A range of community groups across Knowsley have been allocated funding from the Knowsley Better Together Hardship fund to support vulnerable residents across the borough.

A total of £215,000 has been allocated to provide food and essential items. The community groups are working with vulnerable residents and are best placed to identify and provide support to them.

The community groups that have been allocated funding are:-

• Al’s Club / Al’s Arc – Prescot and Whiston
• Friends of Eaton Street Park – Prescot and Whiston
• Centre 63 – Kirkby
• First Step – Kirkby
• Southdene Community Centre – Krikby
• Flourish and Succeed – Huyton
• HIYA – Huyton
• Homestart – Huyton
• Incredible Edible – Huyton
• Swanside Community Centre – Huyton
• Stockbridge Village Tenants Forum – Stockbridge Village
• St Nicolas and St Mary’s Church – Halewood
• Torrington Drive Community Association – Halewood

This latest allocation will cover April 2022 to September 2022.

Cllr Jayne Aston, Cabinet Member for Resources, said “Our Knowsley Better Together approach has been pivotal throughout the pandemic and is as important as we move into recovery.

“We know that our residents need help and support with essentials such as food and toiletries and that’s why we have allocated further funding through our community groups who are providing invaluable support to our residents.

“We will continue to provide our residents with the support they need at the right time.

“Further information about the support we can provide is available on the Council’s website.”

Why not take five minutes out of your day for a mini health check and take control of your health?

The Wellpoint Kiosk is a state-of-the-art touchscreen, self-service health kiosk which is now based at Stockbridge Village Neighbourhood Centre, The Withens, Stockbridge Village until the end of June.

It’s free, quick and easy to use and will check your blood pressure, heart rate, body fat percentage, body mass index (BMI), weight, and will give you an indication of your general health in around five minutes.  No booking is required.

Your blood pressure is measured by sliding your arm into a blood pressure cuff on the machine, and weight is measured while standing on the foot plate scale.

The Wellpoint Kiosk asks users several questions about their lifestyle before providing the personalised, confidential information. It also estimates a person’s risk of developing a cardiovascular disease such as angina, heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years, as well as their heart age.

The results, along with appropriate advice and guidance, are produced instantly on a printout which can be taken away, or users can have them sent by email.

At the end of the assessment people have the option of creating an account with Well.Me so they can review the results of the checks and monitor progress.

The Wellpoint Kiosk has been brought to Knowsley thanks to a collaboration between the council’s Public Health team and Champs (Cheshire and Merseyside Public Health collaborative), in partnership with Volair.

Following its stay at the Stockbridge Village Neighbourhood Centre, the kiosk will also be available at Kirkby and Halewood Leisure Centres later in the year.

To find out more about how you can reduce your risk of heart attacks or strokes visit the Happy Hearts website.

Grants are available for up to a maximum of £5,000 to help local projects get up and running, enhancing the Knowsley Short Breaks offer for children with disabilities and their families.

The initiative is part of the wider range of services available to parents and carers of children with disabilities and special needs (SEND) called the ‘Local Offer’.

In order to be eligible to apply for a Short Breaks small grant, the project must meet at least one of the following categories that have been developed for 2022/23 in consultation with parents/carers:

• Providing short break activities for children and young people with disability needs with a particular focus on: mixed activity fun days; cooking and outdoor adventures.
• Providing short break activities for young people aged 19-25 promoting independence skills and supporting transitions to adulthood.
• Delivering support to parents/carers of children and young people with a disability (e.g. parent support groups, workshops, etc)
• Supporting families with a child/ren with additional needs aged 0-4 (e.g. stay & play, outreach, network groups, etc)
• Whole family activities/events (e.g. involving parents and siblings in events, trips out, regular gatherings/groups, etc – however please see further information within Financial Eligibility section)

You can find all of the information you need on the Knowsley Council website.

We’re urging residents to take time to think about their wellbeing as part of Stress Awareness Month this April.

The last two years have been very challenging for everyone and as we emerge from the pandemic there may be many more issues that might be causing you to experience stress, anxiety and worry. However, no matter what your situation or however you are feeling there is support available to you.

The cost-of-living crisis means money worries are at the front of many people’s minds.  Knowsley residents can  access benefits and debt management advice and support from Knowsley  Citizens Advice.

The Better Health – Every Mind Matters website includes practical tips and support on how you can deal with life’s challenges such as money and job worries as well as how you can support others.

By answering five simple questions you can also get a free NHS approved mind plan with practical tips to help you deal with stress and anxiety, boost your mood, improve your sleep and feel more in control.

There are also simple things we can all do to help reduce the stress we’re experiencing:

Some useful tips:

Keep active, just 10 minutes of daily activity can boost your self-esteem and help you concentrate, sleep and feel better. Walks in the park, gardening and housework can all keep you active.

Talk about your feelings – when you’re upset, worried or feeling down it can help to talk to family or friends. If you know someone who may be struggling, encourage them to talk.

