Liverpool City Region

The time has come to say goodbye to our wonderful Royal Iris of the Mersey @merseyferries. She has proudly served the region for over 60 years and will be officially retiring at the end of this month. 💙 The much-loved vessel, a familiar sight against the Liverpool and Wirral waterfront, will retire on 31 March, with a special weekend of farewell celebrations planned for Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 March. The last sailing will be on Sunday 29 March and the vessel will be officially decommissioned on Tuesday 31 March. Read more here: merseyferries.co.uk/blog/other/roy…

The City Region’s film and TV industry is booming. As the UK’s most filmed area outside London, record growth has seen our area become the leading film and TV hub outside of the capital. It’s added £150m to the local economy and created more than 5,000 jobs. But how is this felt on the ground – behind the scenes? 🎬 @MetroMayorSteve went on set with the cast and crew of ‘This City Is Ours’ during filming at a restaurant in Liverpool’s Chinatown and caught up with props masters, make-up artists, costume designers and actors amongst those working on the hit BBC crime drama. 🎥 Hear their thoughts on the industry in our series starting with location crew Laura and Neave.

The world is better because of what happens here… The Liverpool City Region is a place of firsts, a world leading place of culture, music, sport, science and innovation. #WorldFamous #WorldLeading

Applications are now open to the £32m Warm Homes Local Grant programme. The scheme is aimed at lowering carbon emissions and reducing fuel poverty by making 2,000 homes across the City Region warmer and more energy efficient. Homeowners and private landlords can apply for up to £15,000 towards energy-efficient measures such as solar panels, heat pumps, and wall and loft insulations. Read more and apply 👇 ow.ly/iWhe50YwfMI #ToastyHomes

After over 60 years of sailing the River Mersey, Royal Iris of the Mersey will set sail for the final time at the end of the month. Join us for one last sailing before she officially retires on Sunday 29 March. What’s your favourite memory of this incredible vessel? ⛴️ #FerryCrossTheMersey

🚆 Southport adventures just got cheaper! 🌊🌞 Mayor Steve Rotheram has unveiled a great value ticket offer on Merseyrail services to supercharge Southport tourism for several major events this year. Find out more 👉 ow.ly/fmRj50YwaWe

WATCH as the LCR Overview and Scrutiny Committee visits Sci-Tech Daresbury to see the pioneering work being done at the Life Sciences Innovation Zone. The committee's next public meeting is on Wednesday 25 March at Mann Island. See the agenda and watch live from 2pm 👇 ow.ly/q5Qq50YvG0O #ScrutinyMakesUsStronger #LCRInnovation

Mayor Steve Rotheram is welcoming £95m of new investment from the Government following an announcement by Chancellor Rachel Reeves today, which will support development across schemes such as Liverpool Central. It's part of a £1.7bn pot of funding to support jobs and development in cities across the Northern Growth Corridor and comes just a week after @MetroMayorSteve launched a record £2bn investment fund to accelerate growth, as well as plans for an emerging Mayoral Development Corporation. 👉 ow.ly/thXG50Yvn3G

Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona duit! Have a fantastic time celebrating St Patrick's Day right across the City Region today.

Sunny afternoons on the Leeds Liverpool Canal 😍 📍Lydiate, Sefton 📸 Janet Roach #BeautifulLCR

#ICYMI: The Liverpool City Region Walking and Cycling Index 2026 is out 📊🚶‍♀️🚴 Residents strongly back safer streets, more off‑road routes, better links to public transport and action on pavement parking. More here: 🔗 ow.ly/RsHt50YsGcZ #ActiveTravel #LCR

🚶 It’s less than two weeks until the @livingstreets #WalkingSummit in Liverpool where we will be joined by pioneers, leaders and campaigners to discuss the #FutureOfStreets at St George's Hall. Find out more 👉 bitly.livingstreets.org.uk/4pSNEIW

#DevolutionDelivers for Knowsley Knowsley’s Bowring Park and Golf Course in Huyton now offers more than one type of green after it encouraged rewilding with native plants and created new natural habitats to improve biodiversity. Last year its ‘Grow: The Sustainability Campus’ was named the Sustainable Project of the Year at the prestigious Golf Environment Awards. The site has even off-set carbon from the nearby motorway using sensors and provided green skills training for the local community and businesses.

