Blog · 29 June 2020
My name is Simon Huthwaite and I’m the Operations Manager for St Andrew’s Community Network. The Network is the home of North Liverpool Foodbank and as detailed previously, we provide 3-day emergency food parcels to people in crisis across the north of the city in partnership with the Trussell Trust. We have noticed an increase
Blog · 27 June 2020
Surgeon Commander Rourke was born in Liverpool. He read Natural Sciences and Medicine at Cambridge University, graduating in 2002. He completed basic surgical training in Cambridge, Norwich and Edinburgh before returning to Merseyside in 2006 for specialty orthopaedic training. He was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 2011 and in 2012
Blog · 19 June 2020
The death of George Floyd will be remembered for a very long time to come, as a watershed moment for how the world views issues of race and equality. It is tragic that it has taken a senseless death to force us, both here and in the US, to take a look at the way
Blog · 12 June 2020
For Carers Week, carer development worker, Chris Monaghan, has written a poem imagining the hopes, needs and frustrations of what a carer experiences every day, every week, every year. Making Carers Visible You wouldn’t recognise them in a crowd. They don’t really stand out. They don’t wear a uniform, or a badge or even a
Blog · 12 June 2020
Kerry Mallaby is a carers development worker at Liverpool Carers Centre, run by Local Solutions and commissioned by Liverpool City Council. The team supports carers across Liverpool with assessments, a health and wellbeing programme and access to breaks from their caring role through the Mytime initiative. During Carers Week, 8–14 June, Kerry explores how lockdown
Blog · 12 June 2020
Last year, 235 young carers in Liverpool were assessed by Barnardo’s Action With Young Carers or received support from them. Young carers look after a parent with a long-term condition and sometimes also younger siblings. Here, Aimee Hadwin, 18, explains what life is like for a young carer and how Barnardo’s have made a difference.
Blog · 9 June 2020
In November 2018, following work with partner agencies and young people, Liverpool City Council submitted a bid to the global children’s organisation which cemented its intentions to put young people at the heart of everything it does. On March 7th 2019, Unicef UK officially accepted the bid. Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Employment
Blog · 9 June 2020
Ann Williams is a commissioning and contracts manager with Liverpool City Council’s Adult Services and Health team. She leads on the Innovation Network project which is all about using new technology to make new connections and help people to be happier and healthier. Covid-19 has brought with it many difficulties — and for many —
Blog · 5 June 2020
‘Annie’ (not her real name) was subjected to two years of abuse at the hands of a violent partner. Here she tells how she sought help and how she emerged from the ordeal. Promises are easily given, but seldom kept. It’s a sad fact about the nature of human existence. Despite what might be pledged,
Blog · 31 May 2020
COVID-19 changed lives overnight. Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson believes it is a catalyst for bold action to change the way the city lives in the future… The pain, suffering and the grief we have shared over the last few months has been hard for us all to witness and most of us will have
Blog · 28 May 2020
My name is Simon Huthwaite and I am the Operations Manager for St Andrew’s Community Network. The network is the home of North Liverpool Foodbank and we provide three-day emergency food parcels to people in crisis across the North end of the city in partnership with the Trussell Trust. In my last update, I detailed
Blog · 28 May 2020
Eight weeks ago I witnessed the closure and cancellation of our cultural sector – organisations, venues, festivals and events all ground to a standstill with months’ worth of plans and years of ambitions seemingly obliterated in a matter of days. But these lockdown weeks haven’t resulted in surrender or self-pity. In fact, it has triggered
Blog · 22 May 2020
Steve Hawkins is the chief executive of Local Solutions https://www.localsolutions.org.uk/ , a charity that has been part of Liverpool life since 1974 offering services to our vulnerable and disadvantaged residents. In 2013, Local Solutions was added to the Freedom Roll of Associations and Institutions of the City of Liverpool. Here, Steve reflects on how his organisation has
Blog · 15 May 2020
Paul has been a photographer based in Liverpool since 1977, starting out as a young assistant with Photoflex, based on Bostock Street. In 2008 Paul was the principal photographer for the Grosvenor book ‘Liverpool One: Remaking a City Centre’ and ‘Liverpool: Shaping the City’, a book commissioned by the Royal Institute of British Architects. Paul
Blog · 14 May 2020
The ‘Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service’ (EMTAS) works with schools to help raise the educational attainment of ethnic minority pupils. The team offers support to children learning English, helps improve outcomes for BME kids at risk of underachievement and also provides specialist staff for classroom support. Gill Rowlands is the manager of EMTAS and
Blog · 12 May 2020
Alison Hughes is Assistant Director for ICT, Digital and Customer at Liverpool City Council. Alison and her teams have been at the forefront of the council’s technological response to Covid-19. Here she tells us about the impact the pandemic has had on how the council delivers ICT services, and how the experience has brought out
Blog · 7 May 2020
Matt Ashton is the Director of Public Health for Liverpool City Council. Matt lives in the city and takes up the role at a time of unprecedented challenge. Matt was previously the Director of Public Health at the neighbouring Merseyside borough of Sefton Council. Liverpool was the first council in the country to appoint a
Blog · 7 May 2020
We are living through a strange and unprecedented time. Children are out of their normal routines and lockdown is presenting a real parenting challenge for most — but you are likely to be doing an amazing job in these extraordinary times — nobody has it all figured out but here are some of my top
Blog · 5 May 2020
Simon O’Brien is the Cycling and Walking Commissioner for Liverpool and the city region. Initially famous as Damon in Brookside, Simon has forged a career as an award-winning radio and TV presenter. But his enduring passion is the joy of two wheels, and he’s been an avid cycling campaigner for the best part of three
Blog · 5 May 2020
In all honesty, this is the most surreal time of my life. I have always been proud of the fact that I have played a role — a really small role — in this city’s cultural renaissance over the last twenty years. I was passionate about fighting for the voices of communities to be heard,
