverpool City Council has commissioned The Whitechapel Centre to provide round-theclock support to those sleeping on the streets. They want to educate people about the fact that providing their spare change,

whilst well intentioned, is not always the best way to help those on the streets. Bill Addy, chief executive of Liverpool BID Company, said: “The Chang£?’ initiative is all about helping people to think about where their money is going when they give to someone on the streets, and to make informed decisions on how best to support them.” He added: “It’s about making people stop and think ‘which pound do I want to spend – the one that might help a single person or the one that will definitely help multiple people?’.” Help for homeless – PAGE 6

THINK: The campaign to encourage people to help the homeless in a better way ©Agent Marketing

Restaurant donates Scouse to those in need by LEIGH KIMMINS Businesses across Liverpool got involved in the Global Scouse Day celebrations last week with some taking it as an opportunity to help those in need. Over 100 bars, cafes and restaurants across the city signed up to the festivities to celebrate Liverpool’s most famous dish. Bold Street restaurant Maray came up with the idea to take to the streets and offer up free scouse to whoever may need it. Maray spawned the idea and soon many people were on board to help the good cause. Maray got in touch with Wex, the brainchild of Sally Wexteen, who told Liverpool Life: “In discussions about what their involvement with Global Scouse Day would

be, they hit upon the idea of using it as an opportunity to cook up a load of food and give it to people in need. It just made sense really, and they will be doing it again.” Wex is a great idea that raises funds for the homeless in Liverpool through the sale of vintage clothing. Every penny raised by Sally’s idea goes straight to the Whitechapel Centre. The good will in the city was on full show yet again as people from different businesses and organisations came down to help Sally dish out the goods. Abi Inglis from the Women’s Org Liverpool joined representatives from Silver Birch clothing and volunteer Rach Poxon to make the day a success. “100%, the mix of people showing up for free Scouse

was actually really eye opening. It illustrated that you don’t necessarily have to look “homeless” to be struggling a bit. We had students, families, random members of the public as well as those who are finding it hard right now. It also allowed us to have real chats with people and identify the sort of help they need, from lack of housing to how cuts will affect people from all walks of life,” added Sally. In the past, Sally and Wex have teamed up with Independent Liverpool to raise cash for those in need. Wex has also staged several acoustic nights at Golden Square Coffee that raised funds for Whitechapel Centre. “People are skint right now, it was wonderful to be able to help a bit,” said Sally.

KIND: The stall giving out Scouse © Terry Bouch

Life|Focus|6

Why it’s time to change our attitudes to illegal drugs Bold message from a former goverment advisor on which drugs cause us the most harm. Leigh Kimmins reports

rugs are not as harmful as the government will have you believe, they are illegal because the suits don’t want us to have fun and the alcoholic beverages companies are the reason why there exists a mass ‘hysteria’ around drugs. Not Liverpool Life’s views, but those of an esteemed scientist and former drugs advisor to the British Government. Professor David Nutt brought his firebrand, no holds barred seminar to Liverpool University last week, and such was the demand that the crowd present were moved to a larger lecture theatre as dozens more squeezed in through the doors of the Sherrington Building. ‘Why it’s time for science to lead UK alcohol and drug policies’ was the title of the talk.

Professor Nutt is most notable for being ousted from his position as Chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs by then Home Secretary, Alan Johnson. The Bristolian was sacked off the back of a report he published in 2007 that roused controversy for stating that alcohol and tobacco were more harmful than many illegal drugs, including LSD, ecstasy and cannabis. Professor Nutt still vehemently supports this view and has since formed the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs. He cracked a few jokes to begin with and then got straight into it, he said: “Cannabis should not be vilified like it is. The real issue is alcohol and fags.” It was instantly apparent that the 64-year-old doesn’t sit on the fence. Views like this have seen

