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Issue:- Monday, 28 March 2016

Headlines and reports on this page = 4 news items. Page - 5.

More victims to get answers as PCC confirms restorative justice service will run for 2nd year

A service that helps victims of crime to get answers from offenders will be run for a 2nd year, Merseyside's Police Commissioner has recently confirmed.

In 2015, Jane Kennedy announced that she would be working with Merseyside's Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) and not for profit community interest company Restorative Solutions to raise awareness of restorative justice and increase its use in the region, giving victims in Merseyside the chance to come face to face with offenders and make them realise the consequences of their crimes.

Following confirmation of Ministry of Justice funding, the Commissioner is now enabling the service to continue to run for a second year, through 2016 and into 2017. Following a rigorous tendering exercise, Jane has announced today that the CRC and Restorative Solutions will once again deliver a victim led restorative justice scheme across the whole of Merseyside.

Jane said:- "Restorative justice gives victims the chance to be heard, to get answers and to get a sense of closure. Giving victims who want to the chance to come face to face with those who have committed crimes against them and can help them to find a really positive way forward and even give them back some control over their anxieties. While restorative justice may not be for everyone, the aim is to ensure any victim of crime who feels this approach could benefit them is able to find out more, discuss their options with an experienced and accredited practitioner and decide if it really is for them. That's exactly what the CRC and Restorative Solutions are providing on Merseyside. Not only that, but they are raising awareness to make sure more and more victims of crime know that this is a path they can take if they feel it could help them. I am pleased that the CRC and Restorative Solutions will continue to deliver this service for people across Merseyside, no matter where they live."

Merseyside CRC and Restorative Solutions will continue to work closely with Merseyside Police and all the Commissioner's criminal justice partners to deliver this service over the next 12 months, with the four key aims of increasing access; working with criminal justice partners to increase the number of restorative justice referrals; improving awareness and understanding of restorative justice and its benefits and delivering a high quality service focussed on the needs of victim and delivered by a trained facilitator.

Through this service, restorative justice is available at all stages of the criminal justice process, including pre-conviction and even in cases where a victim has not reported an offence to the Police.

Restorative justice should always be voluntary and only takes place after both the victim and offender agree and a trained facilitator has assessed the case as suitable. This means a lot of careful preparatory work is required before a victim and offender meet. Victims also have the opportunity to withdraw at any point.

In February, the CRC hosted a major conference at the Anglican Cathedral which aimed to give the public a wider understanding of restorative justice and the impact it can have, both on the victim and the offender. Those who attended heard of the "tremendous benefit" a restorative justice conference had for a woman who chose to meet her partner's killer, helping her to come to terms with what had happened.

Merseyside CRC's Head of Operations and Development John Quick said:- "We are so pleased to have been re-commissioned to deliver victim led Restorative Justice in Merseyside for the next 12 months."

The CRC and Restorative Solutions have previously delivered specialist restorative justice training to specific teams within Merseyside Police. This training aimed to equip PCSO's with greater knowledge and understanding of restorative justice to enable them to identify the cases where a victim would benefit from participating to help them cope and recover.

You can contact the Restorative Justice team on:- 08452660761 or Email:- rjenquiries@Merseyside.probation.gsi.gov.uk.

Mayor lobbies Transport Minister over funding to repair potholes

THE Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, has met with a Government minister, Patrick McLoughlin, to lobby for more funding to deal with the potholes in the City's roads. Their meeting followed a recent announcement by the Mayor that an extra Ł3m is to be spent on repairing potholes in the City's roads up to the summer. This is in addition to the Ł80 million City Council investment over the next 5 years, to improve the main routes in the City. However, it is estimated that a backlog of Ł269m worth of road repairs has built up over several years and the Council only receives around Ł3m a year in government funding to tackle the problem. "I wanted to make the minister aware of the scale of the problem we face and what we are doing to try and deal with it. I even showed him photographs of some of the worst examples. He recognises the issues and It was a positive conversation. While normally we always try and find our own solution to issues which face us, such is the condition of our roads and the amount of funding it will take to bring them up to standard I think it was very useful to discuss this issue face to face with the Secretary of State and his senior transport official. I told him that any assistance he could give to support the Ł80m we have put into our major roads will go a long way towards solving the problem and while he explained his own budget has also been reduced by Ł1bn, he understands our need and gave me a commitment to look at every possibility he can. I am encouraged that he has also asked his Local Transport Director, Graham Pendlebury, to come to the City so we can show him the extent of the problem.' The Minister has also agreed to visit Liverpool in the near future when we can discuss not only this issue, but other major transport concerns and, in particular, the HS2 and HS3 rail links and their importance to the City Region and Merseyside." said Mayor Anderson.

Hospice hosts Ladies Day

ST. Joseph's Hospice (Jospice) is inviting ladies from across the region to a special Ladies Day, on Sunday, 22 May 2016, from 11.30am. Guests will be welcomed with a glass of wine on arrival at the beautiful Formby Hall Golf Club before tucking in to a sumptuous 3 course lunch and an afternoon full of entertainment, shopping and pampering. Mini pamper treatments will be available from only Ł5 and a range of stalls will be selling a wide variety of gifts and treats. A disco will then get everyone up and dancing towards the end of the day. Tickets cost Ł35 with all proceeds going to support St. Joseph's Hospice, which provides specialist end of life care to over 200 patients from Liverpool, Sefton and West Lancashire every year. It is the oldest and largest Hospice on Merseyside, with a 29 bed Inpatient Unit located in a beautiful setting within 12 acres of woodland in Thornton. Mike Parr, Chief Executive of St Joseph's Hospice, said:- "Our Ladies Day is a fantastic chance to get together with friends and family or to network with local business people and basically have a great time while supporting the important work of the hospice. Events like this enable us to continue providing excellent, specialist end of life care to members of our local community." To book your tickets, call:- 0151 932 6046/6035 or email:- enquiries@jospice.org.uk.

Council announces posthumous Freedom of the Borough and Wirral Award to PC David Phillips

WIRRAL Council is to bestow Freedom of the Borough and The Wirral Award on PC David Philips in a posthumous recognition of his service to the people of Wirral and Merseyside. PC Phillips was killed last year after being struck by a stolen vehicle in Wallasey. In the weeks after PC Phillips' death, hundreds of local people paid their respects to PC Phillips by signing Books of Condolence at Wallasey and Birkenhead Town Halls. PC Phillips was well known in the local community and worked closely with the Council and other organisations to tackle crime and anti social behaviour. Wirral Council Leader, Cllr Phil Davies, said:- "It is obvious from the comments in the books of condolence, PC Phillips touched many lives with his professionalism, judgement and kindness. On behalf of the people of Wirral, we want to pay tribute to those qualities by awarding PC Phillips the highest civic honour we can." The ceremony to award Freedom of the Borough and The Wirral Award to the family of PC Phillips will take place in Wallasey Town Hall at a special meeting of Wirral Council, on Friday, 20 May 2016.

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Deceased estates notice - Lilian May Jackam

Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925, any persons having a claim against or an interest in the Estate of Lilian May Jackam (also known as Lillian May) Jackam (Deceased), late of Birch Abbey Rest Home, 55 Alexandra Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 9HD, UK, who died on 04/10/2018, are required to send particulars thereof in writing, to the undersigned Solicitors, on or before 24/05/2019, after which date the Estate will be distributed having regard only to claims and interests of which they have had notice. Churches Solicitors, 12 High Street, Fareham, Hampshire, PO16 7BL, UK. Ref:- 'T553015.'

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