Sociable, Edition Two

SOCIABLE Issue#2 | Vol.2 | december 2023

SPECIAL EDITION

A FOCUS ON LIVERPOOL, UK DISCOVER

RHYTHM REACTION

SOCIABLE

EDITION TWO

Welcome to the second edition of Sociable. Earlier this year our hometown of Liverpool, UK hosted Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine, it was a fantastic event for this wonderful old city of ours.

In this edition we will focus on some of the wonderful things our city has to offer. Liverpool is steeped in history and it is a place that has stood the test of time.

In 2008, Liverpool was the official European Capital of Culture, it was also the year we opened our Sociable project.

IN THIS ISSUE LIFE AFTER THE PANDEMIC

4 & 5

THIS IS RHYTHM REACTION

6, 7 & 8

IT’S ABOUT INNOVATION

10

INTRODUCING L’ARCHE LIVERPOOL

12

IN OTHER NEWS

13

WELCOME TO NOVA SCOTIA

14

THE WHITECHAPEL CENTRE

16

JLA : AN ACCESSIBLE AIRPORT

18 & 19

BUSINESSES & THE PURPLE POUND

20 & 21

WELCOME TO LIVERPOOL

22

A CITY OF MUSIC

24, 25 & 26

A CITY OF CULTURE

27 & 28

HOLLYWOOD OF THE NORTH

30 & 31

THE PIER HEAD

32

WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY

34 & 35

PROTECTION FROM SOCIAL MEDIA ABUSE

36, 37, 38 & 39

GET INVOLVED

40, 41 & 42

JOIN OUR PRODUCTION TEAM

43

CONTACT US

44

THE ARK, PROJECT

Life after the pandemic.

We always knew the pandemic would have a detrimental impact on our project at The Ark in Liverpool 7.

We know we’re not the only organisation to feel the effects of the pandemic, it has truly has a devastating affect on our Sociable project at The Ark in Liverpool 7 and we are still trying our hardest to recover.

We can safely say, 2023 has been our quiestest year since we opened in 2008, due to this we suspended our session at The Ark during the summer. It has given us the time to regroup and plan ahead and also put togheter a new team that will help move our project forward.

Our project is designed to create social and leisure opportunities for disabled people aged 16 and over. We have had lots of memorable times over the years and this is something we are striving to get back to.

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It is not only the pandemic we’re trying to recover

The finer details will all be arranged and released

from, we are well aware of the impact the Cost of

in due course, we really do need your help though.

Living Crisis has had on our service users.

If you’re able to contribute time or resources for With this is mind, in 2024 we are hoping to

our Dinner Club then please contact us at

introduce a Dinner Club that will allow us to

info@theaccessibleguide.com.

provide a meal and refreshments to service users before our project at The Ark.

There are of course times when we’re not at The Ark on a Tuesday evening and our plan would

It is an exiciting new initiaitve and one we hope

also help us arrange quartely dining experiences

will be the start of a new era for our project, It will

at various restaurants across Liverpool.

not be something where we just click our fingers and provide a meal, we will need help and

Some of our most enjoyable evenings have been

support from individuals and businesses to make

our group dining experiences, which up-to now

sure our Sociable Dinner Club is a success.

have usually been around Christmas time. To be able to offer more of these dining experiences is

We always welcome new volunteers and

something that will help us engage more people

members/service users to join our project, there is

and offer more opportunities for people to

just one requirement to join us at Sociable and

socialise, and enjoy their time at our project.

that is you must be at least 16 years old.

The plan for our Sociable Dinner Club will be to provide a meal for service users before our project at The Ark starts at 6pm.

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This is

RHYTHM REACTION Rhythm Reaction CIC is a non-profit organisation established in 2015 to provide therapeutic drumming

delivered

in

our

Drum-A-Long,

Community

Drum

Circle,

and

Drum-A-Cise

course, sessions, and workshops, for people of all ages and abilities.

Steve Shotton, the founder of Rhythm Reaction CIC started to experiment with drum workshops in his spare time back in 2012, volunteering his early versions of the workshops that are now delivered. From the outset it was the intention to use

drumming

to

help

people

to

enjoy

themselves at the same time as benefiting mentally and physically from drumming.

“I have always felt strongly that many people would have an “inner drummer”, a part of them that would love to be the drummer in a band, to be Animal from the Muppet Show, but never got the chance to try it and find out what it’s like, how it feels, and of course the camaraderie that comes with playing drums with other people.”

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“I wanted to offer people a drumming experience in a safe, comfortable environment where they would not be judged and would be given the chance to just have a go. I believed drumming would be enjoyable and beneficial to everyone, people with physical and mental health issues and life challenges, the young, the elderly, everybody really.”

Stephen Shotton, Founder & Managing Director of Rhythm Reaction C.I.C

Working with groups of all ages and abilities; people from all walks of life, those individuals who are physically challenged, less able members of society, identified in some way as being vulnerable.

