Not all love stories end with a wedding. Many couples choose to share their lives without getting married, which often raises one key question — what does the law say about their relationship status? You’ve probably come across the terms interdependent partner and de facto relationship, and maybe even assumed they meant the same thing. In reality, however, these two terms have very different legal meanings under Australian family law. Understanding where your relationship stands can make a huge difference, especially when it comes to rights, entitlements, and what happens if the relationship breaks down. Let’s unpack the differences and…
Author: COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTOR
A Southport Dad is urging people to help him raise vital funds for close friend and former Royal marine Commando who is facing a brutal battle against cancer. Dad-of-five Stephen Richmond is pushing himself to raise the funds via getting himself fit enough to complete the infamous Royal Marines Commando pre-joining fitness test (The PJFT+), inspired by his close friend of over 22 years, Justin Rogers – the 48-year-old father of two beautiful teenage daughters, aged 14 and 16. People are being invited to raise funds via a page on the JustGiving website called: ‘Weʼre raising £100,000 to help fund…
This weekend, Gillian Hughes (aka. ‘Liverpool Mermaid’) exhibit, ‘Sinking the Ship in Liverpool Bay – Mermaid’s Revenge’, was voted The People’s Prize at the 2022 Sefton Open at The Atkinson in Southport earning her a solo showing at The ArtHouse later in the month. The Sefton Open is a long-standing annual exhibition that celebrates the breadth of creativity and artistic talent across Sefton. Each year the call for artists goes out to all practitioners who live, work or were educated in Sefton and this year’s exhibition includes ceramics, sculpture, painting, textiles and photography. For the last two years the event…
Two friends are urging people to support their mercy mission to help victims of the war in Ukraine. Jenna-Rose Maldini, 29, and Peter Hutcheon, 26, are returning to the border of Poland and Ukraine to provide humanitarian aid for refugees fleeing the brutal conflict. They have set up a GoFundMe page ‘Jenna’s Medyka and Przemsyl Refugee Project’ as they look to take across as much as they can to give to terrified families who have been forced to flee their homes with next to nothing. Jenna-Rose, a carer from Southport, and Peter, from Burscough, who works for a mental health…
With the Government’s ban on Evictions coming to an end on Monday 31st May, Sefton Council is urging any local tenants or landlords expecting problems to get in touch. The Government brought in the ban in response to the coronavirus pandemic. It was extended from its original September deadline but will now end on the last day of May. Sefton Council’s Homeless Prevention Service can provide advice to the Borough’s tenants and landlords. They can help tenants find support to help them maintain their tenancy or with moving on to more affordable and suitable accommodation. And they can assist landlords…
During Type 2 diabetes prevention week (10-16 May), health professionals in Sefton are raising awareness of how living a healthier lifestyle can prevent the risk of developing the condition. There are 12.3 million people in the UK at increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes but there are steps you can take to reduce your risk. You can prevent Type 2 diabetes by eating a healthy, balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight and keeping physically active. People living with Type 2 diabetes face a significantly higher risk of dying with COVID-19 and the condition can also lead to heart disease and stroke, as…
Damien Moore MP has welcomed the Government’s Vaccines Delivery Plan – the biggest vaccination programme in British history – that sets ambitious targets as the government continues to ramp up its vaccine rollout. Already in Southport, 31.1% per cent of the population have received a vaccine – and with the programme averaging more than 2.5 million doses a week, the Prime Minister is aiming to have offered every adult a vaccine by the end of July. The United Kingdom is leading the way with its vaccination programme. So far, more than 18.6 million people have received a vaccine – equivalent…
Southport BID has criticised the timing of a rail consultation which could see the town lose one of its vital links to Manchester. BID CEO Rachel Fitzgerald is now urging as many people as possible to give their views, to avoid the service being axed before passengers even realise it’s gone. People are being presented with three options by the Manchester Rail Task Force, led by the Department for Transport and Network Rail, that feature increasing levels of change from the pre-COVID service patterns. The three options affect different routes, and which routes have direct services to Manchester Oxford Road…
MP Damien Moore is requesting a meeting with supermarket giant Lidl over the firm’s ambitions for a new venture in Southport. The Southport Conservative MP has been contacted by numerous local residents and businesses, who have expressed their views and questions over the scheme. The development, on land off Marine Drive and Crossens Way, would include a Lidl store with a 1,256 sqm sales area, an in-store bakery and 111 car parking spaces. Part of the site would also be developed into eight new business units. A joint planning application with Saltmarsh Estates is due to be submitted to Sefton…
The Government’s £2 billion Kickstart Scheme is creating thousands of new jobs for young people across the UK as part of its Plan for Jobs. Since it launched in September, more than 120,000 Government-funded Kickstart jobs have been created for 16-24-year olds on Universal Credit. As the Government makes it even easier for businesses of all sizes to join, so employers can directly apply for any number of placements, Damien Moore MP is urging companies across Southport to sign up Southport MP Damien Moore has welcomed the Government’s plans to make it even easier for employers of all sizes to…
