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up our street
Tel: 0117 954 2834 Post: Beacon Centre, City Academy, Russell Town Avenue Bristol, BS5 9JH contact@upourstreet.org.uk www.upourstreet.org.uk Twitter: @upourstreet Facebook: Up Our Street Charity no: 1081691 Company no: 04023294 Business Development Officer Emily Fifield Tel: 0117 954 2837 Communications Officer Tamsin Harcourt Tel: 07903 089 002
Community Engagement Celia Davis Tel: 07947 830 973 Patrycia Pinkowski Tel: 07986 949 493 Community Researcher and Evaluation Officer Jasmine Ketibuah-Foley Tel: 07986 949 430 Finance and Office Manager Tracy Parsons Tel: 0117 954 2834 Manager Stacy Yelland Tel: 0117 954 2836 or 07810 506 980 Trustee board Ricardo Sharry (Chair) Amy Harrison (Deputy chair) Jane Westhead (Deputy chair) Noelle Rumball (Treasurer) Sally Caseley Joyce Clarke Nic Ferris Dominic Murphy Thom Oliver Hannah Pepper
Listen to Up Our Street on the One Love Breakfast Show every Wednesday at 8.45am. Broadcast on BCfm 93.2 and Ujima 98fm Follow us on Twitter @upourstreet Join the Up Our Street group on Facebook. 1,250 members and growing!
Summer is on its way, and that means festival time! There are plenty of great community events coming up in the next few months, and Up Our Street is getting involved in Bristol Refugee Festival, read more on page 10 We are also on the lookout for those community champions who deserve a big thank you. Find out how to nominate someone for a 2018 Thank You Award on page 19. Enjoy your summer!
Up Our Street news………...…..…....……………pages 3 and 4 Have your say ..……..…...……………………………..pages 5 to 7 Get involved….………………………………….....….pages 8 to 10 Working together………...……………………….pages 11 to 13 News from The Network…………..………..pages 14 and 15 Community Noticeboard..…………….…….pages 16 and 17 Police update…………………………………....…...…….….page 18 Thank You Awards…………….……………………………..page 19 Councillor’s Corner.………………………………………....page 20 Advertising ……………………………………….….pages 21 to 24
HAVE YOUR SAY The stories in this section are all about having a Political Voice. That is not about supporting a particular political party, it is about having influence over decisions that affect your life or your community.
GET INVOLVED
The stories in this section are all about Civic Participation. This means the different ways that people can and do get involved in their community.
WORKING TOGETHER The stories in this section are all about Social Capital. This means the way that people work together to share skills and experience and build strong networks.
The opinions and information contained in this publication are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of Up Our Street. Advertisers are not endorsed. All photos are by Up Our Street unless otherwise credited. 2
Up Our Street
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UP OUR STREET - People changing the world. One street at a time. It’s been a busy couple of months for Pat and Celia our Community Engagement Officers. We’ve had two successful Festival of Solutions events - Being Bristolian in February and Making Places in March, and as we move into summer, there are lots more events to come. Celia has been working with a group of residents and community organisations to improve Gaunts Ham Park, and also ran a workshop for local residents to have their say about the University of Bristol’s plans for a new campus at Temple Quay. Pat is working on our ‘Raising Active Citizens’ project with Felix Road Adventure Playground, so look out for our coffee morning and gardening club. She is also planning a series of pop-up events Festival of Solutions: Being Bristolian
Planting in Gaunts Ham Park about what EU nationals need to know about Brexit, and is working with Bannerman Road Academy to plan a Great Get Together event on 22 June. We are also pleased to continue our partnership with BCfm. Tamsin and Celia will be hosting our monthly Up Our Street show on the third Monday of the month at 2pm. We love studio guests, so don’t be shy, come and join us on air! Not online? Have you read something in our magazine, want to know more, but you’re not online? You can always call us on 0117 954 2834 or pop in to the Up Our Street office at the Beacon Centre and talk to one of the team.
Photo credit: Evoke Pictures
Up Our Street was invited to a Resilient Cities event in Rotterdam to talk about our URBACT project on the Railway Path. Read more about it at www.upourstreet.org.uk/blog And talking of the website, we’ve had a bit of a facelift. We hope you find it easier to find information, so do let us know what you think of the new look. Mike Pickering is stepping down as a board member after an amazing ten years supporting Up Our Street. Many thanks to Mike for all your work, you will be missed. Up Our Street has been invited to be part of the Bristol Inclusive Cities Taskforce. This is part of an international movement to find practical ways to make cities more inclusive and welcoming to all. Changes to data protection law mean that we have had to ask everyone on our mailing list to confirm whether they want continue to receive the ebulletin. Thank you to the 827 of you who have replied so far. We have had a great response to the Up Our Street Endowment Fund this year, with a whopping 22 applications! The panel meets in May, and all applicants will find out the results soon.
