FAIR Play Merseyside - one of 10 regional campaigns set up by Wirral West MP David Hunt when he was Secretary of State for Employment - has taken an important step forward by becoming Fair Play Merseyside Ltd.

The company, now limited by guarantee, aims to break down the barriers which prevent women from achieving their full potential in economic and social life.

Mr Hunt, welcoming the new status of the Merseyside initiative, said: "I am delighted that this work is going from strength to strength - it is vital that there is full equality of opportunity in our area, and this is an important step forward."

Promoted by the Department of Education and Employment and by the Equal Opportunities Commission, Fair Play brings together representatives from business and from the public and voluntary sectors.

Fairplay's importance to the region's economic development has been underlined by an extra year's financial support from the government and a third year of grants from the European Social Fund under Objective One (matched by funds from all three of the region's Training and Enterprise Councils).

Christine Kerr, Assistant Chief Executive of Sefton Borough Council and Chair of Fair Play Merseyside's steering group, said: "Company status will give us more flexibility in the activities we can undertake and support. We will continue to work closely with the many other local organisations which are addressing aspects of inequality and lost opportunity in the workplace and elsewhere."

Membership of the new company is open, for a nominal fee, to anyone interested in Fair Play Merseyside Ltd's work. Further information can be obtained from Fair Play's Co-ordinator, Peter Bates, at CEWTEC Ltd, Egerton House, 2 Tower Road, Birkenhead L41 1FN (Tel: 650-0555).

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