‘Taking ecstasy is safer than saddling up’ OUTSPOKEN: Professor Nutt speaking at Liverpool University © Leigh Kimmins

the experienced psychiatrist and researcher clash with government officials over the years. For many, Professor Nutt is trying to flog a dead horse when claiming that taking ecstasy is safer than saddling up and ex Home Secretary Jacqui Smith completely rejects Nutts view. Of course, Professor Nutt was saying ecstasy was statistically no more dangerous than an addiction to horse-riding, but that didn’t stop Smith voicing her dismay to the Press and calling for an apology from the professor. Mrs Smith said she was “surprised” and “profoundly” disappointed’ by the professors remarks and added: “I’m sure most people would simply not accept the link that he makes up in his article between horse riding and illegal drug taking.” Professor Nutt told the Daily Telegraph at the time that the comments were a way “to get people to understand that drug harm can be equal to harms in other parts of life” and told the Liverpool audience: “That was the start of my demise, my run in with Jacqui Smith!” The Professor at Imperial College London is a colourful character and at times a funny one as he had the large contingency present laughing along as he compared the government to the Catholic Church. He used the example of Copernicus, the 15th century astronomer who had the use of telescope banned by the Catholic Church, who were afraid of the truth of the universe getting out. He said we are in need of a period of enlightenment and even claimed that Queen Victoria used Marijuana to ease period pains. “Drug laws are the best example of un-enlightenment in our lifetime, possibly ever,” added Professor Nutt. He also spoke at length about the ‘mystique’ of

ECSTASY: A drug that is generally viewed as dangerous. the alcoholic drinks companies who have done everything to make sure they are not seen as a drug. “We forget the fact that alcohol is toxic. We treat it as something else, like a social lubricant,” He added. Alcohol remains the most common reason for death in men under the age of 50, with Liver Disease deaths skyrocketing since 1970, even though the health care system has improved massively. The death toll of marijuana remains at zero and He claims that this is because Gordon Brown and Tony Blair wanted to show the right wing press that they were hard on drugs, and so they banned cannabis and vilified the likes of MDMA, which he claims has

medicinal value, whilst doing nothing about alcohol and cigarettes. The scientist also dismissed any thought of marijuana smoking being the cause of Schizophrenia, saying that there is no relationship between the two and the government use this as a ploy to get votes. The professor added: “The press attack and vilify drugs constantly, including the likes of MDMA when paracetamol kills 20 times more people than MDMA and no one cares because it’s not news,” Nutt told the entranced crowd. Nutt referred to Nitrus Oxide as ‘the new whipping boy’ that the press vilifies. He used the example of ex-Liverpool footballer Raheem Sterling and said he

© Wikimedia Commons was lambasted even though the gas wasn’t illegal at the time, He pointed out how Sterling using this substance at a party was negatively portrayed whilst Manchester United defender Luke Shaw using the very same substance after breaking his leg was given no mention. A more serious look took over Nutt’s face as he spoke of his fright concerning the Psychoactive Substances Bill which bans any psychoactive substance de facto rendering it difficult for scientific research, Nutt called this ‘The worst censorship of research in the history of mankind’. This bill excludes nicotine, caffeine and alcohol, something Nutt says is an intentional decision to suit those in power.

Leftovers to us, source of life for others BY ROCHELLE BEIGHTON

HARDWORK: Nicole (left) with ﬂatmate Aishling ©Rochelle Beighton

week in the life of Northern Irish girl Nicole Mulholland is not that of the average student. By day she’s a third year studying Sports Science at LJMU and by night pulls pints as bar manager at local Irish bar Shenanigans. When the weekend starts Saturdays mean she’s busy at work on her second job as a caterer for Liverpool’s Dine in Style caterers. While Sunday’s the day of rest for most students, Nicole spends it feeding the homeless around Liverpool’s City Centre with what’s left from last night’s catering shift “My part time job at the catering company came about because they do the toasties and sandwiches for Shenanigans,

where I’ve worked for three years now behind the bar. They needed extra help at the beginning of the year on the weekends, and as I’m good friends with the owners I’ve been helping out with meal preparations for two months now. “I started my homeless ‘project’ when I was walking home to Seel Street from a shift on a Saturday night. I was carrying two big trays of food and all the pubs and clubs were heaving, people were shouting out to me making jokes about hangover food and trying to take my trays from me. “During that walk home from Titherbarn Street I realised the amount of homeless people there are in town and how it was all the drunk ones crying out for the food I was carrying, while the homeless were just curled