Up Our Street would like to thank our funders: www.upourstreet.org.uk
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UP OUR STREET NEWS
When Up Our Street asked residents of Easton and Lawrence Hill what was important to their wellbeing, the environment in which they live was high on the list of priorities. The Festival of Solutions: Making Places on Saturday 24 March was all about identifying those areas in the environment which don’t work well for local people and asking, ‘What can we do about this?’ By far the most popular workshop of the day was about Lawrence Hill roundabout, and we were amazed how much can be achieved in an hour of focused conversation and sharing of ideas. Streets Reimagined challenged people to think big – what if the dual carriageway wasn’t a dual carriageway? What if the roundabout was actually a cross roads? All of a sudden the possibility for more positive uses of the space open up, whether it’s for affordable housing, commercial space or parks. We were also joined on the day by Adblock Bristol, Severnside Community Rail Partnership and Tidy BS5. Special thanks to the Architecture Centre who opened the day with a brilliant workshop offering
Sharing ideas at Making Places inspiration for communities wanting to take a lead in shaping where they live. Thanks to all that came along for participating on the day, we look forward to working together on all these issues! If you would like a copy pf the report from Making Places, please contact Celia at Up Our Street on 0117 954 2834 or celia@upourstreet.org.uk . More Festival of Solutions events are planned for later this year, so watch this space...
A place of possibilities...
Felix Family Feast Sunday 17 June Felix Road adventure playground 10am to 12pm Tell us your vision for Felix Road 1pm to 5pm Feast and family fun FREE! All welcome
Contact Stacy on 0117 954 2834 or stacy@upourstreet.org.uk 4
Up Our Street
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HAVE YOUR SAY
Up Our Street’s office is on the site of City Academy. We felt it was high time we went to go and visit our neighbours, and were really pleased to be invited to meet some of the young people who are part of City Voice, a student council for the school. After a round of introductions, we’re ready to begin. We talk about the school’s reputation in the area, that it’s often seen as a school with problems. How does it feel to have people talking about your school in a negative way, does it match up to your experience everyday? Dana is in year 11 and is Girls’ President of City Voice “They always over exaggerate, but I think some of the stuff they used to say was true, but our school has changed a lot since I was in year seven. I don’t think a lot of the stuff they say is still relevant. Most people I hear talk about it have never even sent their child here, so they don’t even know what it’s like!” Given the school’s past problems with behaviour, do you think your teachers are strict? Ben “I think some teachers are strict, but not too strict. So if someone’s being naughty, they won’t shout at them they’ll talk to them in the sort of tone where they’ll listen. And I think that’s really good, so students don’t become even more angry if they’re too strict.”
The City Voice team at City Academy supportive. They get you what you want to know. They give you loads of support to help you smash your exams” What’s the main role of the City Voice? Qasim “If there’s something that you want to change, you can talk to us [City Voice] and we will try our hardest to make it how other people in school want it. We don’t just do things for ourselves, we do things for the other students. Our job is to try and get those changes done, we organise people and then get their ideas on what’s good and what’s bad.” So you’re politicians then? Qasim – essentially yeah <group laughs>
Is anyone interested in going into politics? Dana is taking Politics A-Level next year “I am interested in politics and I want to improve diversity in politics.” She talks about her experience of being Tyler “They’re not strict, but they have high elected President “It was good to get voted in, but expectations. If you’re a nice caring teacher, who has high expectation, students will push themselves, the speeches and everything, it was a lot... But I supposed I have to get used to it!” but it comes with support.” What do you think are the strengths of the school? Dana “I think it’s a good school, because there are so many different types of people you can meet here. And I think there’s a place literally for everyone.” Tyler agrees “Yeah, definitely diversity is a strength” he also feels that “schools don’t always talk about things like taxes and things that are relevant in the real world, but this school is very
What about the rest of the group? There’s no shortage of ambition with this group, the answers come thick and fast “Engineer”, “Midwife”, “Aerospace Engineer”, “Artist”, “Doctor or Lawyer” What is City Voice working on right now? Tyler says simply “Just to keep improving the school, and making it a better school.”
In February Up Our Street hosted a workshop with residents of the Dings, Barton Hill and St Philips to discuss the possible impacts of the new university campus with representatives from the University of Bristol. Residents were excited about the possible opportunities to improve education and work opportunities in the community, but were worried that if badly planned the area could become a student enclave with little connection to the neighbourhood. We are continuing to research local views about the potential for this site and will be publishing a report in June. Contact celia@upourstreet.org.uk for more information. www.upourstreet.org.uk
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HAVE YOUR SAY Adebomi Olaitan Did you know that only 6% of the NHS Organ Donor Register are from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities?* Up Our Street met Ade Olaitan, a woman on a mission to change that… Ade was born and grew up in London, and was diagnosed with chronic renal failure at the age of nine. She has had two kidney transplants and since 2004 she has been on dialysis while she is on the waiting list for a new kidney. As we chat over a cup of tea she explains that not only are there fewer BAME donors on the register, but that BAME patients make up one third* of the active kidney transplant waiting list. “That’s why my passion is to bring to light donation of blood, organ and bone marrow. Because when I talk to BAME people, they don’t realise how serious kidney problems can be.” Ade volunteers as an NHS Community Champion, going to community events and talking to people about the issue, as well as getting the word out on Ujima Radio. Ade explains that people from Black and Asian communities are more likely to develop conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, sickle cell and thalassemia than Caucasians. This makes them more likely to need a transplant and regular blood transfusions. And although many Black and Asian patients are able to receive a transplant from a white donor, for many the best match will come from a donor from the same ethnic background.
Councillor Ruth Pickersgill got in touch with Up Our Street with an update about potential funding for projects in our neighbourhood.
