Mayor of Wirral “The Mayor’s Special Charity Fund has been supporting good causes for over forty years”

Left to right newly elected Mayor of Wirral Councillor Steve Foulkes, former Mayor of Wirral Councillor Dave Mitchell

Councillor Foulkes continued his acceptance speech (continues from Mayor of Wirral “Councillors suggested that I end up in something long and flowing, some meant the River Mersey”).

MAYOR OF WIRRAL COUNCILLOR STEVE FOULKES
There are so many great organisations as Dave the former Mayor talked about. So many people around, so many organisations, our own staff facing daily change of what they do who basically get on with it and sometimes people say to me, “all I need is someone to come round and say ‘thanks, you’re doing a great job’, ‘thanks for what you’re doing’, ‘it’s appreciated, someone else has recognised it'” so if you know out there organisations that have not yet been thanked or met the Mayor, or had someone to come round and just say “well done, thank you very much” we will go round there and we will do that job, simply to say “thank you” because it’s often all they need.

You’ll be glad to know because I can see some eyes rolling, I’m coming towards the end. The best part though of becoming Mayor is the charities that you can sponsor and look after. We’ll be supporting three charities, although we’ve had lots of charities who have applied to be the Mayor’s charity. We have decided on three and what this facility’s allowed us to do today is to actually play a video so they can tell you about their charities rather than me droning on. So I think we’re about ready to play the charities video, if you could do that for us thank you.

MAYOR OF WIRRAL COUNCILLOR STEVE FOULKES (ON PRE-RECORDED VIDEO)
The Mayor’s Special Charity Fund has been supporting good causes for over forty years. In that time, it’s had a huge variety of projects and touched the lives of many thousands of local people. Here is a few words from the our causes that the charity will be funding this year.

STICK ‘N’ STEP
Morning, through which children with cerebral palsy gain confidence, push the boundaries of their disability and strive to be as independent as possible. Working with our dedicated staff our children learn to do every day tasks that most people take for granted, such as holding a cup or standing up from a chair.

A group of parents of children with cerebral palsy formed our charity in 2002. They chose the name Stick ‘n’ Step because that is how children are taught to walk with sticks. They’re taught to stick and step. Over the years we have helped hundreds of children achieve goals their parents never thought possible through sitting up to dressing themselves to walking unassisted. Some of our original children have now gone on to college and university. This is a huge accomplishment for these children who had such a tough start to their lives.

Their parents were told so many things that they would never be able to do. Never be able to walk, never read, never go to a mainstream school and Stick ‘n’ Step would never say never, we always say let us try. We are delighted that you have chosen this as one of your charities this year. You’re helping children with cerebral palsy achieve the greatest independence possible step by step. Thank you so much for supporting us.

CLATTERBRIDGE CANCER CENTRE
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is one of the largest networked cancer centres in the UK. From nine operating sites across Merseyside and Cheshire we treat over thirty thousand patients a year offering pioneering chemotherapy, radiotherapy and proton therapy treatments.

The incidence of cancer is increasing and our region has the highest cancer death rate in the UK meaning there are so many of us that have been touched by cancer and whose families have benefited from the care given by the dedicated team.

It’s thanks to your support that we can help to make the hospital such a special place, helping our patients young and old get the best possible care. By choosing to raise money for the Clatterbridge Cancer Charity you’ll be helping to fund pioneering research, new treatments and vital support services that may be otherwise unavailable ranging from the latest innovations to how we treat cancer to the special touches that mean so much to our patients.

For thousands of patients in the coming year who will hear the words “you’ve got cancer” and come to us for treatment and on behalf of our team here at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre I’d like to say thank you for your support, you are really helping to make a difference and change lives.

WIRRAL FOODBANK
The Wirral Foodbank, which has been running for three years, is one of three hundred and eighty foodbanks across the country run by the Trussell Trust.

Thirteen million people live below the poverty line in the UK and today and every day people on the Wirral will be struggling to feed themselves and their families because of redundancy, illness, benefit delay, unexpected bills, domestic violence, debt, family breakdown and high fuel bills.

Last year Wirral Foodbank fed and supported over twelve thousand local people, four and a half thousand of these were children. The Foodbank provides a minimum of three days emergency food and help for people experiencing financial crisis. All food is donated by the public and sorted by volunteers.

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