up, hungry and cold. “That’s when I realised that I could reheat and hand out these leftovers I was allowed to take home for my flatmates, and give them to the homeless with a cup of tea.” After recruiting her eight flatmates, Nicole and the gang have been throughout the city centre every Sunday come rain or shine, since January. Together they split into couples and distribute the reheated sandwiches, mini pizzas, mini quiches and pasta in plastic storage bags. It’s not just warm food and a smile they provide, the Seel Street girls give out hot tea and coffee in flasks and polystyrene cups. “People think we’re crazy going out in the rain to hand out food but we really enjoy it. Yes the homeless often ask for money

after accepting the food but we don’t take it as them being ungrateful, they always say thank you. “We joke saying we’ll expand one day and get a van so we can reach more homeless throughout Liverpool, but it’s serious there really is one every corner you turn in town that people just walk past every day. “It’s a great feeling knowing you’re impacting someone’s life in a positive way and it’s fun for us girls to do something together during our last year before we say goodbye. Yes we’re poor students and you’d think we’d eat the leftovers ourselves, but it would be a waste when we could be giving it to people who are a lot less fortunate than us.”

Life|Arts|7

LIFE EXTRA Boyhood Blue’s tale of getting his dream job E leven years of hard graft since graduating from Liverpool John Moores University in 2005, Matthew Gamble is living his dream as the Digital Manager of his beloved Everton Football Club. Before achieving success at his boyhood club, Matthew applied for several jobs until he struck lucky at Goodison Park. His job now involves overseeing all of Everton’s online content channels, including the evertontv website and other various social media platforms. Matthew said: “I have worked at Everton for over 10 years. The job I initially took was an entry level position which required the completion of a journalism course. The BA Journalism programme at LJMU offered solid grounding into all areas of the media, something which has proved to be pretty important as the digital journalism landscape is a kind of merging of print, video and radio disciplines.” Matthew expanded on the importance of monitoring new social media and technology

Liverpool Life’s JAMES GAMBLE speaks to LJMU graduate, Matthew Gamble, Digital Manager for Everton Football Club, and they discuss what it takes to break into the industry

“The digital platform is one that is evermoving at Everton, we pride ourselves at being at the forefront of innovation

”

platforms, introducing them to Everton Football Club to widen their audiences and reach out to fans on more media platforms. He said: “As well as determining the day-to-day scheduling of online content, there is plenty of emphasis on developing Everton’s strategies on the platforms themselves. “The digital platform is one that is ever-moving, at Everton we pride ourselves at being at the forefront of innovation in this field. “On a more practical level, the job role means splitting time between our offices at Goodison Park and the club’s training ground, Finch Farm, where we work with the players for interviews, videos and photoshoots.” Highlighting the journalistic skills which he crafted and developed at Liverpool John Moores University, Matthew said that his experiences still play a part in the day-to-day work that he carries out at Everton. He said: “It’s the fundamental things like writing, be it scripts, articles and features. These factors still play a part in my day-

to-day responsibilities. The same can be said for the principles of producing TV and radio features.”

atthew was quick to stress how challenging his degree was, but how his time at LJMU was great preparation for him in his professional life. When asked about his fondest memories of LJMU, he said: “In truth, handing in my dissertation when it was finally finished. On a more practical point, the news days we undertook in my final year were crazy and exhausting affairs. But the satisfaction you got when handing over the final product was something I remember.” However exhausting the news days were, Matthew reflects on how important they were to his development as a multi-media journalist. “In hindsight this is as close a replication of the real thing that you can get in an academic environment so all the stress that I endured was probably worth it.”

Smiles all round for Matthew © Gareth Jones

Giving professional career advice within the field, Mathew stressed the importance of innovation and the development of new ideas, encouraging journalism students to get thinking outside the box and to get creative. “Look at what all other areas of the media are doing, take note of what impresses you or is popular or effective and try to replicate it and improve on it. Make sure your fundamental skills are as good as they can be, be innovative and try to be as much of an all-rounder as you can.”

WHAT’S ON Music

Celebrating Cilla The Epstein Theatre Thursday June 2nd

Theatre

Where There’s A Will: The Shakespeare Experience Tour Saint George’s Hall

Carl Hutchinson: Learning the Ropes Albert Dock

Tickets go on sale this Friday to see a season of classic Shakespeare plays at St George’s Hall throughout April through to August, to mark the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death. ‘Where There’s A Will’ starts with ‘Macbeth’ on the 24-28 April, followed by ‘The Tempest’, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ends with ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ on 3-5 August. £15pp per tour.