These are serious statistics, so what’s Ade’s secret for talking to people about organ donation? “When I don’t take things seriously, people are much more likely to open up with me. If you’re very serious, people would not engage with you. They have their own fears which need to be taken into consideration when trying to tackle this topic. It’s about challenging them in a nice gentle way, even a joking way and using my own stories and experiences.” After spending even a short time with Ade, it’s easy to see how her friendly but direct approach gets results. * figures taken from National Blood and Transplant website
Find out more about blood, organ and bone marrow donation at www.nhsbt.nhs.uk
Community Space meeting and invited local people to put forward proposals for this funding. These were then voted on to gauge the level of support.
As this goes to print, councillors are working with the most popular ideas to see if they meet the criteria and can be translated into concrete proposals in the timescale. Projects have to be Community Space capital spending to improve the infrastructure of the area, and benefit the local community. By the “A new process is being developed by Bristol City next edition, we will be able to announce whether Council to allocate the CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) money that developers have to we have managed to get any significant new projects agreed for our wards. Any questions on this pay to local areas to offset the impact of their developments on the community. The city has been process, do contact your local councillors.” divided into six areas, within which the local CIL Easton: money will be pooled. Easton and Lawrence Hill cllr.ruth.pickersgill@bristol.gov.uk wards will be part of area four, along with Ashley, cllr.afzal.shah@bristol.gov.uk Central, St George Central, Troopers Hill and St Lawrence Hill: George West. On 6 March, local councillors, cllr.marg.hickman@bristol.gov.uk supported by Up Our Street, organised a cllr.hibaq.jama@bristol.gov.uk 6
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HAVE YOUR SAY
Up Our Street spoke to Deshire (not pictured) about how she is using her own experiences to support others by volunteering. Deshire came to the UK from Albania four years ago and became a member of Bristol Refugee Rights (BRR) once she claimed asylum. She is still waiting for a decision from the Home Office.
don’t see me that way anymore. It just made me feel so good, that people see me differently.
With BRR we have been doing loads of campaigning and fundraising. I’ve talked in churches, schools, to university students… We raise awareness of how the system works, the numbers, the statistics of asylum seekers and refugees. Some “For the past two years I have volunteered at BRR as people they have the image that there are so many an interpreter and public speaker. The first time I asylum seekers, it’s like they’re ruling the country, spoke was Human Rights Day 2016, people came but actually the number is very very small, and it is who were interested to come dropping. Photo credit: Bristol Refugee Rights and listen to our voices as But still I am on hold for four asylum seekers. Because in years. I can’t plan anything for general we’ve got a bad my life, for my daughter. If reputation... Two or three years someone invites me to visit ago I had an English lady, she another part of England for a was shouting at me and telling couple of days, just to get away me that “you people, coming from things, I say no no no, I here, getting our jobs, our can’t come, because I might get houses, and we are suffering an answer and not be home. My because of you” and I just had life is good now, I know it’s very to ignore it because at that time insecure, but with the my English wasn’t good enough interpreting and public to answer her. Inside I was speaking I’m getting involved in crying, because to have loads of projects and I am just somebody just turn around and keeping myself very busy. This is say all these things, and helping. everyone on the bus looking at I used to think I couldn’t do me… when it happens to you it’s BRR members mark these things, I did not even so bad, you just feel the pain. Human Rights Day 2016 imagine that I would want to go I had to leave Albania because I to university one day. And in my dreams one day, if was pregnant and I come from a very strict Muslim things go OK with me I would like to have a charity family. I came here to marry my partner, who was to help especially Albanian women who are European. So I was expecting to come here and get trafficked and abused. I would like something that married and be settled… But things didn’t work out teaches them that you can be you and you can do and I was left alone. I didn’t speak any English at all, whatever you want. In Albania there are some had no friends, no family. Those first few months it women who work, who have the power, but in was so stressful and I didn’t want to claim asylum general if you go out of the big cities, you never because I thought it was something really bad to find that emancipation. I was always expected to do. But that was my only choice, because obviously get married, have kids, and stay at home. I never I can’t go back, her life and my life would be in expected something more for myself. I knew the danger. Many women are killed there because of limits, what was expected of me "honour crimes" like this and the police are unlikely to protect women in this situation. I check the news all the time to see if things are changing, if I could go back. But it’s my daughter, But I am really glad, because since I started she would never be accepted volunteering at BRR I see things now a little bit differently, I can speak English, it’s easier for me to in that community without a communicate, just have a chat. Now I don’t feel like father, never.” people are just looking at me like an asylum seeker, or ‘how can I help’ or ‘what can I give you’, they Find out more at www.bristolrefugeerights.org www.upourstreet.org.uk
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GET INVOLVED Volunteer cooks: Rebecca, Laurence and Rachel
Wednesday night is supper club night at Café Connect. Wednesday Supper Club has been running for over a year, and so far they haven’t missed a week. Up Our Street popped in at 5pm, to find the volunteer cooks already busy unpacking that week’s ingredients and making plans for the menu. “It started with eight of us eating bread and cheese the first week, and it’s really grown from there” says Rachel, one of the founders of the group, who has just got back from collecting leftover food from LIDL. The club is based on a simple idea, collect food that supermarkets would otherwise throw out, and turn it into a delicious shared meal. Most people involved are volunteers, and there is a team of five regular cooks. On average around 25 people eat together each week. It feels like a really friendly environment, and the group are keen to welcome more people to take part.
