Piece description A Dream come true Business boost for town June 2009 – October 2009 St.Helens Council’s Community Magazine WIN £100of High Street Vouchers 1 www.sthelens.gov.uk Piece description A Dream come true Business boost for town June 2009 – October 2009 St.Helens Council’s Community Magazine WIN 0 0 1 £ ofHigh Street V o u c h e rs Puppets on a string P8 1 www.sthelens.gov.uk St.Helens Inside this issue June 2009 – October 2009 leader’s column Welcome to another edition of your community magazine which, once again, p5 Statue site proposed p6-7 Come on down to the is packed with information about local services. p5 Climate change news St.Helens Festival Feedback from our last p13 First wedding in town hall p9-12 Business boost for town ‘credit crunch’ edition has been overwhelming with p14 Off to a tee p16-17 Ward Committee round up people seeing a massive p23 Compost corner p20-21 Promoting independence, up take in services, and for choice and control help and advice in accessing jobs, training for further p24-25 Children’s Centres education. Residents found the edition very helpful. Watch out for your What’s On Guide in your polywrapped St.Helens First Carrying on from this we have included a round up SPECIAL FEATURE: Fill in our readers’ survey leaflet and you could win £100 of economic local success in High Street vouchers p5 stories with some businesses bucking the national trend, which is great news. We have also, due to demand, reiterated information about where to go to find out about accessing employment and Whether it’s to find out how to By text: Ask about signing recycle your household waste, up to our new SMS text training. Our apprentice check what’s on, pay your alert service when you call Editor: Chris Cahill scheme has also proved Council Tax or request a specific the Contact Centre. News Editor: Kay Dingsdale very popular with school service, the way you contact St.Helens Council, Press and Public the Council is up to you! At the library: Call into Relations Office, Town Hall, leavers so we are carrying any library in St.Helens St.Helens, WA10 1HP. information about this Online: www.sthelens.gov.uk to pay your Council Tax. as well. Email: contactcentre@ To contact your news team with I hope you enjoy reading sthelens.gov.uk St.Helens Council suggestions for articles about you offers a translation and or your organisation St.Helens First which aims to Telephone: 01744 456789/ interpretation service Tel: 01744 456166/5 provide a one stop shop of 676789 (8am – 8pm, Monday including foreign languages, Fax: 01744 456168 news and features to benefit – Friday and 10am – 2pm, British Sign Language, Braille Email: [email protected] Saturdays) and Audio Tape. All public St.Helens First is printed on residents. areas in the Town Hall have environmentally friendly paper. Minicom: 01744 671671 disabled access. Face to Face: Contact Centre, Talking Pages Council Leader Wesley House, Corporation This magazine is available in Street, St.Helens (open talking book and Braille on request Brian Spencer 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday). by contacting 01744 456166/5. Designed and printed by Engage Group www.engagegroup.co.uk Group Engage by Designed and printed www.sthelens.gov.uk 3 Further Education News Collegewell New site to equipped proposal for Saints respond tochange tribute statue St.Helens Council is proposing to following consultation with the temporarily place the statue of a Royal British Legion to avoid any St.Helens College is responding to the challenges created by the recession favourite ‘son of Saints’ Kieron clash with visitors to the Cenotaph. with exciting new developments which will benefit the College, business Cunningham in Chalon Way until The statue consultation proved to Youngsters to the new stadium opens in 2011. be the single biggest ever response to and the local community. Two years ago the Council a consultation by the Council. Since take their energy announced plans that it would then well known sculptor Vanessa concerns to dedicate a statue of a favourite Marston has been working on the Phase 1 of the College’s impressive The development is being undertaken Principal Pat Bacon is confident ‘son of Saints’ to be voted on by one and a half times life size statue new project to redevelop the in stages in order to avoid disruption that the College possesses all Government townsfolk which would be placed in which could be in place late Summer. Town Centre Campus is due to be to students, staff and local businesses. the attributes required to adapt A special Climate Change project a prominent position in the Borough. completed early in July this year to changing circumstances: bringing together schools with Captain Kieron Cunningham