My name is Simon Huthwaite and I am the Operations Manager for St Andrew’s Community Network. The network is the home of North Liverpool Foodbank and we provide three-day emergency food parcels to people in crisis across the North end of the city in partnership with the Trussell Trust. In my last update, I detailed … Read more
Eight weeks ago I witnessed the closure and cancellation of our cultural sector – organisations, venues, festivals and events all ground to a standstill with months’ worth of plans and years of ambitions seemingly obliterated in a matter of days. But these lockdown weeks haven’t resulted in surrender or self-pity. In fact, it has triggered … Read more
Steve Hawkins is the chief executive of Local Solutions https://www.localsolutions.org.uk/ , a charity that has been part of Liverpool life since 1974 offering services to our vulnerable and disadvantaged residents. In 2013, Local Solutions was added to the Freedom Roll of Associations and Institutions of the City of Liverpool. Here, Steve reflects on how his organisation has … Read more
Paul has been a photographer based in Liverpool since 1977, starting out as a young assistant with Photoflex, based on Bostock Street. In 2008 Paul was the principal photographer for the Grosvenor book ‘Liverpool One: Remaking a City Centre’ and ‘Liverpool: Shaping the City’, a book commissioned by the Royal Institute of British Architects. Paul … Read more
The ‘Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service’ (EMTAS) works with schools to help raise the educational attainment of ethnic minority pupils. The team offers support to children learning English, helps improve outcomes for BME kids at risk of underachievement and also provides specialist staff for classroom support. Gill Rowlands is the manager of EMTAS and … Read more
Alison Hughes is Assistant Director for ICT, Digital and Customer at Liverpool City Council. Alison and her teams have been at the forefront of the council’s technological response to Covid-19. Here she tells us about the impact the pandemic has had on how the council delivers ICT services, and how the experience has brought out … Read more
Matt Ashton is the Director of Public Health for Liverpool City Council. Matt lives in the city and takes up the role at a time of unprecedented challenge. Matt was previously the Director of Public Health at the neighbouring Merseyside borough of Sefton Council. Liverpool was the first council in the country to appoint a … Read more
We are living through a strange and unprecedented time. Children are out of their normal routines and lockdown is presenting a real parenting challenge for most — but you are likely to be doing an amazing job in these extraordinary times — nobody has it all figured out but here are some of my top … Read more
Simon O’Brien is the Cycling and Walking Commissioner for Liverpool and the city region. Initially famous as Damon in Brookside, Simon has forged a career as an award-winning radio and TV presenter. But his enduring passion is the joy of two wheels, and he’s been an avid cycling campaigner for the best part of three … Read more
In all honesty, this is the most surreal time of my life. I have always been proud of the fact that I have played a role — a really small role — in this city’s cultural renaissance over the last twenty years. I was passionate about fighting for the voices of communities to be heard, … Read more
In 2017, together with my brother, cousin and my son, I went back to the town and village in the Ukraine that my grandparents left in 1914.They left to come to Liverpool to join my grandmother’s family, who were already here. My grandfather left and never saw his family again. He left in Zlatopol, which … Read more
The Communications and Marketing team offers university undergraduates the chance to spend time in the team on work placement. Each student is asked to sum up their experiences and their observations of our organisation. Tilly Kenyon was the first through the doors this year. Hi, I’m Tilly and I’m a third year Journalism student studying … Read more
As part of National Apprenticeship Week, Rob Melling, Curtins CEO, shares his journey to the top. Curtins is a leading consultancy in the built environment, providing a diverse range of services including civil and structural engineering and other related expertise. 2020 marks sixty years since the company was established in Liverpool. CEO Rob Melling explains … Read more
Ed, 27, is four months into a two year Junior Content Producer Level 3 Apprenticeship. Through his apprenticeship, Ed will develop and create content that can be used across a variety of media platforms. Throughout his studies he will learn to research, prepare and develop media messaging to maximise audience engagement. Just five months ago … Read more
The City Conversation journey started at the back end of the summer when a secondment opportunity was advertised on the Intranet to take part in a new initiative to get out into the Community and talk to residents. Definitely a totally different scene for me given I have spent the last 30+ years working in … Read more
A lot of headlines have been generated recently about the UK’s 5G network, but amid the arguments about which tech firms should be allowed a stake, it would be very easy for all of that noise to overshadow the technology revolution that is currently taking place. Ann Williams is a Commissioning and Contract Manager at … Read more
By Susie Finlayson, Power to Change “If you were given the opportunity to develop ideas to support children, young people and families in your neighbourhood, and had just 100 days to bring those to life, what would you do?” That was the challenge recently set for three Liverpool communities, with support from Nesta, charitable trust … Read more
By Richard Jones, Head of Intelligence and Analytics at Liverpool City Council “Death. It’s something we try not to think about. We don’t really talk about it. It’s too depressing. Dying young is even worse. It’s painful, it’s difficult to get our heads around, it’s best not to talk about it.” Yet I think Liverpool … Read more
Before his departure, long serving member of staff, John Keane, shared his love of books from a young boy to adulthood. At the end of last year, we said a fond farewell to Divisional Manager, Libraries and Information Services, John Keane, after 45 loyal years in the council. Before he headed off on his well-earned … Read more
Lydia Fazakerley is a student at Edge Hill University and has spent the past four weeks gaining first hand experience in the Communications and Marketing Team. Lydia has told us what it’s like to live in a £1 house, one of Liverpool City Council’s innovative housing schemes. I haven’t lived in Anfield for long, 18 … Read more