Photo credit: Laurence Ford
The menu always includes vegetarian, vegan and meat choices, plus of course dessert. The group also organised a pop-up meal on Christmas Day, and invited many of the rough sleepers locally. “We liaise with Lesley at St Marks Baptist Church, she often points people in our direction.” explains Rachel. For those able to pay, the group takes donations for Bristol Reconnect, the charity that runs the building and supports people with complex needs. Supper Club is proud to have donated nearly £1,000 to the charity over the last year.
Wednesday Supper Club meets every week at Café Connect. Turn up and help cook at 5pm, or come for the meal at 7pm. Find them at www.neighbourly.com/wednesdaysupper or on Facebook. They are also hosting a Food Photo credit: Laurence Ford Connections event this year - read more on page 16 Local parents are celebrating long-awaited improvements to Albion Road Park in Easton. The money has come from Bristol City Council, but there has been a lot of hard work behind the scenes to release the funds. Debra Newrick is a local resident and is stepping down as chair of FOBARP (Friends of Bellevue and Albion Road Park) “Thanks to Up Our Street and their green space network we were able to engage with Bristol City Council and local councillor Ruth Pickersgill. Ruth has supported the group to raise and secure funding for the park refurbishment.” The money covers play equipment, safety flooring and painting the railings. The Friends group still needs to fundraise to meet the costs of new benches and is looking for local residents to join the group.
Friends of Bellevue and Albion Road Park
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Up Our Street
Debra says: “This is a great small space in Easton for families to meet and socialise together. Let’s show our local green spaces some love! Please join Friends of Bellevue and Albion Road Park (FOBARP) on Facebook and get involved.” www.upourstreet.org.uk
GET INVOLVED Bristol’s largest celebration of diversity and community, will be taking place during the whole month of June with a variety of different events and activities city-wide. The theme of the festival is celebration, information and integration. There will be a programme of arts, cultural and educational events focusing on refugees and asylum seekers, but with the aim of bringing all communities together. The festival coincides with National Refugee Week (18 to 24 June), but with so many events planned, Bristol is once again running a month-long programme throughout June. Jules Olsen, the festival coordinator says “last year was our first month long festival and it was hugely successful, but quite centrally focussed. This year we are aiming to expand the activities outside of the city centre, hopefully reaching new audiences and communities. We would also like to encourage more communities to host their own events. They don’t have to be big, they can be as simple as afternoon tea to welcome newcomers to your area or group.” The festival will kick off with a music and arts evening at Colston Hall on 1 June and finish with a celebration day in South Gloucestershire on 30 June. The annual flagship event in Queen Square,
Photo credit: Bristol Refugee Festival
Celebrating Sanctuary - a family friendly day of celebration is on Sunday 24 June. Events planned in Easton and Lawrence Hill include a Ping Pong Tournament at All Hallows Hall on 5 June, a Community Iftar in Barton Hill on 13 June, plus Up Our Street’s Great Get Together on 22 June (below). If you have an idea for an event, please get in touch. More events are planned, so keep up to date via social media channels and visit www.bristolrefugeefestival.org
The Great Get Together is a weekend of community events inspired by the memory of Jo Cox, the MP who was killed in 2016. It will take place from 22 to 24 June. In celebration of Jo’s belief that “we have far more in common than that which divides us”, people are encouraged to get together with their neighbours to share food and celebrate all that we hold in common. It could be a street party or a shared barbecue, a picnic or a bake off. What matters is to have fun and bring communities closer together. Up Our Street is supporting the PTA at Bannerman Road Academy to organise a street party after school on 22 June. The road will be closed to give children the chance to try Street Cricket and a range of other fun activities. Everyone is invited to bring some food to share. All are welcome. www.upourstreet.org.uk
Akilah, Stacy and Moestak at last year’s event Don’t forget that Up Our Street can help you spread the word through our ebulletin, social media and community noticeboards. So if you’re planning an event, do let us know on 0117 954 2834 or contact@upourstreet.org.uk Up Our Street
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GET INVOLVED There are so many ways to volunteer. As well as doing good for your community, you can also develop new skills. Here are a few bite-size ideas:
Festival superstars...
Run and help...
Get on the bus...
Redfest is a completely free community arts and music festival, made possible by their great team of friendly volunteers. They need help with stewarding, setting up and packing down equipment, and all the other little jobs that come with keeping a festival like this running! You don’t need to have any previous experience, just plenty of enthusiasm.
Members of GoodGym combine going for a run with helping out in the community. The group recently ran to the Wellspring community allotment to help get it ready for the growing season. They also run a befriending scheme where runners are matched with an older person who they visit once a week.
Find out more at www.redfestbristol.co.uk
Find out more at www.goodgym.org
Bristol Community Transport (BCT) is a social enterprise. They have a fleet of accessible minibuses, and a small pool of volunteer drivers, and are always looking for more! They provide nationally accredited training. They are particularly keen to reach out to individuals and community groups who are not aware of these services, particularly in the inner city. Call BCT on 0117 902 0157 to find out more.
You are the artwork...
Up Our Street is excited to announce that we are working with In Between Times to bring an awardwinning piece of live art to the streets of Lawrence Hill and Easton in July. THE DEMOCRATIC SET by Back2Back seeks to explore the belief that all people are, in principle, equal and should enjoy social, political and economic rights and opportunities. We will also be linking up with other communities in Bristol, including Knowle West and Lawrence Weston.
