Liverpool Life 3:13 February 24 2015

24 - February - 2015

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE...

NEWS

PAGE 3

Mayor Joe Anderson announces SureStart Centres safe for next two years

LIFEextra

PAGE 7

Which graduate’s adorable dog is this? Find out more inside

SPORT

PAGE 15 See what the Uni of Liverpool Womens’ Rugby Team have done

LABOUR OF LOVE © Lighttruth/Flickr

Daughter raises £50k for hospital ward that treated her dad

By GEORGIA DUNNING

GRATITUDE: Malcolm Johnson and Becky Williams

©

A daughter who has raised over £50,000 for ward 28 at Fazakerley hospital after her father’s life was saved is planning a charity ball to raise even more money.

Becky Williams of Ormskirk started fundraising after her father, Malcolm Johnson, was treated for throat cancer on the Ear Throat and Nose ward at the hospital.

“My dad was diagnosed 10 years ago with throat cancer, Nick Rowland operated on him and saved his life, he had chemo and radiotherapy so he was on Ward 28 for quite a while.

“It’s just such an amazing ward and I wanted to give something back.”

Becky says she can never repay Nick Roland or the staff on Ward 28; “They’re really, really grateful, especially Nick. But really, it’s me being so grateful to him for saving my dad’s life, I can’t ever put a

figure on that.”

Becky, who has previously done other charity events for the ward such as a summer barbecue, a night in a restaurant and sponsored walks, have altogether raised over £50,000. This money has been spent on research, equipment and even sending nurses from Ward 28 to America to learn new techniques. The charity ball is aiming to raise at least £10,000 for the ward, but Becky says her target is always a lot more.

The ball, which is being held in Briars Hall in Lathom on the 5th of June, are £60 each and it’s set to be a sellout, Becky said: “We get a hell of a lot of interest, tickets went up for sale 10 days ago, out of 160 tickets, we’ve sold 122.”

The mother of one, who took a break to get married and have a child, says now she is back into it. She’s hoping to do at least one event a year including an annual ball. She said: “It’s hard because

there are other charities out there so you can’t ask for too much all the time, one ball a year is probably enough.”

Although it is a lot to organise, Becky and her family put money forward for the entertainment.

“Trying to get free entertainment is the hardest part, so either myself or my parents will pay for it, just so we don’t take anything out of the donations.”

The event, which includes a three course meal, raffle and auction, includes prizes such as a helicopter ride, spa day and a weekend away in Spain as well as beauty treatments, champagne and afternoon tea will be drawn both before and on the night.

For tickets to contact Becky Williams on 07973 303224 or email her at bec@ficbrookfields. co.uk.

To donate to the Ear, Throat and Nose ward please make cheques payable to Ward 28 which is a registered charity.

Life|News|2

Registered voters on the decline

By ADRIAN SPEED Almost 1 million voters have disappeared from the electoral roll over the last year as this year’s general election looms large on the horizon.

A new study has shown that there have been a sharp decline in the number of registered voters in the UK, but perhaps most interestingly of all it attributes the fall to students in cities.

The big news is that Liverpool

has shown the third biggest drop in the country.

The city came third behind Cardiff and Durham with a 6% fall in registered voters and followed the trend of other cities around the country that have large student populations.

The fall has partly been blamed on the process of having to reregister to vote as an individual rather than a household in measures brought in to tackle electoral fraud.

The study has been criticise by MPs, who say that the date does not include the figures from December 2015 which supposedly showed a marked increase in the number of voters on the electoral roll.

There have also been calls for more to be done to ensure that people are informed about the need to register individually and encourage the young to get involved in this year’s General Election on May 7.

Rogue landlords tackled

By GEORGIA DUNNING

Liverpool city council have launched a Landlord Licencing Scheme, the biggest in the county to tackle rogue landlords.

Landlords will legally be required to sign up and pay a fee of £400 per property to ensure they are adhering to certain standards which aims to improve the level of landlords and further remove criminals exploiting tenants.

Coming into effect on the 1st of April 2015, all private landlords in the city will have to pay for the compulsory licence which ensures they are following certain guidelines.

These include; meeting fire, electric and gas safety standards and ensuring the property is in a good state of repair as well as being able to deal with anti-social complaints about tenants effectively.

Many are concerned about the effect this additional cost will have on the rental market in the

Life

city. Gavin Dick, a Local Authority Policy Officer at The National Landlords Association says the regulation is ‘heavy handed’.

He mirrored concerns of many in the city saying; “landlords who choose to not absorb the increased costs themselves will have to pass it on to tenants as higher rents, so the scheme will be costly for everyone.”

He further went on to say that this scheme will have little impact on landlords who mistreat their tenants, “we are concerned that it will do little or nothing to hinder the actions of criminals preying on the vulnerable.”

“Property owners who let out sub-standard properties simply are not going to apply for licenses.”

However others are praising the scheme as a safety net for tenants, Sophie Lockett, who previously rented from a private landlord on Smithdown Road said, “It is definitely a good thing that they’re protecting people

News Editor James Tomlinson News James Busby Michael Glynn Lauren Pulford Dan Wright Josie O’Sullivan Alice Kershaw

DECLINE: Voter registration has decreased © 159753 Wikipedia-Creative-Commons

LJMU graduates win media award

WIN: Josie Webster and Ian Gardner pictured with the award © Alex Irving Two graduates of Liverpool John Moores University’s Media Production course have won a prestigious Royal Television Society Student Award in the factual category. Josie Webster and Ian Gardner produced One Eye Open, a documentary about a partially sighted climber, for their final production project last year.

Stars shine for BBC showcase

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Bringing you the news every Tuesday

Editor Imogen Sweeney

from rouge landlords.

“We had a huge problem with our landlord, we never met him so if anything went wrong he was nowhere to sort it out, and if this scheme was in place then we wouldn’t have had that problem.”

The licencing fee is £400 per property for a five-year licence, for landlords with more than one property, additional properties will be £350 each. Furthermore members of accredited or co-regulation scheme approved by the council will pay £200 per property.

The council have said they need to determine if private landlords are ‘fit and proper’ to be able to be on the register, this includes checking their criminal history and making judgement on weather this affects their ability to be a good landlord.

Up to 50,000 properties in the city will be subjected to the scheme, if landlords decide do not apply for the licence, they will face large fines.

Scheme aims to help silver surfers

Features Editor Georgie Whitworth Features Josh Handscomb Angharad Millington Melissa McFarlane Sports Editor Stephanie Bewley Sports Bradd Chambers Kaltun Abdillahi

By JOHN ELSWORTH

The BBC are currently holding their Worldwide Showcase event in Liverpool which will end on the February 25th.

More than 700 of the world’s top TV and digital representatives will attend the event held at ACC Liverpool where a catalogue of 2,800 hours-worth of shows will be presented to buyers. Six hundred specially designed booths have been set up for the event where delegates will watch between six and eight hours-worth of material per day.

BBC Worldwide announced over 700 hours or global drama sales including Doctor Who, Sherlock, Last Tango in Halifax, Cucumber and Banana.

Speaking of the quality of content available to buy, Paul Dempsey of BBC Worldwide said: “The quality, originality and range of British drama is helping

CELEB: TV Stars join the event © BBC Worldwide us find new audiences around the world as more and more viewers discover the compelling stories our world class actors, directors and writers want to tell.”

Last year the 17th century thriller The Musketeers was pre-

sented to 725 international TV buyers and was bought by countries including Germany, Norway and Sweden.

The event has also played host to a number of performances from popular music artists such as Paolo Nutini and the Backstreet Boys.

Mayor Joe Anderson spoke of the reception the BBC Worldwide Showcase received last year, saying: “It is amazing that the BBC chose, after a warm reception last year, to come back again this year for the showcase.”

To reflect the high stakes negotiation of the hit BBC series Wolf Hall, based on the popular book by Hilary Mantel’s, Liverpool cathedral has been redecorated in the style of a Tudor hall.

Special guest appearances will be made to the cathedral by stars of the show, including Mark Gatiss and Jonathan Pryce.

By ANGHARAD MILLINGTON

The local community radio station in Kensington is helping the older people in their area by introducing digital inclusion courses for the over 55’s.

Named the ‘Digital Way,’ the scheme is working with around 40 people in the Kensington area and hopes to teach them how to use in the internet in their everyday lives.

Kensington Community Interest Company (CIC) are hosting the sessions in the area.

Director of Kensington Vision CIC Stephen Faragher is a resident in the area and also presents on Liverpool Community Radio.

He said: “The classes are needed because older people are not as digitally savvy or active as younger people and need a different style of teaching. They need more repetition, support and easy access.”

The classes will be free of charge – something which Stephen things is crucial to the scheme being a success.

“Poorer areas have poorer people living there so things have to be free or cheap,” he added.

At the classes, the attendees will learn about emailing, photography and shopping online which have all quickly become day-to-day activities for most of us.

The sessions will also focus on social networking and skyping in order to help people keep in touch with loved ones.

Anger over dog fouling

By ANGHARAD MILLINGTON Residents in Kensington are getting fed up of living in ‘Liverpooh.’

Angered by the amount of dog mess that is being left on the pavements in their area, dog owners are being urged by Kensington Vision Community Interest Company (CIC) to ‘Pick It. Bag It. Bin It.’ This week, the ‘Liverpooh’ scheme is offering free poo bags to help tackle the problem and aims to give away 50,000 bags to dog owners to limit the problem on their streets. There will also be a man dressed up as a dog to help advertise the freebies.

The Director of Kensington Vision CIC Stephen Faragher is a resident in the area and also presents on Liverpool Community Radio.

He said: “As you can see from the streets, not enough dog owners pick up after their pets.

“We really need to make sure more do so that our streets can stay cleaner – it’s a health risk and it doesn’t look nice. It needs to change,” he added.

To register for the scheme, pet lovers are asked to call in at Medicx Pharmacy, 18 Prescot Road, or Liverpool Community Radio’s studio at 53 Holt Road.

It is hoped this scheme will improve the current problem.

