Opening Stedy Chefs new Cookery School for young adults with learning difficulties

 I left the Southport Foodbank and went to open a new Cookery School on the Dunningsbridge Rd. This project has been established by the Stedy Chef catering agency a business that is well established. It was a delight to meet the new trainee, young adults with learning difficulties, who have come from all over the region to sign up to the training on offer. The enthusiasm of the new recruits was infectious. They were already hard at work preparing a buffet when I arrived. Whilst they got on with the preparation I met some of the families and supporters of the young people. This project clearly fills a big gap in provision. The young people were receiving job training in a proper work environment and they were being prepared to get proper qualifications. This is a far cry from many of the unrewarding training schemes on offer that lead nowhere other than to enrol onto another training scheme.

The food was excellent especially the newspaper wrapped mini fish and chips.

The project is situated in the managed workspace/ storage unit run by Rent a Space who are clearly very supportive landlords.

I hope this project enjoys the success it so richly deserves

World Mental Health Day sees first Mayoral reception

Anna Ingram (from Morrisons) and I

World Mental Health Day 2016 saw the first Mayoral Reception in Southport Town Hall to mark that occaision . For me the day had begun as Neil Newton's guest on Sandgrounder Radio broadcasting from their new studios in Houghton Street. I was delighted Neil had me on to talk about mental health and he proved to be an informed and sympathetic interviewer. Their is still much work to do in combatting stigma concerning mental ill health and securing the appropriate resources to ensure that the necessary services are available.
My second port of call was to host a reception at the Town Hall. The focus of that gathering was employment and it was good that people seeking work , services providers and employers turned up. It was especially pleasing that Anna from Morrisons was their  sharing some important and relevant insights.

Neil and I at Sandgrounder radio

Imagine Independence run an employment service in Sefton which has attracted national acclaim. The staff team are led by Olga Snell who along with her team shared their experiences. It was clear that work needs to be done to with bodies representing occupational health specialists. There were reports of some very good people working in that area alongside some rather disturbing examples of failure to understand the type of reasonable adjustments and support people recovering from mental ill health might require. A second area of concern was the failure to provide support to small businesses. Across the region small businesses are important employers and many of them would welcome more information and support. A recent survey revealed that many employers would like to know more about successfully employing people recovering from mental ill health. about  Everyone attending I spoke to felt the event was worthwhile.

My thanks to the Town Hall staff for their support.

Four Season Birkdale a project for people with learning difficulties to help them prepare fro getting a job

The Four Seasons Garden Centre on Liverpool Rd in Birkdale is well established.  Recently it has become the focus of a scheme which provides training and work opportunities for people with learning difficulties. It was a great pleasure to meet the trainees, volunteers and staff at the project. They have developed some exciting opportunities in the garden centre and café. This week they opened a new enterprise – a shop -on the same site to help raise money for their work.

I was shown around by the trainees and saw the horticulture work. That day they were potting up bulbs for the Christmas market. The young women who has worked so hard to get the new shop under way introduced the new enterprise and got me to cut the ribbon to declare it open

Four Seasons and the Learning Rooms in Birkdale- an inspiring project

I was delighted to visit the Four Season's centre in Birkdale this week where I was met by one of the founders Ruth Wareing. The scheme provides opportunities for people with learning difficulties to gain training and experience of work leading to greater independence. The project offers opportunities in horticulture, catering, floristry, hairdressing and in a new retail enterprise that I had been invited to open

I was very impressed by the set up and the opportunities that the scheme provided for people to gain experience and qualifications. It is particularly good to see the trainees gaining nationally recognised qualifications like NVQ.

It is a warm and friendly environment that provides a safe setting for the trainees to continue their journey towards greater independence and fulfilment.

Opening the new Manna training centre Maghull

I was asked to open a New Day centre in Maghull run principally for people with learning difficulties. The sun shone as we assemble outside for the opening ceremony> Indeed the sun shone so brightly we had to move in door to do the photos of me cutting the ribbon

It was great to meet so many of the people who are going to use the centre and to see their enthusiasm. The team have great and ambitious plans for the future and I wish them every good fortune.

Dementia Action Alliance Sefton launch

It is Dementia Awareness week and I was delighted to be asked to open the launch of the Sefton Dementia Action Alliance (DAA) this afternoon.

I was met by the chair Kim Crowe who day job is as CEO of Parkhaven in Maghull. I think she was a little disconcerted to see me turn up on my Brompton bike.

It was an excellent event. It was good to see so many groups represented and to hear first hand from carers and those who are living with Alzheimer's. We heard from churches in Formby about their awareness training programme which had been delivered to an impressive number of people and of their efforts to engage with local business.

I waspleased to meet with people I have worked with in the past and also to meet some of the groups who have asked me to visit during the year including Sefton Pensioners Advocacy, Crosby Age Concern, The Atkinson, Sefton Library service and members of the 800 group Liverpool and Sefton Age Concern. A full list of the groups who belong to the Alliance can be found on their website.

I wish them every success and judging from today's event the Alliance have assembled all the ingredients for success

The beginning of my Mayoral year

Daughter Katie and grandchildren Sarah and Lily join me in the Mayor's parlour after the ceremony

Last night I was installed as Mayor of Sefton at a meeting of the council held in Southport town hall.

I am going to use this blog to record all my comings and goings as mayor.

At a reception held afterwards in The Atkinson I had the chance to thank my predecessor Stephen Kermode (who passed on a very good joke), divest myself of the Ruritanian outfit  and to outline some of my plans for the year.

For 36 years I have worked alongside people with mental health issues on their journey to living a full and independent life. I hope to use the opportunity that the mayoralty gives me to continue to challenge the stigma and ignorance that so often blights their lives inhibiting them from playing their full part in our communities.  I intend to work alongside the 800 group of charities-so called because together they have given 800 years of service to our communities-to include those who are often excluded from the life of the borough.

later, without the Ruratanian robes....

Looking at the diary for the coming year it is dominated by the remembrance of war. We mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme at events throughout the borough. I shall be at Southport where the war memorial has a special chapel dedicated to those young men who died there. I shall lay a paving stone dedicated to a Bootle man who received the Victoria Cross for his bravery on the centenary of his death. In June shall  the Royal Hotel to commemorate the battle of Waterloo in the district named after the battle. It is a blessing that Europe has found a peaceful way of resolving its disputes.

During the year I hope to have the opportunity, on behalf of the borough, to thank individuals, voluntary groups, faith communities and  businesses who make our borough such a diverse and successful place.

I have no doubt that along the way I shall encounter many challenges, not least of all from those who will regard me as an imposter as every self respecting Sandgrounder knows that there is only one Mayor of Southport and that is Maureen Fearn!