Following the news that the Bolton Wanderers takeover has been completed, the EFL has released the following statement. Debbie Jevans CBE, Executive Chair, said:
“On behalf of the EFL Board, I am pleased that the administrators appointed in respect of Bolton Wanderers Football Club have today concluded the transfer of assets with Football Ventures to place the Club under new ownership and out of administration.
“Having worked closely with the administrators since their appointment in May, the EFL has been focused on working through this difficult and complex period of uncertainty with all parties. “Following the completion of the sale, the Club is no longer in administration and the notice of withdrawal issued as per the EFL’s insolvency policy has been cancelled. “These past few months have undoubtedly been challenging and, at times fraught – never more so in the past few days – and I would like to thank all parties for their efforts in achieving the desired outcome.
“I would also like to place on record my grateful appreciation and thanks to the players, former and present management, staff and supporters for their patience and understanding in allowing us to get to this point. “Everyone at the EFL is now looking forward to working with the new ownership during the 2019/20 campaign and beyond.”
Burnley Council has bought two electric bikes for its parks staff to use as part of its commitment to help protect the environment. The e-bikes will be used to allow staff to travel from site to site as well as being able to access the local parks to carry out their general duties. Councillor Ivor Emo, the council’s executive member housing and leisure, said: “The electric bikes are an ideal way for staff to get about. They’re quiet, so they don’t spoil the peace and tranquility of the parks; they’re practical because they can get to areas bigger vehicles can access; and they help cut down on pollution and help promote a healthier, more environmentally-friendly approach.
“The council is committed to cutting its carbon footprint and these e-bikes make a contribution towards that; they’re definitely the way ahead. “The electric motors make life easier for staff and means they can get around faster and cover a much larger area than if they were on foot. It also means they can easily stop and interact with other park users.” The e-bikes were purchased from local company OnYerBike.
The bikes were officially handed over at Thompson Park which hosts regular cycling events in and around the park organised by Burnley Leisure.
A group of young people who are taking part in the Youth Ambassador programme have begun to plan their next steps – planning two community events that will support young people at risk of getting involved in crime. The young people, aged 12 to 16 years, started to shape their plans for the event during a three night residential at Kentmere Residential Centre. 11 young people spent three days away from home, developing their skills in teamwork, communication, decision making and problem solving. They also got the chance to try outdoor activities such as kayaking and orienteering – for the first time for some.
Cole who is taking part in the project said: The project has helped me build confidence in talking to new people and have a better understanding of other cultures. The residential was great fun and we can’t wait to deliver our social action plan.
Since June the youngsters have been meeting weekly, taking part in Youth Ambassador sessions at Blackburn Youth Zone. Part of the Our Community, Our Future social integration programme, these sessions have brought young people from different parts of the borough together to explore topics around identity and culture and to develop new skills.
Dean Edwards from Blackburn Youth Zone commented: The residential gave these young people a fantastic opportunity to develop their independence. They were brilliant at supporting one another and did a great job of developing their own rota for roles and responsibilities for the trip and really bonded as a team. It was really encouraging to see them work together on their idea for a social action project – they’ve got bags of enthusiasm! We’ll support them to develop their plan over the next few weeks, involving those Youth Ambassadors who weren’t able to attend the residential too. More young people in the borough have the chance to get involved in the Youth Ambassadors programme – the next two groups start on Thursday 26 September at Blackburn Youth Zone and Saturday 5 October at Blackburn Rovers Community Trust. Open to all 12 to 16 year olds in Blackburn with Darwen, the Youth Ambassador programme aims to provide young people with the opportunity and skills to make a difference in their community by working with others on local projects. To find out more about Youth Ambassadors, email enquiries@blackburnyz.org or call 01254 292000.
Youth Ambassadors is delivered by a broad range of partners from across the borough bringing together a range of skills, knowledge and expertise: Blackburn Youth Zone, Blackburn Rovers Community Trust, BwD Young People’s Services, Healthy Living, IMO, One Voice Blackburn and Child Action North West.
Ruffords Country Store is part of Clarke and Pulman, an independent family company est. in 2003. Ged Clarke the Managing Director joined an agricultural tractor and machinery business, as an apprentice sales person. Progressing his way up the ladder resulted in Massey Ferguson recognising Ged’s potential and keen enthusiasm. This resulted in Ged being offered the Massey Ferguson Franchise for the Ormskirk region. Ged readily accepted the challenge in 2003, establishing Clarke and Pulman, further franchises followed; Fendt, JCB, Kverneland and Valtra. All of this situated at his site in Burscough near Ormskirk. Ged’s vision and dedication to the business brought about further inspiration; he had the desire to venture into the Country Clothing sector, complementing his now successful agricultural dealership. In 2017 the acquisition of the Claughton-on-Brock, Garstang branch allowed Ged to make his vision into a reality.