Life|News|3

Children’s centres safe for two years

By ADAM JONES

SAVED: SafeStart Centre on Roughwood Drive, Kirkby is one of 10 allowed to continue © Sue Adair

The future of Liverpool’s underthreat SureStart centres was secured yesterday after an announcement at St George’s Hall

by Joe Anderson.

The Liverpool Mayor confirmed that ten of the children’s centres which were originally under threat to be closed have now been saved, stopping the risk of jobs provided by the centres falling from 157 to 94.

An extra £1.5m from other publicly funded organisations was handed over to help secure the future of the city’s Sure Start scheme. The council will also use £2.2m from their own reserves to prop up the service.

Mayor Joe Anderson said: “I’m optimistic that a new government after May’s general election

with a fresh mandate will see how badly affected Liverpool is by central government cuts.

“As I constantly remind people, we have lost 58 percent of our funding due to Central Government cuts – a total of £330 million – and that means we have to do things differently.

“The bottom line is that I recognise how passionately people feel about the centres, because I am too. My previous working life was spent in children’s social work, so I really do get it.”

Liverpool contains 17 SureStart children’s centres which are used to bring together a variety of free services that young children and parent can use.

Some of the services that are on offer at the centres include childcare, a selection of parent and toddler activities and a range of

family support.

Liz Parsons, who works at the Picton SureStart centre, started a petition calling on the government to protect the centres, which is due to be taken to Downing Street on 27th February.

She told Liverpool Life “I am delighted for the families of Liverpool with yesterday’s decision.

We deliver a comprehensive support service across the city, that genuinely makes a difference to people’s lives.

“I started the petition for Downing Street because I believe that there needs to be a cross -party commitment to invest in early intervention.

“Investing in families now will prevent increased costs at a later date and so for me it’s quite a simple decision.”

Charity raps schools over expensive uniform costs

By SOPHIE LOCKETT A children’s charity has slammed schools who charge excessive costs for uniform after new research has shown that it can leave families in debt.

The report by the Children’s Society showed that families are being forced to cut back on basics to be able to afford school uniforms and warned that strict uniform policies risk highlighting the “haves and have-nots.”

Lily Caprani, of the Children’s Society, said: “We know that children whose parents cannot afford the cost of specialist uniforms face punishment and bullying for not having exactly the right clothes or kit.

“It’s time for the Government to introduce legally binding rules to stop schools from making parents pay over the odds for items available only at specialist shops.”

The study questioned 1,000

parents and discovered that 95% considered the cost of school uniform to be “unreasonable.”

The research revealed that families spend an average of £316 a year for a child at a state secondary school and £251 for a pupil at a state primary.

Sian McDermott, 22, a newly qualified teacher, told Liverpool Life: “I went to an all-girls grammar school and just the blazer alone cost around £80. We had a school PE kit as well as separate summer and winter uniforms too.

“I know that a lot of parents can struggle, especially when they have to buy uniforms for a family not just one child.”

The most expensive items are shoes, costing an average of £56 for secondary school children and £53 for primary, followed by bags and coats.

One of the main reasons for the high cost is due to uniform policies which mean that pupils need to be buy specific items

PRICEY: School uniform costs could be putting families in debt from specialist shops.

Laura Allison, 21, a sport and educational studies student, has seen first-hand through work experience in schools the vast difference in demands on parents to pay for uniform.

She told Liverpool Life: “I’ve worked in schools where they just wear tracksuit bottoms and a polo for PE but some have a

compulsory PE kit with separate ones for indoors and outdoors.

“It must cost parents a fortune especially with them having to be the special school PE kit, they can’t just buy plain tracksuit bottoms from a sports shop. I think it does open kids up to bullying too.”

A spokeswoman from the Department for Education has

© Tim Proctor

said that they have made it clear to schools that they should keep uniform costs to a minimum and prioritise value for money for parents.

She added: “We are aware that the cost of school uniform is a worry for some parents and we continue to discuss the issue with the sector so that no child is disadvantaged because of this.”

‘Fit note’ leads to reduction in workers on sick leave

By SAMMY GREEN

GAULTER-

Fewer people are taking long term sick leave since the implementation of the ‘fit note’, researchers at the University of Liverpool have found.

The ‘fit note’ replaced the ‘sick note’ in April 2010, meaning that individuals no longer have to be fully fit before returning to work.

Members of the institute of psychology, health and society compared data related to the fit

note from 68 general practices throughout the UK from 2011 to 2013, with data on the sick note from several practices in 2001 and 2002.

Although it was found that numbers of individuals’ long term sick leave had fallen, there was an increase (from 26% to 38%) in the number of people seeking leave due to moderate or mild mental health issues, such as depression or stress.

The number of people taking leave due to mental health prob-

lems accounted for nearly a third of all fit notes issues to patients of the practices analysed.

Professor Mark Gabbay, from the University of Liverpool’s Department for Health Services Research who led the research, said: “Our research found that there has been a reduction in the number of people taking more than 12 weeks off work since the `Fit Note’ was introduced.

“Furthermore, the proportion of sick leave due to mild to moderate mental health prob-

lems seems to be rising, despite investment across the country in services designed to increase access to psychological services for patients with these conditions, which was hoped would reduce the burden of sickness absence from those with such difficulties by enabling them to recover sooner.

“However, it is important to also consider the wider socioeconomic contexts when interpreting this data.”

Analysis of the data outlined

that those who were older, male and live in deprived areas were more likely to take leave from work.

Throughout the 68 practices, nearly 14,000 periods of sick leave were taken in the three year period between 2011 and 2013.

It is estimated that in 2011 more than 131 million working days were lost through people taking sick leave.

This cost the government £9 billion in sickness benefits given to employers.

Green skills for teenagers

By ALICE KERSHAW

Eight young people are being given the opportunity to learn horticulture skills in a sevenweek work experience programme.

The scheme, provided by Liverpool City Council and Myerscough College, will be based at Croxteth Hall where the 16 to 17-year-olds will gain skills and knowledge whilst supporting the maintenance of the gardens and parks.

They will also get a City & Guilds qualification ande can continue in their full time education at Myerscough College.

Councilor Nick Small, Cabinet member for employment and skills, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to get valuable experience in learning about horticulture. It could be the first step in developing a career in parks and garden maintenance.”

Myerscough is a specialist land-based college with a reputation for delivering education on an international basis.

Courses range from entry level up and include work based and apprenticeships.

The centre at Croxteth Park, which has been established for over 15 years, offers opportunities to local young people to engage in training.

Helen Eaton, Assistant Principal of Development at the college, said: “We are really pleased to be working with the council on this project and giving a group of young people the chance to get real and practical experience”

Firefighter pension strike

By OWEN SWIFT

Firefighters in Merseyside are preparing to strike tomorrow for 24 hours in the latest set of rows over pensions.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union will strike from 7am Wednesday after comments that Westminster’s pension scheme was ‘unworkable’. An MPs’ guarantee stated that fire fighters who lost fitness through no fault of their own would get another role or a full unreduced pension, but the union has said that government ministers have ignored requests to meet them.

People are being encouraged to pay extra close attention to cooking food and lit candles during the strike. Smokers are also being asked to ensure any cigarettes are fully extinguished.

During this time, trained firefighters who are not members of the FBU will be available to take 999 calls. They will be there to maintain a response capability.

Life|News|4

Eateries’ plans for Cavern Quarter

by ALICE KERSHAW Two new restaurants are set to open in Liverpool’s famous cavern quarter.

Caribbean restaurant, Turtle Bay, and barbecue food specialists Grillstock have both revealed plans to open on Mathew Street, opposite the cavern club.

Both businesses have submitted licensing applications to Liverpool council as they seek permission to set up in the Produce Exchange building, which also has entrances on Victoria Street.

Signs detailing the licensing bids and explaining the proposals have been attached to the Grade II listed Produce Exchange building.

The businesses have no yet submitted any planning applications, and are awaiting licensing approval before submitting their proposals.

BMW test drive at Aintree

by SARAH HANCOCKS

BMW’s first electric car will be available to test drive at an Inaugural event held at Aintree Race Course on Thursday.

This comes as part of the Green Fleet North West event which was held at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester Last year, which will host a number of seminars and test drives for fleet managers in Merseyside Marketing Executive of Green Fleet North West Dan Lee, said: “The reason we have chosen Liverpool as the next host is because Merseytravel attended the Manchester event, at the Etihad, last year and they were very keen to push EV and the supporting infrastructure to the region and make Liverpool the next hot-bed for electric and Plug-in vehicles.”

The event will be held on 24th February at Aintree Racecourse.

Dog experts reply to violence fears

by SARAH HANCOCKS

RSPCA: Leading animal charities are trying to deter people from relating violence to certain breeds of dog. ©RSPCA

Animal organisations have responded after a UKIP party representative in Merseyside took to Twitter to express concern over the amount of dog violence in the area.

The tweet was issued by a 22-year-old UKIP Party member from Liverpool which read ‘A review is needed on the dangerous dogs act, a maximum two year sentence is not enough for me, some horrific incidents lately’.

The political party representative who wrote the tweet spoke to Liverpool Life and said: “I believe there is a big issue with dog violence in Merseyside in particular, because it’s popular to have a certain breed of dog which can be dangerous to other dogs and the public, especially children.”

According to statistics revealed by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, Liverpool was deemed ‘Dog bite capital of the UK’ with 23.6 people out of every 1,000 receiving hospital treatment in 2013 alone,

Knowsley having the highest reports of dog Bites in England.

He added: “Tougher laws are needed on the owners, even sentences for having a breed which have or have not attacked already. Also a minimum fiveyear term if the dangerous illegal dog has attacked a person”.

A Kennel Club Spokesperson disagreed with the idea that a certain breed of dog should be implicated in violent behavior and told Liverpool Life: “The biggest issue in relation to the current legislation remains the issue of breed specific legislation. The Kennel Club believes in the principle of ‘deed not breed’ and that genetics plays only a small part in the temperament of a dog, with breeding, socialisation and environment having a far greater effect.

“The majority of dog bite incidents are a result of the irresponsible actions of owners who have either not taken the time and trouble to train their dog correctly, or have in fact trained them to behave aggressively.”

