“It’s about empowering people” - the new project giving back control of the town's fortunes

New funding pot designed to give community control of its own improvement

Hello and welcome to the 80th edition of The Southport Lead.

We often talk on the page of the importance of community, whether that be in the support it showed after last year’s riots or the threat it faces from the closures of public spaces such as pubs and community centres.

Today’s edition looks at how the Southport community is to be given more opportunities and power to lead positive change. A new funding pot has been created and hundreds of ideas received - but more are still being welcomed.

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Southport briefing

Leaders of a academy trust have explained how they responded to the unprecedented situation of last year’s attack and riots to find a way to help and support those in need.

“In the days that followed, the wider community was further shaken by disorder and unrest on the streets, affecting many of our families. Our work extended beyond the immediate impact of the tragedy, as we supported people through a wider atmosphere of anxiety and uncertainty.” Read more here

👶 Southport MP Patrick Hurley has hailed the announcement of Best Start Family Hubs as something which “will build on the proud legacy of Sure Start” after the government £146,903 funding in Sefton with the explicit instruction to create a physical Best Start Family Hub by April.

Writing directly to constituents, he said: “Many still remember campaigning in 2013, holding placards and singing “Save Our Centres” and “Every Child Matters” as the closures and cuts began to bite. One constituent recently told me how much the Bishop David Sheppard Sure Start Centre had meant to her and her child, before it was sadly closed as a result of austerity cuts.

“I completely agree, every child matters. That’s why I’ve been pushing the Government to act to bring back these family hubs and restore the vital services they once offered to families in Southport and across the country.” Read more here

🏫 Tributes have poured in for former Meols Cop science teacher Philip Fryer as his family ask for former pupils and colleagues to share their memories. His daughter Belle Ford said: “He loved being a teacher. He cared deeply about the kids in the school where he taught. He himself had grown up with very little and cared deeply about the children getting the same opportunities as anybody else.”

“He wanted them to go ahead and do something with their lives that they cared about. That was very important to him.”

Asked to describe the man behind the teacher, and who Mr Fryer was as a father, Belle added: “He was fair. He was fun. He was kind.” Read more here

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“It’s about empowering people”

Pic: The Southport Lead

The people of Southport could be ‘empowered’ by having their ideas to improve the town become reality thanks to a new funding opportunity.

That’s according to MP Patrick Hurley who is hoping to see around a dozen resident-led projects come to fruition after securing a £55k pot of funding from the Lloyds Bank Foundation.

The Southport Matters project has now been officially launched and follows on from a series of public events hosted by the MP over the summer in which he sought ideas on how to improve the town.

The project will be led by the Compassion Acts with support from Hurley’s office and will be strictly non-political, with his office providing arms-length support.

Among the suggestions, a common theme was the need to improve Lord Street, with ideas ranging from public art installations in empty shop windows to repurposing upstairs spaces.

In total, more than 400 ideas were received ranging from small issues such as repairing a park bench to ideas for big cultural events such as a proposal for a Tarleton Festival. Other suggestions have included an annual awards competition between local villages and a Youth Public Speaking Competition.

One idea which caught Hurley’s eye would involve installing 50 shrimp sculptures across the town in a similar way to Manchester’s bee trail and tying into Southport’s history.

He told The Southport Lead: “We want retail, we also want visitors to come in from outside town and spend time here and enjoy fish and chips on the seafront. Having an identity and showcasing it can be an important part of that.”

No projects have yet been confirmed but the MP suggests that if it leads to 10-15 projects becoming reality then it will have been a success. In the meantime, ideas are still being welcomed either via his office or directly through Southport Matters.

Crucially, part of the support on offer will involve helping those behind their ideas to access other grants and funding streams and through this it is hoped that the £55k will potentially lead to a far greater amount.