My Visiter column this week

I have launched a Christmas Toy appeal for the children most in need in our borough. You can make sure the children wake up on Christmas Day with a present under the tree and a memory to treasure forever. All you have to do is donate brand new, unwrapped presents by 20 December at the following locations: Bootle Town Hall; Southport Town Hall; all Sefton Council libraries and leisure centres and Asda in Southport. Donations of gift cards and toiletries are also welcome for older children and teenagers.

If you want to know more about the appeal I have recruited an army of Christmas Elves who you can reach on my special Appeal hotline: 0151 934 3359 or visit: sefton.gov.uk/toyappeal  

Saturday morning dawned bright and clear but very cold. I was booked to be at Aintree (which is in Sefton rather than Liverpool) to open the Jockey Club's new Aintree Community Hub a duty I performed with Sir ‘AP’ McCoy

The Aintree Community Programme has five themes – Health & Wellbeing; Mental Wellbeing; Community Engagement; Disability; Riding in the Community. All programmes have been designed to ensure we focus on the important issues in our community whilst being aligned to racing and Jockey Club roots. Most recently, the Aintree Community Programme received funding from the Sir Peter O’Sullevan Trust to build a Community Hub at the Racecourse in order to focus and support the key themes of the programme. I was particularly pleased to see that 'Mental Welbeing' was one of their chosen themes.

Sunday afternoon I joined the Christmas parade organised by Adam Brown which took Christmas presents to the young people at Springbrook Children’s Home in Ainsdale. The parade arrived at its destination the Scout Hut in Pinfold Lane where I met many of the families who were receiving gifts. Well done to Adam for putting on the event.