Encompass non-disabled people, the disadvantaged, those with varying degrees of learning difficulties, low self-esteem, physical or mental health issues, those at risk, and people recovering from, or living with, illness.

The workshops are tailored to the needs of those attending and are designed to help people experience amongst other things, a sense of achievement, bring people together and build community spirit and develop great working relationships. We have designed unique drum pads which we use in most of our sessions. Our unique drum pads make our sessions accessible and fun and are currently only used by us. We use these pads in all our session types, but mainly in the Drum-A-Long and Drum-A-Cise sessions.

They are appreciated by our attendees for their light weight, durability, and reduced volume without losing the feel and sound of playing a drum. The pads are designed to simulate toms and snare drums but with much less volume and are therefore ideal for large groups to play at the same time whilst still giving the drummer the ability to hit them as hard or as softly as they like and experience the benefits of drumming.

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There is much research to support the benefits of drumming, from projects such as The Clem Burke Drum Project to The Royal College of Music who found that a 10-week program of group drumming reduces depression by as much as 38% and anxiety by 20%. (Drumming has a positive impact on mental health finds Royal College of Music study 20 March 2016).

Drumming increases our Alpha brainwaves, those brainwaves associated with feelings of well-being and euphoria. (Lawrence Friedman, October 2000).

In 2018/19 Rhythm Reaction CIC, funded by The National Lottery’s Awards For All conducted their Drum-A-Cise research project, delivering a 6-week course to 9 organisations across the Liverpool City Region with some amazing results.

Using the short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Health Well-being Scale, participants were asked how they were feeling or thinking in relation to various questions.

A positivity improvement regarding their mental health and wellbeing from the individuals across all of the groups increased from 58% pre course to 76% post course.

Our current research (2021 - 2023) is indicating that in all of our course workshops and sessions, Drum-A-long, Drum-A-Cise and Community Drum Circles are achieving and exceeding the positive results of the Drum-A-Cise research project of 2018/19.

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Follow on Social Media

facebook.com/sociablelcr twitter.com/sociablelcr instagram.com/lcrsociable

IT’S ABOUT INNOVATION When we founded The Accessible Guide our focus was to use digital technology innovatively to create genuine opportunities for inclusion for disabeld people. The Advancement of digital technology can be utilised to reduce the barriers to inclusion and create a more welcoming and inclusive society for all.

WHY IS INNOVATION KEY? It is important that as a Company we understand how technology works and serves a purpose.

We finally launched our platform in March 2022, after a delay of almost two years due to the pandemic.

We have the innovative ideas that will help create a more welcoming, inclusive and friendly society for disabled people.

It is all about connecting the dots and our ideas and plans will help us do just that, and more.

We use factual access information, which can’t be manipulated, we also gather the information from the venue or business, and this adds to the value and trustworthiness of the information that we provide.

SOMETHING NEW? When we launched The Accessible Guide in 2022, our intention has always been to develop the platform further and we are working on some new initiatives and ideas that will help us revolutionise the information we provide. We will help businesses communicate more effectively and efficiently with disabled people, that will not only demonstrate their committment to equity and inclusion, it will also help businesses become more social responsible and tap into a new revenue stream.

From our perspective, it is like we are connecting the dots, the technology that we will utilise already exists, we will use this to our adventage and develop our platform that will create genuine opportunities to inclusion, but also reduce the barriers to inclusion that disabled people frequently encounter.

Innovation is the key and we believe this is what will help us stand out. There are many similar platforms available for disabled people that provide useful information.

For businesses, the opportunity to directly communicate with disabled people more effectively can improve their image and reputation, whilst creating opportunities for inclusion and reduce the barriers to inclusion, and this is exactly what we set out to do at The Accessible Guide.

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INTRODUCING

L’Arche Liverpool

The Ark, L7 We would like to introduce you to an organisation

L’Arche

Liverpool

proivde

a

wide-ranging

that has played an integral role for our Sociable

programme of day activities at The Ark. The

project. That organisation is L’Arche Liverpool.

activities programme is building based and there is Garden Project that supports people to harvest

Our Sociable project has been located at The Ark,

and grow fruit and vegetables. L’Arche sell some

in Liverpool 7, which is L’Arche Liverpool’s Day

of the produce locally. There is a number of

Resource Centre, ever since we opened our

music, arts and crafts activities and educational

project in 2008. It’s a place we are very familiar

sessions to promote independence skills and

with and somewhere we call home. It is more

health and wellbeing.

than 15 years since we first opened the doors to our project at The Ark and we very much feel part

Friendships and relationships are important to

of the L’Arche Liverpool community.

L’Arche, at The Ark, they create spaces for people to build community including gathering and

L’Arche Liverpool is a community of around 250,

celebrations.

including people with and without learning disabilities,

Support

Assistants,

volunteers,

L’Arche consists of more than 150 communities,

friends and neighbours, based in Fairfield,

in 38 countries across the world, in extremely

Tuebrook, and South Liverpool.

diversified

cultural,

economic contexts.

religious,

and

social-

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IN OTHER NEWS Styling

TAG & THE UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD In 2024, The Accessible Guide will be working with the University of Salford and Unitemps that will allow our company to hire a Content Creator intern.