In this one-man-show, Carl contemplates what exactly he’s brought to the table of life and why he’s even asking such questions at the age of 27. Carl explains his love of wrestling and how it’s remained the one constant from childhood to adulthood. Attempting to escape the strict parameters of standup and wrestling, how can he improve the CV of such a sheltered existence?

Saturday April 23rd to Sunday August 5th

Get your tickets booked to see a show celebrating the musical memories of Liverpool’s main lady of entertainment, Cilla Black OBE, in the stage show ‘Celebrating Cilla’. The show re-creates the sounds of the sixties and is fronted by Brenda Collins, a highly talented performer from County Durham who will pay tribute to Cilla, a national treasure and one of the UK’s best-loved performers of all time.

Comedy

Art

New Worlds Kirkby Gallery

Tuesday February 15th to Sunday May 7th

Monday May 8th

This select exhibition from the Arts Council Collection features work made during the 60s and 70s by leading British Artists. It takes its inspiration from the era that Kirkby as a New Town was built, the 60s. This was an exciting period in the town, as it set out idealised visions on how people should live, play and travel around the town.

Life|Family|8

Make Mum’s day pic © Biswarup Ganguly

Want to spoil the special lady in your life this Mother’s Day, but can’t get home to deliver her a gift in person? Emily Curren has found the top ten gifts you can easily sort out in time for the big day!

If you’re short on cash, the cheapest thing you can do is to give your mum a call and have a chat - it’s free!

This delicate bracelet can be personalised with your mum’s initial, and it’s even small enough to fit in an envelope to send in the post - convenient if you want to send her a little something! prezzybox.com, £25

Feeling sentimental? Upload all your favourite pictures of you, your siblings, pets, family and friends onto a digital photo frame and send it to your mum! Amazon.co.uk, £25

pic © Petr Kratochvil

pic © Phode

Treat your mum to a fancy evening of wine tasting, £49 experiencedays. co.uk

For a mum that likes to be pampered, treat her to this Luxurious Breakfast in Bed gift box. For £40, you can have tea, cereal, coffee, orange juice and jam sent straight to your mum’s door! www.moonpig.com

The drinks are on you if you buy your mum a Starbucks gift card! Starting at £5, you can buy these handy giftcards online or in a Starbucks shop and send them in the post.

Make mum feel like a queen for a day with an afternoon tea for two at Radisson Manchester. For £37.90 you can get cakes, scones, sandwiches and tea in one of Manchester’s finest hotels.

Compile a heartwarming book to show your mum how brilliant she is. Enter her name and date of birth, then the website does the rest by personalising the book to tell her story! Starting at £7.50, you can even choose to send this to your mum’s Kindle or tablet. thebookofeveryone.com/uk

10 9

These cute little cupcakes can be sent directly to your mum in a gift box. With prices starting at just £2.50, simply pick an amount, enter an address and send! thelittlecupcakecompany.co.uk

Write your mum a lovely letter, or make a handmade card to show off your craft skills - a nice little gift to hang on the fridge at home. All you need to do is buy the paper, the rest is up to how arty you are!

Life|Focus|9

Honour for Iris

An inspirational support worker from Huyton has been awarded an MBE for her involvement in both sides of the mental health service. Sam Davies reports

‘It was an amazing experience. I never ever dreamed in a million years I would be in the Palace’

resh from a special visit to Buckingham Palace last month, Iris Benson is in good spirits as she takes her seat in a small office in Huyton’s Mersey Care building. Within minutes of our introduction the conversation is diverted to an amusing tale about one of her doted-on dogs. “First, I’ll just have to show you something to make you laugh. I like making people laugh. One of my pugs, Molly Moo, decided to wreck my front room at half two in the morning. Luckily, I’m up all night so I was able to tidy.” Iris is both a mental health sufferer and support worker. Diagnosed with Personality Disorder (PD), Bipolar Disorder and depression, among other mental illnesses, she has been heavily involved with both sides of mental health services over the last 30 years. A victim of severe physical and sexual abuse from the age of four through to her teens, Iris has struggled to maintain her mental health. But while nursing her mother, who suffered with cancer, Iris fell in love with care work. She would go on to use her traumatic experiences to aid and support other mental health sufferers. Last June, on a seemingly normal Saturday morning, a letter from Her Majesty’s Service was pushed through the door of Iris’ Waterloo home. “All kinds of really strange thoughts went through my head. First, because I’ve started working again and I’m still on benefits, I thought I might have defrauded the tax. All kinds of silly thoughts. [When I opened it] my first instinct was ‘Someone’s having