There was a total of 594 calls made to the RSPCA in 2014 to report incidents or information connected to organised animal fighting and violence across the UK. The RSPCA spoke to Liverpool Life in reaction to the tweet and said: “The RSPCA welcomes political parties taking animal welfare seriously in their manifestos for the General Election. We know from our supporters that these issues are important to the public”.

An incident last week in St Helens saw three dogs allegedly ‘rip a cat apart’ in a violent attack in the absence of its owner, leaving residents worried that their children could be under threat.

The Kennel Club representative added: “We were very careful during our work with Government to ensure that there are adequate defenses for those otherwise responsible dog owners who find themselves in unforeseen circumstances. This includes scenarios such as dogs protecting their homes from intruders.”

Tribute unveiled for Beatles manager

by JOHN ELSWORTH

A plaque commemorating The Beatles manager Brian Epstein has been unveiled at his birth place in Liverpool.

The plaque has been placed outside 4 Rodney Street where Epstein was born in 1934. The manager who died in 1967 would have celebrated his 80th birthday in September.

Managing The Beatles is Epstein’s most known accomplishment, however he also brought the world Cilla Black, Gerry and The Pacemakers and Billy J. Kramer.

As well as the commemorative plaque, a concert hosted by BBC Radio Merseyside’s Bully Butler will be held on Saturday 28 February at Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre in order to raise money for a statue in his

memory.

The concert is the latest fundraising event as part of the Statue 4 Eppy campaign and tickets are currently on sale for £20 at the Epstein Theatre box office.

Confirmed performers include Andy McCluskey and Beryl Marsden, amongst many others.

Liverpool campaigners are trying to raise £70,000 to have the statue erected in order to recognise his amazing achievements.

Statue 4 Eppy’s Fiona Williams said: “Brian Epstein remains one of the most influential people in the history of modern music. He was a complete visionary who achieved so much during his short life.

“It is incredible that he still has not been officially hon-

oured or recognised by the city or the people of Liverpool.”

The date of the concert ties in with the release of the recorded single, Our Friend, which is the official campaign song.

The song has been written by Statue 4 Eppy campaigner, Bob Pitt, including the voices of acclaimed Liverpool artistes including Ian Prowse and Ian McNabb.

Billy J Kramer also lends his vocals to the song. Kramer was managed by Brian at the height of the Merseybeat era.

Epstein has been recognised further this year as he was also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame after a campaign by fans.

The plaque was originally planned in March last year for what would have been Epstein’s 80th birthday in September.

HONOUR: Brian Epstein plaque outside his birthplace on Rodney Street. Pic © Matthew Judge

Designer on campaign McGovern struggling trail for Green Party to fill acting roles

by JOSIE O’SULLIVAN

Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood is set to visit Liverpool hoping to win students’ vote, by urging them to back the Green Party.

It has been reported that she has donated £300,000 to The Green Party in January, ahead of this year’s general election and wants to teach Green values to students by visiting their universities.

Vivienne Westwood, in a statement, said: “I am investing in the Green Party because I believe it is in the best interests of our country and our economy.

I hope that by example other individuals and businesses will follow suit. If we get behind this we can make a real difference and the time is now.”

As well as Liverpool, the world wide recognised designer willvisit other cities, including Norwich, Brighton and Sheffield, among others

ahead of May, when the general election will take place.

Martin Dobson, Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Liverpool Riverside told Liverpool Life: “I’m very excited that Vivienne Westwood is coming to Liverpool, she is an icon in the fashion world, she is a passionate and strong woman that has her own ideas. She is a very good advocate for the green movement.”

Dame Westwood will be visiting Liverpool University on April 28th to talk to students and it will also be open to the general public to attend.

Mr Dobson added: “I’m excited that a lot of young people want to meet her and she is well respected amongst young people particularly, that’s encouraging because the green party support has been from young people.”

A supporter of anti-fracking and a political activist also urges Britons to ‘vote Green’ as all other parties preach ‘consumption’.

by SOPHIE LOCKETT

Liverpool screenwriter Jimmy McGovern has said that he believes a lack of working class actors in the industry is shaping the drama that is being produced for our screens.

McGovern has revealed that he is struggling to fill working class roles because of the absence of actors from these kind of backgrounds.

He said: “I’m constantly looking round for actors who can convincingly portray working class men.

“They’re getting fewer and fewer because it’s only the posh ones who can afford to go into acting. And it affects the kind of British drama that gets made.”

Born in Liverpool, McGovern began his TV career working on Scouse soap ‘Brookside’ before creating crime series ‘Cracker’ and the likes of ‘The Street’ and ‘The Accused’.

He also wrote the script for the

1996 docudrama ‘Hillsborough’ based on the events of the 1989 disaster, starring Christopher Eccleston and Ricky Thomlinson.

McGovern told the Radio Times he only realised the extent of the problem while casting for his new BBC Two drama ‘Reg’, about the anti-war campaigner Reg Keys who stood against Tony Blair following the death of his son in Iraq.

He said: “If this was old-time Hollywood, you’d get Gary Cooper or James Stewart in the Reg Keys role. But that’s a real problem we’ve got in Britain today.”

His comments follow similar musings from national treasure Julie Walters, who recently said that if she were starting out as an actress today she would not make it because of the expense of studying.

However, seasoned veteran Sir Michael Gambon has said that he thinks, that background is irrelevant.

Life|News|5

NEWS IN BRIEF Rum Fest to make Liverpool debut

Digital skills tour to help jobseekers

By DAN WRIGHT

By KATIE DODSON Liverpool is set to host its very first rum festival which will see bars and restaurants showcasing their rum selections and foods from the Caribbean.

The Albert Dock Rum Festival will take place on the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8 for a weekend of themed entertainment with food and drinks.

International arts organisation, Brouhaha International will also be making a special appearance, performing live with drummers from Batala Liverpool, dancing and giant puppets.

Jeremy Roberts, chairman of the Albert Dock Tenants Business Association, said: “The idea of the Albert Dock Rum Festival came about because we wanted to bring something exciting and a little bit exotic to the waterfront during the quieter, winter months.

“It’s also about showcasing our eclectic restaurant and bar offer, which is second to none, while playing with the nautical themes which are embedded in Albert Dock’s heritage.”

Leading the fun will be The Smugglers Cove, who will hold rum tasting sessions throughout the weekend.

Elsewhere, there will be rum cocktails at Circo, Gusto, What’s Cooking and Revolution, tastings of Pusser’s Spiced Rum at Nauticalia, while Costa Coffee will cater for the teetotallers with its refreshing Caribbean-themed coolers.

African line-up announced

ON TOUR: Toxteth Jobcentre is heading out into the community

Power of the peanut may reduce allergy risk

By SOPHIE LOCKETT Giving babies peanut products may reduce the risk of them developing any allergies to the food in later life, a medical study has found.

The ‘Learning Early About Peanut Allergy’ (LEAP) study involved 640 children who were considered prone to the allergy due to pre-existing conditions such as eczema.

The sample of children between four and 11 months old who were considered to be at high risk for peanut allergies, were randomised to either eat, or avoid peanuts in order to compare the commonness of

peanut allergies between the two groups.

Of the children who avoided peanuts, 17% went on to develop an allergy by the age of five, whereas only 3% who were exposed to peanut-based snacks as babies became allergic.

Professor Gideon Lack, Head of Paediatric Allergy at King’s College London and lead researcher for LEAP, said: “It was exciting to us to realise for the first time that in allergy, we can actually truly prevent the development of disease.

“We realise this goes very much contrary to previous advice, but it is very much essential that we direct our attention to this group of infants and

stem this growing epidemic of peanut allergy.”

The research team in London had previously found that Jewish children in Israel who started eating peanuts earlier in life had allergy levels 10 times lower than Jewish children in the UK. Specialists are hoping the findings could be applied to other allergies and may change the diets of children around, but warned parents not to experiment at home.

High-risk children need to be checked and evaluated, have skin-prick testing and medical and dietary advice before early introduction to ingesting peanut products.

STUDY: Nut allergies could be avoided © PiccoloNamek

Community votes to name Alt Meadows

By SARAH HANCOCKS

By SOPHIE LOCKETT Africa Oyé festival has announced the first acts for its annual celebration of African music taking place at Sefton Park this year.

UK soul legend Omar will be topping the bill as well as performances from Mali’s BKO Quintet and Reunion Island’s Lindigo.

The two-day festival is in its 23rd year and attracted around 80,000 visitors to the park in 2014.

Artistic director Paul Duhaney said he was looking forward to revealing the rest of this year’s line-up and he hopes for another spectacular festival on 20th and 21st June.

© Dan Wright

Staff at Toxteth’s High Park Street Jobcentre are spreading their activities out into the local community in order to assist digital novices in the area.

The national ‘Be Online campaign’ tour started this week aiming to help people find work via the internet as well as developing digital skills in order to enhance employment prospects.

Dave Cargill, Digital Champion at the centre is spearheading the Toxteth arm of the campaign in which Jobcentre representatives will take to the streets in order to raise awareness of the importance of having competent IT skills in a competitive jobs market.

He said: “Sometimes job centres can be a little bit scary for people, so rather than just set up some posters in there, we decided to take it out into the local community instead. We’ve got five venues so far and we’re trying to get into Liverpool City

College as well.

“The numer of people we see that are hesitant about using a mouse or a keyboard is sufficient enough for us to be concerned.

We did a survey 18 months ago, and 70 per cent of people said they didn’t feel confident using a computer, which is pretty staggering in this day and age.”

Over the next fortnight, locals will be able to acquire the help needed to set up a personal email account if needed, along with various advice regarding safe internet use, avoiding identity theft with password protection, and also access to assistance and information about recruitment on social media platforms Twitter and Linkedin.

Mr Cargill added: “The facilities in the job centre are largely supporting people into work but they’re not just about that. It’s about giving people the tools to operate in this new digital world of ours.

“The biggest way to find work these days is online.”

PASTURES NEW: River Alt in Croxteth © Wikicommons

A 21-acre site in Croxteth has finally been named by the community after months of restoration work to create Liverpool’s newest park.

The name ‘Alt Meadows’ received the majority vote from the local community after more than 50 suggestions were put forward by residents and school children in homage to the nearby river.