It is an exciting new move for The Accessible Guide and will enable us to create content from around Manchester and Greater Manchester that will allow us to create more genuine opportunities for inclusion.

TATE LIVERPOOL AT RIBA NORTH Regular visitors to the Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool may have noticed that Tate Liverpool is temporarily closed for redevelopment.

Tate joined forces with RIBA (Royal Institution of British Architechts) to bring you exhibitons at their venue at Mann Island, where you will also find the popular Tate shop and Cafe.

Tate Liverpool opened to the public in May 1988, at what was then a disused warehouse at the Albert Dock. In the years since, the Albert Dock sealed its Royal status in 2018, in recognition of its pivotal role in the city’s fortunes

Please make sure to visit our website in the New Year for more informaiton about our work in Manchester.

If your business is located in Manchester or Greater Manchester and is welcoming and inclusive to disabled people then please get in touch!

Mann Island, Liverpool, UK. Home to RIBA North and Tate Liverpool.

Accessibility details for Tate Liverpool + RIBA can be found on The Accessible Guide. Tate Liverpool at the Royal Albert Dock will reopen in 2025.

Welcome to

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Nova Scotia

In June 2022, a new Bar and Eatery opened at Mann Island in Liverpool with the introduction of Nova Scotia. In just 18 months, it has fast become a very popular place to visit and from our own experiences, it’s easy to see why.

Set in the stunning Mann Island building, in close proximity to the Museum of Liverpool and in the shadows of the Three Graces, Nova Scotia is an independent Bar and Eatery that celebrates Liverpool’s forgotten Nova Scotia district, which was an integral part of Liverpool’s maratime history.

The venue utilises an open-air drinking and dining space, with a beautiful interior restaurant and bar and staff that are friendly and helpful. Our team at The Accessible Guide are regular visitors for both business and pleasure, and we have never been disappointed.

From the breakfast menu, a popular choice has been thier Wakey Wakey Eggs and Bakey and the Full English, whilst the lunch menu offers a variety of sandwiches and meals such as Scouse, which is a local slow cooked beef dish, fish and chips and a selection of delicios wraps. Another popular choice from the small plates menu has been the chicken strips, chicken wings and halloumi popcorn. There is a good variety of hot beverages and desserts as well as a cocktall menu and some refreshing beers.

Accessibility Details & Other Information There are two entrances, both are step-free, there is an entrance via the Mann Island complex covered public courtyard area, whilst the main entrance can be found opposite the Museum of Liverpool.

The venue has an accessible toilet facility and is dog-friendly. There are several Blue Badge parking bays located at Mann Island and nearby on Brunswick Street and the nearest train station is James Street.

Address Unit 25a, 17 Mann Island, Liverpool, L3 1BP Phone # 0151 541 6720

www.cyberfrogdesign.co.uk

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Christmas Appeal 2023 Homelessness is on the increase. More people than ever are facing Christmas without a safe place to call home. Your support is needed more than ever to help us to end homelessness for people across our city.

The number of households in England who became homeless or were at risk of homelessness has increased 6.8% on the previous year, a staggering 298,430 households, including 104,460 families with children. In Liverpool we worked with 4,368 individuals, a 15% increase and our outreach team saw a record number of people sleeping rough, 564 individuals, a 27% increase.

The Whitechapel Centre works with people experiencing homelessness every day of the year but Christmas is a particularly difficult and emotional time. We try to make it a little better for anyone who is sleeping rough, offering a warm welcome, Christmas lunch and a gift. We'll also be distributing gifts and Christmas treats to over 900 clients around the city. For many, this will be their first Christmas without their own home.

We can only do this because of the kind donations we receive. We’re running a Christmas appeal with several ways to support us – volunteer, donate useful things, buy Christmas cards or virtual gifts, or support us financially. Your support will help us continue our work this Christmas and give people the hope and opportunity to change their lives throughout the year.

Please give if you are able to. Thank you.

We have a specific Christmas Wishlist for our gift bags for the men, women and children we are supporting: (insert Christmas wishlist graphic attached) We can also provide donation bins for any school, church or business who would like to organise a collection.

I​f you are bringing donations it really helps our planning if we know what is on its way.

Call us on 0151 207 7617 or email our team at fundraising@whitechapelcentre.co.ukto find out what we are most in need of.

Homelessness is on the increase.

More people than ever are facing Christmas without a safe place to call home.

Your support is needed more than ever.

The aviation regulator’s Airport Accessibility Report, which assesses 26 of the largest UK airports, ranks the Speke-based terminal among 18 airports that have consistently achieved a good or very good rating throughout the past year.

Paul Smith, joint-interim chief executive at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “This report shows the dedicated efforts of airports across the UK to ensure that all passengers receive the standard of service they deserve.

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“With 18 airports consistently achieving good or very good ratings, and others demonstrating significant improvements, the industry is making strides in returning accessibility levels to those seen before the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Manchester was also singled out for its rapid improvement in facilities and services during the last half of the year.