Rufford’s was born and opened in November of 2018 and has been fantastically received, going from strength to strength in just a few short months. The desire and aim are to provide a friendly, first class service together with an enjoyable shopping experience for the community for years to come. The store is run by his daughter Becky Clarke at the Claughton-on-Brock, Garstang branch and is the go-to place in the area for country lifestyle wear. Attached onto Clarke and Pulman and Rufford’s Country Store is also Garstang Tyre Services.
The garage offers tyre services and MOT’s and the trio of business’s work very well together to give waiting customers a place to go, get a tea or coffee and browse the retail stores.
Rufford’s Country Store offers clothing and footwear ranges for Men, Ladies and Children plus has a wide range of giftware and homeware. Being situated on Garstang Road in Claughton-on-Brock gives the store a great advantage for passing custom plus the benefit of having its own free car park for easy access. Plus with development in the immediate area both residential and commercial the region is only going to become busier. The country lifestyle section is one that has been long standing in the retail industry. Being from a country and equine background the whole Clarke family and many of their employees understand customers and what they want from the store. The store boasts some amazing brands such as Dubarry of Ireland, Fairfax and Favor, R.M Williams, Musto and many more. One of the latest brands to be introduced is Hicks and Hides. 17 year old Bridie Hicks founded Hicks and Hides in 2010. Now manufacturing, designing and supplying unique belts, dog collars and leads, purses, wallets, travel-wear and other shooting accessories, Hicks and Hides has developed into a country wear icon.
Based in the idyllic village of Broadway in the Cotswolds, their rustic workshop and showroom promote the heart of our business where they create their bespoke designs. All of their Belts, Dog Collars and Leads are started and finished by hand in England, using the very finest leather. All of their fittings are crafted to the highest standard using solid brass and steel (nickel plated), to complement their signature addition of recycled shotgun cartridges or rifle brass casings.
They really are a go to brand for giftware or even something to treat yourself with. As a whole Rufford’s Country Store has been greatly received, with many customers proclaiming that ‘we have needed something like this in the area for too long’. The positivity has been great to hear and hopefully in the years to come the name Rufford’s Country Store will only grow.
PAW Patrol fans will be able to meet their favourite characters this summer – as Blackburn hosts the world’s first PAW Patrol brick trail, built and presented by BRICKLIVE.
The stunning spectacle, featuring 21 of your favourite characters and buildings from the hit Nick Jr show, will be built by BRICKLIVE from brightly coloured toy bricks and placed around the town centre between 23 August and 1 September. Are you all ears? Characters Chase, Marshall, Skye and the gang will be hosted by venues around the town – which will be rebranded ‘Brickburn’ to celebrate the trail. Blackburn will be the first place in the world to host the official PAW Patrol brick models, with the pups ranging in size from 75cm to 120cm high. Model builders are on a roll ahead of this summer’s trail, and the mighty models will be unveiled on 23 August.
The trail, organised by Blackburn Business Improvement District (BID), will also feature a 2m tall Lookout Tower using over 65,000 bricks; and a selfie-zone of Marshall’s Fire Truck using a whopping 160,000 bricks. Competitions related to the trail will be running during the 10-day installation. Families will be able to explore the town and find all the models using the Brickburn trail map and children will also be able to take part in a number of free workshops and interactive building activities. Across the town, a programme of Brickburn fringe events will also be developed by Blackburn BID businesses, including interactive brick and PAW Patrol themed activities. Details to be announced soon.
Catherine Price, Blackburn BID Manager, said: “The Brickburn PAW Patrol brick trail is an opportunity for Blackburn to come together and celebrate everyone’s favourite childhood bricks. From little ones to big kids, Brickburn will have something for all fans of these iconic building bricks. “We hope families take advantage of this free event and explore Blackburn town centre as they visit each PAW Patrol character on the trail. The fringe events will keep the whole family busy and with workshops free for all, we hope to ignite imaginations across Blackburn.” Brickburn’s PAW Patrol BRICKLIVE trail will take place from 23 August – 1 September across Blackburn centre. More details on the trail, interactive zone and fringe programme will be released in due course.
People can keep up with the latest Brickburn news by searching #Brickburn on Twitter and Instagram, or join the Blackburn BID Facebook page for event details and updates.
