Around 1,800 Knowsley school children will receive free tickets to Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot, providing pupils with an exciting cultural and educational experience.
This marks the first initiative of this scale to be delivered in Knowsley, supporting the commitment of Knowsley Council and Shakespeare North Playhouse to welcome Knowsley’s younger generation to the Playhouse and provide opportunities to experience the theatre.
Knowsley Council will distribute the free tickets to schools across the borough later this year, opening the door for hundreds of secondary school pupils to experience an inspiring boost to their studies and primary school pupils to enjoy a theatre performance.
This offer has been made possible due to Knowsley Council’s commitment to incorporate social value into its procurement process.
The funding for the tickets (£54,000) comes from the social value contributions from two separate construction contracts currently being delivered in Knowsley and is based on the value of those contracts.
MJ Quinn are working on the major improvements at Halewood Leisure centre as part of the wider investment in the town and Sterling Services are currently working on the new post-16 SEND education facility for Alt Bridge School at the Kirkby Centre. Both contractors have made a social value contribution under the terms of those contracts.
Cllr Jayne Lonergan, Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Resources commented: “I am delighted that we can offer this amazing number of free tickets to school children in Knowsley to visit Shakespeare North Playhouse. As a council, our priority has always been to ensure that the younger generation in Knowsley has the opportunity to visit the Playhouse and experience a live performance – and this offer delivers just that!
The council’s robust approach to incorporating social value into our procurement processes, ensures that we can encourage suppliers to make a valuable and positive difference to the lives of people in our local communities with offers just like this one, which is over and above the delivery of their respective contracts.”
Lisa Allen, CEO and Creative Director at Shakespeare North Playhouse, said:
“At Shakespeare North Playhouse our vision has always been to ensure that world-class culture is accessible to everyone, especially the young people growing up on our doorstep. For many children across Knowsley this will be their very first visit to the theatre. We hope these visits inspire young minds and open up new possibilities, showing young people that theatre and creativity are for them too. Experiences like this can widen perspectives and create lasting memories, and we’re incredibly proud to be working with Knowsley Council, MJ Quinn and Sterling Services to welcome so many local schoolchildren into their theatre.”
Karl Monaghan, Director at MJ Quinn added: “MJ Quinn is incredibly proud to support this fantastic initiative, which will give so many young people across Knowsley the chance to experience the magic of live theatre. Our current project at Halewood Leisure Centre is centred on major Decarbonisation works—improving energy efficiency, reducing carbon output, and helping create more sustainable public facilities for the future. Being able to extend the social value of that project beyond the construction site and into the community is something we are truly passionate about. This is a great example of how investment in renewable and energy‑saving infrastructure can also generate wider educational and cultural benefits for local families. Construction isn’t just about buildings—it’s about creating lasting, positive impact.”
Paul Blennerhassett, Group Chairman, at Sterling Services (Northern) Ltd added: “We at Sterling Services are proud to support such an inspiring initiative for Knowsley’s young people. Providing opportunities for local school children to experience the magic of live theatre at Shakespeare North Playhouse is a fantastic way to enrich their cultural and educational development. We are committed to making a positive impact on our community, and this partnership aligns perfectly with our values and connection to Knowsley.”
Knowsley Council’s procurement services are provided by STAR Procurement, a shared service for Knowsley, St Helens, Trafford, Tameside, Stockport and Rochdale. The priority is to maximise value for money for each council, deliver efficiencies and maximise opportunities for Social Value.
Photo Caption: Back row L-R Lisa Allen, Shakespeare North Playhouse, Cllr David Lonergan, Karl Monaghan, MJ Quinn and Paul Blennerhassett, Sterling Services. Front row L-r Cllr Shelley Powell and Cllr Jayne Lonergan.