The airport delivered significant improvements in wait times for arriving disabled and less mobile passengers, achieving very good ratings in the third and fourth quarters.

The regulator said: “We are pleased to report that Manchester has invested heavily in recruitment and equipment, with a 40% increase in staffing and a 20% increase in high-lift vehicles since summer 2022.

“Renovations at Terminal 2 have included wider corridors so that electric buggies can be used in more areas which provides a better experience for passengers arriving on flights with high numbers of passengers who request assistance.”

Praise also came for East Midlands airport, “which provided a very good service to disabled and less mobile passengers throughout the year.

“We were impressed by the investment it had recently made in its assistance service. This included the purchase of new, and refitting existing, high-lift vehicles and the installation of a live chat service allowing passengers to request assistance and stay in touch with staff throughout their airport journey.”

In addition, Manchester has made changes to its security lanes to improve the experience of disabled passengers through the departures journey, such as providing a separate lane for families which allows the assistance lane to be used exclusively by disabled and less mobile passengers.

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BUSINESSES & THE PURPLE POUND

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In the United Kingdom, businesses that are welcoming and inclusive to disabled people are able to tap into a revenue stream called the Purple Pound.

It is essentially a win-win situation for businesses to ensure they’re accessible as they will not only demonstrate that they do not discriminate, they will also show they’re committed to ensuring disabled people are able to access their services and facilities and businesses can increase revenue and improve their image and reputation.

The Purple Pound is the combined spending powers of disabled households in the United Kingdom, a disabled household is where at least one resident is disabled. It is estimated that the current value of the Purple Pound is an eye-watering £274 billion.

In the United Kingdom more than 1 in 5 consumers have a disability, and there are more than 14 million disabled people and yet there are still many businesses and venues that are not accessible. In 2010, the Equality Act was introduced which protects people from discrimination, harassment and victimisation.

The Act has a set of nine protected characteristics, which legally protect individuals. As disability is a protected characteristic, it is unlawful for businesses and services to discriminate against disabled people.

A ROI FOR ACCESSIBLE BUSINESSES..

The Equality Act says that public services and private businesses must make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people can access their services. There is no definitive meaning to the term ‘reasonable’ and this can be open to interpretation. It would depend on the on the adjustments required, the individual business and the situation.

There are many adjustments that can improve accessibility for disabled people though these include; Provision of an accessible toilet facility A fixed or portable ramp Provision of a hearing or induction loop Introduction of an autism or quiet hour Information in large print Changing the venue of a meeting or event to an accessible space *This list is not exhausitve, and is just an example of some of the adjustments that can be made to improve accessibility.

It is worth noting that most accessibility solutions can often be cost effective and easy to implement and the return of investment on accessibility, along with the legal requirements should act as an incentive, which businesses should prioritise.

Businesses and service providers should think ahead and consider the requirements of disabled people, this can often eliminate potential barriers that have previously not been identified. The Accessible Guide was founded and is managed by disabled people with lived experiences of exclusion and we are here to support businesses to remain and become more welcoming and inclusive.

It is important to us that we work with businesses to support them to become accessible, by doing this we not only help businesses tap into a new revenue stream but we will also create genuine opportunities for inclusion, which is something we will always strive to achieve.

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WELCOME TO

LIVERPOOL We may of course be a little bias as it is our hometown, but Liverpool is such a wonderful, vibrant, modern city, and we thought we would introduce you to some of the wonderful landmarks and places that make this city, like no other place.

All across the world, many people will know Liverpool because of The Beatles, which is all well and good, but there is so much more to this city that many people may not realise.

Since the Capital of Culture year in 2008 the city has continued to grow and on behalf of Ukraine, Liverpool hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022, to great success.

We included a brief introduction to Liverpool in our first edition, in this edition we will explore some of the things that make Liverpool such a wonderful place.

anpalacios, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

If you ask most people and certainly most music fans worldwide what is the first thing you think of when you think of Liverpool, the most frequent answer will almost certainly be The Beatles. As a city though, there are many other famous and recognisble musicians and bands.

The Beatles will of course dominate the music scene in Liverpool and there are many tourist attractions for Beatles fans, including the Cavern on Mathew Street, the Beatles Museum at the Royal Albert Dock, Strawberry Field, Penny Lane and many more. All of which Liverpool rightly celebrates.

Before the Beatles though there was Lita Roza. During the 1950's Lita became the first British woman to have a number one hit pop song, with ‘(How Much Is) That doggie int he Window. The swinging 60’s brought about the Merseybeat scene which was dominated by The Beatles, there were other musicians and bands though associated with Merseybeat, most notably Gerry & the Pacemakers, whose song You’ll Never Walk Alone is of course the main anthem of Liverpool Football Club. During the sixties Liverpool also produced the likes of Billy J. Kramer, The Dakotas and The Searchers. It was a fascinating decade more music when everybody wanted to be from Liverpool.