A special empty room will be in place for two days where community members create video portraits, as solos, duets and group performances. We invite local residents, artists and community groups to get involved. Look out for THE DEMOCRATIC SET on 17 and 18 July. We will be revealing the location soon… This project is funded by Bristol City Council’s Cultural Investment Programme and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. If you would like to take part, please contact stacy@upourstreet.org.uk or call us on 0117 954 2834. You can view past shows on YouTube, just search for ‘Democratic Set’.
Photo credit: Carl Newland 10
Up Our Street
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WORKING TOGETHER
Up Our Street went to visit the women’s sewing group run by ACE to talk about how learning skills together can help wellbeing and maybe even build community cohesion The conference room at Easton Community Centre is buzzing with conversation. It’s Wednesday lunchtime and the weekly women’s sewing group is in full flow. Daisy Rajput has been working with different communities in the inner city for many years, her current role is at ACE (Assertive Contact and Engagement) as a community engagement worker. “I set up the sewing group about two years ago. It is aimed at South Asian women. The aim is to use learning sewing skills to improve health and wellbeing.” As Daisy explains “There is often a stigma in the Asian community about talking about mental health, it can be a taboo subject. So if I had set up a counselling group, these women wouldn’t come. But a sewing group is familiar. As the women gain in confidence, they start to open up about the issues in their lives.”
Zaida is a sewing tutor for the group “We have done all sorts of things in the group. As well as sewing we have done other craft, yoga, mindfulness. Sometimes it’s so busy you have to queue for a sewing machine!” She says that several of the regulars are not coming to the group at the moment as they have recently had babies. “So many babies at this group, we’ll have to be careful!” she jokes, and there’s a lot of laughter in the room.
“...a sewing group is familiar. As the women gain in confidence, they start to open up about the issues in their lives”
The group has a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. Women are busy working on their own projects and discussing sewing techniques, and talking about what has happened during the week. Someone has had a bereavement, another is worried about her son at school, and talking seems to ease worries. Daisy explains that for some South Asian women, lack of fluency in English can make them feel isolated. She is concerned that some groups which are just for Asian women can feel very closed, and don’t encourage integration with the wider community. “Here it is a relaxed atmosphere to practice English, as well as speaking in your own language.” www.upourstreet.org.uk
A* is keen to put her English to the test. She is originally from Bangladesh, and has lived in Easton for nine years. She has two school-aged children, a girl and a boy. Today she is making a slip to go under a kameez. We ask her what she likes about coming to the group? “Oh yes, I really love it! I have been coming for about three months” she says, nodding enthusiastically. “I have enjoyed learning to sew, and I have made friends, they are good people here.”
It’s clear to see that the diversity of the group is one of its main strengths, across different cultures and ages. Viktoria has lived in Redfield since the 1960s and is a regular at the group. Now retired, she worked in a bridal shop and still has a keen eye for detail in her patchwork “When you work in a bridal shop, it needs to be perfection!” she declares. *A asked to be anonymous
The Sewing Group meets every Wednesday from 11.30am to 1.30pm at Easton Community Centre. For more information or to book a place, please contact Daisy Rajput on 07736 887 047. Up Our Street
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WORKING TOGETHER You may have seen in the news about cuts to Bristol City Council funding for Youth Services. Although council funding has reduced, there are still lots of charities and community groups running activities for young people in our area. Up Our Street went out and about to meet some of them.
Up Our Street dropped into a very busy session of Barton Hill Somali Girls Club on a Monday night. Local mum of four Saada (right) started the group nearly two years ago. “I wanted to have a group where girls could come together, to learn to cook together and to eat together. Here they are away from their siblings, away from the internet.” Many of the older girls go to different secondary schools, so the club is a chance for them to catch up with their friends. “I want to build the community where we live” says Saada “they are Barton Hill girls!”. Saada says she was also keen to show what could be achieved with very few resources. All the girls bring some ingredients for the cookery class from home, maybe a few carrots or onions, it all adds up. Barton Hill Settlement has also helped out, offering the use of the kitchen and hall for free. And now Creative Youth Network is helping to support the group and pay for a youth worker. On the night we visited, CYN worker Lucy had brought along ingredients for glittery slime, which was very popular! The club meets every Monday from 5pm to 7pm at Barton Hill Settlement. Call CYN on 0117 947 7948 for more information.