a laugh. This isn’t real. This doesn’t happen to people like me.’ I just didn’t believe it. “It turned out it was for my MBE and all day I was just in total shock. Proud, but shocked and a bit scared. A range of emotions. My husband was very proud: ‘Look what you’ve got.’ he said. I don’t think it sunk in for months really, but it was amazing. “I was sworn to secrecy. The letter was clear – it’s highly confidential. Which is really hard when you’ve got a mouth like mine, you want to share it with everyone.” The MBE wasn’t officially awarded for another eight months, but it was worth the wait. Iris got to step into Buckingham Palace and meet Prince Charles. “I was really nervous. The protocol is very strict. It’s timed to the second. So when it says it starts then and finishes then – it does. It was an amazing experience. I never ever dreamed in a million years I would be in the Palace.”

ince returning to her numerous roles at Mersey Care, after a brief weekend stay in the capital after the official ceremony, her passion for serving people with mental health issues has only grown stronger. She aims to provide care and compassion to the service users, while raising awareness and changing attitudes. “One in four people have lived experience of mental illness. And believe me, mental illness doesn’t discriminate. It could happen to anyone, whether you’re rich or poor. The bottom can drop out of anybody’s world at any time. There’s help out

there and we need to make sure that people know about it. “The stigma attaches itself to families too. Suddenly their mum or wife isn’t that person anymore, she’s a nutter who goes into hospital. It hurts them. And my sons have got into plenty of arguments in school defending me and that’s cruel. It could happen to any of you. “We need to challenge the stigma. It follows you around like a bad smell. You think you’re getting somewhere and then someone will slap you down: ‘You’re not well, what do you know?’ And it’s horrible to treat people like that.” Despite being a mental health carer held in the highest regard, Iris still requires the use of mental health services for her own benefit. She even confesses to self-harming because of her traumatic history. Having these experiences only reinforces her determination to ensure the best care and attention is provided at mental health sufferers. “There’s potential for me to go outside and there to be a trigger. It could be a smell that reminds me of something from the past and I’ll be dissociated and end up back in services. So I need to know those services are the best they can be, not just for myself but for others too.” The mindset of Iris and her co-workers at Mersey Care is to never give up on people, even when they may have given up on themselves. Iris has been in situations of desperation but has persevered, with her efforts being duly recognised by the Royal family. “Don’t think people like me can’t achieve. I’m a PD person with an MBE.”

Family’s fundraising tribute to much-loved chef By HANNAH HODGSON A fundraising dinner is to be held in loving memory of a much-loved Southport chef to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. The event is in memory of Claude Vérité, who ran Claude’s Patisserie in Churchtown for 30 years. He died from melanoma last year. Claude’s daughter, Stef, and his Granddaughter, Kayleigh, are now hoping to raise money for the charity who helped their family member so much over his illness.Stef, 40, who came up with the idea of a charity dinner a few months ago, said: “This

type of event was chosen because it’s something that he would have loved, eating drinking and dancing. He was always the first on the dance floor!” Claude was born in France and moved to Southport in 1961, where he began working for a company called Mellors, baking. He then went on to own his own bakery called Claude’s Patisserie, which he ran until 2006. After his retirement, Claude spent his time helping his son, Marc, launch Bistrot Vérité in Birkdale village, before passing away last March, aged 73. Kayleigh, 29, said: “He loved life, his family, friends and he was a very sociable person, was always out dining,

eating and drinking being one of his passions!” The charity dinner will be held on September 18 at the Prince of Wales hotel in the Grand Ballroom. Tickets cost £25 and the night will will include a buck’s fizz upon arrival, a three course meal, a raffle, an auction and entertainment throughout the evening. Stef added: “We are overwhelmed at the support already and we have almost sold out of all tables!” For tickets, email stefanieverite@ yahoo.com or message Stef or Kayleigh on the Facebook page: Claude Vérité Charity Celebratory Dinner.

