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Voyage of a lifetime ahead for the crew on Tall Ship Lord Nelson

The Jubilee Sailing Trust and Barclays employees from across the UK have joined forces to embark on an extraordinary event; to voyage round Great Britain aboard Lord Nelson, 1 of only 2 fully accessible tall ships in the world. In total over 400 people, comprising of Barclays colleagues alongside disabled or disadvantaged people, will be joining the ship's permanent crew for 11 voyages over a 2 month period. The event programme aims to not only provide a life changing experience for all participants, but to create community level opportunities to promote accessible services, digital skills and inclusive employment thanks to a parallel series of in port events linking with Local Authority and Corporate partners. The 1st of its kind voyage has been a huge logistical undertaking, bringing together hundreds of people across the country, and dozens of community and charity groups, to help deliver the bold ambition of a:- "Round Britain Relay," aiming to change perceptions of disability and bring together the communities in which Barclays operates. Lord Nelson reached Huskinsson Docks, on Wednesday, 3 May 2017. With a new voyage crew joining in Liverpool, the ship will voyage back out to see before returning to Liverpool Cruise Terminal, at the weekend, ready for a day of events, on Monday, 8 May 2017. Commissioned by the Jubilee Sailing Trust in 1984, Lord Nelson was the 1st tall ship in the world to be designed and built to enable people of all ages and abilities to sail side by side on equal terms. Each of the 209 Barclays employees will be paired with a 'buddy' on the 11 leg voyage, with everyone working together to have a shared, inclusive experience. During the voyage, the crew will get the chance to share skills and life experiences, and make lasting friendships. Especially designed facilities onboard include wide flat decks for ease of movement around the ship, wheelchair lifts between deck levels, hearing loops, a speaking compass, when required and hydraulic power assisted steering to enable people with limited strength or mobility to experience the thrill of controlling a large sailing ship.

Duncan Souster, Chief Executive Officer, Jubilee Sailing Trust, commented:- "We are absolutely delighted to be working with Barclays on this ground breaking initiative. It is great to see their outstanding and strong commitment to creating more diverse, inclusive communities and to building individual life skills. I am so impressed by the fundraising efforts of their staff to provide this very special opportunity to individuals living within their community."

Elaine Draper, Barclays Director of Customer Vulnerability and Accessibility, said:- "Both organizations are committed to creating environments and opportunities which are open and accessible to all; and this event provides a fantastic platform to do something on a national scale, but with local flavour, so that it resonates with the whole community. Accessibility, digital innovation and community engagement are integral to the way Barclays does business and this project has been a fantastic opportunity to bring colleagues together to build a sense of pride in what the bank is doing and the way we do it."

 For more information visit:- JST.Org.UK/About-Jubilee-Sailing-Trust.

Liverpool's walking environment ranks 4th in a poll of the UK's 10 largest Cities

FOR National Walking Month, Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, surveyed over 2,000 people living in the UK's 10 largest Cities about how walking friendly they felt their City is. The survey asked Liverpudlians how safe they feel when walking in their City, how close shops and amenities are, convenience of public transport and proximity to parks and green spaces. Liverpool scored well on most of the categories, with more than ½ of residents saying they feel safe when walking in the City and more than 60% citing shops and services as easily accessible on foot. However, pavements let the City down in terms of making it into the top three UK walking Cities with over a third 39% finding them poor or very poor when it comes to how clutter free and well maintained they are. The vast majority, 83% of Liverpool residents, said they are in favour of more measures to encourage walking in the City, as:- 'Living Streets' National Walking Month' launches this May 2017. Jenny Wiles, Living Streets Regional Director (North) says:- "It's great to see Liverpool doing so well in this poll. However, Cities around the UK have some way to go to become world leading walking Cities and this is something we want to help create. It's encouraging that people in Liverpool see the importance of investing in walking to make the City a better place to live in." This National Walking Month Living Streets are asking people to rate their everyday walks to build a picture of the walking environment around the UK. Rate your walk at online. This National Walking Month is the launch of the charity's Walking Cities campaign. Living Streets wants City leaders and transport professionals to design Cities around people, not vehicles. 7 steps for change include:- Make Walking a priority, Plan for walking, Create a walking network, Design streets as places to enjoy, Provide attractive alternatives to the car, Make walking safe and Change behaviour and celebrate streets.