Jamie Carragher backs Bootle's bid for Town of Culture 'it's the best place in the world'

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Bootle is bidding to become the UK’s first ever 'Town of Culture' and the campaign is being supported by some of the area's sporting and artistic legendsJamie Carragher has spoken about the love he has for his hometown, and described Bootle as the 'best place in the world'. Jamie was speaking at a launch event for Bootle's UK Town of Culture bid, and hopes it will create more opportunities for people in the area.In January, Sefton Council launched Bootle's bid to become the UK’s first ever Town of Culture, with council leader, Cllr Marion Atkinson promising to get the “elbows out” to promote Bootle to the country.The UK Town of Culture is open to small, medium and large towns, and has the aim of bringing local investment, and to create opportunities for people in the arts and culture sectors.The Town of Culture judges panel will be led by Brookside and Hollyoaks creator, Sir Phil Redmond, which will eventually decide on the winning town, and allocate approximately £3m to deliver a cultural programme.The bid comes after last year's announcement of the Pride in Place programme, a multi-billion pound regeneration scheme which will deliver vital funding to communities across the UK, including 11 areas in Merseyside, with £20m being allocated to Bootle.The local authority said the bid puts local people, creativity and community pride at the heart of the town’s future.

If successful, it will fund a programme featuring arts, music, performance, heritage and wellbeing activities designed and delivered with local residents, artists, businesses, schools and community organisations.Earlier today, Thursday March 19, Sefton Council announced its first 'Bootle Bid Backers', a selection of local ambassadors to promote the town and describe what it means to them personally. The launch event was held in Bootle Strand, at community bookshop Kingsley & Co, and was attended by football stars Jamie Carragher and Alex Greenwood.Discussing the Town of Culture bid, as well as his own upbringing and ties to Bootle, Jamie told the Liverpool ECHO: "There's a lot going in Bootle now, and maybe after a little period of decline, it just feels like it's getting back on its feet, and it just needs another push to get it back to where it was when I was a child."Wherever you're brought up you think is the best place in the world, but for me, Bootle was that, and I love the place to bits."Bootle is all about the people, the community as well, families sticking together through thick and thin, Reds and Blues everywhere."We've turned up here today because we're really passionate about Bootle, and want to do as much as we possibly can to help it win the bid for Town of Culture."We're all very thankful for where we come from, and I'm always championing the city, and anybody coming from this city and doing well, but especially Bootle because that's where my family and friends all grew up."In this city and in this town, there is just so much talent, whether that's football, the arts, culture, whatever it may be, and it just needs pushing, and it needs giving a platform."So with the Bootle bid, it's all about opening up those opportunities so more and more people can achieve their dreams."These sentiments were shared by Bootle-born international footballer and European champion, Alex Greenwood who spoke passionately about the town she grew up in and why it should be celebrated for its cultural identity.Alex's roots are firmly planted in Bootle, and local people take great pride in her achievements, so much so that she was honoured with a 22ft mural on Stanley Road, following England’s victory over Germany in the Euro 2022 final.This public tribute reflects not only her status as one of Bootle’s most celebrated sporting figures, but highlights the strong connection she maintains with the community that shaped her early life and footballing identity.Alex told us: "I'm really proud to be from Bootle, and I just want people to have the opportunity to go on and be whatever they want to be, whether it be in sport, in music, in art, or anything else."Bootle is a great place, and it has got massive potential.

I hope this bid will help with that, and if it's successful, it will be massive for the Bootle."Jamie and Alex were joined at the event by fellow Bootle ambassadors Carl Hunter from The Farm, Fran Doran the lead singer for Red Rum Club, and Sefton Council's Cabinet member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills, Cllr Paulette Lappin.Each took turns to speak about their pride and admiration for Bootle, and why the town is perfectly placed to be the UK's first ever Town of Culture. The council hopes to appoint ten ambassadors in total, and will be known as 'Bootle Bid Backers'.Straddling the world of sports, arts, music and culture, the ambassadors are pledging to champion Sefton Council’s bid to secure Town of Culture status and deliver a six-month cultural programme in 2028.