Carers in England should be entitled to free parking passes that they can use while visiting the people they look after, says MP Damien Moore. The Southport Conservative MP wants carers to be able to park without charge in either council-owned car parks or on-street parking spaces without the worry of returning to find a parking ticket. Mr Moore initially contacted Sefton Council to request that they provide parking passes for carers in areas including Southport, Formby, Crosby and Bootle. He has now written to the Department for Health and Social Care asking if additional, ring-fenced funding could be issued…
MP Damien Moore has urged Southport people to apply for new £9,000 grants which have been made available to help local businesses to get through the new national lockdown. The grants have been announced today by Chancellor Rishi Sunak to help firms over the next few weeks as the country works together to combat growing Covid-19 cases. The Chancellor has also provided £500million in discretionary funding to help local businesses. Southport Conservative MP Damien Moore said: “Throughout this Covid pandemic, the Government’s economic priority has been to do all it can to protect jobs. “A huge economic package is now…
Staff at a Southport school created a Christmas winter wonderland for their pupils in a secret garden discovered during lockdown. Children at St John’s C of E school in Crossens were sprayed with snow before a trip to see Santa, with their head teacher dressed up as a naughty elf. A singing reindeer, teddy nativity and life size donkey were just some of the treats instore and the day was made even more magical with the appearance of a giant rainbow in the sky. Deputy head Linda Thomson came up with the festive plan as way of giving pupils a…
Southport MP Damien Moore has welcomed the Government’s announcement that Sefton Council will see its budget boosted by 5 per cent next year, as part of the Conservatives’ commitment to level up local services across the country and give them the resources they need to support their communities as we recover from the pandemic. Local authorities in England, including Sefton Council, will receive a share of £51.2 billion local government funding next year – up £2.2 billion on this year. Funding for key public services will again be protected, with significant extra resources dedicated to areas where they are needed…
Police have a festive message for the yobs who have vandalised Southport’s Christmas tree this week – we are watching you, and we will prosecute. Merseyside Police officers are investigating following two incidents which have occurred at the tree which is situated at the Town Hall Gardens on Lord Street in Southport. The area has CCTV cameras focused on it and detectives are currently looking at video footage from the vandalism which occurred on Tuesday (15 December) and Friday (18 December). Local people are being asked to report any damage they spot being caused as it happens to Merseyside Police…
Southport MP Damien Moore has continued to campaign for the Government to ‘level up’ and improve the North of England. Mr Moore last week led a Westminster Hall debate on North of England: Infrastructure Spending, where he called for Ministers to grant proposals worth £50million to boost Southport through the Town Deal. He also called for the restoration of the Burscough Curves, to reconnect direct rail travel between Southport, Preston and Ormskirk. This week Damien Moore has again spoken in Parliament, where he challenged Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak to spend some of the £4billion infrastructure investment fund on…
Sainsbury’s Southport Lord street customers have donated surplus food that is still healthy, nutritious and within it use-by dates to Shoreline church food bank The food donation scheme is aimed at charities that could really benefit from receiving surplus food products from the generosity of our customers. Southport Store Manager Fiona Wright said: “We are really happy that local charities, within our community, can benefit from our food donations scheme.” “There are hundreds of hungry mouths to feed in our local community and by customers donating food to our local charity we can guarantee that food is being put to…
CCTV cameras are being installed near Southport’s Christmas tree after it was targeted by vandals. The damage has already been repaired and the sparkling festive lights are back on after swift work by contractors Illumidex UK Ltd. The illuminated tree, in the Town Hall Gardens on Lord Street, and other festive decorations around Southport town centre are provided each year by Southport BID. They provide much-needed cheer to local families and a feelgood factor to help support local businesses. The damage was done yesterday daytime, after vandals used tools to break through metal fencing surrounding the festive attraction before working…
A Nutcracker named after legendary fundraiser and war hero Captain Sir Tom Moore now stands proudly to attention outside a business on Lord Street in Southport. ‘Sir Tom’ was one of the names chosen for 12 Nutcrackers which have now been placed by Southport BID throughout the town centre. The 6ft figure is situated next door to Deli Volare, which is selling takeaway products during the November lockdown. Deli Volare is the sister business of the Volare restaurant, both of which are owned by local restaurateur Onofrio Maimone. He said: “Why not come and visit Sir Tom, our resident Nutcracker?…
Nice to see the police on Ainsdale’s beach today keeping an eye on things. However, these riders had a wee bit of trouble getting their trusty, yet rather reluctant, steeds to cross a tiny trickle of water. The riders urged the horses to bravely take on the little stream and cross it. The response from the horses was to indicate to their riders that they were having none of it! Nevertheless, success eventually came and the constabulary’s cavalry finally crossed the watery hurdle. Without further delay, the dynamic equine duo trotted off towards Southport to take on whatever criminal activity…