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Other notable artisits and muscians that made their breakthrough during the sixites include Cilla Black, Michael Holliday, Frankie Vaughan and The Scaffold, and even Ken Dodd. The decade though was of course dominated by John, Paul, George and Ringo. From playing in places like The Blue Angel and starring at The Cavern, to touring the world, The Beatles and Liverpool will always go hand in hand.

The 70's was a little bit quieter spell for the music scene in Liverpool, although George Harrison became the first Beatle to have a solo number one with ‘My Sweet Lord’. A band from that decade though that stands out are The Real Thing, with their number one hit ‘You To Me Are Everything’. In 1977, Wings, Paul McCartney’s band, topped the charts with ‘Mull of Kintyre’.

It was something of a revival in the 80's, with a host of new names and music orginiating from Liverpool. There were 3 more hits from John Lennon, whilst Paul McCartney had a duet with the iconic Stevie Wonder with ‘Ebony and Ivory’. The 80's though will be remembered as the breakthrough decade for bands like Frankie Goes to Hollywood, who were quite spectacular as they were controversial. Their most popular songs include ‘Relax’, ‘Two Tribes’ and ‘The Power of Love’.

Another band that made their breakthrough was Echo & the Bunnymen, whose version of People Are Strange, featured in the iconic The Lost Boys movie of 1987. Another Bunnymen hit The Killing Moon featured in the opening scenes of another cult movie, Donnie Darko.

The Teardrop Exlpodes, fronted by Julian Cope were another band from Liverpool, and their debut album ‘Kilimanjaro’ was released in 1980.

In 1981 Ian McNabb founded The Iccle Works who had a top 20 hit in 1983 with Love is a Wonderful Colour, followed up in 1984 by Whisper to a Scream.

Batiste Safont, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Ian McCullogh, lead singer from Echo & the Bunnymen

Flock of Seagulls were another band from the 80's, whose name was referenced in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and Adam Sandlers The Wedding Singer.

You Spin Me Round (Like A Record, Baby) is a song many people will know, the single was released in 1984, and reached #1 in the charts. It was a song from Dead or Alive who originated from Liverpool and was fronted by the late Pete Burns.

Another iconic song that many people will know is There She Goes from The La’s, who formed in 1983 with songwritier Lee Mavers and John Power on bass.

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After The La’s, John Power went on to form Cast, who were a big hit during the Brit Pop era with three Top 10 albums, and seven Top 10 singles including songs such as ‘Flying’, ‘Fine Time’, ‘Alright’, and ‘Walkaway’, which for any football fans may remember was used during the end credits of the England v Germany game during Euro 96, when England lost on penalties. Another band from Liverpool with connections to football is The Farm. Not only did they record a version of ‘All Together Now’ for Everton’s 1995 FA Cup Final song, it was also recorded for Euro 2004.

In 1993, Liverpool’s very own Sonia had the honour of representing the UK, coming a very credible second. It was in 1989 however when Sonia had her breakthrough with her debut single ‘You’ll never stop me from loving you’ reaching number 1 in the charts.

Another band from Liverpool, with possibly one of the most memorable and popular football songs are The Lighting Seeds, with ‘It’s Coming Home’ relased ahead of Euro 96, the video and song starred comedians Frank Skinner and David Baddiel. The ever so catch song was also recorded for the World Cup in 1998.

One of the best selling girl bands of all time the Spice Girls, with ‘Sporty Spice’ otherwise known as Mel C who is also from Liverpool. Mel C would also go on to have a successful career as a solo artist and dueted with the iconic Bryan Adams for the hit ‘When You’re Gone’ and ‘Never be the Same Again’ featuring the late Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopez. Another massive all girl band was Atomic Kitten, who were from Liverpol and who had three number one hits in 2001 and 2002.

Just a month before this edition of Sociable was released, The Beatles returned to the charts with their final single ‘Now and Then’ which became the bands 18th number one single.

Jennifer Boyer from Fredrick, Maryland, USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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A CITY OF CULTURE

In 2008, Liverpool was officially the European Capital of Culture, it really is the world in one city.

L

iverpool is an amazing city with lots of things to do and see and it’s a city steeped in history. We will now explore Liverpool and show you why it is like no other city in the world.

It may not be the biggest city in the United Kingdom, but Liverpool is definitely a city that is steeped in history. The city dates back to 1207, when King John of England granted the charter for a new town. It was in the 18th century though when Liverpool started to grow, with the second most important port in Britian, which was due to the profitable trade with the West Indies and the America’s. Liverpool’s Old Dock, built in 1715 was the world’s first enclosed wet dock. By the end of the century another 4 docks had been established and at one point, outsized London in dock space.

In the late 1860's, Chinese migrants started to arrive in Liverpool as a result of the employment of Chinese seamen by the Blue Funnel Shipping Line, which created links with Liverpool to cities such as Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Liverpool has a large multicultural population and the city is home to the oldest Chinese community in Europe and the largest Chinese Arch outside of China.

The Chinese Arch, Liverpool.