and will be welcoming its first The next few years will see energy efficiency and environmental polled the most with over 10,000 “As one of the largest providers of people voting for him. He pipped students in September. enormous changes to the further and higher education in the officers is being held with the qualifications young people Tom van Vollenhoven at the post The new facility will include:- North West, we are well equipped to ultimate aim of bringing pupils’ have available to them, as well views to the attention of national with 8820. Third was former Man • specialist provision, including science respond to change” said Pat. “The new of Steel Paul Wellens with 1501, as changes to the minimum age campus development has been well and local government. laboratories, performing arts, music of compulsory participation in followed by Alex Murphy on technology, systems technologies and received by stakeholders, community Part of a partnership between education and training. nine primaries and one high school 1284, Alf Ellaby on 249 and Vinty supported learning groups and local businesses. We really Karalius on 203. • a customised nursery St.Helens College is working in look forward to Phase 1 being opened around 100 pupils and 20 teachers attended the first Climate Change Several temporary sites have been • light and airy study and dining areas partnership with St.Helens Council in September.” She also added “The looked at but many are unsuitable • safe and secure ‘user friendly’ and all other local education providers, recession, and impending curriculum event at The Thompson Centre, Allanson Street Primary School. as underground infrastructure, such environments to ensure that these changes are changes, have provided challenges for as cables and pipes, would have to • landscaped ‘social gathering’ areas effective and help young people in the College and its partners; however, The ethos of the project is to raise awareness of climate change be moved at great expense which • facilities for community use. St.Helens achieve their best. I am confident that by working has been ruled out as the statue together we can further improve the through positive interactive projects to see that the ideas, concerns and will only be temporary before it is opportunities for young people, as well moved to the new Stadium. The as those who have recently been made worries are of local children. At the end of the 12 month Council has also ruled out locating unemployed”. the statue in Victoria Square For further information on the range programme it is hoped to create of provision available at St.Helens one voice from the 10 schools with College ring Student Services on the concerns and aspirations raised 0800 99 66 99. forwarded to government. For a virtual tour of the new One for the Lads campus go to www.sthelens.ac.uk/home/facilities- A leaflet for young fathers and more young fathers and male carers management-redevelopment.asp WIN We want male carers has been launched. It to access the services of M.A.T.CH your views aims to improve the support and (Men and their Children) who £100of High Street information available to young men currently have 20 clubs across the Vouchers and ideas about fatherhood. Authority providing a range of Supported by Saints and activities aimed at men and their Fill in the reader survey commissioned by St.Helens Council’s children. Teenage Pregnancy team, the leaflet If you would like more inside your polywrapped aims to get lads in the know about information contact the team on St.Helens First and you their rights and responsibilities 01744 675665. around parenthood and the If you are a expectant father, could win £100 of High importance of being involved with father or male carer and want more Street vouchers. their child. information on M.A.T.CH activities The leaflet also hopes to encourage call 0800 952 9523. See leaflet for full details. 4 www.sthelens.gov.uk www.sthelens.gov.uk 5 St.Helens Festival St.Helens Festival Open from The 12 noon St.Helens Don’t miss the family event of Sherdley Park. the year. FestivalMake sure you keep the Festival dates free in your diary. That’s because you will not want to miss this year’s premier event. It’s a free-to-enter event and a guaranteed great day out. What better way to spend a Summer weekend! Bring your friends and family down for a guaranteed good time! The Festival will be full to the brim craft, flowers and wildlife; where you Network, break Dancing, urban arts equestrian, military displays, with activities for everyone to get can enjoy a Wildlife display, Sheep and more. classic cars, super jumper, involved in. The fast-paced, high Show, Hollystone Hawks & Heavy For the more sporty there’s an ever go-karts, quads and funfair.