Up Our Street winter 2018 by Up Our Street

up our street

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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 Saliha Ahmed Tel: 07947 830 973 Patrycja Pinkowska Tel: 07986 949 493 Finance and Office Manager Tracy Parsons Tel: 0117 954 2834 Director 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) Saed Ali Sally Caseley Joyce Clarke Nic Ferris Thom Oliver Poku Osei 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

Welcome to the winter 2018 edition of Up Our Street magazine. We had an amazing night at the Thank You Awards, and you can see some of the photos on pages 4 and 5. Can you spot any familiar faces? Also check out our impact report on page 6 which we presented at our AGM. Plus the usual mix of news from local groups and events coming up that you might like to get involved in. Bring on 2019!

Up Our Street news………...…..…....………………………..page 3 Thank You Awards…………………………………..pages 4 and 5 Impact report 2017/18..……..…………………………..…..page 6 Have your say ..……..…...……………………………...pages 7 to 9 Get involved….……………………………….......….pages 10 to 12 News from The Network…………..………..………...…..page 13 Working together………...…………………….….pages 14 to 16 Community news………………………………..pages 17 and 18 Noticeboard..…………….……...……………………………...page 19 Councillor’s corner.…………………………..……………....page 20 Food review……………………………..………………………page 21 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

Join the Up Our Street group on Facebook. 1,292members and growing!

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. 2

Up Our Street

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UP OUR STREET - People changing the world. One street at a time.

Say hello to Saliha Ahmed our new Community Engagement Officer (pictured right with Amy, one of our trustees). She grew up in Easton and attended Whitehall Primary School, so knows our neighbourhood well. She has ten years of experience working in community development on a variety of different projects across the city. Away from work Saliha is a keen cyclist and never misses a chance to explore green spaces and regularly goes hiking. She also speaks fluent Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi but says she would love to learn another language. We are delighted to welcome Saliha to the Up Our Street team, and we hope you enjoy working with her too.

Contact Saliha on 0117 954 2835 or saliha@upourstreet.org.uk

Dom and Stacy Dominic Murphy has been part of our organisation for 18 years. A long time Dings resident, Dom was one of the original volunteer team who helped bring ÂŁ50m of New Deal for Communities money to Barton Hill back in 2000. Since then he has been a key part of our trustee team and we will miss his knowledge, experience and good humour. Dom is leaving Bristol (although we hope not forever!) and we wish him well in all his future endeavours.

Photo credit: Evoke Pictures Goodbye Dom

As we go to print, we are recruiting maternity cover for our Director. Stacy will be starting her maternity leave after Christmas, and we will introduce the person who will be covering her role in the next edition. 2019 is set to be a busy year for Up Our Street...

Join Up Our Street and friends for some festive singing in the Lawrence Hill underpass on Wednesday 19 December from 4pm to 6pm. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be handing out hot chocolate, mulled wine and mince pies to passers by, a lovely way to say goodbye to 2018.

Up Our Street would like to thank our funders: www.upourstreet.org.uk

Up Our Street

THANK YOU AWARDS 2018

Up Our Street Thank You Award Winners 2018 Abdi Mohamed Abdi Barud Abdihakin Asir Abdullahi Hussein Sabrina Hussein Siham Hussein Yahye Hussein Amanda Watson Amran Arab Beverly Davis Charlotte Ramuz Brigstowe volunteers Deborah Benjamin Debra Newrick Em Williams Emily McGuiness Enza Phillips Fadumo Saed Asha Hassan Faiza Mohamed 4

Up Our Street

Fardowsa Dahir Felix Road Adventure Playground Frances Taylor Fran Harkness George Smith Glyn Everett Grand Iftar volunteers Ibrahim Ossoble Abdishakuur Ibraahim Iris Burtwell John Rossiter Katarzyna Sowinska Khalid Jama Ahmed Khalif Noor Kwabena Sarpong Lamin Jobe Leena Elhedi Lily Ulasi Lisa Starr Lisa Cole