From empty spaces to thriving community places - meet the Liverpool entrepreneur making a big social impact. When Shima Ami founded the Community Lettings Management Company (CLMC), he saw an opportunity to turn underused school halls, pitches and meeting rooms into affordable venues for community groups who often struggle to find suitable facilities. For Shima, no space should go to waste - every hall has a role in supporting the community: “Giving people access to space is important for mental health; important for keeping fit and important for community cohesion.” With support from Liverpool City Council’s Business Support Service, funded by the UKSPF through the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, CLMC is helping schools boost their income while bringing local communities together. 🤝 👉 Read the full story here: ow.ly/sYEK50YthQX

We’re proud to celebrate Spotlight Pathology, a pioneering health-tech company based at Sci-Tech Daresbury, as it secures £1.4 million in seed funding to accelerate its AI‑powered diagnostic tools for blood cancer. This investment round, co-led by the LCR Seed Fund, our Combined Authority fund supporting high‑growth potential businesses - demonstrates exactly why the City Region is becoming a national leader in science, innovation, and deep‑tech commercialisation. We’re also delighted to see follow‑on investment from LYVA Labs, another Combined Authority–funded organisation playing a crucial role in nurturing and scaling high‑potential innovation across the Liverpool City Region. Blood cancers are among the most difficult to diagnose, and faster, more accurate analysis can make a life‑changing difference for patients. Spotlight Pathology’s technology has the potential to transform clinical workflows, reduce diagnostic delays, and ultimately improve outcomes for people across the UK. By backing companies like Spotlight Pathology through the LCR Seed Fund and LYVA Labs – we are not just investing in business growth but we are helping bring forward the next generation of life‑saving technologies founded and scaled right here in the Liverpool City Region. 👉 ow.ly/V4ie50YsLai

The Liverpool City Region Race Equality Hub’s Shadowing Programme is helping to create more inclusive pathways across the region’s public and cultural institutions. Representatives from Knowsley were part of the initiative, which pairs senior white leaders from key partner organisations such as local authorities, Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, and National Museums Liverpool — with aspiring leaders from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. The programme offered meaningful insight, removed barriers and positively impacted the Race Equality Hub’s work to drive lasting change across the region.

#ICYMI | All aboard for one last adventure! 🛳️💙 The legendary Royal Iris of the Mersey is gearing up for her final farewell, with her last sailing on Sunday 29 March and official retirement on 31 March. After more than 60 years of carrying commuters, school groups, day‑trippers and memory‑makers across the River Mersey, this is your chance to be part of her story one final time. A special farewell weekend packed with nostalgia is happening Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 March. 📸 Snap your pics and videos 🎶 Share your memories with us on social media 🚢 Soak up the atmosphere of a true Mersey icon This is the final boarding call for a vessel woven into the cultural fabric of our region. Don’t miss your chance to step aboard before she sails into history. Plan your farewell trip and celebrate her incredible legacy 👉 ow.ly/T2Gj50YrW6u

Did you know @Ttiffanystjames is the UK’s first regional Chief AI Officer? Appointed by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, she’s championing our region’s world-class AI innovation and capability. 🚀 Yesterday, Tiffany addressed the All-Party Parliamentary Group on AI in the House of Lords, giving evidence on AI regulation, governance and the economic impact of AI Growth Zones. While Liverpool City Region isn’t designated as a Growth Zone, we’re proving how AI can be used for good: • improving public services • supporting communities • driving scientific breakthroughs • growing the economy Her message to Parliament: regional AI ecosystems - universities, research centres, innovation hubs and data infrastructure - are strategic national assets that must be recognised and supported. #ImprovingLiverpoolCityRegion #AIForGood

The countdown has begun to Liverpool Music Month - a celebration of the artists, venues and communities that have made Liverpool a UNESCO City of Music. The programme, taking place throughout May, is twinned with New York City's Music Month, creating a transatlantic partnership between two of the world’s greatest music cities. It comes after the city region's music industry leaders met with their counterparts in the big apple in 2024 to explore how they could collaborate. Liverpool Music Month will then be followed by Liverpool Summer of Music, a city-region-wide celebration of live music and cultural events taking place from June through to August. 👉 ow.ly/zwIt50Yraqr

Watch the dramatic transformation of St Helens town centre unfold in this new one-year timelapse video. 📽️ The footage captures the demolition of the Hardshaw shopping centre to make way for a state-of-the-art transport interchange, backed by £32m from the Combined Authority. 🚍🚅🚲 Read more about the project to deliver a greener, better-connected future for St Helens 👇 liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/news/new-timel…