IN BRIEF
COUNCIL STAFF GO INTO THE COMMUNITY TO GET PEOPLE ON BOARD TO FOSTER FOR SEFTON
GETTING BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS … OF NORRIS GREEN PARK
Council staff , foster carers and their families braved the elements and embarked on a mission to encourage anyone who is thinking about setting sail on a new life , to become a foster carer for Sefton Council .
As part of Sefton ’ s Foster Care Fortnight celebrations , members of the fostering community climbed on board the ‘ Pride of Sefton ’ to spread the message that the Council needs more local people to give a loving and stable home to vulnerable children from the Borough .
Lisa Cummings Service Manager for Sefton ’ s Fostering Service said : “ Nothing stopped us celebrating Foster Carer Fortnight on the ‘ Pride of Sefton ’ today . The weather was wild but we she still wanted to get out in the community and spread the word . Thank you to Sovini who helped us by donating today ’ s sailing and to the ‘ Pride of Sefton ’ crew who did an amazing job . Fostering is not just about these two weeks . All year round we want to show our carers that we value them and send a message for people to come on board with our amazing team and support network and become a foster carer for Sefton ”
Taking in the beautiful sights of Liverpool ’ s waterways , foster carers Sue and Derek said : “ Coming out in this awful weather proved just how much fostering means to us because it doesn ’ t matter what the weather or the situation , you just want to get out there and spread the message that these children need our help . Anyone who has given fostering even the slightest consideration should really go for it because it ’ s changed the world for us .”
Dave is a Placement Support Worker at Sefton and was also part of the crew who regularly takes children who are fostered for days out on ‘ The Pride of Sefton ’. He said : “ I ’ m so glad that we can use the ‘ Pride of Sefton ’ as part of our recruitment campaign . People all around can see our sign and our details so it ’ s another way of getting the word out there . The boat has so many uses as the children love it when we bring them on and sail down the river and in and out of the locks . Bringing them together allows them to speak to other children who are in a similar situation as them . This helps to build their confidence while they ’ re having fun .”
Sefton Council is committed to offering support to its carers every step of the way . This includes specialist and peer support , training and a financial package . To make an enquiry or find out more please visit www . seftonfostering . co . uk or call free on 0800 923 2777 .
Established in 2018 , Friends of Norris Green Park volunteer group are on the lookout for more people to come and get involved in improving the park .
The group have lots of volunteering opportunities from litter picking & planting , painting signage , bins and benches , making pallet planters & seating , to helping to restore the old walled kitchen garden , sunken rose garden & old stables that belonged to the long-gone Norris Green mansion . There are also behind the scenes roles such as fundraising , social media admin , and blog writing , as well as lots of opportunities for suitably qualified people to deliver sports and other activities in the park .
At the moment , the group meets three times a week ( Monday & Wednesday 10:00 – 13:00 and Saturday 10:00 – 15:00 ) but the days and session times will be extended later in the Summer when the new heritage centre and volunteer-led café open .
Regular volunteers can also access DBS checks , and training such as risk assessment , food safety L1 , safeguarding children , mental health awareness , infection control and workplace health & safety . All tools are provided , and free refreshments at the end of each session .
You can find more information on the FoNGP social media pages below , or get in touch by email friendsofngp @ gmail . com or mobile 07427 484 521 .
Instagram : https :// www . instagram . com / friendsofnorrisgreenpark / Twitter : @ NGPFriends Facebook : https :// www . facebook . com / groups / FoNGP / Blog : https :// friendsofnorrisgreenpark . wordpress . com
The group have also just finished a community podcast project – listen to the first four episodes throughout May 2021 on Spotify or Pocketcast .
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