Do you love Southport? Then you are in great company!
Southport has recently been named one of the 10 happiest places to live in the UK – and to people who live in our town, this comes as no surprise.
How could it, when we have the nation’s second-longest pier; a stunning coastline; some of the world’s greatest golf courses; beautiful Lord Street, one of the UK’s longest shopping streets; and even the country’s only lawnmower museum?
The data was compiled when 22,000 people responded to Rightmove’s ‘Happy At Home’ index survey. Participants were asked questions such as the extent to which they feel a sense of community spirit, feel safe, earn enough to live comfortably, and whether local people are friendly and polite.
Stand Up For Southport is a grassroots community campaign that was launched in December, 2019 by Southport residents Andrew Brown and Phil Gee.
It is a simple campaign, with an effective aim: urging people to get behind our town instead of talking it down, highlight the positives that we have, and urge people to support our many great local independent businesses, our superb local organisations and charities, and our great events. We want a town of people who work hard and work together to make Southport a better place.
Lord Street in Southport.
Photo by Andrew Brown Media
Thousands of people have already joined our Stand Up For Southport campaign through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, with lots inviting their family and friends to join as well. Please join us!
The local primary schools in Southport are among the best in Britain; we have fabulous parks such as Botanic Gardens, King’s Gardens, Hesketh Park and Victoria Park; we enjoy an impressive events programme with the likes of Southport Air Show, Southport Flower Show, Southport Comedy Festival, Southport Food & Drink Festival, Southport Halloween Festival and the British Musical Fireworks Championship.
Like anywhere, Southport is not without our problems. We would like to see more help for those in need so we can bring an end to any requirement to have Southport Foodbank in our town. We want more support for independent local businesses, and creative ways of filling any empty shop units. We were hit hard by the financial crash in 2008. But we are recovering really well.
This is partly due to huge recent investment in Southport. It is well worth visiting to see the £15million transformation of our Waterfront area, which includes Bliss Hotel – the views across the Marine Lake and out to sea are among the best in our region. Their new penthouses are among the most sought-after hotel rooms in the North West, and they have big plans for the entire Waterfront site.
At Southport Pleasureland, at the other end of the Marine Lake, owner Norman Wallis is preparing to expand onto neighbouring land and create an innovative all-year-round attraction, including a dinosaur-themed adventure golf park including animatronic dinosaurs.
He already owns the nearby Lakeside Miniature Railway, the oldest constantly running 15-inch gauge railway in the world. But his ambitious plans combining Southport’s Victorian heritage with the very best in modern entertainment aim to make Southport Britain’s number one, all-year-round holiday location.
Southport Business Improvement District, recently voted in for a new five-year-term, is playing its part in boosting local firms and putting smiles on people’s faces, bringing in huge numbers of visitors with events such as Southport Christmas Lights Switch On – headlined by Peter Andre – plus Southport Halloween Festival and Southport Arts Festival.
Crowds fill Lord Street for the Southport Christmas Lights switch on 2019. Photo by Gareth Jones
Sefton Council has led huge change in Southport in recent years, leading the £20million transformation of The Atkinson arts and cultural centre, the £3.5million renovation of Southport Pier, and the £6million investment in King’s Gardens.
Southport now has the chance to bid for up to £25million from the government’s Town Deals fund, with local people being urged to have your say on what you want to see. Expect more big changes very soon.
Best of all, we enjoy a real community spirit and a huge wealth of volunteers going the extra mile to really make our town what it is. You will see thousands of flowers along Lord Street, thanks to the Lord Street In Bloom volunteers, while locations including of Botanic Gardens, Hesketh Park, Rotten Row, Ainsdale Village and King’s Gardens all regularly win In Bloom awards through their incredible dedication and hard work.
You can eat around the world with a huge array of choice in our local restaurants and bars, with lots to discover in our town’s many shops.
Earlier this year, we started the Stand Up For Southport, which has enjoyed huge support locally – from being quoted in the annual Southport BID report, to an increasingly popular #StandUpForSouthport hashtag appearing on various social media channels, plus growing Facebook, Twitter and Instagram groups.
The Marine Lake in Southport, seen from Bliss Hotel.
Photo by Andrew Brown Media
We also present a weekly Stand Up For Southport show on Sandgrounder Radio and write a weekly column in the Southport Visiter.
We are incredibly proud of our very unique town. You won’t find local residents knocking Sunny Southport, because we just love living here.
We are delighted to have been included in the 2019 Rightmove 10 Happiest Places To Live In The UK list.
With all the tremendous investment and huge changes happening in our town now and over the next few months, we expect to feature again next year, hopefully even higher – just watch this space.
If you haven’t been to Southport recently, why not pay us a visit and discover the reasons behind all this happiness. We can guarantee you the warmest of welcomes.