Keep in touch with others – Keep in touch, there’s nothing better than catching up with a friend, if you can’t do that in person give then a call or send a text or email. Check that they are okay. Remember a problem shared can be a problem halved.

Make time – to look after yourself especially if you’re looking after others.  It can help you to relax, recharge and focus on your own needs and help build up your resilience to cope with the stresses of daily life.   that you enjoy.

Drink less alcohol – if you’re feeling low, alcohol can make you feel worse as it is a depressant. By limiting the amount you drink will also help you sleep better and may help improve your mood.

Ask for help – None of us are superhuman. We all sometimes get tired or overwhelmed by how we feel or when things go wrong. If things are getting too much for you and you feel you can’t cope ask your family or friends for some help, contact one of the support agencies below or speak to your GP.

Crisis mental health support

If you, or someone you know, need urgent help mental health support please call the NHS Mental Health crisis line on 0800 051 1508.  NHS staff will then support you to get the help you need. This is available 24/7 for people of all ages, including children and young people.

Support for people of all ages

The Better Health Every Mind Matters website has a range of dedicated support and resources to help parents look after the mental wellbeing of their children and for young people to care for their own mental health.

Qwell offers adults over 19 in Knowsley free digital mental health support 24 hours a day, seven days a week with access to an extensive range of self-care information and resources such as an online journal and peer-to-peer support via moderated forums.  One-on-one counselling sessions with fully qualified wellbeing practitioners are also available 365 days a year, from midday to 10pm on weekdays, and from 6pm to 10pm at weekends and holidays.

Think Wellbeing offers free NHS therapy for people with anxiety or low mood, to help people change the way they feel by changing the way they think.  Available to anyone aged over 16 who is registered with a Knowsley GP, you can self-refer via the website or ask your GP to refer you.  Similar services exist in other areas for those who live outside of Knowsley.

SHOUT is a free, confidential text messaging service available 24/7 for anyone who is feeling low, anxious, worried, overwhelmed or not quite yourself. The number won’t appear on your phone bill.  By texting the word ‘REACH’ to 85258 you will start a conversation with a trained volunteer who will listen and support you to get to a calmer and safer place.

For those aged 55 and over the Silver Line is a helpline which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. It is free to call on 0800 4 70 80 90 from a mobile or landline.

Listening Ear provide a range of emotional and psychological therapies and support services for children, young people and adults.

Stay Alive, the suicide prevention app (available free on iOS and Android devices), is designed to help both those who are having suicidal thoughts and those who are concerned about someone else.  It has several features including a safety plan and LifeBox where people can upload images or videos that remind them of their reasons to stay alive. The app also directs people to local help and gives people the tools to start a conversation about mental health and suicide.

Young people in Knowsley aged between 10 and 19 years can access free counselling and wellbeing support with Kooth. The online support is free, safe and anonymous and provides advice on a range of topics. Young people can chat to the friendly Kooth community or speak to a member of the Kooth team.

Meanwhile, the Young Minds website has some really useful advice for children and young people and parents/ carers.

Knowsley CAMHS Services is a referral service for children and young people in Knowsley whose emotional, behavioural or mental health issues are causing them problems in their school, family or social life. If you are worried about your child, make an appointment to speak to your GP.

Wanted: Dance groups and dance schools to take part in a fantastic opportunity to perform in an ambitious mass dance project as part of Knowsley’s Borough of Culture 2022 programme.

Working alongside globally renowned Creative Consultant, Jeanefer Jean-Charles and a local creative team, this new mass dance piece will celebrate Knowsley’s rich sporting heritage and tell the borough’s stories of people, places and magic.

The piece will be showcased outdoors as part of a high-profile finale to a week-long Sporting Legends Relay on 23 July 2022.

Jeanefer Jean-Charles is a globally respected Creative Director and Producer with over 20 years’ experience, specialising in large-scale performances, opening ceremonies, stadium events, outdoor spectacles, carnivals, and parades. Her work has taken her to over 21 countries and has gone down in the Guinness Book of Records.

As a leading authority in mass movement and public engagement, Jeanefer is passionate about empowering and involving people in activities. Her passion and creativity bring to life the talents, strengths and shared stories of local communities and artists in inspiring and unforgettable ways.

Recruitment is taking place throughout April with the project being developed in April and May. Rehearsals will take place in May, June and July (rehearsal schedule to developed with dance groups and dance schools directly) and the final performance will take place in Knowsley on Saturday 23 July.

Please register your interest by 30 April 2022 by emailing bev.ayre@knowsley.gov.uk and if possible include a link to your work.

Further details about the exciting year-long Borough of Culture programme can be found at www.cultureknowsley.co.uk or you can follow @CultureKnowsley on social media.

Further information about Jeanefer can be found on the Jeanefer Jean-Charles and Associates – Creating a Movement website.