European capital of PUNCHERS By LEWIS CALVERT

ou would be forgiven for thinking Russia, Poland and Ukraine dominate the European boxing landscape - but one humble gym in Liverpool boasts no fewer than two European champions, with other fighters eager to add themselves to the tally. Everton Red Triangle Boxing Club on Albion Street is home to European Boxing Union (EBU) flyweight champion Kevin Satchell and EBU bantamweight champion Ryan Farrag. The two belt holders are the latest fighters to emerge from the gym and gain international recognition alongside James “Jazza” Dickens, who has a scheduled bout with top ten pound-forpound superstar Guillermo Rigondeaux. Farrag fights Bulgarian Stefan Slavchev - meanwhile, Satchell’s opponent is yet to be officially confirmed. All three Scouse stable-mates will be fighting at the Liverpool

Life|Sport|10

How the rising stars of one local boxing gym are dominating the European circuit

Echo Arena on March 12, on the undercard of the Terry Falanagan and Derry Mathews WBO Lightweight title fight. Dickens told Liverpool Life: “I think Scousers have got a fighting mentality. I definitely do, and I can’t put my finger on what it is.” The masterminds behind the triple threat of talent are trainers and brothers Mick and Paul Stevenson, who run the gym. They told Liverpool Life: “We don’t do this because we want to make anything out of it, we do it because we just like teaching boxing. We like seeing those poor kids come through who’ve had nothing and they’ve turned their life around. “Some of them don’t win national titles, some of them might just lose weight or learn how to handle bullies. And it would be nice if the government could give us some help with it.” Others, however, do win titles: Satchell, 27, is currently 14-0 and won his EBU belt in

PUNCH POWER: Ryan Farrag shadow boxing

October 2014, whilst Farrag, 28, is 14-1 having won his strap in October 2015. The lads work hard in the gym everyday to maintain their success. The standard regime consists of three minutes of movement, shadow boxing, footwork, pad work, hand speed and much more - the clapping of leather on leather, sporadic shouts of aggression and rap music is the soundtrack of the early morning’s workout. Then a loud buzzer goes, signaling one minute’s rest, mimicking a round of boxing.

uring the scheduled solace, mum jokes and Scouse humour trade back and forth, laughter warming the cold room. Amateur fighter and proud new father Brain Ainscough, 23, told Liverpool Life: “To see fighters like Jazza, Ryan and Kev everyday and know they can be successful inspires me to think I can do it as well. It’s like a little

family here, we all get on and have a laugh and there is more hunger in this gym than a lot of other places. You just can’t buy that. “When the time is right to move into the pro ranks you know you’re in good hands because you’ve been with the right people from the start.” When the buzzer sounds again, their eyes narrow and focus immediately switches back to business for the next intense 120 seconds. The determination in the air is palpable. The gym also has a few other unbeaten professionals in its ranks, along with talented young prospects Peter McGrail and Brandon Doard, who are both in contention for places in the Great British Olympic boxing squad. Ainscough said: “I think it’s brilliant with it being a professional and amateur gym. It’s got an excellent amateur stable and the professionals are flying.” The walls are adorned with

MIRROR MEN: Paul Savage and Kevin Satchell

THE GLOVES ARE OFF: Everton Red Triangle changing room © Lewis Calvert boxing heroes of the past: Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson and a picture of Sugar Ray Leonard visiting the gym hangs in pride of place, almost framed by two punch bags. It is perhaps fitting, then, that there are just as many pictures of the current crop of

fighters, who represent the sport in its current state. As for the future, if the lads come through next Saturday’s bouts with the win they all desperately crave, Everton Red Triangle will forget about Europe and look to conquer the world.