The Waterfront Liverpool is also home to a historic and quite magnificent waterfront. The Pier Head is home to some if the cities most iconic buildings, including the Three Graces, i.e. the Royal Liver Building (featured on the front cover of this edition of Sociable), Cunard Building and The Port of Liverpool Building. Located next to the Pier Head is the iconic Royal Albert Dock and then the M&S Bank Arena.

In the not too distant future another stunning addition to Liverpool’s waterfront will be Everton Football Club’s new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock, due for completion in 2024.

The night time view of the watefront is quite spectacular, especially when all of the wonderful buildings are lit up.

A CITY OF CULTURE

Liverpool Waterfront at Night

Hope Street A popular street in Liverpool is Hope Street. It is home to a variety of attractions such as the Philharmonic Hall and the Everyman Theatre, it also seperates Liverpool’s two cathedrals. Both are stunning in their own right, aesthetically though, they couldn’t be more different.

Liverpool Anglican Cathedral is the oldest of the cathedrals as construction started in 1904 and some 74 years later, in 1978, the construction was finally completed. The Cathedral is a masterpiece of the Gothic style, with a majestic and awe-inspiring interior.

Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral

The city is also home to two Premier League football teams, with Everton Football Club and Liverpool Football Club. Their grounds Goodison Park and Anfield are less than a mile apart.

Everton Football Club are the older statesman as they were founded in 1878 and were formally known as St Domingo’s FC. Everton’s initial home ground was Anfield, until 1892 when they moved to Goodison Park.

Liverpool Anglican Cathedral

In 1967, Liverpool seen its second cathedral open for the first time, when the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral was completed. This unique building is often referred to locally as Paddy’s Wigwam, due to the asthetics of the buidling and the large number of Roman Catholics in Liverpool.

The design of the cathedral is similar to a teepee shape and can be found at the opposite end of Hope Street in Liverpool.

As Anfield lay empty, the stadium owner John Goulding decided to form a new club and in the same year, Liverpool F.C was born.

In 2025, Everton F.C are due to move to their new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock, which even now (December 2023) looks stunning.

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WELCOME TO

HOLLYWOOD OF THE NORTH Liverpool has often been referred to as Hollywood of the North, due to the landscape and some of the magnificent buildings. There have been some blockbuster movies that have been filmed in this wonderful city of ours.

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, the scene when Harry and Hagrid make their way through a tunnel, avoiding the oncoming traffic, was filmed in the Queensway Tunnel, which connects Liverpool to the Wirral.

The iconic St Georges Hall was used to film scenes for Fantastic Beasts and where to find them, whilst the Cunard Building was transformed into the New York landmark that is Macy’s.

Goodison Park has seen some memorable nights throughout it’s history, but did you know it was also used in the first Creed movie? In the scenes where Creed is fighting Ricky Conlan, played by scouser and lifelong Everton support the crowd shots for the scene were filmed at half time during the Everton v West Brom game, which even included a message from Sylvester Stallone.

WELCOME TO

HOLLYWOOD OF THE NORTH A movie about The Beatles would be hard pushed not to film scenes in Liverpool and in Yesterday, there were scenes filmed down Penny Lane, at Strawberry Field, Lime Street Station, Liverpool City Centre and Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

In 2016, the Fast & Furious movie franchise took to the streets of Liverpool to film Fast & Furious 6, whilst the movie was set in London, it was Liverpool and the Queensway tunnel that were used for filming.

Anohter notable movie filmed in Liverpool is Captain America: The First Avenger. Liverpool’s Stanley Dock was used to recreate Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.

The modern day version of Alfie which starred Jude Law included scenes filmed in Liverpool.

In the blockbuster movie Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, The Strand, the Three Graces and Water Street were used as film locations, whilst the film Tolkien used Dale Street, Exhange Flags and William Brown Street to film scenes.

Another blockbuster movie that was filmed in Liverpool, was The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson used St Georges Hall and the Liver Building to film scenes. Sherlock Holmes featuring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law seen Stanley Dock being used as a film location. In 2001, 51st State featuring Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Carlye used LFC’s Anfield, the Pier Head.

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PIER HEAD

A DESTINATION FOR TOURISTS Liverpool has many wonderful places to visit, and the Pier Head, and the waterfont is definitely one of them.

At the Pier Head, visitors will find Liverpool’s spectacular Three Graces, whch consists of the Royal Liver Building , The Cunard Building and The Port of Liverpool. and they define one of the most beautiful skylines in the world. Another attraction at the Pier Head is the Museum of Liverpool.

If you’re looking to go on the famous Mersey Ferry, the terminal is at the Mersey Ferries building which is close to the Beatles statue, which is pictured below.

There are several places to grab some food and drinks at the Pier Head too with Brasco Lounge, Nova Scotia and Doogles Donuts all located at Mann Island, close to the Open Eye Gallery. There is also a cafe in the Mersey Ferries building and also in the majestic Royal Liver Building.

The Pier Head is close to the Royal Albert Dock and Liverpool One, making it a perfect place to visit.

