Wirral Council leader Dave Jackson writes his exclusive column for the Wirral Globe -

I'VE been on the river this week, messing about in boats. Well, travelling at speed in a high-powered rigid inflatable craft belonging to the Mersey Inshore Rescue Team, to be exact!

It was fun for me, but it's a serious business, of course, for the Rescue Team and for those they help. The main funding for the Team comes from the three river-based authorities - Wirral, Liverpool and Sefton, the Police Authority and Mersey Travel. As the Inshore Rescue Team patrols seven miles of Wirral coastline, I had been invited to see how our money is spent.

The statistics are impressive. Since it was set up in 1984, more than 300 people have been retrieved from the River Mersey and more than 1,500 small vessels in distress given assistance. Inshore rescue work can be difficult and dangerous at times, so our thanks go to all those who take part.

What I didn't realise, however, was the role the Team plays in other areas, like answering calls to clear the river of objects that could prove dangerous to ships using the river, or investigating pollution spills.

On the day I was out with them, we were investigating a reported slick, which turned out not to be oil but effluent, samples of which were collected and sent to the Environmental Agency for analysis and action if necessary.

Earlier in the week I had been present at another case of dumping at a dock in Monks Ferry - only this dumping was entirely beneficial to the council. To be precise, British Gas had donated 160 tons of sandstone from their site at Hind Street, which will be used in the renovation of Dock number four on the Laird Foundation site, and as part of an environmental improvement scheme at Rock Park. Needless to say, we're very grateful for such a donation.

I've talked about the Laird Foundation in this column before, and we've watched it develop slowly from a dream in a glossy brochure to the reality it now is, state-of-the-art engineering employers need.

Perhaps most important of all is the way it draws on the wealth of experience of individuals already out there doing the job. It's a great sharing of knowledge. Apprentices, school pupils and the unemployed will be working alongside technicians, engineers, instructors, teachers and volunteers there to help and encourage. The jobs they train on will be real jobs, and the jobs they head for at the end will also be real jobs.

Everyone gains. It's a great model for the future.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.