Hornby’s in the driving seat for the Sefton Stories project

Late last year we launched the Sefton Stories Project, highlighting 10 stories that have shaped the borough’s history, and asked people to vote for them on www.mysefton.co.uk. Individuals championed each story and videos were released explaining more about the people on Sefton Council’s and the Borough of Culture’s social media channels (@Sefton2020).

There was also a blank box for people to highlight other stories they thought should be recognized during Sefton’s Borough of Culture year.

More than 850 votes were cast on the mysefton poll with thousands of other people watching, sharing and commenting on social media. People had until early January to cast their vote with the results now in.

Sefton Council’s Borough of Culture sponsor, Cllr Trish Hardy, said: “The focus of our Borough of Culture year is on stories, looking at two key elements, local history and the environment.

“Through the Sefton Stories Project, we are already planning to celebrate narrative around the Bootle Blitz, VE Day, the borough’s amazing coastline, and tourism across the whole of Sefton.

“But as Sefton has so many other different and unique stories and individuals behind it, we wanted the public to get involved and help shape our year through an online poll.

“The poll has now closed and what a fantastic response we have had! The top four stories include the inventor Frank Hornby, Christiana Hartley, Sefton’s maritime history and the Seaforth comedian Kenny Everett.

“People in their hundreds also gave us food for thought with other stories that they think we should celebrate during 2020.

“We will now go through all the results and comments and include them to our ever-growing events calendar for the rest of the year.

“Thank you so much to everyone that took the time to vote in this interesting project and don’t forget community groups can still apply for funding for Borough of Culture events they want to host in 2020.

All the details are on www.sefton.gov.uk/Sefton2020.”

The Borough of Culture (BoC) title is awarded by the Liverpool City Region’s Combined Authority to one of its six local authorities (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral) on a rotating, annual basis.

Online Sefton Stories Project poll results:

Frank Hornby – 28%
Christiana Hartley – 20%
Kenny Everett – 9%
Sefton’s maritime history – 8%
James Dunwoody Bulloch – 4.8%
Albert Pierrepoint – 4.1%
FJ Hooper – 3.9%
Thomas Fresh – 2.8%
Dame Beryl Bainbridge – 2.7%
Sir Henry Segrave – 2.5%
Other – 14.2%