Prescot Town Councillor Nomination for Councillor of the Year at the NALC Star Council Awards
We are pleased to congratulate Councillor Joanne Burke on being nominated for the NALC Star Council Awards 2021. The winners and runner’s up will be announced at an online awards ceremony later this year. You can read below the reason for Councillor Burke’s nomination.
Click here to view all nominations on NALC’s website
Cllr Joanne Burke, Prescot Town Council, Merseyside
Since being elected in 2018, Cllr Joanne Burke has constantly strived to develop Prescot Town Council’s offer for residents. One of her most successful initiatives is the school uniform recycling programme. Over the past two years, this project has seen 551 families supported with 4,345 individual garments, saving over a tonne of material going to landfill. Cllr Burke has combined this project with sports nutrition and play activity sessions. These sessions are delivered twice a week during school holidays at a local park. This project provides activity and healthy lunch for all those attending, preventing stigma whilst combatting holiday hunger. The two projects were adapted for COVID-19 with record numbers of families engaging.
Cllr Burke was also at the forefront of developing Prescot Town Council’s isolation support scheme. She worked closely with Prescot Town Council’s clerk to develop a program of support that offered a three-day sustenance package to local residents who could not leave the house. Cllr Burke donated stocks of food that had been compiled for the summer holiday programme and personally went out shopping to generate stock until the council’s order arrived. Cllr Burke also delivered the first support package.
Another of Cllr Burke’s innovations worthy of note is the local democracy programme that Prescot Town Council now offers to all local primary schools. This facilitates understanding of local (parish and town) councils and role play by the children in the chamber, in the hope of inspiring young people to use their voices.
In addition to her role as a councillor, Cllr Burke is also involved in several community groups. This ensures ongoing maintenance of two-way contact. In 2019 Cllr Burke launched Prescot Mission Christmas, an initiative that saw 30 isolated residents invited to Christmas dinner at Prescot Town Hall with transport arranged, entertainment and a hamper gift. Thirty housebound isolated residents received deliveries of this offer. The COVID-19 pandemic galvanised Cllr Burke to raise the bar and in December 2020 under her leadership, Prescot Mission Christmas delivered Christmas dinner, crackers, goodies and two other meals to 200 families in Prescot and the wider area.
Prescot Town Council’s school uniform recycling project is now well under way, please donate any items of uniform during August 2021 at Prescot Town Hall Mon-Fri from 9.30am – 4.30pm and you can collect School Uniform from Eaton Street Pavilion on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s throughout August between 12pm – 3.30pm.
Where to access COVID-19 Testing in Prescot for people with no symptoms
If you don’t have symptoms:
Community Testing sites:
Prescot has one Community test site offering testing (through Lateral Flow Tests). You don’t need to make an appointment, but please only visit this site if you do not display any symptoms.
Prescot
Unit 6
Prescot Shopping Centre,
Eccleston St,
L34 5GA
operating on the following hours:
Tuesday – Thursday 09:30 – 16:30
Friday 09:30 – 16:00
Saturday 10:00 – 16:00
You can also collect home testing kits from the Community Testing sites.
Remember a positive test means you have COVID-19 and you (and others in your household, support bubble and close contacts) need to self-isolate for 10 days.
Pop-up sites
The Mobile Response Unit and engagement team will be providing pop-up testing at the following site in Prescot.
12/8/2021
Thursday
Prescot Cables Retail Park L34 5NQ 10am-3pm
13/8/2021
Friday
Prescot Cables Retail Park L3, 5NQ 10am-3pm
14/8/2021
Saturday
Prescot Cables Retail Park L34, 5NQ 10am-3pm