Calls for soft play centres to stay open

I HAVE the privilege of meeting many families with young children in my work as manager of the family support charity, Home-Start, in Southport.

Our volunteers visit a family each week to offer friendship, practical help and emotional support to parents who are finding day to day life tough.

The coronavirus lockdown was particularly difficult for these families, already struggling with anxiety, depression and isolation.

At Home-Start our staff team and dedicated volunteers continued to visit families by taking a weekly delivery of fresh fruit and veg, foodbank parcels, or children’s toys or play activities to the door.

We found the parents valued the doorstep chat and seeing a friendly face each week during those tough months of lockdown.

Lockdown was difficult for everyone, I know, but for parents with new babies to be so isolated was really concerning for me as a professional supporting these families.

All the baby groups closed down and Sefton’s Health and Wellbeing Centres were unable to offer new parents any support groups.

I feared for parents’ mental health and the socialisation and emotional development of new babies and young children.

We don’t know yet what the impact of this strange time will be on children’s futures. When lockdown eased and soft play centres opened up many new mums started meeting up together and felt the benefits of this.

Many formed new friendships and were happy to see their children playing with others in a safe space.

Meeting up with other parents, in a Covid-secure environment, and at a social distance, has really helped during the last few weeks.

Now we are in Tier 3 and I feel there has been a trade-off between gyms and soft play centres.

Merseyside argued, rightly, and with great public support, for the gyms to re-open as they are vital for physical and mental health and wellbeing. The same is also just as true for children’s health and wellbeing.

I feel it is vital for children’s development but also for parents’ sanity. I have had many phone calls from worried parents who are upset at the closure of soft play centres, especially as winter approaches.

If schools can stay open, surely there is a strong argument for the soft play centres to remain open.

I have written to our MP, Damien Moore, to ask him to lobby for the prompt re-opening of soft play centres and would kindly ask others who share my concerns to do the same.

Annie Ives, Manager, Home-Start Southport & Formby

NORTHERN SERVICE IS BACK ON TRACK

HAVING previously been extremely critical of the appalling service provided by Northern Rail on the Southport-Wigan-Manchester line and generally on all Northern services in the North I must commend the massive improvements on all the services I have recently used.

From Southport the bygone Pacers and old stock have been replaced by far more clean, comfortable, reliable and, yes, punctual services with electronic departure information and announcements on most stations. Perhaps other improvements would be to make Bescar Lane, New Lane and Hoscar request stops because you have more chance of seeing Halley’s Comet than anyone using these stations.

Also Network Rail should do their bit and clear the vast trackside approach of debris, rubbish, overgrown vegetation, graffiti,and dilapidated buildings between St Luke’sEastbank St bridges and

Chapel St station which is an eyesore.

Jeff Carter, Southport

SCHOOL ID BADGES SHOULD BE WORN

OVER the last few weeks television reporters have been in schools.

First they were present when students received their A level results. Then came the GCSEs. Recently they have been on site as children returned to school under Covid-19 restrictions.

At no point did I see anyone wearing a visitor ID badge.

I used to visit schools on behalf of a charity. After signing in I was given a visitor’s badge which stipulated that it had to be worn and be visible at all times.

Wearing a badge does not prevent you from telling your story. It helps to identify you in case of an emergency evacuation, and crosses off your name during the roll call. It also acts as a reminder to sign out when you leave and return the badge.

Bernard Powell, Southport

ESSENTIAL REGION REMAINS UNITED

ACCORDING to Rosie Cooper, MP for West Lancashire, Southport could rejoin Lancashire under plans to transform the county’s local governance.

Whilst views may differ amongst Southport residents, Southport has been part of Merseyside and the Liverpool City Region for a very long time, and as we have seen with Brexit, such a change would not be easy and needs careful thought.

What is far more important is the geographical relationship between Southport and its West

Lancashire neighbour and the existence of a boundary which now crosses many streets.

Since the establishment of the present local authorities, the settlement of Southport has inched further and further eastwards, such that substantial numbers of people who would regard themselves as living in Southport, are actually residents of West Lancashire.

Not only does this mean that local services such as refuse collection and cleansing are effectively duplicated, but co-ordination of transport is almost impossible.

Similarly we have recently seen West Lancashire allowing new house-building right up to the Sefton boundary with Sefton becoming liable for schools and other services. And Sefton’s decisions to permit large shopping developments right on West Lancashire’s border has large implications for road-building.

Hence it is essential that the western parts of West Lancashire, and possibly the “northern parishes” are united with Southport, whatever re-organisation brings to the town.

Dr Jim Ford

Southport