Liverpool charity the Cass Foundation led the project in conjunction with the Community Forest Trust which saw the river Alt removed from an underground culvert and diverted.

More than 2,000 trees and nearly 4,000 shrubs were planted which will create a Wildflower meadow, vast riverbank and a woodland habitat.

Project Manager at The Cass Foundation Helen Rawlinson said: “In summer 2014, we started collecting suggestions for the park name, from local school children and residents.

“From a long list of 54 the final choice was narrowed down and put to a public vote at, Croxteth’s monthly Community Engagement Meeting, an open meeting attended by local community organisations and residents.”

“Alt Meadows was a very popular choice with over 75% of the vote. The meadow itself is due to be sown this March and we hope, given some time to get established, it will live up to the park’s new name.”

Around 1400 people and 30 volunteers participated in events and activities at the new park alongside four local schools who

were involved in environmental education and tree planting amongst other activities.

Ms Rawlinson added: “As a follow on to the River Alt Restoration Project in Croxteth, we are currently developing projects that will lead to greater activity, health and wellbeing by improving access to greenspace and the quality of green infrastructure across the ward. We are also supporting the development of a new ‘friends’ group - The Friends of Croxteth Greenspace and looking to secure funding for a community arts project.”

The official opening of Alt Meadows will take place on Sunday 29th March from 12.30 - 3.30pm which will be a family friendly event with a range of craft, environment and musical workshops for all to enjoy.

Life|Focus|6

Who would work for free?

In an age where the hunt for a job is highly competitive, work experience is often essential to secure a job. But how helpful is work experience for teaching professional skills?

Here Hollie Bradbury shares her personal experiences and outlines the pros and cons of interning...

E

Working hard: Does work experience teach the skills needed?

© Georgie Whitworth

‘A CV boasting about your academic credentials isn’t going to do it for employers these days. They want practical skills and to know you can cut it away from the comforts of student life’

Mike Hill, Chief Exec at Prospects

very year around 300,000 people graduate from university with many joining the scramble to secure fulltime work. In the competitive media industries such as advertising, publishing and PR, it’s been said that you have to ‘do your time’ working for free before you can earn your full time salary.

Having undertaken four work placements myself, they have varied in how well they have benefitted me both professionally and personally.

My first unpaid work experience involved meeting company directors of international companies whilst being given the responsibility of a fulltime employee. My travel and food expenses were covered and I was generally very well looked after.

However, in my most recent work placement things were not so rosy. Upon arrival I was ignored and told to wait an hour before anybody would give me some tasks, after making the obligatory cup of tea for the company director she then asked me to take her dog outside to the toilet. For the rest of the day my projects included washing cups, buying biscuits for the office and doing the lunch run.

Unpaid placements are currently a big political talking point in graduate employment and finding the right balance to benefit all parties is debatable.

Experiences can be successful in leading to the road of employment, as Jamie Hollins found out last year when he interned at a hedge fund in London. Jamie said: “It was brilliant, I didn’t mind working for free because my duties involved doing things that I would be doing if it was my salaried job, after a month I was offered a full time position.”

Other experiences can be more degrading than rewarding as PR executive, Olivia Land, reveals: “I worked at a theatre company where the director would only drink hot chocolate if I made it in a certain way, including being stirred clockwise, made into a paste first and made with boiling water, I was on crutches at the time and he would ring a bell for me to take it back if it wasn’t right.

Suffice to say I got what I needed and never went back.”

Heather Collier, director for the National Council for Work Experience, says that: “If the placement is not what you expected, you need to sit down with your line manager and discuss your expectations and a time each week to discuss progress and next steps. You may need to check just who to meet to make some headway with the work you signed up for. If training is required then make sure your name is down. If there is any work that you have seen that you think you would like or could help

with, make that known. Every job involves an element of mundane and routine work but you don’t have to accept that’s your lot.”

Sarah Campbell is currently working unpaid at a digital agency in the North West and has been at the company for a month. She told Liverpool Life: “It’s a good thing for experience as my CV was based on things I’d learnt at university as opposed to in a professional environment. I get my travel

‘I worked at a theatre company where the director would only drink hot chocolate if I made it in a certain way.

I got what I needed and never went back’

Oliva Ward, PR Exec

included but I also think host companies should pay for food as I have no income to buy food. I find it quite disheartening when I only send the occasional email or write a press release, but when I’m given more responsibility I regain the fire in my belly for the industry.”

Work experience can give people inroads to companies that they wouldn’t usually get for the trade-off that they will present their skills for free.

Sarah thinks that: “If companies will happily have you amongst their company, then surely they would be able to pay you what they would pay a contracted employee.”

With the graduate job market so saturated, it would appear that working for free is more important than ever. Mike Hill, Chief Executive at Prospects, who run the leading careers and jobs site prospects.ac.uk told Liverpool Life: “A CV boasting about your academic credentials isn’t going to do it for employers these days. They want practical skills and to know you can cut it away from the comforts of student life. Any kind of work experience will help you to stand out, but it’s really important that you can identify what you’ve learned and how you’ve developed, so that you can translate it into evidence of skills on your CV once it’s all over.”

Meeting clients and making contacts

...what Liverpool Life writers thought about work experience

Josh Handscomb; Prepared PR, Birmingham

‘I spent two weeks working with Prepared PR, perparing communications strategies, press releases and meeting new clients in the world of sport and reality TV stars. My highlights included meeting Aston Villa defender Ciaran Clark and Villa legend, Peter Withe, the goalscorer from when we won the European Cup in 1982. I have pretty much secured a job after I graduate helping Prepared PR to expand which I am delighted about!’

Angharad Millington; Influential PR, Liverpool

‘I really enjoyed working at Influential PR in Liverpool. I was able to see what it was like in a PR office and even experience the not so glamorous side of a fashion shoot. I’m still deciding between a career in journalism or PR after university but I am now definitely considering PR after my worthwhile experience.’

Georgie Whitworth; Manc Frank PR, Manchester

‘I did my work experience at Manc Frank PR in Manchester.

It was a very small agency but that meant it was very hands-on. I was responsible for media monitoring, compiling media lists, sell-ins, organising competitions, and liaising with celebrity managers. I got on with everyone well and they’ve said I’m welcome back any time. Though I did enjoy PR, I’ve still not made my mind up whether I’d want to pursue it.’

Life|Arts|7

Champion of free speech JOSIE TIMMS speaks to LJMU journalism graduate Aimee Hamilton about her internship at Index on Censorship

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his week’s Liverpool Life success story graduated just last year but is already well on her way to a successful career as a journalist.

Aimee Hamilton began a nine month internship with Index on Censorship, when she graduated in 2014, after successfully applying through a scheme set up by JMU Journalism.

Index on Censorship is an international organisation, established in 1972, that defends and promotes freedom of expression. As well as publishing a magazine four times a year, the organisation also regularly updates its website, fighting for freedom of speech and challenging censorship across the world.

With her internship coming to an end in May Aimee returned to speak to Liverpool Life about what her internship entails, what it’s like working in the world of journalism, and what the future holds.

Always believing that journalism was a career path she’d like to follow, due to her interest in other people and in writing, Aimee chose to study a degree in journalism at LJMU. She told Liverpool Life: “I have a real interest in finding out more about people’s lives. It’s such a diverse career, so everyday can be different, which for me is an exciting prospect.

“I’ve always been interested in writing, for as long as I can remember. So I think journalism was a good way to put that into practice.”

The internship, which is based in London, is a great opportunity for any budding young journalist. Aimee told Liverpool Life of her rea-

ARTS

All smiles: Graduate Aimee on her return to LJMU last Tuesday

sons for applying for the internship: “I saw it as a really good opportunity to build upon my skills, whilst getting an experience of one of the most vibrant cities in the world.”

From writing local stories for JMU Journalism to covering stories from countries all over the world for an international organisation like Index on Censorship, the internship was certainly a huge change for the graduate.

Aimee told Liverpool Life: “We cover stories in Bahrain and Azerbaijan quiet extensively because we have a lot of contacts there. For the magazine we cover stories from countries all over the world and it changes depending on the topic and also the time frame.

“It was a big change but also I think it’s broadened my view of the world and journalism in general.”

Moving to the London would be a daunting prospect for anyone, and Aimee was no exception. She explains: “I was terrified. I moved into a house that I didn’t know but it turned out to be a fantastic experience and London isn’t as scary as it first seemed. I would definitely recommend trying it once in your life.”

Although moving to university in Liverpool from a small town in Northern Ireland may have prepared her slightly for the move, Aimee explains it was a quiet a different experience. “Moving to university you move in with strangers too but it’s different when you’re working 9-5. You don’t have as many opportunities to socialise, but I have been very lucky that all of my housemates are friendly and I’ve built up some friendships that will last after I finish my internship.”

Aimee, who also told of the important role JMU Journalism newsdays played in preparing her for

her internship, offered advice for anyone considering applying for the internship.

She said: “Definitely go for it. It’s a great experience, which offers a broad range of opportunity to build on the skills you have already gained in your degree.”

If she had not gone down the journalism route Aimee says she would love to be an author, although right now cannot imagine herself doing anything else; And despite enjoying her time in the capital city and all of the experiences that came with it, she is now planning a future back up north.

So with her first year of being a professional journalist nearly over, what does Aimee have to say about it?

“From what I’ve experienced so far it’s a fantastic career with lots of opportunities to experience new and exciting things, and if you work hard at it I think it can be a fantastic job.”

You guessed it!

The cheeky looking dog on our front page belongs to last year’s graduate Aimee!

CRITICS CHOICE

THEATRE

The Atrium: A new artists’ venue Songs & Words of Folk – St. Georges is set to open on Friday and Hall. 19th Feb - 19th March. The will be exhibiting a collection of second night of this brand new contemporary artwork from local series comes to St. George’s Hall this Liverpool artists, as well as drawing March to celebrate the great Mersey classes. The opening night is free tradition of folk and blues music and begins at 6:30pm and will linking with poetry, storytelling and include music, food, drink, and lots humour. Featuring Liverpool Echo of opportunities to get creative. The columnist, author and storyteller, hub is located at Victoria Street’s David Charters. For booking Crown Building. information, call 0151 225 6909

Below: Aimee‘s dog Fergus also made the effort for her graduation in July

MUSIC

The Script (5th March 2015) Liverpool Echo Arena. The Irish three piece will be coming to the Echo Arena on the March 5th and will be supported by Tinie Tempah. The tour announcement comes with the release of their fourth album No Sound Without Silence, which shot to number one on the Itunes chart. For tickets call: 0844 8000 400

FILM

BirdMan. Nominated for a whole host of awards at this year’s Oscars, Michael Keaton stars in this intellectual, raw comedy as a washed-up superhero actor in a last ditch effort to prove his worth.

