Maria Kershaw said: “I feel we are on the map and we are being recognised for all the hard work.”
Maria Kershaw said: “I feel we are on the map and we are being recognised for all the hard work.”
A former newsagent who helped bring a criminal family who were blighting the area with drugs down has been recognised with an award for her years of work to improve her hometown.
The Voice of Egremont, a community group, was formed in 2018 as the area of Wallasey, Wirral was suffering from antisocial behaviour linked to one family.
After police got in touch, Maria Kershaw, who ran a newsagents with her husband, and another neighbour delivered hundreds of leaflets through doors asking if they wanted to join her campaign.
She told the ECHO that this was about giving a voice to the area and seeing if people could work together to tackle the problems around crime. This later grew into litter picking, alleyway clearances, bringing Christmas lights to the area, and transforming a derelict piece of land into a beautiful garden.
Working with Merseyside Police and Wirral Council, Maria said the group were later “successful in evicting and closing down a drug den” after people came forward with information. Before the Voice of Egremont formed, Maria said people “were too afraid to speak up.”
In 2022, Maria decided to sell the newsagents and retire but she has continued to run the community group. She later took over a property at 68 King Street, turning it into a community hub running groups, a free library that also distributed free groceries and essentials for families struggling.
Back in 2018, Maria said police were in the area all the time. She told the Liverpool ECHO the issues came from “a really notorious family,” adding: “Because we formed this group, it gave us more power, power to take on antisocial behaviour. We were successful working with the police and getting rid of this family.”
Working in the newsagents, she said it was the pandemic that made her realise people couldn’t afford small things. She said she later partnered up with local supermarkets including Marks and Spencer, Asda, and Morrisons to offer food to those who can’t afford it.
However while the area has definitely improved Maria still believes there is work to be done. Where there used to be shops, she said it is now flats, bedsits, and HMOs.
Maria added: “I think one of the things that gets to us is it’s a main road that takes thousands of visitors to New Brighton and it’s so scruffy but we do our bit, we do what we can.
“We do what we can with the money we have got and we do it with a good heart. The biggest success is the hub and the lights, the hub is going from strength to strength. I am extremely proud, I am extremely proud we have achieved what we have.”
She said: “We try and keep the area clean. The planters and the Christmas lights do help but you have got little pockets of deprivation. People haven’t even got two pennies to put together and they can’t even afford to put a Christmas tree up.”
Maria is one of 11 people this year given a Wirral award. Others include Dan Davies from Rockpoint Leisure, Sue Porter who sponsored different grassroots football clubs, and others involved in community organisations.
She told the ECHO: “It’s stunning. It’s lovely to receive it. I got it because I founded the Voice of Egremont, I’m the founder but there’s a lot of volunteers, it’s for them and it’s not just for them.
“As far as I am concerned, it’s for the community and that is what matters to me. I feel we are on the map and we are being recognised for all the hard work.”
Liscard councillor Janette Williamson, who nominated Maria, said: “I am absolutely thrilled that the amazing work that Maria and the Voice of Egremont has done over the years has been recognised at last. We are all so incredibly proud of her, she is invaluable to the community and her capacity for vision and hard work is testimony to how much she wants to give back.”
Wirral local policing Inspector Sharon Robinson said: “This award is well-deserved and we are pleased that Maria has been recognised for the invaluable work she does for the Egremont community.
“She is a huge community asset and is always available when help is needed, from elderly people to youngsters. Our officers know that when they come across someone needing help such as having no food then they can count on Maria to open up the hub and prepare a food hamper for the person.
“In addition to the many activities held at the centre, Maria and her team of volunteers also organise many community events including a Christmas party where each child receives a gift. They also organise trips to theatres and Christmas markets.
“With the many activities held at the centre such as the popular Lego club and art group, anti-social behaviour in the area has decreased since Voice of Egremont and the community hub was set up in 2019. This is largely thanks to Maria and her team bringing pride back to the area and people respecting the work they do in the community, for instance litter picking and planting flowers to make the area a better place.”
