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Liverpool school help over
55s get online at new retirement community – Get Online Week 2015
RIVERSIDE'S newest retirement community
in Liverpool welcomed local high school students this week to celebrate all
things digital and getting online.
The housing association opened Joseph Williams Mews, its newest Retirement
Living complex in the heart of Belle Vale, last month with the help of Liverpool
Mayor, Joe Anderson. The scheme hosted this week's session to mark Get Online
Week following Mr. Anderson's digital taster session at the official launch
event.
Students aged 14 to 16 years old from Gateacre School came to Joseph Williams
Mews on Braehurst Way to take part in a digital session at the scheme's
community café.
Running from 12 October to 18 October 2015, 'Get Online Week' is a national initiative to show
thousands of people up and down the country how the internet can make their
lives a little easier. The theme of this year's campaign is encouraging people
to see how the internet can make almost anything a little easier; from staying
healthy or finding work, to saving money and having fun.
Dot Kelly, Riverside Area Manager, said:-
"It's a great opportunity for our retirement living customers to get online
for the first time and to learn to do more with their digital skills.
Riverside is committed to helping customers engage with the digital age. Many of
our newest customers are already online and many more have shown an interest in
getting internet savvy as more amenities are now available via the web and are
accessible without leaving our front doors."
Riverside's digital inclusion activities are helping improve the prosperity and
opportunities available to customers by promoting digital literacy and skills
and affordable access to the internet, supporting access to online learning,
promoting access to online services like money advice and home shopping, and
tackling isolation of older people within our communities.
Lisa Mitchell, Community Coordinator at
Gateacre School, said:- "Having run our own 'Silver Surfers' group
for the past 2 years, it was great to meet our new neighbours at Joseph Williams
Mews. It was great to see both generations working together and learning
something new."
IT Teacher, Catherine Newall, added:-
"The children really enjoyed working with the older generation helping them to
access online services. It was a learning experience for both our students and
those at Joseph Williams Mews."
The initiative is being supported by Bauer
Media Radio City and its training academy with the aim of engaging all
generations within the community to get involved with the digital sessions at
Riverside's Joseph Williams Mews.
Joseph Williams Mews is Riverside's newest retirement living development for
over 55's, in Belle Vale, located directly opposite the area's main shopping
complex. The scheme consists of 56 affordable rent apartments as well as 12
apartments and 2 bungalows available to buy on a shared ownership basis. The
complex was built on the former site of Joseph Williams School (attended by Sir
Paul McCartney from 1949 to 1953) in line with the Lee Valley Green Space
Strategy.
With figures showing that the over 65's will account for almost 60% of the
increase in households by 2033, last month Riverside is launching a rebrand of
its sheltered housing into Riverside Retirement Living, focusing on providing
safe, affordable and contemporary housing as part of a £27 million 4 year
investment programme.
Riverside's Executive Director of Care and Support Leann Hearne is championing a
fresh approach to retirement housing for the 50 plus generation who want great
homes, with the added support that retirement living brings when provided by
social landlords like Riverside.
"When I am looking for a place to stay I
want a choice of contemporary design, great facilities, the option of onsite
social activities and at a rate that doesn't break the bank. These are exactly the things that people look for when they are
thinking about moving from their current family homes into retirement housing
and this is what social landlords should be delivering.
We know the aspirational retirement housing we want for ourselves and we want
this for our customers too." said Leann
Hearne.
When Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, officially opened Riverside's Joseph
Williams Mews development last month, he commented:- "Joseph Williams Mews
means local people can look forward to retiring in their own community
surrounded by their friends and family. The modern development has transformed
the area not only for the people that live there, but the wider Belle Vale
community with a number of facilities also open to the public too. The
investment in housing for over 55's comes at a vital time and I'm delighted to
have opened the stunning development."
For more information about Get Online Week please click on
here.
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Private tenants urged to
check Landlord Licensing database
PRIVATE sector tenants can now
search online to see if their landlord has applied for their property to be
part of the city's Landlord Licensing scheme.
The mandatory initiative, the 1st of its type in a big City; requires
all landlords in the City to have a 5 year licence for each of their rented
properties, as part of a major drive to improve standards in the sector.
More than 8,000 landlords responsible for more than 36,500 properties have
so far started the application process for the scheme, which came into
effect in April 2015.
Interested parties such as freeholders, landlords and managing agents are
now being issued with notices of intention to grant a licence following the
processing of their applications.
More than 500 landlords who have not yet started the application process;
despite reminders; have come to the Council's attention, and could face
additional charges and potential prosecution if they do not apply.
Tenants can now access the
online database
and type in their address to see if their landlord has started the
application process; and let the Council know if it is not on the database.
Councillor Frank Hont, Cabinet member for housing, said:- "This is a
major project which is part of our determination to drive up standards in
the private rented sector and improve the quality of life for tenants.
Liverpool has a growing number of privately rented properties and the sector
is vital in meeting the City's housing needs, so it is important that what
is on offer is of high quality. We have had a very good response from
private landlords, and would like to take this opportunity to thank them for
doing so. To those who have not, our message to them is that they need to do
so as soon as possible or face enforcement action. Already a knock on effect
of the scheme has been a huge increase in applications for membership of our
accredited landlord scheme, CLASS, resulting in thousands of properties
being checked for electrical safety, improving standards in the sector.
