Welcome to “Sunday Snippets” a weekly feature from birkenhead.news. It is a round-up of our most popular good news stories from the last seven days. Click on each story to read the full article.
Inspirational Wirral school recognised at the Educate Awards

A Wirral school was honoured at the Educate Awards on Friday 19 November.
Riverside Primary School, Seacombe, won the Most Inspirational Primary School category, fighting off stiff competition from other primary schools in the North West.
Located in the lowest 3% of deprivation in the country, staff at the school didn’t let the pandemic stop them and set out with a dogged determination to inspire with a bit of ‘Riverside magic’.
Interfaith Week exhibition at Birkenhead Central Library

Birkenhead Library is hosting a community exhibition, put together by Wirral Deen Centre’s newly formed Education Group, as part of Interfaith Week.
The awareness week, which ran from 13 to 20 November, was an opportunity to strengthen good interfaith relations at all levels and increase awareness of faith communities in the UK, improving understanding between people of all faiths and none.
As part of the exhibition, tree saplings, donated by Wirral Council, are being given away for visitors to plant at home, and a badge design competition for local schools will be celebrated. Organisers then also hope to plant a commemorative tree following the event.
Wirral autism charity launches virtual grotto experience and Christmas fitness challenge

A Wirral autism charity has launched two exciting seasonal events to help raise vital funds for the people it supports this Christmas.
Bromborough-based Autism Together, is asking people to do something a little different this December by joining its 12 Miles Of Christmas challenge, getting people fit and fundraising in the build up to Christmas 2021.
The charity, which supports over 400 autistic adults at locations across Merseyside, West Cheshire and North Wales, is calling on people of all ages and abilities from across the region to take part in this fun challenge.
New £28 million urgent care and A&E facility to be built at Arrowe Park Hospital

Plans have been unveiled for a new £28 million urgent and emergency care facility to be built at Arrowe Park Hospital.
The scheme will transform urgent care in Wirral and will include a complete redevelopment of the current A&E at Arrowe Park Hospital, run by Wirral University Teaching Hospital and the Urgent Treatment Centre, which is currently based next door on the same site, run by Wirral Community Health and Care Trust (WCHC).
Work will commence in the middle of next year with the new urgent care and A&E facility opening in March 2024. This is the biggest investment at Arrowe Park Hospital since it was built and next year marks the 40th anniversary of the hospital opening. To support this construction the Trust has appointed Tilbury Douglas as the primary construction and engineering contractor as well as Day Architectural Ltd to provide design expertise.
Community 3G pitch officially opens at TRFC’s training ground in Leasowe

On Wednesday 10 November the Mayor and Mayoress of Wirral conducted the formal opening of the new 3G pitch at The Campus, Tranmere Rovers’ training ground in Leasowe.
In partnership with the Wirral Borough Council, construction began in April 2021, and the gates first opened for Community usage on 1 September 2021.
The construction of this pitch is part of Wirral Borough Council’s strategy to address the real need for facilities such as these on the Wirral which is recognized as being an area needing improvement in respect of the provision of grass roots football pitches.
Christmas gift appeal aims to spread festive sparkle

Efforts to provide some extra festive sparkle for hundreds of local children got underway on Tuesday 23 November with the launch of Wirral Council’s Christmas gift appeal.
Organisers are hoping to repeat the success of last year’s appeal and are once again calling on residents, businesses, and Council staff to donate different types of gifts to ensure presents are available for vulnerable children of all ages – from babies up to 16 year olds.
Exciting Tranmere beat Bradford

Tranmere valiantly fought back from a goal down to secure a 2-1 victory at Prenton Park.
The first half was all Bradfords and Tranmere appeared to lack the drive to fight back from a 26th-minute goal from midfielder Levi Sutton.
But the last five minutes of the first half saw the tables turn and Tranmere stepped up a couple of gears to give the home fans hope for the second half.
Trio of fundraising appointments at Stick ‘n’ Step

Cerebral palsy charity Stick ‘n’ Step has appointed three new fundraisers across its centres in Wallasey and Runcorn.
Esther Whitaker is Stick ‘n’ Step’s new Head of Fundraising. Living in Cheadle Hulme, Esther previously worked at Railway Children and also has extensive commercial experience. One of her close friends has a child with cerebral palsy so Esther says Stick ‘n’ Step’s work is already close to her heart.
Rhianna McDermott, who lives in Ellesmere Port, joins Stick ‘n’ Step as Area Fundraiser. She worked previously at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital where she was fundraising to cover the shortfall in NHS fundraising.
REVIEW – MonoNeon at Future Yard

Last Friday, MonoNeon performed a funktastic gig in front of a voracious capacity crowd at Birkenhead’s Future Yard.
Yeah, it was funky, jazzy, and fusiony and just what the doctor ordered. The supporting act was no less exciting – Liverpool’s 70s jazz fusion 5-pice ensemble, Green Tangerines.
Hailing from the US and bringing his only UK gig to Birkenhead, Dwayne Thomas Jr. (AKA MonoNeon) wouldn’t have struggled with filling his setlist – the man is prolific, I mean he is just a music machine. Since 2010, he has released twenty-four solo albums (including three this year alone) and has still found time for collaborating with seven other artists.
Metro Mayor’s target to make River Mersey effluent-free by 2030

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, has announced plans to ensure a discharge-free River Mersey by the end of the decade.
Speaking following the COP26 conference in Glasgow, Mayor Rotheram said, “We have made enormous strides since the 1980s when Lord Heseltine rightly described the state of the River Mersey as ‘an affront to the standards a civilised society should demand of its environment.’
“The river today is an environmental success story but, as recent public anger over the discharge of untreated sewage into our rivers and seas shows, we cannot be complacent and must do all that we can to ensure we care for our great river.
Wallasey Town Hall lit orange to support global call to end gender-based violence and abuse

Wallasey Town Hall will illuminate orange from today, Thursday 25 November, until Friday 10 December, alongside other iconic buildings and landmarks across the Liverpool City Region, as part of a global United Nations campaign aimed at ending gender-based violence and abuse.
For the second consecutive year, Savera UK, a Merseyside-based leading charity that tackles culturally-specific abuse such as ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA), forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM), has joined forces with Zonta Club London (part of Zonta International) to support the global ‘Orange The World’ campaign.
The two organisations are partnering to raise awareness of gender-based violence and abuse in the UK and around the world, through a series of events and initiatives that will take place during the United Nation’s 16 Days of Activism, which run from the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls on 25 November to Human Rights Day on 10 December.
Duke Street affordable homes development completed

The latest housing development in Birkenhead has been completed at Duke Street, Birkenhead by developer Torus, working with Wirral Council’s Strategic Housing Investment team.
This development marks the latest investment in the area by the company, with £1.5 million ringfenced to complete its latest scheme at Duke Street.
The thirteen new homes built in Birkenhead on the former site of Wirral Council’s Riverside Day Centre will all available via Affordable Rent. The Duke Street development will bring much-needed affordable housing options to the area.
Talk to commemorate 100th anniversary of Port Sunlight War Memorial

On Saturday, 3 December 1921 Port Sunlight’s imposing War Memorial was unveiled in the heart of the village.
The Grade I listed Monument designed by the eminent Welsh sculptor Sir William Goscombe John was erected to honour the memory of the 481 men from Lever Brothers killed in the First World War and recognise the 4,000 employees from Lever Brothers companies worldwide who fought in the war.
One hundred years on from the unveiling, there will be a commemorative lecture exploring the moving story behind the village’s eloquent expression of communal sorrow and pride.
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