BAG IT UP: Brain Ainscough hitting the heavy bag

Life|Sport|11

Cricket encourages over 50s to get fit and socialise By HANNAH HODGSON Following the success of ‘walking football’ in St Helens, Age UK has teamed up with a local cricket club, which has introduced ‘walking cricket’ to the area to help everyone make the most of later life. The game is in its early stages, with one of the country’s leading charities, Age UK, and various cricket organisations throughout the country currently running try-out sessions to try to gain interest and establish a common set of playing rules. Age UK Mid Mersey, in partnership with Rainford Cricket Club (RCC), first ran a taster session for a number of over 50 year olds at Peter Street Com-

Reality star jumps

By KAMARA SAMUELS

Big Brother star Mark Byron is doing the highest skydive in the UK in a bid to raise money for The James Bulger Memorial Trust. The 24-year-old from Liverpool is an ambassador for the trust and announced on Monday that he is now facing his fears and taking on a 15,000 foot skydive. Mark made it into the semi-finals of Big Brother UK 2014 and has since become a TV presenter, TV presenter and a charity ambassador. James Bulger from Liverpool was just two years when he was kidnapped and murdered in 1993. His mother, Denise Fergus, launched The James Bulger Memorial Trust five years ago in celebration of his 21st birthday. Mark’s target fund is £750.00 for James’ charity which will go towards these rewards to bring happiness to struggling children. The Liverpool star said on his Instagram page he is ‘very nervous but excited’.

munity centre, which proved to be a great success. John Williams, Chairman at RCC, said: “A significant number of areas have successfully introduced ‘walking football’ for around 12 months now (including Mid Mersey Age UK in St Helens). Fiona and some of the walking footballers attended a taster presentation from the Lancashire Cricket Board at the Indoor Cricket Centre at Old Trafford in the Autumn and from that, decided to give the cricket a go.” The initiative for the sport came from the Mid Mersey Age UK organisation, specifically

from Fiona Ryan, Training and Health and Safety Manager. Both Fiona and Age UK are involved in a national initiative supported by Sport England called ‘Inspire and Include’ which is designed to motivate the over 50 age group to take part in sports. John added: “The taster session was a great success and the sessions now take place every Wednesday Morning, with around 14 to 18 people attending each time. “RCC are committed to providing a qualified coach at each session. Many of the individuals who come to the sessions are former cricketers. The format we play, which is in pairs with everyone batting and bowling, means that anyone can play.”

WALK TALL:The people of St. Helens gave walking cricket a go

Help ﬁnd Fowler fan’s ﬂag

By CALLUM SMYTH An appeal has been launched on Twitter to help find a Robbie Fowler flag belonging to a lifelong Liverpool fan after their Capital One Cup final defeat against Manchester City on Sunday. Flag owner Tony Henny has taken the flag to matches for nearly 20 years and has it hung underneath the score board. The 15-foot flag, which has been signed by Fowler, has huge sentimental value to Mr Henny and his family, according to his niece Evie Atherton. She posted the initial tweet to help find the flag. Evie told Liverpool Life: “I never thought by sending one tweet we would get such a reaction from it.

“It’s amazing how supportive everyone is being to help find the flag and we just hope that from it we are able to find it and get back such a sentimental item that our family loves.” Miss Atherton’s tweet has been retweeted just under 500 times by members of the public, including Robbie Fowler himself. Her tweet said: “Uncle Fowler flag went missing at Wembley, if anyone knows anything or sees it get back to us asap #LFC #Fowler”. Robbie’s brother Scott Fowler has also backed the appeal by writing on Twitter: “Need this back. Grown up seeing this under the clock at Anfield.” The flag, which was handmade by Tony and his brother Stephen, reads: “All those who

have a red heart can rejoice, for they have seen God”, taken from Matthew 4:23, alongside a painting of Fowler sporting his iconic breathing strip across the bridge of his nose. The priceless piece has Tony’s name and address on the back. He asks whoever has it to return it to him and says he will pay the postage and won’t ask questions about how they came across it. The flag had been handed to a fellow Scouser before the match who said he would be able to get it into the stadium to be put on display for the match, but this was the last time it was seen by Mr Henny. Liverpool lost the game after a penalty shoot-out with Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday evening.

