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Issue: - 22 August 2013

Water roadshow makes a splash at Southport Flower Show

Sisters Mary Anne and Emily Beacock (L to R) from Sheriff Bank in Cumbria got to grips with the value of water at the United Utilities roadshow event at Southport Flower Show.

WE might all know the cost of a pint of milk, but do we know how much our tap water costs us each day?  That was the question put to visitors at the Southport Flower Show by water company United Utilities, as part of a new public education roadshow. United Utilities supplies 1,750 million litres of water every day to 3 million homes and 200,000 businesses across the North West; but it has found that most of us don't really understand what we're paying for when our water bills land on the mat. In fact, the average daily cost per household is just £1.11 to have water on tap and wastewater taken away; as sisters Mary Anne and Emily Beacock discovered when they visited the United Utilities stand with their parents. The 2 youngsters were also given tips about how to cut down on their own daily water usage.

The £1.11 which the average household spends daily on water would buy you around 2 litres of milk or 5 litres of own brand mineral water in a supermarket.

"Water is one of those things that people just take for granted, but we wanted to explain to our customers exactly where their money goes.  Water might fall from the sky for free, but it's cleaning and delivering it to homes; and taking away used water; that we have to charge for, as well as investing in the network and protecting the environment. People found the comparisons with everyday items like milk and eggs a helpful way of understanding what good value their water bill represents." said Rose Francis, Campaign Manager at United Utilities.

Visitors were given information on how to save water and advisers were on hand to explain how United Utilities can help customers struggling to pay their bills.

Community garden blooms from waste land

A piece of waste land has been converted into a community garden which will provide fresh food for local people.  The new facility will be between Cullen Street and Greenleaf Street, Liverpool 8, will also have a remembrance garden in memory of loved ones.  The land had lain derelict for a number of years. At a walkabout in the area with MP Luciana Berger, Councillors and officers it was identified as somewhere local residents had called for improvements to be carried out.  The work to convert it into a garden was carried out in seven weeks by Plus Dane's IN Environmental services (INES), a social enterprise which specialises in cleaning up neighbourhoods.  The new garden will have 6 growing areas for vegetables which will be distributed to the local community. There will also be an area where rose bushes and flowers will be planted in memory of loved ones.  A seating area is also planned and around the perimeter of the garden will be bushes and flowers.

It will be formally opened on Wednesday 21 August by Luciana Berger. She said;- "Cullen Street community garden is a fantastic example of what can be achieved by communities working together with the Council and other organisations to improve the local area. I'm delighted to see this area of land transformed into a positive and popular community asset, and I'd like to thank all of those residents, staff and Councillors who have helped to make it happen"

Local resident Billy Grady said;- "This has been an eyesore for many years but now it is going to be something that the residents will really appreciate, and look after and it is going to look great."

Ward Councillor Tim Beaumont added;- "This bit of land has been derelict for years. Residents told us how much they wanted the environment to improve starting with this patch of land. We've been able to clear it and bring into community use. That's good news for the people living in this area."

Joe Feeley, head of environmental services at INES, said:- "This has been a great opportunity to turn a derelict piece of land that was a real eyesore into a useable green space that all the community can enjoy."

Councillor Steve Munby, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said:- "In the last three years we've bought over a hundred derelict and abandoned sites into community use. We're on a mission to have a hundred more in the next 2 years. It lifts the area, adds new green lungs to the City and provides space to grow food, play and meet as a community. The new garden at Cullen Street is on one of main gateways into the City and has been a grot spot for too long."

Apprentice scheme gets 10 out of 10

A new apprenticeship programme delivered by a Preston training company has resulted in all 10 young people being placed in permanent jobs within a county Council.

The scheme; run by Jigsaw Training working with facilities management company MITIE; was delivered over the course of the last year as part of the government's Work Programme.

The apprenticeship framework, ranging from intermediate to higher level, was designed with the help of employers to attract new young people into facilities management and upskill the existing workforce with qualifications.

Samantha Greenwood, business innovation and change manager at MITIE said:- "It's pleasing to see all 10 of the apprentices in permanent posts which makes all the training worthwhile. The training has been invaluable and has prepared all of them for the world of work so it is satisfying to know that they can now get their hands on a role. The apprentices will join the facilities management services team run by MITIE for Essex County Council which delivers maintenance and care services including technical, call centre, cleaning and plumbing.  The scheme was devised as part of MITIE's 10 year contract with Essex County Council and MITIE will be recruiting further apprentices in the region as part of its commitment to investment in young people.   James Blackhurst, managing director at Jigsaw Training said:- "We designed this programme around the needs of Essex County Council to ensure they get employees who are ready to hit the ground running."

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