Leaving cinemas next week, this is a last chance to see this year’s Oscars winner of Best Motion Picture on the big screen. Book tickets on 0333 006 7777

Life|Celebrations| 8

CHINESE NEW YEAR y t i c e h in t

Words by Dan Goulding Photographs by Natalie Townsend

owed ather. Professionals sh from the abysmal we ts iri d at sp lle en rve mp ma da le op uld rain co hy, as pe Not even the pouring their skills in calligrap se ine Ch the . ed art rat ft eb de n cel l of the as Liverpool’s Chinatow the attention to detai rs, the ay. nd of popping firecracke Su ds on un le so sty ny in ma ar the ith New Ye W r dancthe e, ga s rad ls of the pa ities saw hundred g and exquisite visua tin lsa The ever-vibrant festiv pu to s all eet for str e tre acl was a spect stery city cen troupes and music, it around the wet and blu ing n re. lio ltu & cu rn se ico ine un , t dragon insight to Ch to watch the magnificen indulge in and gain an stuof the Year of rt sta the iversity of Liverpool ace br Un t em tha to t dance parade Despite the fac e was sh , ina Ch in ck Zhai, was not ba ao ny Yu nt, the Goat. de se ine adopted home, d locals joined the Ch t the festivities in her ou ab ed cit Families, students an ex krac rec nally the New Year ed in wonder as fi erpool Life: “Traditio Liv g lin community and watch tel the nmo de s -day celebration but i martial arts wa e for family. It is a 15 tim a ers were let off, tai ch is for er off nt. on rta c cuisine also the most impo strated, with authenti first two or three are ends . to get together with fri ple ing go onight, I am onlookers to sam “T the ds en att o ” wh e. , rat 58 Knox, and celeb Liverpudlian Stephen and have lots of food goat erpool Life: “The Liv d tol born in the year of the se ar, ye tho t ch ea tha ht ug tho is celebration It ce as sin life er s in their I’ve been coming ev ve fewer health problem ha to d parade was amazing. ten to s – ing es br liti it na ople and the joy d tranquil perso I was kid. I love the pe they have very calm an the city.” th var- just like goats. ht in a continue into the nig ailable for children wi A funfair was also av s Celebrations are set to op ksh mmuor co W se t. ine en Ch nm entertai st-established ious rides to add extra ary city with the longe or mp nte co d an al dition y in Europe. and exhibitions of tra welcome distraction nit a ng eri off , ow sh on art were

Great names for Great Britain - page 12

2015 Year of the GOAT

FIRECRACKER CELEBRATIONS: Photographs taken at this year’s celebration in Liverpool’s Chinatown.

Life|Arts|9

MAMMA MIA!

HERE WE GO AGAIN

O

ne of the world’s most popular hit musicals returns to the Liverpool Empire Theatre this month.

Mamma Mia bursts onto the stage with the all the wellknown classics by Swedish pop group ABBA woven into the creative tale. The show will be the only UK mainland date this year.

Set on a beautiful Greek island, the story tells the tale of brideto-be Sophie Sheridan as she tries to discover the identity of her father before her wedding day. She invites three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago, without informing her mother Donna and inevitably, chaos ensues.

Using the hit songs by the popular 70s group, the ultimate feel-good musical, which has been seen by over 54 million people, is one for all the family and is currently in its ninth year of touring.

In the travelling production, Sophie will be played by Niamh Perry who in 2008, appeared on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s search for Nancy in BBC’s ‘I’d Do Anything.’

MAMMA MANIA: The international tour kicks off in Liverpool this month.

Pictures © NGM

Shobna Gulati as Dynamos Rosie and Tanya, Michael Beckley and Mark Jardine as possible father’s Bill and Harry and Justin Thomas stars as Sophie’s fiancé Sky. She said: “I think the beauty of Mamma Mia is that it is a In the previews of the show so far, both stars seemed thrilled show for everybody, one for the whole family. Everyone enjoys it in their own way and the music is so timeless– it’s a feel good at the Liverpool audience.

24-year-old Niamh said: “I’d say they’ve been the best audishow but it has a lot of truth behind it.

“I’d Do Anything does seem so long ago. Not that I’ve forgot- ence I’ve ever performed in front of. They’ve been with us from ten about it because I’ll always be thankful that it happened, but the very beginning – they’re a bit crazy but we love it.”

Sara Poyzer is no stranger to Liverpool though after appearing it still startles me when I get asked.”

Sara Poyzer, who plays protagonist Donna, said: “My husband in productions at the Everyman and the Playhouse.

“When we’re in foreign countries there’s a lot more sigh seeing always laughs at me because I think that Mamma Mia is a bit to do whereas cause I know Liverpool fairly well, it’s going to be like Shakespeare in that Shakespeare deals with clear, human emotions: jealously, love, friendship, romance, fear and vulnera- late breakfasts and chilling out – my favourite past time when I bility. The writing and the script are very different but the heart have an evening show,” she added.

The Empire’s performance also includes Simon Wilmont of it, everybody can relate to it.” (ensemble) who trained at LIPA and Michael Anthony (swing) Ex-Corrie star Richard Standing, stars opposite his wife as who is from the North West and attended Calderstones SecondSam, which she says is like having her “best friend” with her. ary School.

She said: “He supports me on stage and off and I honestly MAMMA MIA! runs from 24th February until 14th March couldn’t wish for anything better.” and is set to visit South Africa, Ireland, Israel and Italy.

Also setting the stage alight this month is Sue Devaney and

By ANGHARAD MILLINGTON

DYMANIC: From left to right: Shobna Gulati, Sara Poyzer and Sue Devaney as The Dynamos live on the Liverpool Empire stage ©Angharad Millington

Life|Arts|10

© Anonymous101 / Wikimedia

Why do so many people go missing on Merseyside?

Josie Timms investigates why Merseyside has one of the highest rates of missing people

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ver 4,000 people go missing each week in the UK, with Merseyside having one of the highest rates of missing people in the UK. Data released by the UK Missing Persons Bureau reveals in the year 2012 to 2013 alone 13,833 missing person incidents were reported, one of the highest rates in the country.

An estimated 216,000 individuals are reported missing in the UK each year. That’s over 4,000 a week. According to missing person charity, Missing people, it estimated two-thirds of these reports concern children and young people under 18 years of age, and those aged between 24 and 30 years old were most likely to be reported missing, followed by adults aged 18 to 23 years old. 89 per cent of those recorded as missing are found within 48 hours.

Lost From View, a study conducted into missing persons in the UK, shows that 64% of missing people intentionally go missing due to relationship breakdown, escape from multiple problems, financial difficulties, violence or arrest, to commit suicide or due to mental health issues. Whereas 16 per cent of missing people unintentionally go missing

due to dementia, mental health problems, accidents or miscommunication.

Missing People is a charity that provides a lifeline when somebody goes missing, offering a 24 hour helpline and a range of services for the missing person and their family, to help bring them home safely.

Liverpool Life spoke to Missing Persons research manager, Lucy Holmes, about the issues surrounding missing people, why they go missing, and if the number of people going missing is a continuing problem.

“People go missing for all sorts of different reasons.” Lucy states “There are as many unique reasons as there are people that go missing.”

Many people who go missing often feel like it is their only choice, due to difficulties or dangers at home, and Missing People strive to let people know they are available to provide help and support before or after they go missing.

Lucy told Liverpool Life: “For some people going missing is a rational thing to do, some people go missing because they are escaping a dangerous situation at home, and what’s important in that situation is that people know that helps available.

For example there might be someone who’s escaping domestic violence at home, or somebody who’s been experiencing sexual abuse.

“We want them to know that were here to help.

For some people perhaps having the opportunity to talk to somebody before they go missing might be beneficial, and we would encourage people to talk to us, so we can provide them with some support

Credit: © Liliana Ospina / Flickr

and some help with the decision they want to make.

“I think in a wider sense, there are things we can look at in society that would help us to address some of the causes of people going missing, and not least would be looking at support for people with mental health problems, and making sure people know where to turn when they’re not well and when their problems feel like they’re getting bigger.”

When it comes to appealing for missing persons, awareness is key, and Missing People aim to get as many people looking at their appeals as possible.

However, Lucy explains how important it is for the government and schools to make vulnerable people aware of the risks of going missing.

Not all missing person incidents are reported so there is an incomplete picture of the actual figures and due to the limited research of these incidents, it is impossible to know what the future holds for this issue.

Lucy said: “Research has shown that as many as two thirds of young people who run away are not reported missing to the police, so any count that we have available is likely to be an underestimate. We don’t have data going back very far because some police forces have only had electronic software records for around a short period of time, so we can’t go back decades and see what the patterns and trends are.

“While I don’t know if we can talk much about the scale and that changing, I think what has changed is our understanding of the risks of missing incidents opposed to people who are away, and the types of risks they might face.”

Have you seen these local missing people?

Amerjit Singh

Miya Morgan Rooney

Derren Kilbride

Mantas Savickas

Helen Montgomery

Alessandro Severitano

Amerjit Singh was last seen by staff at the Salvation Army Hostel, Bristol Road, Wavertree at about 4pm on Sunday, 1 February 2015 and has not been in touch since. The 42-year-old, who is originally from India, is Sikh and is described as having a large black beard. Police are growing increasingly concerned for his welfare.

A 15-year-old boy who has been missing from his home in West Derby since Sunday, 6 April 2014.

Derren Kilbride was last seen leaving his home on that day. Derren is described as white, 5ft 5in tall, slim build with short ginger hair.

Anyone who sees him should not approach him and is urged to contact the police immediately.

