WARMTH SCHEME SHOWS ITS SUPPORT FOR ARMED FORCES

AHEAD of Armed Forces Day on 28 June 2014, nPower Health Through Warmth is showing its support for individuals and families with forces connections.  The scheme, which is available to help vulnerable people with heating and insulation in Southport, has supported hundreds of people connected with the armed forces across England and Wales since its launch in 2000. In fact, Health Through Warmth has accessed funding worth more than £680,000 from forces charities, including The Royal British Legion (RBL), to support more than 500 people. This Armed Forces Day, the scheme is keen to raise awareness of the help on hand as Elaine Midwinter, nPower Health Through Warmth scheme manager, explains:- "Health Through Warmth is proud to offer support. We work closely with forces charities throughout the year to help vulnerable people who need help with heating repairs and installations and insulation in their homes. We are delighted to have already been able to assist so many who have links with the armed forces.“

Patricia Dunn, 64, is one lady who has been helped by the scheme. Working with several forces charities, nPower Health Through Warmth installed a new boiler and thermostat for Patricia. Patricia comments:- "I didn't think I would be eligible for help from anywhere, but then I was put in touch with Health Through Warmth. I'm really thankful for the help the scheme has given me, it has made such a difference.“

nPower Health Through Warmth is available to vulnerable homeowners who have a cold related illness, a low income with little or no savings and are unable to fully fund a new boiler or heating system. You do not have to be, or become, an nPower customer to benefit from the scheme.  Since the scheme was founded in 2000, more than 83,000 vulnerable residents in England and Wales have been referred to nPower Health Through Warmth for aid with heating and insulation. More than £67million has been levered to help fund the work required, which includes £2million from charitable organisations. In addition, £9.4million has been contributed from the nPower Health Through Warmth Crisis Fund.  To find out if you, or someone you know, may be eligible for help through nPower Health Through Warmth, visit them via their website.

Pupils to learn more about City's War Effort

EVERY school child in Liverpool will be able to engage with the Great War thanks to a brand new teaching resource.  Memories of World War 1 Resource Pack has been created by Culture Liverpool's participation team. Their aim is to get every school in the city to encourage pupils to learn about Liverpool's role in World War 1 (WW1); encouraging them to devise their own projects around events such as Memories of August 1914 which sees the return of the giants in July 2014.   The pack is launched as part of the giant event, but will be used for the next 4 years Commemorations, highlighting key anniversaries in the programme and will be added to throughout.  It will reach around 65,000 young people. Liverpool City Council's cabinet member for culture and tourism, Councillor Wendy Simon, said:- "As with all our big events, we want to make sure there is a strong participation and legacy element which can resonate with future generations. In 2012, the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic was marked with the first giant outing Sea Odyssey, and as part of this we involved every school in a successful letter writing project which highlighted the impact of the tragedy on the family and friends of those who were lost at sea. 100 years since the outbreak of war offers a wonderful opportunity for children and young people to learn about the invaluable role Liverpool played in this pivotal time in world history. Memories of August 1914 will be regarded as the start of this City's commemorations, and through the magical and moving journey of the giants, people will be able to discover the impact of war on the City. With a huge number of projects taking place up to 1918, the opportunities for schools to immerse themselves in our rich heritage are vast.  We look forward to seeing what amazing work our young people create whether it's an art project, theatre piece, story writing, sporting event, or whatever fantastic ideas they come up with.“

Memories of World War One signposts teachers to suggested resources, all of which hold vital information about Liverpool's WW1 story. These include links to the Imperial War Museum, Merseyside at War website, Museum of Liverpool's new 1st World War exhibition, BBC resources, what's available in local libraries including Liverpool Central Library's archive as, well as a suggested reading list for young people from the Book Trust. The pack also highlights other national events and projects happening as part of the commemorations such as Dazzleship with Liverpool Biennial and 1418Now, Lights Out and Letter to an Unknown Soldier.  There is also detail on how it supports Key Stages 1 to 3, suggesting programmes of study on a huge number of subjects including Lord Derby and the Liverpool Pals, Noel Chavasse, Victoria Cross recipient Thomas Alfred (Todger) Jones and football during wartime with links to lesson plans and relevant websites.  The resource pack highlights key figures and places from Liverpool and Merseyside's WW1 history and encourages schools to research these stories and add to them by uploading their own findings and family stories to a special website that has been developed by Liverpool John Moores University.  This will create an interactive catalogue of stories of those in the region who were affected in some way by the war, and schools will be able to upload projects they work on.  The document has already been presented to Liverpool Head Teachers, but any residents or community groups can access the resource pack online.  Other ways the public, community organisations, schools and other organisations can get involved is by organising their own WW1 themed events, activities and exhibitions and uploading the details to Culture Liverpool's event listings online. Events uploaded will feature on the itsliverpool website and will be collated over the next 4 years.