Longshuang Liang Lynda Townsend Marcin Dawski Mike Pickering Nasr Khalifa Omar Jama Abbas Sharif Paul Jacobs Philip Offer Redfest volunteers Richard Skinner Roselyn Ramgeet Sabir Ali Salma Mohamed Safa Mohamed Sharon Munro Tim Fred-Jatto Urfan Ali Veronica Thompson Wild Walks for Wellbeing www.upourstreet.org.uk

Photos by Evoke Picures

A big Thank You to our award sponsors and supporters

And an especially big Thank You to Pat and Sherrie for compering and Thangam Debbonaire MP for presenting the awards www.upourstreet.org.uk

Up Our Street

UP OUR STREET IMPACT REPORT 2017/18 Our vision A neighbourhood where a diverse community of people are inspired to create change HOW WE DO IT A SENSE OF BELONGING Connecting people and building relationships is at the heart of what we do. Whether it’s a community meal, our annual Thank You Awards or a pop-up in a local park, we are always looking for ways to bring people together. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER We believe the people who live here are the experts in how this neighbourhood works. We’ve built a reputation for community research. RAISING VOICES Linking residents with people in power and decision makers is crucial if we are to see lasting change in our neighbourhoods. Whether that is a public meeting about a housing development, or questioning candidates standing for parliament in one of our question time events, it is all about encouraging and empowering residents to use their political voice and influence.

FINDING SOLUTIONS We held two Festival of Solutions events this year on the themes of Being Bristolian and Making Places. Using a mix of inspiring speakers and practical workshops we aimed to find resident-led solutions to local issues, looking at ways to live together better.

TAKING ACTION We create opportunities for social action, with our experienced staff team offering that bit of support that residents need to make things happen. Sometimes that’s advice on event planning, help applying for funding, or the loan of a litter picking kit. Sometimes it’s just a cup of tea and a listening ear. SPREADING THE WORD We believe residents need good quality information from a trusted local source. We produce an award-winning community magazine four times a year and a fortnightly ebulletin packed full of local events, jobs and useful information. We also host a monthly Up Our Street radio show on BCfm.

THE YEAR IN NUMBERS…

52 different community pop-ups, meetings or events

1,625 attendances at events 54,000 magazines delivered to resident’s doors

£9,619 given away as small grants 1,252 Facebook group members 2,198 Twitter followers 2,172 ebulletin subscribers 6

Up Our Street

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HAVE YOUR SAY

Where are Bristol’s black teachers? That’s the question posed by Aisha Thomas in a recent report for BBC Inside Out West. Up Our Street caught up with Aisha, who is Assistant Principal at City Academy to talk about the film, her passion for education, and her hopes for the future.

justice system, when actually I could be part of the solution by working with children before they’re on the fringes of crime. Maybe I could be a person who shows them someone cares.”

“It’s about representation” explains Aisha “Role models are important – it’s empowering, it’s motivating. Awareness is key, we have to acknowledge that this is a problem.”

different routes into teaching is a key part of increasing numbers of black teachers. “For example Teach First or the Cabot Learning Federation SCITT programme, where you can earn as you train. The traditional route of degree followed by PGSE can be an expensive barrier. It’s also important to give people the tools and skills they need when they’re applying for teaching jobs.”

She went to work for Connexions, a youth careers advice service and the Princes Trust, before joining “People have said that I was courageous to do City Academy as Partnership Development this film – I thought it was just Manager “But it wasn’t enough, I wanted “It’s about something that needed to be done. I’m to be in teaching!” Aisha says she has not the only person who has been representation, been very fortunate that her employers working on this, I just reignited the at Cabot Learning Federation have roles models supported her to achieve the debate” says Aisha. The figures are are important” qualifications needed to realise her stark, out of 1,346 teachers in Bristol, only 26 are black. Nine out of 19 dream. secondary schools have no black teachers at all. Aisha points out her situation is a fairly unusual This does not represent Bristol’s increasingly one, but it shows that there are some solutions. diverse population. Aisha believes that raising awareness of the

Aisha’s own route to teaching was not straightforward. She has a degree in Law, and it was while working for law firm Veale Wasborough that she first decided that what she really wanted to do was work in education. “I was volunteering for the Princes Trust, getting young people who had been involved in crime back into education” she explains “I met a young person in a young offenders institute who said to me: if you were my teacher, perhaps I wouldn’t be sat across the table from you in prison. That was a turning point for me – I thought why am I helping children who are already part of the criminal www.upourstreet.org.uk

