IN BRIEF
LIVERPOOL MARKS
20 YEARS OF TWINNING
WITH SHANGHAI
The Mayor of Liverpool Cllr Joe Anderson sponsored
an incredible event enabling the Chinese Community
from Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham to come
together for a glittering cultural concert celebrating 20
years since the twinning of Liverpool with Shanghai.
During the afternoon, a special concert to mark the occasion took
place in the Grade II* listed Grand Arrivals Hall of Liverpool’s famous
Cunard Building, organised by Charalene Lee, featuring performances
of Chinese music, song, dance and culture by members of Chinese
communities from Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.
Liverpool’s famous Hung Gar Kung Fu Club welcomed arriving guests
with a Lion Dance to bring good luck for the afternoon and Liverpool’s
Pagoda Chinese Community Orchestra opening festivities with a
special Chinese rendition of Beatles hit ‘Yellow Submarine’.
Representing the city of Liverpool were the Lord Mayor of Liverpool,
the Right Worshipful Councillor, Anna Rothery and Deputy Mayor &
Mayoral Lead for Business & International Relations, Cllr Gary Millar,
who has overseen the development of Liverpool’s thriving cultural and
business links with China.
Liverpool is home to the oldest Chinatown in Europe. In the late 19th
century the city was the landing point for many Chinese workers
employed by Alfred Holt and Company – the first commercial shipping
line created to focus on Chinese trade – which imported tea, cotton
and silk from Shanghai. Its workers lived in purpose-built houses close
to the docks and quickly established their own community, opening
shops, cafes and boarding houses.
During the three-hour concert, representatives of Chinese cultural
groups entertained guests with an array of cultural performances.
Ladies from Liverpool Wah Sing Chinese Community Centre
performed a Chinese ‘Umbrella Dance’. Members of Manchester’s
Xinhua Chinese Association gave a visually striking ‘Shandong Yange
Red Fan Dance’, while their choir sang a medley of Chinese and
western songs. Members of Birmingham’s Chinese Community Centre
gave a Chinese Flower Drum Dance. There were also performances by
Manchester Art of China, The Chinese Northeast Fellow Association
UK, Liverpool University Students Union and Liverpool’s Phoenix
Diploma Team. Liverpool’s Hung Gar Kung Fu Club closed the concert
with an impressive martial arts and weapons demonstration.
TRANSPORT POLICE
HELP THE HOMELESS
Merseyside’s British Transport Police has been running a
campaign to collect boots from their colleagues to donate
to homeless people to protect their feet during the cold
winter months. The idea came about after PC Leah Davin
and PCSO Rachel Corbett visited Wirral Ark to see how
they could support the Arklight Community Night
Shelter and Wirral’s rough sleepers.
PCSO Corbett explained why they got involved: “After visiting the
centre, PC Davin and I left feeling very reflective. We deal with the
homeless on a daily basis and it is important to us that we build up
a good rapport. We were both shocked to hear about how much the
homeless suffered with their feet during the winter and clean, dry,
and warm shoes is something which we probably all take for granted.
Being in the Police, we’re on our feet often for long hours, therefore
comfortable, warm and dry boots are a must. PC Davin came up with
the idea that we could ask colleagues and friends on the railway to
donate old boots. We passed out posters and sent some emails to
colleagues and visited staff across the network telling them of our
good cause. It was really humbling to see how many shoes and boots
were donated in just a couple of weeks and I think I can speak on
behalf of PC Davin when I say it left us both feeling really humble,
that we could do something to help.”
British Transport Police’s PS Owens, PC Davin and PCSO Corbett
delivered their donations of boots to Wirral Ark’s hostel. The boots
will be distributed to rough sleepers with a new pair of socks to
promote better foot health and to provide temporary relief.
Wirral Ark’s Business Development Manager Jackie Snell said:
“Foot problems are common amongst homeless people but are often
overlooked. As you can imagine, walking around in harsh winter
conditions has a terrible impact on homeless people’s health, including
their feet. Inadequate footcare and ill-fitting shoes can cause wounds,
blisters and sores and other skin infections which are made 10 times
worse by walking in wet and cold weather and poor living conditions.
While we provide a Nurse Clinic for rough sleepers to access health
care it is challenging to treat people when they have chaotic lifestyles
and do not return for treatment. We’re really grateful to BTP for
running this campaign for us, we always advise the public to ask us
first how they can help and this is a perfect example of how people can
use the resources available to them to help fight homelessness”.
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