Merseyside Police is reappealing for information regarding the whereabouts of 49-year-old Helen Montgomery who has been missing from her home in Bebington for three years. Helen was last been seen on Wednesday, 6 August 2008. Helen is described as being white, 5ft 5 ins tall of a slim build with shoulder length wavy dark brown hair.

© Jeffrey Beall/Flickr

Miya, a 13-year-old girl from Walton, has been missing since Friday. She was last seen by family in St Peter’s Close, Kirkby at around 4am on 20 February. Miya is described as white, 5ft 3ins tall, of slim build with long, dyed black straight hair and hazel eyes. She was last seen wearing a flowery top, a black parka coat with a fur hood, light blue jeggings, and grey and pink trainers.

Mantas Savickas was last in contact with his mother on January 15th. The 16-year-old comes from Hunts Cross but is also known to frequent the Halewood and Speke areas as well. He is described as white but with a tanned complexion, around 5ft 7ins tall, of stocky build with brown hair. He was wearing a black tracksuit and a black jacket when he was last seen by family.

40-year-old Alessandro Severitano has been missing since he was last seen by his friends at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital at around 9pm on Wednesday, 22 October 2014. Alessandro is described as white, of medium build, around 5ft 10in tall with black curly hair.

He is known to frequent the area around the University of Liverpool campus.

Anyone with any information about the above persons is urged to call Merseyside Police on 0151 777 5312 or the Missing People charity on 116 000.

MISSING PERSONS THE STATISTICS • In 2012/2013, over 13,500 people were reported missing in Merseyside alone.

• An estimated 216,000 people are reported missing acrosss the UK as a whole.

• According to the Home Office in 2010, an estimated 140,000 young people under 18 years of age go missing each year.

• Charity, Missing People, say that an estimated 100,000 under 16’s run away overnight from home or care each year in the UK. Over two-thirds of these cases are not reported to the police.

• 51% of missing people are male.

• 23% of missing adults reported to Missing People were living with their parents, and 39% were living with a partner, while 27% of missing adults lived alone.

• According to National Crime Agency’s UK Missing Persons Bureau, a person is reported every two minutes within the United Kingdom.

• 89 percent of those recorded as missing are found within 48 hours.

• Additionally, the vast majority end with no harm coming to the individual, with almost 97 percent likely to be found safe and well.

Life|Focus| 11

‘People need to stop blaming victims and making rape such a taboo subject.’

- Michelle Stoops, manager of SAFE Place Merseyside.

‘It is important to know that what happened to you was not your fault and you are not to blame no matter how the situation occurred.’

-RASA (Rape and Sexual Abuse) service Merseyside.

‘We believe that the rape and sexual violence of children and adults is endemic within our society. Together we are committed to empowering survivors and their supporters to work through and beyond the experience of abuse.’

-The Survivors Trust

Ending the taboo for victims of rape

By Anthony Fisher

A

pproximately 85,000 women are raped in England and Wales each year and up to 400,000 are sexually assaulted, according to national charity Rape Crisis England and Wales.

Court defence cases sometimes suggest that that rape victims themselves are to blame for their attack, but now rape victims around Merseyside are being offered the opportunity to seek support as the Crown Prosecution Service have joined forces with the police at the first ever National Conference on the Investigation and Prosecution of Rape to focus on Consent as some members of society have suggested that rape victims themselves are to blame for their attack.

Toolkits are set to be used to help determine situations where a potential victim may have been unable to consent due to incapacity as a result of excess alcohol of drug use. For instance, if a person is to take advantage of another because they are drunk.

Michelle Stoops, manager of SAFE Place Merseyside recently

spoke at the National Conference on the Investigation and Prosecution of Rape about the importance of supporting victims of rape and sexual assault throughout the judicial process.

She emphasised the importance of dismissing myths and stereotypes about rape and demonstrated that there is no model victim.

Michelle told Liverpool Life: “People need to stop blaming victims and making rape such a taboo subject. We need to educate men and boys that it is not okay to rape and not to make women and girls feel guilty and responsible if they are raped.”

“SAFE Place Merseyside is a state of the art, purpose built, Sexual assault Referral Centre, often known as a ‘SARC’. A SARC is a forensic medical centre where acute victims of sexual violence can attend for a full forensic medical examination and a range of other services. It is confidential and we only see one client at a time so there is no chance of bumping into other people or waiting in a waiting room.”

SAFE Place is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and access to the service is available by appointment via telephone on 0151-295-3550 or via a police referral.

Victims of historic abuse can also attend by appointment to fill in an anonymous intelligence form so that the police are alerted to the offender and this intelligence can be used to prosecute offenders and protect others.

Some experts in the area offer their advice to people dealing with assault and urge them to come forward and seek help.

DCI John Armstrong who leads the specialist unity team, said, “ We recognise that many victims are apprehensive about reporting sexual assaults to us but I would encourage them to come forward so we can help and reassure them. We have a number of key partners who work with us in caring for the victims who come forward and I can promise that our dedicated team will support all victims and address concerns that victims may have about the criminal justice and courts process.”

When it isn’t just ‘a bit of fun’

By Samuel Peers New research at LJMU could change the way in which inappropriate sexual behaviour is tackled.

The research, which could influence a change in the law, is being conducted by senior lecturer in the School of Law, Stuart Taylor, who told Liverpool Life about its background and aims.

It is intended to gather the views of males and females aged 18-24 regarding inappropriate sexual touching in the nighttime economy, which Mr Taylor defines as being: “Everything involved in nights out, including pubs, bars and clubs.”

He said: “This is the second part of our campaign. The last element in 2012 focused on the issues of rape and sexual consent.

However, the issue of inappropriate touching doesn’t get as much attention. It’s more widespread.”

Whilst many people might associate promiscuous behaviour with a night out, Mr Taylor emphasised that people might sometimes fail to notice when a line has been crossed, something being addressed in the research.

He explained: “We have a society that encourages hyper-sexuality, with dancing poles in night time venues, and other such things. Arguably, sexual touching is conceived as a less serious offence, and in legal terms it lacks clarity.

“People might say that it’s only a bit of fun, but it isn’t just that, it’s sexual assault.”

He added: “Hopefully, we’ll

get people thinking and helping them recognise criminal behaviour and get them to report it and act accordingly.”

He now hopes that the research could help to inform law and policy reforms, saying: “We’re starting on a local level, and have bodies such as the Centre for Public Health and the local government involved in these areas.”

He added: “It’s all about taking the research to forums and making it heard. It’s no good staying in the office, this is how we afford change as academics.”

If any students would like to participate in this research they should contact: S.Taylor2@ljmu. ac.uk. There will also be a £20 voucher available covering all travel expenses.

SEXUAL ASSAULT CAMPAIGN: (left) Merseyside Police posters and (right) Stuart Taylor, Lecturer of Law at LJMU.

Life|Culture|12

Fish

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Lee

The world on your plate As the world enjoys another annual ‘food day’ OWEN SWIFT wishes that the UK celebrated food all 365 days of the year

Grab your butter knife, it’s National Toast Day! Just one of the many amazing annual ‘food days’ the world has to offer.

Right now, the world is holding its collective breath in excited anticipation as we stand on the cusp of National Peanut month as it is every year, looking forward to at last showing the humble peanut the love and appreciation it so rightly deserves.

Yet it also brings with it a pang of regret, as we say a reluctant farewell to both Fresh Berry and Potato Lovers’ Month.

Another year progresses and sighs of despair are heard around the world as another 12 months must be endured before February 29th opens up again in 2016, bringing us the globally-celebrated Frogs Legs Day, to at last give February the send-off it so justly merits.

If you remain woefully unaware of the holidays mentioned above, you likely exist in an unfulfilled majority.

Food days exist around the world, bringing you yet more reason to throw diets to the wind in rejoicing in a specific dish or ingredient. Globally, there are culturally accepted food days, often

honouring humble necessities such as water, eggs and coffee.

Meanwhile, the US celebrates over 175 holidays with interested parties stating an even higher number. Electing food days often results in disputes - does March 7th more encapsulate the spirit of Cereal Day or does it bring with it the fortitude so commonly associated with National Crown Roast of Pork Day? You will not be surprised to learn that websites exist devoting a food holiday to every day of the year, making observing each holiday an extremely intimidating notion, especially considering the aggressively unhealthy weeks ahead.

Following National Water Day on March 22nd, the week follows by celebrating cake pops, waffles, nougat, whisky, black forest cake and chiffon cake. In that order.

This is thankfully followed by the modest turkey neck soup, skilfully placed there to prevent cholesterol from climbing out of people’s body. The point stands that maybe it isn’t necessary to celebrate every food holiday but they may still give way to try something new. May, for example, gives celebrators the excuse to try candied orange peel, taffy, and es-

cargot (separately).

Comparatively the UK is left with a meagre three holidays, global holidays notwithstanding, which is why Liverpool Life thought it necessary to inject a few holidays into the UK and Liverpool’s otherwise paltry amount of foodiversaries. Fish and Chips Day, firstly, is a staple of English cuisine and thus deserves April 16th commemorating its mass consumption.

Keeping it local, National Scouse Day will thusly be January 6th to help beat the cold as well as a return to work. March 17th is to be remembered as Haribo Day as it fully represents a Tuesday of Tuesdays, not yet halfway to summer, while any winter cheer died long ago. Haribo marks a glimmer of hope on an otherwise dark day.

So if anything, celebrate March 1st with an invigorated appreciation of the common sandwich knowing that you’re joining people around the world in your revelling.

And while adhering to the holidays may not be the healthiest route, it is extremely important to write in your diaries that the first Saturday of February is ‘Ice Cream for Breakfast Day’.

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China’s Great names for Great Britain

By KATIE D O

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The Chinese community make up a significant part of Liverpool. An estimated 25,000 to 35,000 residents in Liverpool are Chinese and in 2013 over 4,000 Chinese tourists came to Liverpool, bringing an estimated £10m to the economy.

Britain’s largest ever tourism campaign, “China GREAT names for GREAT Britain”, followed the Chinese trend of giving literal names to celebrities, those landmarks, food and places, including in Liverpool.

