BLACKPOOL MP’s TANGERINE DAY!
Mr Marsden was visiting Blackpool Football Club’s Summer Soccer School at Palatine which is giving a range of local youngsters all round coaching, keep-fit and playing exercise on the college’s sports ground- as well as the chance to meet some of the club’s players. He met and chatted with Derek Spence, the Bloomfield Road Club’s Community Officer as well as staff and volunteers and had a go as a penalty striker to some of the children practising goalkeeping.
‘What Derek and his colleagues are doing is a fantastic way of engaging local youngsters over the summer holidays- and it is part of the sustained community involvement from Blackpool Football Club which brings the tangerine dream and a chance to meet players to a wide group. I’m very impressed by the commitment Kevin Oyston and everyone at Bloomfield Road is continuing to show in this area.’
After that Mr Marsden joined performers and volunteers at Barnardo’s Playday at the temporary sand beach on the St. Chad’s Headland on the prom. Performers from the local theatre group Class Act entertained young people and families from across Blackpool as well as visitors. There were also displays and demonstrations from local volunteers and other organisations including the RNLI and the Fire Brigade.
‘I really applaud the work Barnardos are doing with families in Blackpool with their outreach projects. Last year’s summer Playday at the Mereside Sure Start was very successful and this year they’ve been able to expand to use the excellent new headland facility,’ Mr Marsden added.
The final touch of tangerine to the MP’s visit programme came with a tour of the Tangerine Confectionary site on Vicarage Lane. The company, formed from an amalgamation of traditional family owned sweet businesses, now has approaching 400 employees at its Blackpool site on Vicarage Lane and Clifton Road, producing nearly 30,000 tonnes a year of everything from Dolly Mixtures, Liquorice Allsorts, popcorn, and traditional boiled sweets through to fudge and toffee products for companies like Morrisons, Tesco and Asda.
After touring the plant Mr Marsden talked about job and export prospects with Tangerine’s Managing Director Steven Joseph. Speaking afterwards, Mr Marsden said ‘Apart from the wow-factor of seeing a 40-foot long strip of liquorice coming down a production line and sweets as far as the eye can see, it was really encouraging to hear that their sales and product line has been expanding- and to have such a market leader offering stable employment in the heart of Blackpool.’