It’s blast-off time for an out-of-this-world adventure at Manchester libraries as this year’s Summer Reading Challenge ‘Space Chase’ gets underway. All children aged 4-11 years can take part in the fun and join in for free by asking about it at their local library. All those taking part get a special pack to launch them off on their reading challenge, as well as a few free gifts along the way – including the chance to enter prize draws to win some fantastic prizes.
The summer reading challenge is simple to do – children just have to read any six library books of their own choice or from the Space Chase collection of books and pick up a special sticker each time they finish one. When they’ve completed the challenge they get rewarded with a fabulous medal and entered into the grand prize draw.
There will be lots of other fun things to do during the challenge at libraries across the city with over 160 free family craft and activity sessions planned. Tiny tots will also be able to get involved through a separate mini-challenge of their very own. The Summer Reading Challenge is delivered in association with The Reading Agency and is the UK’s biggest annual reading promotion for children.
Between 2016 and 2018 over 26,000 children took part in the Summer Reading Challenge in Manchester libraries, and it’s hoped that a record-breaking number of children will take part this year. The challenge comes hot on the heels of the citywide Readathon held in June that saw 36,000 local children sign up to take part in the mammoth fortnight-long charity reading session to raise money for books to go in the library at Manchester Children’s Hospital. Councillor Luthfur Rahman, Executive Member for Skills, Culture and Leisure, said:
“We know that children in Manchester love reading and we’re determined to get even more children involved than before in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge. Get down to your local library, grab some books, and get involved – it’s going to be out of this world!”
For more details on the Summer Reading Challenge and a full list of activities taking place in Manchester libraries over the summer visit: manchester.gov.uk/summerreadingchallenge
St Helens Chamber is launching a brand new Study Programme in September, IT Systems and Coding, aimed at creating talented candidates for local businesses and filling the gap in training for young people aspiring to have a career in the digital industry. Liverpool City Region is one of the UKs fastest growing digital and creative hubs, but many vacancies are left unfilled due to a shortage of experienced candidates. This Study Programme aims to address this by training talented, local young Apprentices to fill these vacancies.
In the Liverpool City Region, 22,000 people are already employed in the digital and creative sector. As an industry worth £1.8bn to the region, investment in the next generation of digital talent is key to building on our region’s strong position. John Westhead, Director of Training Services at St Helens Chamber, explains:
“Many young people have come to the Chamber showing an interest in starting a career in development and coding, but there has been a lack of training available for them locally to do so. “We’ve created this Study Programme to fill this training gap so they can pursue their career aspirations, right here in St Helens. It’s important to us to invest in developing the next generation of digital professionals, as the statistics show the digital sector is growing and local businesses are crying out for great candidates.”
The IT Systems and Coding Study Programme will be delivered at Clickworks, St Helens Chamber’s digital skills centre in St Helens town centre, and will train students aged 16-18 in the basics of coding; with modules including Principles of ICT systems and data security, Creating computer programmes, Java script and SQL.
Alongside building their coding and IT skills, students will complete an extended work experience placement and also will benefit from an all-expenses-paid study trip to Germany, a range of field trips, free driving lessons and more to broaden their industry knowledge. The study programme will give local businesses access to a pool of talented developers ready to recruit into their businesses – bringing fresh ideas and plenty of energy.
John added: “This new Study Programme will create brand new candidates with the right training to be able to fill the vacancies of local businesses, boosting employment in our area. “Plenty of local businesses are in need of candidates and are more than happy to offer Apprenticeships after seeing how valuable they can be to a business. The Study Programme will help us to meet this demand and continue our work to support both young people and the local economy.”
To find out more about St Helens Chamber’s new study programmes contact Laura Brogden at laura.brogden@sthelenschamber.com or 01744 742011.
Plans to bring an adventure golf course and tenpin bowling alley to Chorley town centre are taking shape as the people behind the business got a look around the Market Walk development. Ian and Lorraine Kearney, who will run the Escape Entertainment Venue, got a tour of the site with bosses from Chorley Council, which is building the extension to the Market Walk shopping centre. The new venture has also had plenty of offers of support from local businesses and Ian and Lorraine have been overwhelmed by the positive comments from people.
“It’s been full steam ahead getting all the plans in place and the support from members of the public has been phenomenal,” said Ian. “It was great to get chance to have a look around inside the building and we can’t wait to show everyone the detail of what we will be hosting in Chorley as it will be up there with the best leisure offers in the region. “We will be providing entertainment that will let people escape from their day-to-day lives and allow them to have plenty of fun with family and friends.”
