Liverpool will make summer holiday blues a thing of the past this August, with ten days of boredom-busting activity for young people and families.

Between August 1 and 10, the Imagine. festival will bring a packed line-up of performance to the city’s streets, parks and public spaces, covering everything from samba to street theatre. And best of all, none of it will cost a penny.

Advance booking is required for some events and with demand expected to be high the Liverpool Culture Company is advising people to reserve their tickets early (more details below).

The festivities get off to a roaring start on August 1, with The Emperor and the Tiger at Newsham Park. This open-air production heralds the start of a weekend of carnival celebration, which continues on Saturday, August 2 with Brouhaha’s Liverpool International Carnival, followed by the World in Princes Park and Liverpool International Mela. And as the sun goes down the party steps up a gear with a Samba Parade featuring groups from across the UK, Ireland and Brazil who will bring their own captivating version of ‘the greatest show on earth’ to Liverpool city centre on Saturday night.

Between August 7 and 10, the focus turns to the area around William Brown Street where a host of attractions will cater for young people of all ages: On St George’s Plateau the spectacular Sensazione ‘Theatre of the Senses’ will offer visitors a theatrical experience with a difference - the specially created performing fairground uses audience interaction and movement rather than electricity to keep the rides going (pre-booking required). At World Museum Liverpool, young people aged 14 plus will be taken on a magical journey through the heart of a lost boy in an intimate theatrical production, Small Worlds - A Short Adventure for One.

Meanwhile, William Brown Street will be home to a giant film contraption, offering over 10s a range of cinematic treats from the past in Movieplex: World Cinema in a Nutshell. Even tiny tots can join in the fun, with Oogly Boogly in St John’s Gardens providing babies aged between 12 and 18 months a fun and interactive show in a safe, toy-free inflatable space (pre-booking required).

On Sunday, August 10, Imagine. reaches a spectacular finale with the annual Liverpool Children’s Festival, bringing noise, fun and laughter to William Brown Street between 11am and 4.30pm.

Other highlights between August 7 and 10 include a mini train ride along William Brown Street sponsored by Virgin Trains (until Saturday 9 August); storytelling in the cells of St George’s Hall; Wii Workshops in Liverpool Central Library; a 30ft inflatable Pig that houses special ten-minute shows; and the transformation of St John’s Gardens (behind St George’s Hall) into King Kazoo’s dream party, with games, workshops and performances on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 August.

Advance tickets for Oogly Boogly and Sensazione are now available at the 08 Place in Whitechapel. Free tickets can be collected in person at the 08 Place Box Office, Whitechapel, or by calling 0151 233 2457.

Business Crime Direct would like to make you all aware of a new scheme launched for SMES.

Action Against Business Crime has launched a new security initiative which has been designed to provide high quality security and business monitoring for small and medium sized businesses at a fraction of the usual cost. All of the standard system hardware, installation and the SSAIB certificate of conformity are free. Subject to terms and conditions the only cost to the business is £35 per month plus VAT for a minimum of 36 months to cover the cost of monitoring and aftercare.

The purpose is to put high quality crime prevention systems within reach of every business whether that be the smallest retail outlet, a high street office or an industrial unit on the edge of town. The system has features to help people who work on their own feel less vulnerable, as well as smoke and flood detection upgrades.

The complete package is monitored by a NSI Gold alarm receiving centre and is fully certificated by the SSAIB. The system, which also includes audio verification in the event of an activation, enables keyholders to be well prepared and able to contact the relevant authorities within moments of an activation. Intended not only to give business their first solid foot on the security ladder it has been designed to replace bells only systems most of which now need replacing or adjusting to comply with recent noise pollution guidelines.
Mike Schuck, Chief Executive of AABC said ‘I am delighted that we have this comprehensive new tool to help bring action to the fight against business crime. Our new initiative offers the missing link between more expensive police response systems and affordable security for everyone. This is great news for small and medium sized businesses that are exposed to burglary and robbery but until now simply couldn’t afford to purchase the necessary monitored security’.

For more information on how to access this cost-effective new service, click on the bell boxes at the top of the page.

There are three packages. Click on the one relevant to you to download a PDF of more information and how to apply. Or contact Action Against Business Crime here.

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