NEWS
It’s hallelujah for Heswall’s church plans BY HARRY LEAHEY Ambitious plans for a new £1.8m modern church and community centre in Heswall have been given the all clear. Proposals by the parish council concluded that the physical inadequacies of the existing church, on Telegraph Road, no longer delivered the needs of the community and said the only solution was to start afresh with a new building. Dubbed the ‘Parish Building Project’, the plans will see the current church transformed into a spacious and welcoming community hub. Although primarily for worship, The Lighthouse Church will also provide space for a café, after school clubs, counselling sessions and exercise classes.
The outside of the new church will also feature a wideglazed frontage, giving off an “open-hearted invitation” to join in with everything the new Lighthouse Church will have to offer. David Rushworth, who is the churchwarden and in charge of fundraising the project, said it was crucial in extending the church’s role in Heswall and drawing more people to the area. He said: “Currently, we have this building which is just not fit for purpose. The wiring is shot to pieces, the heating doesn’t work, the plumbing is awful “The front is a solid brick wall, people stand outside and say, ‘Where is the church?’.” “The Lighthouse Church could extend the church’s community
Submitted plans for £1.6m to £1.8m modern church and community centre in Heswall. © Lighthouse Shedkm work in Heswall and hopefully draw more people in from a lot of other areas.” The cost of the estimated plans are £1.6 to £1.8 m, but members of the Parish and the local community have already pledged £1.1 m. It is hoped that the huge budget generated will make it more likely to receive grants to fund the rest of the project. If the grants are given to the scheme, the building work could begin next October.
Children’s social care system is facing an ‘absolute crisis’ BY ORLAITH CLINTON Children’s and Social Care Cabinet Chair Barry Kushner has rejected criticisms of Liverpool City Council from a High Court Judge. Liverpool City Council received condemnation this week after an autistic teenager was placed in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital for months, without suitable accommodation. On seeing a shrine for toddler Alfie Evans, the girl suffered a breakdown, which resulted in the injuring of nine nurses and a security guard. The ward had to be vacated and six members of the staff then took sick leave while another resigned after the incident, the court heard. Mr Justice Hayden said: “Much of her extreme behaviour may be in consequence of whatever she witnessed in Iraq”. He added the case was “atrocious” and “must never happen again”. The Labour Councillor praised the work of Liverpool City Council and team at Alder Hey in the care of this teen.
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Mr Rushworth added: “It is a church for, and in, the community, that is the emphasis of it. So it’s very much a community-based project. But we’re also building for the future and young people very much.” He said that older members of the community needed to look to the future. “The fact is we are funding most of it because we have disposable income, young people haven’t. “So, we’re building it for them and for the future.”
Pepper spray for prisons BY ORLAITH CLINTON
Alder Hey Hospital. © Wikimedia Commons “We have been trying to find suitable accommodation for this child’s specialist needs. Unfortunately, these placements are not available in this country. “I am pleased to say that we have put pressure on a local provider to speed up the accommodation placement process and this girl will be homed on 22nd October in Liverpool City Centre. “This hard work and pressure from the council is not seen.
“Only the bad is picked up on in the media.” Cllr Kushner explained his frustration at the lack of support for children’s services in the UK. He said: “I have personally written letters to the Government, explaining the absolute crisis we have in children’s social care. “I haven’t had any response from these letters. The Government don’t get it.”
Liverpool prison officers will have pepper spray cannisters at hand to tackle violence behind bars from next year. Prisons in England and Wales will be issued with the cannisters from 2019 to help tackle violence and danger. This comes after what the Ministry of Justice says was a “successful” six-month trial at selected prisons. Her Majesty’s Prison Service have announced that Liverpool prisons will be making this available to officers. Prison officers welcomed the introduction of the spray but some members of the public opposed it. Phil Taylor, the former governor of Wormwood Scrubs, told the BBC: “I think it’s a much wider picture that we need to consider and it’s fair and proper that prison officers should be protected.”