LIGHTS SHINE BRIGHT IN MEMORY OF DAD
CALLING ALL THE HEROES !
SHAFTESBURY YOUTH CLUB CREATE WALL MURAL
W L NEWS
LIGHTS SHINE BRIGHT IN MEMORY OF DAD
CALLING ALL THE HEROES !
Wirral Council is calling for your nominations for the Wirral Award 2017 !
Recipients will be treated to a civic reception at Wallasey Town Hall , and join a small but distinguished band of people who have been recognised with this civic honour - which rewards going the extra mile for others . They are looking for individuals or organisations living or working in Wirral who have made an outstanding achievement over the previous 12 months , or have given distinguished service to the borough ( over a period of 20 years or more , less in exceptional circumstances ). Mayor of Wirral , Cllr Ann McLachlan , will present the awards . She said : ‘ Our award holders are from various fields of public life and have included volunteers , community workers and people from the world of sport and the arts . If you ’ ve ever heard yourself thinking that someone you know deserved an award for the good works they do , now is the time to nominate them .’ You have until December 8 , 2017 , to make your nomination at : www . wirral . gov . uk / awards .
Ten thousand beautiful lights will be switched on in memory of loved ones at Wirral Hospice St John ’ s this December . This special event is an opportunity for our local community to come together to sponsor a light and remember their loved ones .
The switch-on will take place in the Hospice gardens on Sunday 3rd December from 4.30pm . The names of those remembered will feature in the books of honour on display in the hospice chapel . Each name sponsored will receive a Light up a Life card and there is an opportunity to buy a Light up a Life star as a keepsake tree decoration . This year the lights will be switched on by eight-year-old Sam Bryson whose dad died at Wirral Hospice St John ’ s in 2015 . Sam was six and his sister Florence was just two when their dad Roger died from bowel cancer aged 48 . The children spent a lot of time visiting their dad at the hospice and were always made to feel welcome and cared for ; their father was an in-patient for almost three months . Periods of stability meant he was able to live at the family home in Hoylake for a few weeks at a time . Roger was a news journalist who worked for the BBC in Liverpool , and was a former news editor of The Liverpool Daily Post . Roger was hospitalised in May 2013 with essential thrombocythemia – a blood disorder that caused a series of blood clots , resulting in complications and emergency bowel surgery . He returned to work nearly 18 months later , but developed further problems and was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer in April 2015 . He moved to Wirral Hospice St John ’ s days later . The family have since moved from Wirral to Julia ’ s hometown in Ilkley , West Yorkshire , but visit Hoylake often . Roger ’ s family – his mum was 91 this year and lives in Moreton with his sister Jehane , and his brother Pete and sister-inlaw Glenys live in Irby . Julia Bryson writes a blog called Rainbeaubelle ( rainbeaubelle . com ) and documents their journey online . Writing about her husband ’ s cancer diagnosis , his move to the hospice and eventually his death helped her to get through the experience and connect with others in a similar position . It has also served to give people an insight into life at a hospice and how the hospice can benefit not only the patient but also the whole family . Last year ’ s campaign helped to raise almost £ 90,000 towards running costs and patient care . To sponsor a light , call 0151 343 0778 or visit www . wirralhospice . org
SHAFTESBURY YOUTH CLUB CREATE WALL MURAL
Shaftesbury Youth Club , in collaboration with The Wilfred Owen Story , has created a wall mural within the grounds of the Shaftesbury ’ s Memorial Garden , which depicts a WW1 battlefield scene and is inspired by lines from Wilfred Owen ’ s poem ‘ The Next War ’.
The mural completes the works to commemorate the young people who were members of the youth club , and who gave their lives in the “ Great War ”, many of whom are featured in the club ’ s iconic commemorative ‘ Golden Book ’. The mural was painted by Rebecca Grindley , who is the resident artist with the Wilfred Owen Story , based on Argyle Street , Birkenhead . Rebecca , who studied at Goldsmiths Art College in London , says , “ It has been an honour to contribute to the club ’ s memorial garden . Wilfred lived just a short distance away and would have known the field . It seemed fitting to illustrate his poem , as Owen was aghast at the senseless loss of youth in the war . The poem I chose was one of only 5 published while Wilfred was alive , and was actually written in July 1917 , so it is exactly 100 years since he proclaimed ‘ Death was never an enemy of ours !.” Members of the public can visit the Garden by arrangement , please ring the club on 0151 608 7165 . wirrallife . com 9