Over 13,000 quirky names were suggested for British landmarks by potential Chinese tourists.

Ahead of Chinese New Year, VisitBritain has released all 101 new names - along with other popular suggestions - provided by the Chinese public, for some of the most famous points of interest across

Britain.

The world-famous Aintree steeplechase was among the landmarks to be renamed and the Chinese tourists named it ‘The Grand Ceremony of Riding Horses’.

Liverpool’s iconic Three Graces became ‘The Port City Graces’ and the renowned Abbey Road was christened Love and Goodbye Road by a Chinese Beatles superfan.

A little further afield, Chester was renamed City of a Thousand Odes in the poll and the Tatton Park Flower Show become Memorable Flower Feast.

Chinatown in Liverpool is home to one of the oldest Chinese communities in Europe and hosts the largest arch of its kind outside of China.

Sally Balcombe, Chief Executive

at VisitBritain said: “Chinese visitors already stay longer in Britain than in our European competitor destinations and are high spenders. We’re working closely with the industry and hope to see some of Britain’s most popular points of interest use these new Chinese names on their social media channels and websites to amplify that engagement.”

The successful campaign hopes to attract more visitors from the rapidly growing tourism Chinese market and encourage them to travel around Britain including cities further north.

London is the most popular destination but as Britain becomes more multi-cultural year on year, Liverpool offers a warm welcome to different cultures from across the globe.

By Hollie Bradbury & Katie Dodson Tomorrow marks the biggest night in UK music which will be broadcast live on ITV for the fifth time.

The 35th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards popularly known as ‘The Brits’ will be hosted by Ant and Dec who will reprise their hosting role since their last appearance in 2001.

Nominations were revealed last month and include electronic

quartet, Clean Bandit who are made up of Wirral born brothers Luke and Jack Patterson. The ‘A+E’ producers are nominated for ‘best British group’ and ‘Best British single’ for number one song, ‘Rather Be’ featuring Ella Eyre. Other nominees in the category include, Ed Sheeran, Ella Henderson, Mark Ronson and George Ezra.

The main categories are made up of British male solo artist,

11 Brit Aw ards 20 an The O’Sulliv ©Josie

Bring on The Brits

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British female solo artist, British group, International group, British breakthrough act, Mastercard album of the year, best British single of the year, International male and female artist, British producer of the year and best British video.

Performances throughout the night will be by: Madonna, Sam Smith, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Royal Blood, George Ezra, Paloma Faith and Take That.

Wirral brother’s success

Searching through the Brit Awards archives, Katie Dodson and Hollie Bradbury pick out the best dressed over the past few years...

Musically talented Wirral brothers who are part of the British electronic group Clean Bandit have had great success since forming in 2009 with recent critical acclaim for their collaboration with Jess Glynne on chart-topping single “Rather Be”.

Wirral brothers Jack Patterson on bass guitar, keyboard and vocals and Luke playing drums will be touring with the band through the UK and US from March to August.

Featuring elements of classical music along with a dance music beat. “Rather Be” remained at the top of the chart for four weeks and got them their first US Top 10 single and a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.

Laura Wh itmore © Beacon /Fli Creative C kr ommons

One Direction © Paukystyles02/Flikr

Jessie J © Beacon/Flikr Creative Commons Jessie J (2012) Katie says: This look by Jessie J is such a glam look but she still keeps it classy with the length. Red is the perfect colour for her skin tone and hair colour.

Creative Commons

Laura Whitmore (2012) Hollie says: “Laura’s black body con dress attracts the eye with the cut out detail and is brightened up with the pop of sunny yellow on her shoes and poppy red lips.”

One Direction (2014) Katie says: The One Direction boys have such different styles but they never look out of place together on the red carpet. The all black look by Liam is a strong yet simple look.

Olly Murs © Gem_106/ Flikr Creative Commons Olly Murs (2013) Hollie Says: “Cheeky Essex boy Olly pairs a navy blue suit with a striking white waistcoat. The red check detail pulls everything together in true red, white and blue Brit style!”

Keith Lemon © Beacon/ Flikr Creative Commons Worst Dressed – Keith Lemon (2012) Keith Lemon always wears crazy outfits but we wonder what he’d wear if he was attending as himself, Leigh Francis? Sorry Keith, you can’t have it all!

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Everton launch season tickets

By DAN GOULDING

Everton fans packed out the Camp and Furnace on Saturday evening in celebration for their season ticket campaign launch, with the sales lines opening up last Monday.

The celebration saw hundreds of Evertonians get an exclusive first watch of the club’s season ticket advert named, “We Are Chosen.”

The two-minute film was made

by Liverpool-based production company, Zut Media, and consists of Everton manager, Roberto Martinez, current and ex legends and fans. The clip also included participants saying the famous toffee phrase “Evertonians are born not manufactured. We do not choose, we are chosen. Those who understand need no explanation. Those who don’t… don’t matter.”

The evening had an ‘EA Hub’ where fans could play the game FIFA with one another with live bands performing during the event. Blues legend and club ambassador Ian Snowden was in attendance, out celebrating his son’s 21st birthday.

The advert was shown during Everton’s two-all draw against Leicester at Goodison last Sunday.

Season ticket prices for the 2015/16 season have been frozen to replicate this season’s prices, with an adult season ticket costing £444, with an under 11s price just £95, as the club try to reinforce their hope of keeping Goodison Park affordable for all.

Crowe no show for Oscars

Bitter blow for LJMU Basketball

By KAYLEIGH WATTHEY

LJMU men’s basketball team played and lost by only four points in the quarter finals in a tough game, to a team in the league above.

The match took place last Wednesday at the university’s IM Marsh Sports Hall near Aigburth where the LJMU team took on last year’s winning team Teesside, who are a league above the Liverpool team and last year’s final winners.

Michael Coumas, LJMU’s basketball captain, told Liverpool Life that he thought his team played better than the rivals throughout the whole game but gave credit to the opposition who he described as a strong team and managed to win the LJMU men with a score of 78-74.

He said: “Credit to them, they were a strong team. I think we

showed that we were a better team but all that really matters is the score and they were on the winning side of it.”

The John Moores captain has played for LJMU’s basketball team since he started university in 2012 and says he has never looked back with any regrets as he gets ready to graduate university and leave the team.

Michael Coumas, told Liverpool Life: “I’ve had ups and downs, we went undefeated in my first year so there has been good times, but in my second year I was injured for half the season.

“I love the game, and to play for the team has been a great experience and I’ve learnt a lot about myself on and off the court.”

Michael is due to graduate from LJMU this summer and will leave behind the team he’s played for, for the past three years. He

Under-14s impress against Blue Devils

By JOHN ELSWORTH

Liverpool’s Under 14s Basketball team gained victory against Bury Blue Devils this weekend.

The team took a 14 point advantage into the second quarter and by maintaining a fighting attitude took a lead of 49 points

to the end of half time, against Bury’s 26.

Even though Liverpool lost the final quarter, they won the game by 13 points over all. The final result was Liverpool 86 – Bury Blue Devils 73. The youngsters will be hoping to continue their run into the next game.

By DAN GOULDING Tranmere Rovers are hoping to carry on their victory in the League Two match against Portsmouth this Tuesday night when they travel to Fratton Park.

Both of the clubs won their last match at the weekend but Tranmere are looking for maximum points to help them keep their distance away from the relegation zone and continue their push up the table.

Centre back, Michael Ihiekwe will make a timely

By KAYLEIGH WATTHEY

Manger Andy Spence welcomes new signing Claudia Walker to Everton Ladies.

Twitter/@EvertonLadies

CLOSE: LJMU side in action

©LJMUNetball

Tranmere prepare for away trip

Reds teen makes Everton switch

By SEAN PURVIS

Hollywood actor Russell Crowe missed the Oscars to watch his Sydney South side win the World Club Challenge instead at Langtree Park.

An avid rugby league fan, the Gladiator star is a part-owner of Australian rugby league team South Sydney Rabbitohs, who he has supported since he was a boy.

The Rabbitohs beat St Helens 39-0 to win the World Club Challenge, running seven tries past the Merseyside club. The score beats the previous record winning margin of 38 points when Saints were beaten 44-6

by Melbourne Storm in 2000,

said, it’s a horrible feeling knowing he won’t be able to play for LJMU anymore and wishes the team all the best going forward once he leaves.

“Being captain is no easy job.

At the start of the year I was nervous because despite captaining teams when I was younger, university is a different level.

“It’s a blessing and a great opportunity, I’m very proud to say I’m the captain of my team.”

Anyone looking to join the basketball team are welcome to take place in a trial which they can arrange by contacting Michael Coumas or the Students Union.

LJMU’s basketball team will play their next match this Wednesday 25th February against Salford at the IM Marsh Sports Hall, near Aigburth.

The LJMU side will look to bounce back in the next fixture against the University of Salford.

A young Liverpool Ladies FC midfielder is to leave the team and join the Everton Ladies team instead.

Claudia Walker, who is 18, is the third player to switch from the LFC Ladies team this winter.

The England youth international said she is really looking forward to working with the Everton ladies manager, Andy Spence.

She said: “He is a great manager and can only help my progress and development as a player.

“Joining Everton Ladies is a fantastic chance for me; there will be more opportunities in this league to get even more game time.

“I have only been here a very short time and I already feel at home,. The girls are really friendly.”

return to help boost Tranmere’s defensive options, making his return to the squad after missing most of last month’s action.

However, striker, Kayode Odejayi, is a doubt for the clash after picking up a knock on Saturday.

The injury will likely mean the away side will look to 23-year old, Rory Donnelly to lead the line.

The forward on loan from Premier League outfit Swansea City is in fine form; netting his fifth goal in eight appearances against Shrewsbury on the weekend. Crowds of up to 15,000 will pack out the stadium.

Europe adventure for Merseyside clubs

&

By DAN GOULDING Everton play host to BSC Young Boys and look set to book their place in the last 16 after an impressive 4-1 victory in Switzerland.

Roberto Martinez will ensure his players do not take their foot off of the gas and slip up against the Swizz opposition and will look to take their weekend frustrating result at home to Leicester and brighten the gloomy mood at Goodison Park.