Barton Hill Amateur Boxing Club has been running at The Dug Out for over 10 years. The club is completely volunteer run, and Lin Gibbs, Club Secretary, got in touch to tell us about a win for one of their members: “Boxer Sam (bam bam) Little competed for the vacant Novice 56-60kg belt on 23 April, at the Sporting Club show (Plymouth). Sam won the bout on Photo credit: BHABC a unanimous points win. The coaches and team at the club are extremely proud of Sam and the continued efforts he puts in to his boxing” Contact Tom Foley, Club Chairman, on 07834 498 518 for more information about the club. Photo credit: Travelling Light
Interested in drama and theatre? Travelling Light Theatre Company is based at Barton Hill Settlement and has lots of FREE creative activities: Travelling Light Tasters are free one-off creative workshops which take place in and around Barton Hill. Each workshop is led by an expert practitioner and features a different theatre craft. These workshops are open access which means you can just turn up and join in. Young Critics is a free theatre trip club. Each trip offers ten young people the chance to see a professional show and discuss it afterwards, sometimes with the cast and creative team who made it. Trips run once a month and tickets are released by text: the first ten people to text back receive a place on the trip. ActionSpeak is a free theatre group for young people aged 16- 25 with additional needs run in partnership with WECIL. Participants meet once a week to learn drama skills, meet new people and devise a show with the help of a theatre director, specialist assistants and visiting theatre makers. For more information please call 0117 377 3166 or visit www.travellinglighttheatre.org.uk 12
Up Our Street
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WORKING TOGETHER
Felix Road Adventure Playground has been running since the late 1970s. It is open five days a week and offers exciting outdoor play for all children. Four years ago the playground began the process of Community Asset Transfer from Bristol City Council, and is now run by Felix Road Adventure Playground Association, a charity held by a committee of local people. As it is no longer managed by the council, the charity is able to raise funds from grants and trusts. Invisible Youth run social circus sessions at Felix Road, and are key partners in joint-fundraising initiatives. Felix Road and Invisible Youth share a child and play centred ethos that has the core aim of facilitating a rich creative experience for children on the children's terms. The playground also forms links with other organisations. LifeCycle runs bike sessions on
Photo credit: LifeCycle
Thursdays after school, plus some holiday sessions. They teach young people the skills to fix punctures, oil chains and keep their bikes rolling smoothly. They have pool bikes to lend to those without their own and run cycle games and bike skills sessions to help young people learn the skills to cycle safely. Other partners include: APE project, FareShare, and Bristol Playbus. The playground is open from Monday to Thursday from 3.30pm to 5.30pm after school and 12pm to 5.30pm during school holidays. It is also open Sundays and bank holiday Mondays from 1pm to 5pm. For more information call 0117 902 2222 or visit www.felixroad.uk
Up Our Street is working with the playground on a project called Raising Active Citizens. Join us for a parents and carers coffee morning on from 9.30am to 11am on Tuesdays and at gardening club on Sunday afternoons… Contact pat@upourstreet.org.uk or 0117 954 2834 for more information. Photo credit: Scout Association
The Scout Association is the UK's largest mixed youth organisation with more than 450,000 members in the UK and more across the world. Up Our Street went along to meet one of their newest groups: 1st Dings. “We started in May last year, and have a small regular group, but we would love to encourage more people to get involved” explains Danny from the Scout Association. “We have a Scout camp coming up and for some of the 1st Dings members, it’s the first time they have been camping. They will be cooking over a campfire and trying lots of new outdoor activities.” We spoke to Dominic (6) who has been coming along to 1st Dings since it started. What sort of things has he enjoyed? “We go on camp and do fun activities, I like it when we do art.” His dad Phil wasn’t a Scout as a child, but has found himself getting involved as an adult.
“Originally I didn’t stay, but now I’ve joined as a parent helper. It’s a mix of letting him do stuff that www.upourstreet.org.uk
he wouldn’t normally have access to, but also for the two of us to spend some quality time together. I quite enjoy doing it, especially seeing the kids have fun and working together.” 1st Dings is open to boys and girls from 6 to 14, divided into Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. You don’t have to be a pupil at Hannah More, it is open to the whole community. The 1st Dings group meets every Thursday from 5.30pm to 6.30pm at Hannah More Primary School. For more information please contact danny.newman@scouts.org.uk or 07961 809 212. Up Our Street
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KARAM KITCHEN
There’s a new culinary collective on your doorstep. Shazia: The recipes’ followed have been passed from Carla, from The Network, spoke to the women involved. generation of grandparents to parents to the women around the table. The beautiful thing about it is they Who are Karam Kitchen? don’t have recipe books, they just know how to prepare Shazia: Karam Kitchen is a collective of Syrian women the dishes and they will prepare them to perfection. that intend to set up as a not for profit organisation to be a platform for Syrian women, or any refugee women, What have been some of the highlights so far? to utilise their cooking skills for employment Khalideyah: Every time people eat our food and enjoy opportunities. it, it builds our confidence and that’s when we are proud of ourselves. How and when did you start the project? Shazia: About a year ago, a friend put up a message on Shazia: Karam Kitchen aims to empower anyone joining it, to give them opportunities and to give them social media asking if there were any Middle Eastern caterers in Bristol. So we set up a taster session where the confidence that they can go from strength to family and friends attended and they loved it. After that strength. We’ve seen in many cities Syrians have gone and set up successful businesses and this is the vision we did our first event for 300 people. we have. What other events have you done? Shazia: We have catered for an event in a school that What can we expect from Karam Kitchen in the future? focused on empowering young people and we’ve provided food for council members at a cultural event Shazia: We’re going to host an event in Southmead during the Food Connections Festival where we will at City Hall. prepare food and open up our fast with local people So what’s unique about Karam Kitchen? attending the church in the area. Sahar: Each woman, depending on what area she Elham: We also want the food we cook and produce to comes from in Syria, has food that she will cook. For example, Reim is from Homs and she cooks tabbouleh have an echo in Bristol. As refugees, we don’t want to and falafel, we are from Aleppo and love to cook kibbeh be dependent on benefits but we want to give something back and for our Arabic culture and history and other stuffed foods. to not to be forgotten.
It’s been great to get to know the women from Karam Kitchen and work with them over the last few months. Since February, we have secured Food Connections funding and have been planning a garden party in Easton where Karam Kitchen intend to share what they’ve been doing with their neighbours and friends! Carla, Network Coordinator, Easton 14
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The Network is working with a whole range of amazing people in Lawrence Hill and Easton who are passionate about doing something positive in their CARLA AND SARAH, community. People are sharing NETWORK COORDINATORS their skills and providing a whole range of opportunities in the coming months.