The plans, which are subject to a contract being signed, are a significant step in attracting tenants to the £15 million extension, off Union Street, which will see a six-screen cinema and M&S Food hall coming to Chorley. Councillor Alistair Bradley, Leader of Chorley Council, said: “We knew that this type of offer would be really popular but the response has been fantastic.
“It was great to walk the site with Ian and Lorraine and it is brilliant that we have a local business looking to bring this new offer and I know they are keen to work with other Chorley businesses, which is great for the borough. “I’m looking forward to seeing the final designs and concepts for the adventure golf and tenpin bowling and we’ll share them with everyone as soon as we can.” Alongside the shopping centre extension Chorley Council is undergoing multi-million-pound improvements to the wider town centre and has already created more than 100 new parking spaces to accommodate extra visitors.
The shopping centre extension is due to open in time for Christmas trading in 2019.
It’s Love Parks week and Wyre is celebrating after receiving Green Flag Awards for four of its parks; Poulton’s Vicarage Park, Hawthorne Park and Wyre Estuary Country Park in Thornton, and Memorial Park in Fleetwood have all retained this prestigious award.
The Green Flag Awards scheme is run by leading environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy who also run the Blue Flag/Seaside Awards for beaches. They recognise well managed parks and quality open spaces which serve the local community.
This international award is a sign to the public that Wyre’s parks boasts the highest possible environmental standards, are beautifully maintained and have excellent visitor facilities.
Councillor Simon Bridge, Street Scene, Parks and Open Spaces Portfolio Holder at Wyre Council, said: “We are lucky to have some beautiful parks and green open spaces on our doorstep and we know how important these areas are to our local community. “It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of Wyre Council’s officers and volunteers who work hard to maintain and enhance the park’s natural beauty.
“We are very proud to win Green Flags Awards for our parks. It provides us with the chance to showcase our parks and allows everyone to celebrate these beautiful spots in Wyre. What a great way to mark Love Parks Week”. Love Parks Week takes place every year with the aim of encouraging everyone to get out and enjoy their favourite park. By using and celebrating your local park, we can all join together to help protect them for future generations.
Find out more about Wyre’s parks at www.wyre.gov.uk/parks
YMCA Garstang Leisure Centres on Windsor Road and Oak Road are excited with the continuing investments and improvements to the facilities. Wyre Council’s Cabinet approved a £65k investment to the centres which has included a newly refurbished foyer and reception area at YMCA Garstang swimming pool and 25 new spinning bikes at YMCA Garstang Leisure Centre. This is the latest investment that the partnership between YMCA and Wyre Council has delivered. The centres received a make-over in recent years including complete refurbishments to changing rooms at both centres and to the fitness suite at YMCA Garstang Leisure.
The latest investment signifies the intent of the partnership to ensure the whole community continues to be active. The investment into purchasing new spinning bikes and fitness experiences to YMCA Garstang Leisure Centre will allow the centre to enhance their class timetable and improve the overall customer experience.
The new Schwinn AC Performance bikes and improved lighting will provide an authentic riding experience that cannot be rivaled locally. Not only this, but customers will be able to utilise a new fitness experience within the centre in the shape of “My Zone”. My Zone aims to help people feel good about exercise through technology. It is an innovative wearable heart rate based system that uses wireless and cloud technology to accurately and conveniently monitor physical activity.
Following investment into upgrading the pool plant room in 2017, YMCA Garstang Pool on Oak Road has received a full refurbishment of their foyer including renovations to the floor, ceiling and lighting. The reception has also had a complete refurbishment and the previously enclosed area has now been replaced by a new reception area and office, creating a more open environment.
Dave Sweetman, General Manager at YMCA Garstang said, “We hope you will agree that the investments at both centres are an exciting new addition to the centres. The refurbishments at YMCA Garstang Pool will create a more positive experience for the customer. We hope you like the changes. The addition of 25 new spinning bikes will also add to the customer experience, creating more opportunity for people to enjoy our class timetable at YMCA Garstang Leisure Centre. We urge the local community to make full use of the facilities on offer. Working in partnership with Wyre Council, we continue to provide a great experience that will inspire all members of the community to get active with us.”
Councillor Lynne Bowen, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Health and Community Engagement at Wyre Council comments, “We are proud to work together with YMCA Fylde Coast to invest in state of the art leisure centre facilities and fitness equipment. The improvements made to the two centres in Garstang provide a high quality exercise experience for local residents at both the leisure centre and the swimming pool.”