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WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY

Rhiannon Kelly, Senior Marketing Manager at InnovateHer

One of the biggest questions in marketing and online content at the moment is how do you make websites and online products genuinely accessible?

With large companies tending to choose brand over compatibility, the question remains - who is doing it well? And how can we set a new standard?

At InnovateHer, accessibility has always been high on the agenda, becoming a topic of daily conversation. But first, let me introduce ourselves…

We make online e-learning courses, as well as connecting with big brands, to give young students access to inspirational content and highly sort after tech skills, which may not be available yet at school.

Our focus has always been how can we expose more students to inspiring female role models, and our philosophy is all about flipping the switch on a male-dominated industry..

We are InnovateHer, a small Liverpoolgrown Social Enterprise who is challenging the gender gap in the tech industry.

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So where does accessibility fit in?

We want to make sure no one is excluded from any of our content, from gender to learning ability - our platform is one where everyone is welcome.

But it does come with its challenges The first challenge is that we are a small team, and it takes a lot of oomph to shake the tech industry!

By bringing in tools such as Stark and Grammarly - we are able to set a benchmark/ source of accessibility truth for course and content creation.

Our colours and fonts are all set to be accessible as a baseline - and Grammarly keeps us in line when it comes to inclusive language and descriptions, but it’s a continual process and one we know we are still very much on a journey with.

We prioritise. We have to. Our courses all come with closed captions and are checked for screen readers - we choose to use videos where we can and constantly check for contrast and clarity. But I wouldn't be honest if we didn't find old legacy pages on the website which need a bit of TLC. We also know, we want to be further ahead of the basics - and championing accessibility. It makes us tough on ourselves when critiquing our work - there are constant improvements, resources to delve into, new research and incredible tech developments which are honestly groundbreaking.

We want to open the doors to the tech industry, as it is here that we will see change.

The more people who come from different backgrounds and have different stories and abilities, the better and more inclusive technology will become.

We need perspective when developing products, and we believe that by inspiring students that they can change the world, the world will become a better place.

And, for us, it starts with making an eLearning course.

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HOW DO WE PROTECT YOUNG PEOPLE FROM HARMFUL SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT?

BY RICHARD DAVIES DIRECTOR, CYBERFROG DESIGN

Those pesky kids!

As a dad, I get asked a lot of questions by my kids about stuff they can find out pretty easily themselves if they could be bothered – factual things, like, ‘Who’s the PM of France?’. They’re glued to a device that can answer any question you can possibly dream of. When I’m asked, I turn into my own dad. “When I were a lad, I had to leave the house, get on a bus, go to a library, find the section, find the book, then use the index to find stuff out! Google it.

Progress?

Perhaps they’re just checking if I know the answer. Kids can be cunning.

BTW, in case you’re wondering, the French PM is Élisabeth Borne. I’ve heard of her, but I had to Google it. Saved some bus fare there.

The accessibility of information we have these days is pretty mind-blowing if you think about it and unimaginable a generation ago. Kids today are fortunate to have that ease-of-access to things they need to know. It’s one of the wonderful things about the internet. But there’s the downside. The stuff they don’t need to know, or at least, finding out about things they probably shouldn’t on their own.

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A watershed?

Social media can be a fantastic thing and was a lifeline to many people during the pandemic. However, the recent tragic case of Molly Russell throws a damning spotlight on the kind of online social media content that is damaging for children, and which can even be, in poor Molly’s case, fatal. This is not a new phenomenon and the safeguarding of children online has been a high-profile concern for as long as the internet has been around. So why is it still a huge, and growing problem? And where does the responsibility lie to keep children safer?

Anyone with kids who have smartphones or tablets will know that it’s impossible to monitor them all the time. There are so many social media platforms and as time goes by, they become much more savvy than adults about social media and the new apps that are released. Those of us in our middle years, on the whole, understand Facebook and Twitter. I’m lost with Snapchat and Tik-Tok, but then again, they’re not aimed at me. They’re aimed at kids – hard to be the Smartphone Police and monitor something you don’t understand. We hope, as parents, that we have educated our kids enough so they can police themselves and talk to us when they come across something that makes them uncomfortable. Sadly, this is not always the case so how do we protect young people from harmful social media content?

Who’s the grown-up here?

While parents have to be watchful, a lot of the responsibility has to come from social media companies. A recent Ofcom investigation discovered that a third of children lie about their age to sign up to social media platforms. Of course they do! Kids fib, just as I fibbed when I was 15 that I absolutely wasn’t drinking White Lightning in Millhouses Park and smoking Benson & Hedges that Paul Thornley had nicked from his dad. There was peer pressure in 1986 just as there is peer pressure in 2022, especially as children feel like they should sign up because their mates already have. ‘Fear of missing out’ is still a thing – only the location has changed. They also sign up because they don’t understand or foresee the dangers that will come up.

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Who’s the grown-up here? Cont..