Bebington girl needs funding for Olympics

By CAOIMHE HARKIN

A young athlete from the Wirral is hoping to represent Great Britain at an athletics championship this summer, but needs funding to help fulfil her sporting ambition. Discus thrower, Zita Aspell, who attends Bebington High Sports College, is aiming to be competing in France during the Catholic Schools Sports Federation international games. The July competition is being held in Beauvais and Zita needs to raise over £1,000 to pay for entry, travel and accommodation costs. She told JMU Journalism: “I started throwing when I was 10 years old. Being chosen to represent Great Britain is more of a shock, but also an honour to be able to have this opportunity.” The 16-year-old is hoping for the help of the public to help her get to France. She said: “The fundraising has been going well so far. People have been so generous and we already have £185 so far. I have put collection buckets in places such as New Brighton, in the Light Cinema and other local pubs and shops.” Zita, who is in preparation with Wirral AC and Wirral Harriers, said: “I train five times a week at a track and I also do

OLYMPIC: Zita aims to make it to Rio ©Zita Aspell other forms of training such as running. I try to do some form of exercise every day to keep my fitness levels up and to help with seed work.” The teenager has improved her discus-throwing by four to five metres each year. She explained: “I got nominated by a few coaches. The important part of being selected is down to how consistent you are as an athlete.” Zita’s family has left a statement on her gofundme page which reads: “The cost of funding her entry to this without outside support is out of our family’s reach, so we are hoping with the help and kindness of all you lovely people out there we can reach the target needed to be able to help send Zita there.”

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LifeSPORT Wednesday 2nd March 2016

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Funding boost for amateur cricketers

By LEIGH KIMMINS

Liverpool amateur cricket will get a much needed makeover as the city's district competition management committee dished out grants to seven clubs. The grants, totalling £3450, will give the amateur clubs an opportunity for refurbishments to increase the quality of their facilities. Initially, the scheme was supposed to hand out £500 awards to just five clubs but

such was the demand for extra funding that the committee dug deep and forked out the higher sums to more clubs. In total, there were 24 applications and the league has announced they will repeat the scheme next year. Burscough CC were awarded money to go towards repairs to their vandalised score-box. Southport CC, the oldest club in Southport, received money for their own score-box and scoreboard issues, with much-

needed refurbishments now catered for. Wavertree CC, who have occupied their Sandown Lane ground since 1854 and turn out three teams every Saturday, received a sum to help towards replacing the flooring in their dressing room. Former Southport Trinity player and league treasurer Alan Bristow said: "We were pleased and surprised with such a large response from our clubs. “It made the Cricket

Committee's task of deciding on the grants extremely difficult with all of the bids well worth supporting. As such we have released more funds than originally intended but hope it goes some way towards helping those clubs improve their facilities." Southport Trinity have just returned to the Liverpool District Competition after a four year hiatus and the funding will give them the much needed incentive of staying in the

top division after a successful history. A bit of disdain has been voiced towards Norley Hall who don't play in the Liverpool and district competition but received extra funding whilst 17 unsuccessful applicants, many of whom play in the league, didn’t receive a dime. Liverpool and District Cricket Competition are planning to put on an over 40’s cricket competition this summer if interest is sufficient.

Boxing clash for James Bulger is a sell-out

By AMY COLE

Amateur boxers gathered on Friday night for a sold-out event in aid of a charity in memory of James Bulger. IWA Boxing hosted their eighth event, this time focusing on raising money for the James Bulger Memorial Trust. The fights took place at Liverpool nightclub Fusion on Fleet Street. Kirsty Lucas, events organiser for IWA, told JMU Journalism: “We locked out after 27 minutes. We opened the door to Fleet

Street and we literally could not move.” Around £4,000 was raised by the 30 boxing newcomers, £3,500 was allocated to the James Bulger Trust whilst around £800 was raised for various other charities. Each contestant chose a charity, then set up JustGiving pages and produced sponsorship forms for the event. The 30 participants were then paired up for their three-rounds of boxing. Carl Thompson, a Manchester boxer who knocked out David

Hay in 2004, arrived at the gym before the event to give the boxers a pep-talk. He is filming a documentary in Liverpool about his boxing career. Anton Major, winner of his fight and the prize for raising the most money, told JMU Journalism: “It was a fantastic experience and I would 100% recommend taking part to anyone. It is my best achievement to date by far.” The prize for the best fundraiser won a signed glove from WBC International

Heavyweight Champion, Anthony Joshua. James Bulger’s mother, Denise Fergus, presented the glove to Major after he raised £1,120 for James. Organisers of the event had to swap people in and out at every fight so families could see their loved ones try their luck in the ring. IWA run five boxing shows a year and the next event takes place on April 29th. They are now looking for new boxers to sign up to the next round of fights.  Bulger bid: page 11

Walking wicket success in St Helens: page 11

Young girl strives for Rio Olymics: page 11