Metropolitan Borough of Wirral Facts for Kids

The Metropolitan Borough of Wirral is a special area in Merseyside, North West England. It's home to about 324,011 people (as of 2005 est.). This area covers the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula, which is about 60.6 square miles (157.0 km²) in size.

Some of the main towns in Wirral include Birkenhead, Wallasey, Bebington, Heswall, Hoylake, and West Kirby. Wirral is the westernmost metropolitan borough in England. Across the River Mersey to the northeast, you can see the city of Liverpool.

Wirral's Location and Borders
Wirral's History: How it Began
Wirral's Economy and Development
Education in Wirral
Wirral's Members of Parliament (MPs)
Fun Places to Visit in Wirral
Wirral's International Friends (Twin Towns)
Freedom of the Borough: A Special Honour

Wirral's Location and Borders

Wirral is surrounded by water on three sides. The River Mersey is to the east, the Irish Sea is to the north, and the River Dee is to the west. To the south, Wirral shares a border with the borough of Cheshire West and Chester, which covers the rest of the Wirral Peninsula.

Wirral's History: How it Began

The Borough of Wirral was created on 1 April 1974. This happened because of a law called the Local Government Act 1972. Before this, the area was made up of several smaller parts. These included the towns of Birkenhead and Wallasey, along with Bebington, Hoylake, and Wirral Urban Districts. They all joined together to form the single borough we know today.

Wirral's Economy and Development

Wirral's economy includes many different types of jobs and businesses. In 2006, big plans were announced for a huge project called Wirral Waters. This project aims to develop the docklands area with new industrial buildings, offices, homes, and places for fun and leisure.

Planning permission for Wirral Waters was given in 2010, and work started in 2011. This is a very long-term project, and development could continue for up to 30 years. It's a major effort to bring new life and opportunities to the area.

Education in Wirral

Wirral has a mix of schools for students. When the borough was formed in 1974, it brought together different school systems. Some areas had comprehensive schools, which means they accept all students regardless of their academic ability. Other areas had a selective system, with grammar schools for students who passed an exam and secondary modern schools for those who didn't.

Over time, laws changed how schools worked. Now, parents can apply for their child to go to almost any secondary school in the borough. This means students from different areas can attend different types of schools.

Today, Wirral has 16 comprehensive schools and 6 grammar schools. Two of the comprehensive schools and two of the grammar schools are Roman Catholic schools.

Wirral's Members of Parliament (MPs)

Members of Parliament, or MPs, are people elected by the public to represent them in the UK Parliament in London. They speak up for their local area and help make laws for the country. Wirral has four MPs, each representing a different part of the borough. All of Wirral's current MPs belong to the Labour Party.

Area Represented	MP's Name		Year First Elected
Birkenhead	Mick Whitley	Labour Party	2019	Mick Whitley MP
Wallasey	Angela Eagle	Labour Party	1992	Angela Eagle MP
Wirral South	Alison McGovern	Labour Party	2010	Alison McGovern MP
Wirral West	Margaret Greenwood	Labour Party	2015	Margaret Greenwood MP

Fun Places to Visit in Wirral

Wirral has many interesting places to explore, especially if you love nature! The Wirral Council looks after five special Local Nature Reserves. These are places where nature is protected and you can enjoy the outdoors. They include Bidston Moss, Dibbinsdale, Heswall Dales, Hilbre Island, and Thurstaston Common.

Wirral also has part of the Wirral Country Park. This was the very first country park ever created in Britain, which is pretty cool!

Wirral's International Friends (Twin Towns)

Wirral has special friendships with towns and cities in other countries. These are called twin towns or sister cities. It's a way for different places around the world to learn from each other and share cultures.

Wirral is twinned with:

Lorient, France
Gennevilliers, France
Midland, Texas, United States
Reno, Nevada, United States
Sibiu, Romania, Romania

Freedom of the Borough: A Special Honour

The "Freedom of the Borough" is a very old and special honour that Wirral can give to people, military groups, or organisations. It's a way to recognise those who have done something amazing or have a strong connection to the area.

Individuals Honoured

Some of the people who have received this honour include:

Lieutenant Commander Ian Edward Fraser: 1993
Joseph Lynch: 1996
Raymond Holmes: 2005
The Right Reverend David Urquhart: 2006
Michael Chan, Baron Chan: 2006
Stephen Maddox: 2010
Police Constable David Phillips: 21 May 2016
Frank Field, Baron Field of Birkenhead: 16 February 2022
Paul O'Grady: 8 June 2023 (Awarded after he passed away)
Glenda Jackson: 9 October 2023 (Awarded after she passed away)

Military Units Honoured

Several military groups have also received this honour:

The Cheshire Regiment: 1996
The Royal Marines: 1998
1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment: 2009
234 (Wirral) Transport Squadron, RLC (Volunteers): 18 February 2012
107 (Lancashire and Cheshire) Field Squadron (Volunteers): 18 February 2012
HMS Astute, RN: 6 July 2015
Wallasey Sea Cadet Corps: 6 July 2015

Organisations and Groups Honoured

The 96 people killed at the Hillsborough disaster: 15 September 2017
Andrew Devine (97th Hillsborough Victim): 21 March 2021

All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:

Metropolitan Borough of Wirral Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.

Metropolitan Borough of Wirral facts for kids

Contents