Most social media platforms require users to be over 13 years old. Ofcom found that 32% of children have accounts that feature adult content. 47% of eight to fifteen year olds have set their age as 16 or over. And, 60% of children under 13 have their own profiles. Anna-Sophie Harling, from Ofcom said, “We need to work both with parents and young people, but also platforms, to make sure that the ages at which those accounts are set are done in an accurate way.” It could be argued that plenty has been done to alert and educate parents and children over the years about the dangers of unsuitable content, and strangers, that are prevalent online. Yet, here we are, and nothing has changed much. The other thing that hasn’t changed is social media companies’ efforts to seriously do anything about it.

Social media platforms ask for a user’s age so appropriate content can be delivered. Clearly, if a child says they’re 18 when they’re 10, then they are at risk of being exposed to material that they don’t understand, is harmful, and will alter behaviour over time. ‘Enter your date of birth’ is hardly a robust solution. Add into this, targeted marketing so users end up with suggested material based on their browsing habits. Bad news if what you’re looking at isn’t age appropriate or is damaging. Molly Russell experienced this as ‘binge periods’ of unrequested material generated by social media algorithms featuring self-harm which ultimately contributed to her terrible death.

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An indictment After Molly’s inquest, coroner Andrew Walker speaking about Pinterest and Instagram (owned by Meta), said, “In some cases, the content was particularly graphic, tending to portray self-harm and suicide as an inevitable consequence of a condition that could not be recovered from. The sites normalised her condition, focusing on a limited and irrational view without any counterbalance of normality.” Molly’s death occurred because she was able to access, and was sent, content that she shouldn’t have been able to see which exacerbated her underlying depressive illness.

Social media companies need users in order make money. Young people use social media the most. Why on earth would they make it more difficult for users to sign up? But, they have a responsibility to deal with this and the kind of content that certain users are able to see but their reluctance to do so, while repugnant, is understandable – profit. After the inquest, a spokeswoman for Meta said the company was “committed to ensuring that Instagram is a positive experience for everyone, particularly teenagers” and that it would “carefully consider the coroner’s full report when he provides it”. A Pinterest executive told the court that the platform “should be safe for everyone”, and that “there was content that should have been removed that was not removed” when Molly was using it.

Flimsy acceptance, but not a firm commitment to change very much very quickly.

Amen.

How do we protect young people from harmful social media content? Ultimately, parents cannot do this alone. Molly’s father, Ian, said, “It’s time the toxic corporate culture at the heart of the world’s biggest social media platform changed. It’s time for the government’s Online Safety Bill to urgently deliver its long-promised legislation. It’s time to protect our innocent young people, instead of allowing platforms to prioritise their profits by monetising their misery.”

We desperately live in hope, but sadly for this generation, the genie is probably already out of the bottle.

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GET INVOLVED WITH FUTURE EDITIONS OF SOCIABLE Page 40

FOR INDIVIDUALS DO YOU ENJOY WRITING? If you enjoy writing articles and want to showcase your talents, then Sociable could be your perfect platform.

It doesn’t matter whereabouts in the world you are based, you can still support our magazine and submit an article.

Our goal is to publish an edition each quarter, meaning there would be 4 editions per year and for this we definitely require more individuals to get involved.

There are many topics that can be included in our digital magazine and we would love to hear from you if you have any suggestions for future articles.

For more information, contact us at info@theaccessibleguide.com

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FOR ORGANISATIONS SHARE YOUR GOOD NEWS We are looking to work with organisations from across the globe who can submit articles about the work they do. Organisations such as educational establishments, summer camps, youth organisations, disablility organisations, charitable and not for profits and many, many more are welcome to get involved.

If you have any news or advice that you would like to share then please get in touch.

There are opportunities for organisations to help grow their followers and spread their message further, it is something we are passionate about and we would be delighted for your organisation to get involved.

For more information, please contact us at info@theaccessibleguide.com

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JOIN OUR PRODUCTION TEAM WE NEED YOUR HELP! We are hoping to recruit individuals based in the Liverpool City Region that could support the production of our magazine.

There are many roles that we can offer, such as Editor and photographer, reporter and proof reader to name just a few.

If you have any skills that could help us create more editions of Sociable and you would like to join our team then please do not hesitate and get in touch.

There will be regular opportunities to meet service users and other team members, this is why it would be ideal if you were located in the Liverpool City Region.

For more information, please contact us at info@theaccessibleguide.com

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CONTACT SOCIABLE Sociable is a digital magazine from The Accessible Guide & Tuesday Night Social.

If you're interested in getting involved with the production of our magazine, please email us at info@theaccessibleguide.com We are actively looking for new individuals to support us with the production of future editions of Sociable.

If you have a few hours to spare on a Tuesday evening then why not come along to The Ark and get involved.

If you're not local to Liverpool, but would still like to get involved, then pleased don't hesitate to contact us, you can also contact us through our official social media pages.

For any other enquiries, including potential advertising opportunities then please contact our Management Company, The Accessible Guide.

Contact The Accessible Guide phil@theaccessibleguide.com

www.thisissociable.com