Watch out for these great activities that you will be able to get involved in:
Yoga with James Decoration making workshops with Polly Theatre for social change with Maeve Jazz Improvisation Workshops with Tim Love In Easton with Kasia Trips for Over 50s with Carole Parents Listening Group with Jenn Mens Running Group with Mike, Pete and Ashley
The Midnimo Women’s Group wants to improve the lives of Somali women in the area. It aims to link them to new opportunities and reduce isolation amongst the elder women. As a result of their ‘networking’, Midnimo have developed a regular monthly lunch for the elders. The lunch provides a social opportunity at Barton Hill Settlement where the women can meet and make friends, chat to others face to face and find out what is going on in the area. Midnimo have also started a programme of monthly sessions where any women can came along and find out about a wide range of issues. For more information, contact Saada at qalijimcale@hotmail.com.
These activities are happening because people with shared interests have come together through the Network, chatting, dreaming about a better future, and putting their ideas into action. Sarah, Network Coordinator, Lawrence Hill Do you have a vision or passion for your area? Why not contact the Network. They can: Connect you with others who share your passion Develop your ideas into action plans Provide relevant training Offer resources to kick start your idea Share local knowledge and experience
The Network partners www.upourstreet.org.uk
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COMMUNITY NEWS Bristol Food Connections is a citywide celebration of food. There are lots of events going on across the city, including plenty in our neighbourhood.
Carib-Asian Cookery Monday 11 June, 6.30pm, Easton Community Centre Sherrie Eugene-Hart and Broadcaster husband Patrick Hart will fuse the flavours of their parents homelands and invite the public to bring food for them to cook too. Tickets £5
Food and Film night @ Cafe Connect Wednesday 13 June, 6.30pm, Cafe Connect, 114 St Marks Road Enjoy pizza, home-made ice cream, and a screening of In Our Hands, a documentary providing positive examples of community agriculture projects changing our relationship with food production. Donations welcome.
Community Iftar Wednesday 13 June, 7pm, Barton Hill Settlement Run by Bristol’s Sudanese Association, Somali Girl’s Cooking Group, Somali Kitchen and Food Without Borders, this unique Iftar celebration will see the breaking of the traditional monthly Ramadan fast with a delicious, open community feast. Free.
FareShare 10th Anniversary Surplus Feast Thursday 14 June, 6.30pm, Easton Community Centre Celebrating ten years of redistributing surplus food from the food industry to those in need in Bristol and the South West. A three course surplus community feast, using quality, in-date ingredients that would have otherwise gone to waste. Tickets £15
Growing Together: Easton Garden Party Saturday 16 June, 12pm to 5pm, Owen Square Park The Network and Karam Kitchen invite residents of Easton to come together for a special day of sharing food, read more on page 14.
Dynamic Yoga Taster Session & Vegan Tapas Sunday 17 June, 12.45pm, Space 238, Stapleton Road The Nourishment Club invite you for a taster session of dynamic yoga followed by delicious seasonal vegan tapas. Tickets £20
Felix Family Feast Sunday 17 June, 1pm to 5pm, Felix Road Adventure Playground Join Up Our Street and Felix Road Adventure Playground for a fantastic day of family fun. A whole host of food activities, cooking workshops, community activities, and lots of play! Free.
Find out more and book tickets at www.bristolfoodconnections.com 16
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COMMUNITY NEWS
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COMMUNITY NEWS Sergeant Green Local Neighbourhood Sergeant Chris Green dropped in to the Up Our Street office to talk about the work he and his team have been doing in the Stapleton Road area. He turned up for the interview on his blue and yellow police issue electric bike. “I find it’s a much better way of getting around Easton’s congested streets than by car. I encourage my officers to be on foot or bike as much as possible, I think it allows you to be much more connected with the local community.”
His officers were also seeing rising levels of violent crime, with more incidents involving weapons. Chris and his team started by going out to talk to the young people on the street about the impact their behaviour was having. As they were mainly Somali, they worked with Bristol Horn Youth Concern and some of their youth workers also came out to talk to the young people. “What we found was that many of the Chris has been a police officer for 16 years, and has young people were not residents of Easton or St spent the last five years in Easton and Lawrence Hill. Judes, they were coming in from other areas, so the He manages a team of seven police officers and social responsibility message didn’t really get nine PCSOs. through to them.” “We have been monitoring issues on Stapleton Chris explains that they have now started to use Anti Road for past 18 months. We had been hearing -Social Dispersal Orders. “This is an order given to from residents in Villiers Road and Armoury Square an individual which can ban them from a particular about frequent anti-social behaviour. Groups of area for 48 hours. It’s recorded on police body-worn young men were gathering into the early hours, lots cameras, and individuals are given a map showing of shouting, revving car engines, loud music, street the area they are banned from. This then allows us drinking and nitrous use. Residents who challenged to make arrests if they return to the area and breach the behaviour were met with abuse. It was really the order.” affecting the quality of life for residents.” Through the long term work, the police have identified a core group of men who they believe are involved in violent crime. They are working to bring Initially funded as a pilot civil injunctions against these individuals which project in 2014 with a could have a number of conditions – including grant from the Police and being banned from certain areas, and not Crime Commissioner, associating with particular people. If it goes ahead, Bright Outlook is aimed at young people this will be the first injunction of its kind in Bristol. aged between 10 and 15 who are at risk of “This may sound draconian, but we believe that getting into trouble with the police. The residents need a respite from the anti-social young people spend half a day at a police behaviour, much of it caused by people who don’t station and have a realistic experience of even live here. We need to send a strong message police custody, including being locked in a that you can’t just come here to cause trouble.” cell. They also have workshops with ex-gang members who talk about their experience of being imprisoned, and hear from agencies Know something about a crime or a criminal but such as Bristol Drugs Project. don’t want to go directly to the police? Crimestoppers is a national charity that celebrates Although the funding has come to an end, its 30th anniversary this year. The service is Chris still has a PSCO working full-time on unique and designed to protect your identity, the project to run the workshops and do follow-up work with young people who have whether you phone or report online. attended. Crimestoppers is not an emergency service. If you see a crime taking If you know a young person who you think place you should ring could benefit from Bright Outlook, please 999 to report it send an email with your contact details to immediately. brightoutlook@avonandsomerset.police.uk 18