This scheme is about giving tenants some expectation of their rights, and
the City Council the power to tackle breaches. Over the 6 months we will be
intensifying our work on compliance to make sure standards are being met."
Landlords who haven't completed the 1st part of the application process can
do so
now. It is also with noting
that the
Landlord Licensing has the backing of campaign groups including Shelter and
Generation Rent.
About the scheme...
► The online application licence fee costs £400, per property and landlords
with more than 1 property will pay £350, for each additional online
application made.
► Members of an accredited or co-regulation scheme approved by the
Council, such as class, will pay £200 per property to recognise that they are already
a good landlord.
► The City Council will determine that the proposed licence holder is a
'fit and proper' person to manage their properties including having regard,
amongst other things, to any convictions for:- dishonesty, violence or drugs
or contraventions of housing or landlord/tenant laws.
► Landlords have to meet a variety of conditions around fire, electric and
gas safety; rectifying disrepair issues; tackling pest infestations; keeping
the exterior in a good state of repair and dealing with complaints about
anti-social behaviour caused by tenants.
Liverpool prepares for
The Big Freeze
COMMUNITIES in Liverpool are being
challenged by:- 'Love Food Hate Waste' to make the most of their freezers; and
get to know how freezing and defrosting food can help to save money and
reduce food waste; at 'Big Freeze' event, to take place on on Church Street,
Liverpool, on Friday, 23 October 2015.
The latest figures reveal that wasting food costs the average Liverpudlian
household £470 a year, rising to £700 for a family with children; the
equivalent of around £60 a month.
The Big Freeze set to provide
practical advice and top tips to local people about foods that can be frozen
(and how to use them) to help save money; and the environment.
There will be interactive games, giveaways and competitions; all designed
to help people make the most of the freezer and enjoy mouth watering meals
made by mixing and matching frozen and fresh food.
Emma Marsh, Head of Love Food Hate Waste, said:- "As we look for ways
to save money on our household bills, many of us aren't aware that food
waste not only hits us in the pocket – almost £60 a month - but also has a
serious impact on the environment. No good food needs to go to waste and
it's easy for us all to make a difference. Love Food Hate Waste has some
great tips, recipes, tools and solutions to help you join the growing number
of people across Liverpool who are reducing their food waste and saving
money today."
Josh Hardie, Corporate Responsibility Director at Tesco, said:-
"No one wants to throw away food which could otherwise be eaten, and this
event will really help people out with valuable hints and tips about how to
make the most of their freezer to reduce waste. At Tesco, as well as helping
our customers reduce food waste at home we're absolutely committed to
cutting the amount of food wasted in our own operations. This year we've
made real progress on making sure surplus food from our stores goes to
people in need and not to waste with the launch of our FareShare FoodCloud
project. In Liverpool this is already underway in two of our stores, Old
Swan Superstore and Park Road Extra."
Almost 50% of the 15 million tonnes of food thrown away in the UK comes from
our homes. Together we throw away 7 million tonnes of it and more than half
could have been eaten. Buying and then throwing away good food and drink
costs us £12.5 billion a year. If we ate it, instead of wasting it, the
impact on our environment would be the equivalent of taking 1 in 4 cars off
the road.
Love Food Hate Waste is aiming to help the people of Merseyside know more
about why throwing away good food and drink is an issue, and give them all
the help they need to take simple actions at home today and start by doing
1 thing differently.
Theatre in the Rough
Festival
A new audio project has unearthed
the hidden histories and secret stories of communities along the Sefton
coast.
Coastlands, produced by the Theatre in the Rough Festival, is a series of 6
audio documentaries, created through a year long collaboration between local
theatre makers and the general public.
They combine documentary recordings with original writing, soundscapes and
drama to capture a unique panorama of the Towns and Villages that form the
22 miles of Sefton's coastline.
► Join Emma
Little on a road trip through South Sefton,
seeking the truth behind the story and local phenomenon known as the 'Litherland Running
Man'. Se also looks more deeply into the nature of social media fandom.
► Joseph Rynhart accompanies a cabbie and his passengers through 24 hours in
Southport, charting the Town's culture, people and history, from 1 dawn to
the next.
► Chelsea Bassnett discovers the spiritual side of Formby, joining a communal
earth chant on the beach, and learning about the therapeutic benefits of
gong baths and meditation.
► Helen Stenson and Rebecca Downing uncover Sefton's spooks, including:-
poltergeists and exorcisms in Altcar, and strange reports of flashing lights
at the abandoned Seaforth Radar Tower.
► Phil Montgomery questions the value of public art in the borough through the
prism of Another Place. He follows pupils from Forefield Junior School in
Crosby as they create a musical project inspired by the Iron Men.
► Ashleigh Panther looks at environmentalism along the coast, going on
location at Ainsdale National Nature Reserve, as well as talking to the
young winners of Sefton's 2015 Eco Champion Awards.
Chris Fittock, Artistic Director of Theatre in the Rough, said:-
"Coastlands attempts to place a creative landscape over the culture, history
and geography of Sefton. Our work has always celebrated the vibrancy of the
borough, and this project has enabled local people to explore their own
surroundings afresh."
The documentaries are being released weekly from Monday, 19 October 2015,
through the organisation's website:-
TheaTreinTherough.Com, where they
will be free to stream and download. They are also touring as an audio
installation throughout the autumn. They are currently at The Atkinson until
mid-November, and will also be visiting Lydiate and Waterloo. There is a
short trailer with excerpts available
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