Liverpool travel to Turkish outfit, Beskitas on Thursday with a slender one-goal lead, as they look to progress to the quarter final stage.

Mario Balotelli’s controversial 85th minute penalty gives the Red’s a one goal cushion but they will know the tie is far from won, with Demba Ba and co more than capable from overturning the deficit.

Students’ cheeky calendar nets cash

By LYDIA MORRIS The University of Liverpool’s women’s rugby team have raised £2,000 for charity after posing naked for a calendar.

All the money raised went to the Joining Jack charity, which helps support and fight the incurable condition, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) which is a muscle-wasting disease.

The Joining Jack charity was set up by Wigan Warriors player,

Andy Johnson after his son, Jack, was diagnosed with DMD in 2011 which aims to develop clinical developments for the disease.

Team member, Olivia Davison told Liverpool Life: “We never expected to raise as much as we did or get as much publicity as we did. We sold out the first batch and had to re print more. The charity is such a fantastic cause and we felt it was the right one to support.”

The idea to create a calendar to

raise money for the charity was a continuation from last year as the team did a 2014 naked calendar to raise funds for the club.

A Joining Jack spokesman said the money raised will go straight to the hands of researchers and academics who specialise in DMD who have the best chance of developing a treatment for the thousands of people who suffer from this terrible condition.

“This is a fantastic effort from all the ladies on the team at Liv-

Life|Sport|15

Pic © JMU Journalism

Building named in honour of legend

By LYDIA MORRIS

CHEEKY: Calendar raised £2K

©Seb Cashiio and UOLWRL

erpool University. We were delighted when they told us of their plans to raise money for our charity.

“It’s people like this fantastic team that will help us make a difference in the race to find a cure for DMD. The amazing support we receive from our town and

the wider rugby community is unbelievable and we’re sure the ladies had a lot of fun creating the calendar.”

Olivia said the team plan to raise more money for charity this June by running the 10K BTR Mersey Tunnel run alongside LJMU rugby league girls.

A city centre student accommodation block will open this September, named after the late Liverpool and Everton defender, Gary Ablett.

Ablett passed away back in January in 2012, after suffering from non-hodgkin lymphoma, a form of blood cancer for 16 months represented both Merseyside clubs. He signed for Liverpool back in 1985, establishing himself as a regular in the left-back position, winning the league title twice as well as lifting the FA Cup. He then made the move across Stanley Park to rivals Everton in the 1992 season, where made 128 appearances for the Toffees, finding the net eight times- winning the FA Cup in 1995.

Ablett House will sit on the junction of Great Crosshall Street and Tithebarn Street and will be open in time for the next student intake in September, 2015 as work is still being done on the building.

Students will be charged £112 per week to stay at Ablett House and is looking to be popular with students after almost 400 rooms have been reserved for September.

Each bedroom will be a part of three to seven bed apartment.

By SEAN PURVIS

got off on the front foot in the opening round, using the jab to good effect, Abraham upped the pace in the second, “Smiggy” hit back in the third, landed a flurry of body punches on his more illustrious opponent. Abraham, nicknamed “The Hammer” began to land a barrage of heavy punches, helming Smith to the ropes in the fourth, and again in the fifth.

A spirited Smith fought back, landing a big body shot onto the 35 year old to win the sixth. But the Germans experience began to tell, as Abraham won the next four rounds, exhibiting a boxing display showing that he is worthy of his world title, in particular in the eighth round, where he had his home crowd on their fight with a cracking right hand

to the face of Smith.

The dream of the world title for the Liverpool man began to fade, despite winning the 11th, Abraham held on to retain his belt, as took the fight by six on one judges card and seven on the other two.

After the fight, a disheartened Smith said: ““Arthur won the fight, I’ll admit it, and I’ll hold my hands up to it. He was better, I have no excuses.

“I am never one for sour grapes, I’m never one to tell lies and jazz things up - he was better! He was a lot fitter and carried a much greater work rate into the fight this time.”

Earlier on fellow Liverpudlian David Price won his bout against Irineu Costa, stopping his opponent in the sixth round.

Disappointed Smith falters in WBO title bid

COUNTED OUT: Merseyside’s Paul Smith fell at the final hurdle Pic

© JMU Journalism

Liverpool’s Paul Smith fell short in his attempt to bring the first world title back to the city in 22 years, as Arthur Abraham retained his WBO super middleweight belt by unanimous decision, as they the second time on Saturday.

The judges scored the match 116-112, 117-111, 117-111 in favor of the German, who again dominated in the face of a spirited display against the Liverpool man, Smith was angered to lose their first bout when the pair met in back in September in Kiel, Germany, triggering calls for a rematch but there could no doubt about the winner here in Berlin.

It was 32-year-old Smith who

Hopeful on comeback trail Murray’s middle-weight moment

By HANNAH ANDERSON

A Thai boxing hopeful is fighting ready and preparing for an all-important comeback after his recent losing streak.

Ian Mccowan from Kirkby, has been Thai boxing for five years after following in his cousins footsteps, who had been in the sport for 25 years.

After a year of taking part, the 22-year-old decided to have his first fight, which he won by technical knockout.

Ian, who works as a personal trainer, told Liverpool Life: “This fight on Sunday means a lot to me because I am on a losing streak and my Polish opponent called me out saying that he will knock me out.”

Although he has been on a losing streak as of late, Ian has remained his positive attitude leading up to this fight by using quotes such as: “If you don’t see yourself as a winner than you cannot perform as a winner” to keep him motivated and steer him on to achieve his win.

Opponent Michael Diduzia, has won every professional fight in his career by knock out which will make this fight even more interesting. Ian added: “Even though he is undefeated and has won every professional fight by knockout, it doesn’t faze me… he has to lose some time.”

Fighting Machines was founded in 2011 and has quickly become one of the most respected events on the Thai Boxing circuit.

The events attract regular crowds of more than 600 people who come to see the Fighting Machines.

They have also hosted three world titles in their previous shows with fighters from Portugal and France competing for world honours against the best in the UK. Many of the UK’s best fighters have been featured on Fighting Machines, such as Josh Turbill, Salah Abdulsalemm, Sean Perry and many more.

The Fighting Machines Championship event is on Sunday 1st March, at The Rose Centre, Lowton, in Warrington.

Tickets are still available on the website. (www.fightingmachines.com).

By ADRIAN SPEED

Martin Murray’s third push for a world title was halted at the weekend by Kazakhstan’s WBA Middle weight champion, Gennady Golovkin in Monte Carlo.

But Murray can leave the ring with his head held high after heroic stand.

Golovkin is seen by many as the heir apparent to boxing superstars Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao and is unbeaten in 32 fights, 29 of those wins by way of knockout. Many then may have expected a similar result as Murray entered the ring.

The St Helens born boxer however hadn’t read the script and started brightly landing punches as both fighters test each other’s defences. The

second and third rounds saw Golovkin begin to take control, forcing Murray on to the ropes and dominating the centre of the ring and increasing finding a way through Murray’s guard.

Golovkin caught Murray with a blow to the midriff that hurt enough to fell Murray to his knees needing a count before he continued. Golovkin sensed blood and was relentless in trying to punish Murray only for him to be saved by the bell.

Murray now bloodied and physically looking finished battled on once again being felled by a blow to the stomach, heroically he struggled to his feet and saw out the round.

In the eighth and ninth Murray staged somewhat of a reju-

venation, stepping into the centre of the ring pushing a tiring Golovkin, allowing him to dictate the pace for the first time in the fight. Encouragement from Murray’s corner helped encourage a spirit few rounds as a knockout was now needed to win the fight.

This was the first time Golovkin had been past the 10th round against an opponent and with the finishing line in sight for Murray his heroics looked to be complete. However he dropped on to the ropes one too many times and a quick flurry from the Kazakh opened up Murray and the referee stepped in to end the fight.

He said after the fight:, “Golovkin is a terrific boxer,.”

Liverpool

LifeSPORT RED CARD TO RACISM 24 - February - 2015

By HANNAH ANDERSON and SEAN PURVIS

Former Blues’ stalwart Kevin Kilbane yesterday stoked the growing disquiet over football’s culture of abuse by reporting West Ham fans for offensive chants - and now football fans in Liverpool have backed his stance.

Kilbane, who works as a BBC pundit, complained to the Football Association (FA) after Hammers’ fans reportedly mocked the disabled during their team’s clash against Spurs at the weekend.

The fresh storm follows Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho disowning his own team’s fans last week after they were caught on camera racially abusing a black man on the Paris Metro.

Five supporters have since been suspended from Chelsea’s ground following the club’s official investigation.

The FA’s long-standing ‘Kick It Out’ campaign aims to kick racism and abuse out of football but critics claim they are failing to do enough to stop it.

In 2012, ex-England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand led a protest against Kick It Out, claiming it didn’t have the courage of its convictions.

As a city with a proud football heritage, Liverpool Life set out to find what local people thought of football’s response to the issue of racist and other abuse.

Liverpool Life took to the streets to get the latest reaction from the city …

Tim McCarthy, 68, LFC Fan: “No personally I think the FA should do more, I believe they are bullied by the power of the league clubs these days. The incident last week in Paris was a disgrace and Chelsea should receive a very hefty fine.”

Craig Marlow, 28, Walton, LFC Fan: “No they aren’t doing enough because it is still happening, I suppose the clubs have the job to get involved also to make the process quicker by banning them straight away at the game, maybe through the stewards being able to do so.”

© Flickr/Mark Hillary

ROUND UP OF BOXING BUST-UPS

RING DING DONG!

James Branning, 29, Bootle, LFC Fan: “Yeah, they and only do something if it’s reported. So maybe start a campaign to encourage people to report any incidents that happen.”

Anthony Lester, 22, Kirkby, LFC Fan: “The FA can only do so much can’t they, I think they are doing their best to stop it but you are always going to have a small minority at every club, not only in football but in society in general.”

Liz Browns, 52, West Derby, EFC Fan: “It is disgusting how this happens but the FA should take every case and ban everyone who is involved.”

Inside Sport

Paul Smith boxed off in ring loss P15

Rivalry grows as Red turns Blue P14

Student housing honours Gary Ablett P15