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THANK YOU AWARDS
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
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COMMUNITY NEWS
There has been much written in the national media recently about the appalling treatment of many elders who came over from the Caribbean as part of the ‘Windrush Generation’. They have suddenly been challenged for not being able to prove that they are here legally, and have lost jobs they have worked in for decades, been forced to report to police stations, or even put into detention. As local councillors, we often get asked for help with this sort of situation, and although we can’t do immigration case work, we have been raising concerns for some time on behalf of local residents from the Caribbean and other countries who have had similar problems with their status, and have even been put in detention having committed no crimes whatsoever. We are proud that Easton and Lawrence Hill are areas where people from different backgrounds get on well together, and respect each other’s unique contribution to our community. Instances of hate crime have gone up considerably (recently) in some other parts of the city, but locally, whether people have been here for generations or just a few years they are equally welcomed. We have mosques,
churches, gurdwaras, a synagogue, Baha’i Centre and temple and a wide range of community organisations and businesses which all work together to promote community cohesion and also support many of our most vulnerable residents. On the day that some far right groups nationally tried to make a ‘Punish a Muslim Day’, the Easton Jamia mosque responded with a ‘Love Thy Neighbour Day’ giving out flowers and chocolates, and sharing food with anyone who visited. We all need to continue to make sure that there is no ‘hostile environment’ here, and that we work hard to live peacefully together and to fight for justice and better legal support for anyone who is treated unfairly by the current immigration system.
STOP PRESS…STOP PRESS…STOP PRESS… Hoop Dreams
WECIL Creative Challenge
After nearly two years, the basketball hoop in St Judes is finally fixed! After lots of pressure from Khalil at Bristol Horn Youth Concern, and Up Our Street preparing to buy a new hoop and fix it ourselves, Bristol City Council staff came out and replaced the broken hoop in April. The lighting has also been fixed, ready for a long hot summer of basketball… Big thanks to Khalil and the local councillors for their persistence.
Did you know what there is a WECIL creative challenge session for disabled people, which runs once a month at the Trinity Centre? “It’s an informal and social group” says Sally from WECIL “We really want to get the word out to residents in Easton and Lawrence Hill that this group is here on their doorstep.” The group meets on the last Thursday of the month from 1.30 to 3.30pm. It’s free to attend, please contact Sally on 0117 947 9942 for more information.
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For sale pounds every year to run. They are looking for bids for a mixed use development including residential and business units and which will still include a small police station.
Youth Services Contract
Creative Youth Network has been awarded the £9m contract from Police Station for Sale Bristol City Council to provide Trinity Road Police Station will go targeted youth services in Bristol on the market in the next few for the next three years. The months. Avon and Somerset contract starts on 1 June and we Police say that the building is far will have more information in the too big for their needs, and costs next edition about how this them a quarter of a million affects youth services in our area. www.upourstreet.org.uk
ADVERTISING
Tell us what you think about Up Our Street! Pick up a copy of our annual impact survey from our office or complete online at www.upourstreet.org.uk Enter by 30 June and you could win a meal for two at G Brothers Pizza!
Could you sponsor Up Our Street? Promote your business to 13,500 households and support your local community magazine Contact Emily on 0117 954 2837 to discuss sponsorship and advertising packages www.upourstreet.org.uk
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Barton Hill Settlement is looking for volunteers to support its Volunteers BOOST Finance project. BOOST is a twice weekly dropͲin that offers opportunities to the local community to explore and Needed! realise financial aspirations. It does this by having a range of advice and support services all in one place.
Main Tasks: 1. To support service users as they present at the service, filling in all relevant BOOST Finance registration paper work. 2. To support service users that present for each element of the service as need is identified, for example General IT support for those who are digitally excluded IT support for those looking for work IT support for those registering on Home Choice. Budgeting/financial capability support and referring/signposting Benefit checks using online resources. Advocacy support, telephone assistance. Support with group sessions (on occasion) 3. Support with follow up self evaluations with service users to help evidence the effectiveness of the service. 4. Attend and contribute to debrief sessions at the end of each session.
Commitment: Monday and/or Friday mornings 9.15am to 12.45pm, plus additional training as identified. Benefits are: Valuable work experience and learn new skills and/ or maintain those you have. Challenge yourself to try something different, achieve personal goals, practice using your skills and discover hidden talents. The opportunity to be part of a rewarding and progressive project with the potential to be involved in developing projects in response to community need. For more information please contact Dan Bicknell, Project Coordinator on 0117 954 8899 or danb@bartonhillsettlement.org.uk