|
Civic honour for City icon
INSPIRATIONAL transgender campaigner,
April Ashley will be named a 'Citizen of Honour' in her home City this week.
At an intimate ceremony at Liverpool Town Hall, April will be awarded the honour
in recognition of her work in fighting for transgender equality. Wednesday, 29
April 2015, also marks April's 80th Birthday, so will be a fitting way for her to
celebrate this landmark occasion.
Lord Mayor of Liverpool Councillor Erica Kemp CBE said:- "I am delighted
to be honouring this outstanding lady for her dedication and commitment to
ensuring that the transgender, gay, lesbian & bisexual community are listened to
and given equal rights.
Her tireless campaigning, determination and courage make her a most worthy
recipient of this honour. I hope that by awarding April a Citizen of
Honour we can highlight the inequalities that individuals still suffer today and
encourage those who feel lost and confused to reach out and realise that they
are not alone."
April Ashley said:- "It is wonderful to be receiving this honour in my
home city and for such a worthy cause.
We all have a responsibility to stand up and fight for basic human rights and to
be recognised for this is truly wonderful.
It is also a fantastic way to celebrate a landmark birthday in one of our most
historic and stunning buildings."
Born in Liverpool on 29 April 1935 as George Jamieson at the age of 25 she was
one of the first people to have gender reassignment. Since then from her
platform as a successful model, she has been instrumental in the campaign for
transgender and LGBT equality.
In 2012 in recognition for her services to transgender equality she was awarded
the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2012 Birthday
Honours. She speaks regularly on LGBT rights, including most recently in 2008 at
St George's Hall.
In addition this week, Liverpool's 1st Transgender Pride Flag will be given to
the Museum of Liverpool archive. The flag was 1st presented to the Lord Mayor,
Councillor Erica Kemp, by members of the local transgender community in November
2014. It was flown for the first time in support of Transgender Day of
Remembrance, a global event, held annually on the 20 November 2015 to remember transgender lives lost to
violence and prejudice.
Sophie Green, from Liverpool Trans said:- "It's incredibly empowering to
see your community represented and the Transgender Pride flag represents a group
which often faces huge prejudice and intolerance throughout the world. To
witness members of the transgender community raise the flag above Town Hall was
an incredibly proud moment and I'm delighted it will soon to be part of the
Museum of Liverpool Archive."
Letters to the Editor:-
"In reply to the 'Is Southport a City' question..."
"IN your last
edition a reader had said that people are
saying Southport is a City and Formby is a Town, you then asked if other people
had spotted this. Yes, I have spotted this, plus I have noticed that
Blackpool has also been slipping the word City in to tourist information ad
business promotion wording on the internet. As an example I have found on a
Holiday website:- 'Blackpool is a must visit City.'
Plus the same hotel booking page adds at the end:- 'this
vibrant City will not disappoint.' I think this is down to marketing
people trying to make the area seem bigger and better. It seems to have started
after Preston received the Royal Seal of approval and became England's 50th
City, back in 2002. Saying that I have also spotted that it is increasingly
appearing within the media, in reference to Formby. Reporters in the local
media and even on Southport Reporter keep referring to Formby Parish Council as
a Town Council." Samantha Edwards.
Editors reply:-
"Thanks Samantha for your letter. Please can you send us the link to the
Blackpool website! We will also keep an eye out for our use of Town
Council. We would love to hear from other readers as well, so please do
send us an
email
about this issue raised last week by John." |
 |
Opticians offers seasonal
advice to ensure there's 'not a dry eye in the house'
SUMMER is almost here and while warmer
days are welcomed by most, for others the hot weather brings with it the
irritation of dry eyes, a condition a Southport opticians is seeing rising
numbers of. While dry eye syndrome is often mistakenly believed to be caused only by the
harsh effects of cold winter winds, this common condition can be exacerbated in
summer, when, just like our bodies, our eyes, and specifically, the cornea, can
become dehydrated.
Now Stuart Roberts, store director at Southport Specsavers is offering helpful
tips to help prevent symptoms such as eye soreness, a gritty sensation in the
eyes and dryness.
Traditionally, people over 40 years old are more susceptible to the problem,
which is caused by the eye's inability to maintain a healthy layer of tears to
coat it. However air conditioned office buildings and high computer use are
amongst the aggravating factors which have led to a growing number of people
reporting the same symptoms all year round.
Stuart adds:- "We've certainly seen a growth in the number of customers,
of all ages, complaining of irritation and dryness in the summer months.
Ironically, one of the symptoms of dry eye syndrome is watery eyes while others
include uncomfortable dry or gritty feelings in the eye, burning or itching,
redness, hazy vision and sensitivity to light.
The term 'dry eye' is used when the oil content of the tears doesn't efficiently
lubricate the eye. People with dry eyes often have plenty of watery tears so
adding eye drops may seem to not make sense but it's actually a vital
contribution to the oil content of the tears. Tips to prevent irritation include using air conditioning for shorter
periods, avoiding spending too much time in front of your computer and simply
drinking more water to avoid dehydration."
The summer is an ideal time to get your eyes tested, as bright conditions can
make you susceptible to eyestrain and everyone should get their eyes tested once
every 2 years, or sooner if you are experiencing problems.
To book your next appointment at Southport Specsavers call the store on:- 01704
501944. Campaigners to deliver NHS
petition to MP candidates
PEOPLE from Southport will deliver a
'Save
Our NHS' petition signed by local people to their MP candidates this
Saturday, 25 April 2015.
The petition will be handed over at 3pm at MakeItWorkshop by members of
independent campaign group 38 Degrees Southport.
It calls on the MP candidate to do everything they can to protect the NHS from
funding squeezes, privatisation, and the TTIP trade deal if they're elected.
The campaigners will also be challenging their MP candidates to answer questions
on exactly how they will protect the NHS if they're elected on 7 May 2015.
Paul Bradshaw, a 38 Degrees member from Southport who's helping to organise the
event said: - "Our NHS has always been there for me and my family when
we've needed it. The thought of my family being cared for by profit making
companies really scares me. That's why I'm taking the message to protect our NHS
from privatization and funding freezes straight to every MP candidate standing
in Southport. We invite anyone in Southport who cares about having a public NHS
that's there for all of us when we need it, to come and join us at Cambridge
Walks at 3pm".
David Babbs, executive director of 38 Degrees said:- "We're sending a
clear message to our local MP candidates: you're being watched by hundreds of
us, and we all want you to protect the NHS.
Politicians can't sit on the fence about the NHS. If they want our votes, they
need to promise to keep the NHS safe from private companies and funding freezes.
We won't stand for another 5 years of the NHS being broken up or squeezed to
breaking point.
Saturday's petition delivery event is all about the people of Southport telling
our next MPs exactly what we want for our NHS."
|
