Southport retirees have
afternoon tea with Arlene Phillips, CBE
SOUTHPORT retirees joined award
winning choreographer and former Strictly Come Dancing judge, Arlene
Phillips, CBE, on Tuesday, 24 September 2014, for afternoon tea, at McCarthy
and Stone's Assisted Living development, Brunlees Court. Arlene
Phillips was treated to a guided tour of the new show apartments in
Southport, and was on hand to meet and chat with guests in an intimate Q&A
session. Homeowners, their friends and relatives were able to quiz Arlene
about some of her recent television appearances such as BBC Celebrity
Masterchef, and her latest projects including directing Judy; The Songbook
of Judy Garland, choreographing for Edward Watson and the Royal Opera House
in Other Stories, as well as her time as a talent judge on Strictly Come
Dancing.
Arlene, 72, recently became an ambassador
for McCarthy and Stone to launch The Colour Report; a study of over 2,500
retirees which aims to breakdown negative stereotypes of the older
generation by highlighting the colourful and varied lifestyles of retirees
today. She will be visiting McCarthy and Stone developments up and down the
UK this autumn, hosting exclusive tea dances, Q and A's and even dancing
lessons for some of the more adventurous retirees. Arlene said:-
"I was delighted to visit Brunlees Court in Southport. As an ambassador
for the 'The Colour Report' I know that retirees today are redefining what
it means to grow old. We are independent, active individuals who are seeking
new experiences and fulfilling lifelong ambitions, no matter what our age.
The homeowners at Brunlees Court are no different and having met the staff
and seen what a bustling community they have there, I just know they'll
enjoy every minute of their retirement."
Fiona Brooks, Regional Sales and Marketing
Director for McCarthy and Stone, the UK's leading retirement housebuilder,
commented:- "We were so pleased to welcome Arlene Phillips to Brunlees
Court in Southport. She was such a hit with the homeowners who were really
interested to hear about her life of dance, and all her showbiz stories. At
McCarthy and Stone we are proud to help older people stay independent for
longer and that is why we are so committed to delivering an exceptional
lifestyle for our residents at Brunlees Court."
Letters to Editor:-
"Help Please! Parents are devastated at theft."
"PLEASE help us locate 3 items were
stolen from our home, in Fleetwood Drive, Banks. These items are extremely
heavy so would need 2 people to life them. The items stolen are 2
(ornamental) lions and a cherub. Please share this around as my parents are
devastated. The Lancashire Police have been informed. We think it took place
in the early hours of the morning, of 24 September." Name with held
by us for legal reasons. |
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Formby groups help Shyira
Build
Maternity Hospital
THE Shyira Trust, a charity established
by St. Luke's Church, in Formby, is attempting to raise £300,000 to build a new
maternity hospital in Shyira, Rwanda. If you don't know where Rwanda is,
it is a landlocked East African Country, whose green, mountainous landscape has
earned it the nickname:- "Land of a Thousand Hills."
After the genocide of 1994 and conflict
lasting to 1999, Shyira maternity hospital was derelict. Supporters of St Luke's
and the Shyira Trust provided funding of £26,000 for the rebuilding of the
hospital, and a new 24 bed unit was opened in April 2004. It had no equipment or
midwives. The Trust paid for 2 local Rwandese nurses to train as midwives at
university in Rwanda. Formby Rotary club raised £24,000 for equipment.
Since 2009, when the 1st qualified midwife
started work in Shyira, there has been just 1 maternal death. Shyira has about
1,100 births a year. Estimates by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, the World Bank and the
United Nations Population Division put the number of maternal deaths in Rwanda
at 32 in 10,000 births in 2013. With just 1 death, in 5 years, Shyira hospital
is much better than the national average, so it is hardly surprising that it has
become very popular and that overcrowding has resulted.
The Rwandan government has introduced quality
standards for hospitals that they have to comply with. This means the current
Shyira maternity hospital is now only suitable for 12 beds, instead of the 24 it
was originally designed for, so it has halved its capacity making the
overcrowding situation even worse. A new building is required to comply with
standards and increase capacity to save mothers and babies lives. The time
constraints on the construction of the building are quite rigid - it should be
completed by next April and will cost about £300,000. It will be built by local
labour using local materials so the entire community will benefit through the
construction.
It is often reported that Africans are corrupt
and lazy. The experience of members of the Shyira Trust is that the people of
Rwanda are hardworking and honest. There is a technical college in Shyira where
many people have been trained in skills related to the building trade, so they
have people able to work on the building. |