A dramatic club in Southport is appealing for somewhere to store its colourful costumes. The award-winning All Souls is over half a century old and performs one of the best pantomimes in the North West every year. They are in a race against time to find new premises locally after a change in use of the church hall they currently use. All Souls Head Of Wardrobe Chris Watkinson said: “All Souls Dramatic Club is urgently in need of a room to rent to store costumes for our society. “We are about to lose our present room at Victoria Methodist Church…
Local people, schools and businesses will be actively involved in re-designing the neighbourhood around Southport’s Shakespeare Street, as part of efforts to make the area safer and healthier for people to walk, cycle or use a wheelchair for local shops and services. The charity Sustrans launched a digital ‘Hub’ http://www.sustrans.org.uk/SouthportLN for Southport Liveable Neighbourhood this week with Sefton Council to gather views from the local community. This will shape the street designs from the start. The project aims to create a ‘Liveable Neighbourhood’, where it is possible, and enjoyable, to make short trips without the use of a car. The…
Ambitious £50million proposals to regenerate Southport have been welcomed by town MP Damien Moore. The Southport Conservative MP says he is excited by the Southport Town Deal submission which will kickstart a wider £400m investment in the town and bring 1,250 additional jobs to the area as a result of the initial projects. It includes a new convention and events centre on the site of the Southport Theatre and Convention Centre, which closed earlier this year as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. The waterside events centre would house a 1,200-seat auditorium, exhibition halls as well as a cafe and…
Conservative MP for Southport Damien Moore has welcomed the news that the Government is providing funding for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority for new, long-term homes for rough sleepers and other vulnerable people in Southport and across Merseyside. In total, projects across England will receive more than £150 million to deliver more than 3,300 such secure homes by the end of March 2021, providing long term accommodation to vulnerable people to keep them safe from coronavirus and rebuild their lives. The Liverpool City Region will receive £5,960,937 for local schemes that provide secure ‘move on’ style accommodation for people…
The names of the 12 giant Nutcrackers to appear in Southport this Christmas have been revealed! Southport BID ran a fun competition to name the fun festive figures, which will soon be appearing on streets throughout Southport town centre. Hundreds of superb names were suggested by local people, giving judges a very difficult task to narrow them down to just 12! One of the winning names – Sir Tom – was inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore, the former British Second World War Army officer who was knighted earlier this year for raising over £30million money for charity in the…
A Southport councillor is urging local residents, particularly the young, to take their own steps to restrict their own movements before the new month-long official national lockdown period starts again on Thursday. Councillor Tony Dawson, who represents Southport’s town centre and West Birkdale, is concerned to save lives and also to enable the local hospitality sector to have a chance of emerging from the lockdown with fewer restrictions in December. He says: “All the scientific commentators are expressing serious caution and doubt as to whether the national lockdown will be able to come-off on the day in December which Boris Johnson has…
Southport BID has welcomed proposals to secure up to £50million funding for the town. The BID has been part of the Southport Town Deal Board which has now submitted an ambitious plan to the Government to provide a new waterside events centre, all weather visitor attractions, new business incubators and a spectacular light show in the Marine Lake. Lord Street, the town’s grand boulevard that inspired the Champs Elysees, would be restored to its former glory and a new events space created. An immersive water, light and sound show experience is proposed on the Marine Lake. Southport Pleasureland would be…
Birkdale Lib Dem councillors Simon Shaw and Iain Brodie Browne have condemned a Conservative council candidate’s “dishonest” claims that they want to “drive new cycle lanes through Birkdale Village”. In a press release they said: “Earlier this month Tory candidate Lee Durkin made his claims on OTS, misrepresenting completely what was said in the latest edition of the Lib Dem’s ‘Birkdale FOCUS’. “This is all part of the trend led by current US President Donald Trump, that it doesn’t matter how distorted and untrue something is,” says Councillor Brodie Browne. “In Birkdale, the Conservatives are trying to out-Trump Donald Trump!”…
A Merseyside MP has called for more support for the live events industry saying that current coronavirus restrictions are risking thousands of jobs and livelihoods. Bill Esterson, the MP for Sefton Central, said he had met firms in his constituency that needed more targeted financial help due to being restricted from operating. Live events, such as the Southport Comedy Festival, and companies that host conferences and awards ceremonies, are not able to trade due to hospitality closures, social distancing rules and household mixing restrictions. Mr Esterson called for a specific fund to be set up to help the events industry.…
Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service (MFRS) is urging families to remember Halloween for the right reasons this year and be alert to the fire risks from wearing Halloween costumes. Halloween is going to be very different this year due to COVID-19 and local restrictions, but many families will still be getting into the spooky spirit with decorations, pumpkins and fancy dress costumes. Wearing a Halloween costume is great fun but remember, the outfit you have on could easily catch fire from naked flames you may be near such as candles, fires, lighters and matches. This is especially important with fancy…