Aisha says she’s proud to work at City Academy, which sees diversity as a strength “We provide an opportunity for children to have understanding of who they are and the community they’re living in. They want to learn about each other. That’s what makes a confident child who is then going to go on to achieve.” Up Our Street

HAVE YOUR SAY Involving residents in decision-making is a key part of what we do at Up Our Street. This year has seen changes in how money from developers (CIL) is allocated. We supported your local councillors to hold a public meeting in March where residents and groups put forward ideas for projects. The projects chosen for 2018 are listed here. Local councillors are keen to hear from residents and community groups about ideas for the next round of CIL funding. The money can only be spent on ‘infrastructure’, that is physical things like road improvements or buildings. They are calling for people to submit project ideas by the end of January. All project ideas will then be presented at a public meeting in February or March, where residents will have a chance to vote on the options.

CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) approved for 2018:

£45,000 - improvements to Barton Hill Amateur Boxing Club

£90,000 - new community room at Hannah More School

£200,000 - Stapleton Road train station access and safety improvements

And just over the border… £145,886 for a new café and public toilet in St George Park

Joe dropped into the Up Our Street office to tell us about Democracy Club, selfconfessed ‘election geeks’ who are passionate about using open data, design and technology to give every citizen the information and participation opportunities they need to be fully involved in the democratic process.

Saliha from Up Our Street met recently with Debbie, a resident in Newtown who is passionate about improving the area. Newtown is a small area of houses between Lawrence Hill and Old Market. Debbie tells us that she’s lived here since her eldest son was born, he is now doing GCSEs. Since then it’s not changed a great deal and Debbie wants to bring the residents and surrounding community together to ensure it gets a new lease of life by giving it a makeover. Her aspirations for the area include improving the park so that its more suitable for children to play in, an overall improvement of the space visually, and increasing enthusiasm among residents. With support from Up Our Street she wants to begin by improving the fences and getting overgrowth cut back to allow more light into the space. If you’d like to get involved in transforming Newtown, please get in touch with saliha@upourstreet.org.uk or call 0117 954 2835 and we will put you in touch with Debbie. 8

Up Our Street

Democracy Club’s vision is of a society in which democracy thrives through knowledge, participation and openness. They have a community of 10,000 volunteers across the UK and a small core team. They search out information that is all publicly available, but not always easy to find, and present it in an accessible way. They have two really useful websites:

www.wheredoivote.co.uk Put your postcode in and find your polling station

www.whocanivotefor.co.uk Find information about all upcoming elections across the UK Around election time the team also works hard to compile information on all the candidates with information about policies and manifestos. Find out more about Democracy Club at www.democracyclub.org.uk

www.upourstreet.org.uk

HAVE YOUR SAY Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone (TQEZ) is the name for the area around Temple Meads station - where all the big shiny office blocks are being built (but not sadly, an arena). It’s right next to our neighbourhood, but will residents in Lawrence Hill and Easton benefit from all this new development? Up Our Street has invited a range of people involved in TQEZ to attend, including the University of Bristol, Oasis Academy Temple Quarter and Asher Craig, the Deputy Mayor with responsibility for public transport (among other things). This is your chance to hear about plans and have your say. We will also be sharing the results of the research we did for University of Bristol earlier this year.

MONDAY 26 NOVEMBER, 6PM TO 8PM HANNAH MORE SCHOOL

Contact Saliha on 0117 954 2835 or saliha@upourstreet.org.uk if you’d like to find out more. This is part of our Social Impact Fund project, funded by Bristol City Council.

As we go to print we are due to hold a rescheduled Neighbourhood Conversation on Air Quality on 12 November. We asked Bristol City Council for an update on their plans so far: “We are developing a Clean Air Plan for Bristol which will include a range of measures to reduce air pollution to meet legal limits. We are working with transport groups, communities affected and experts to develop the right plan for Bristol and will likely consult on the city’s options next year. Bristol to Bath Railway Path We all love this wonderful space in our neighbourhood, but we know that the experience of using it isn’t always great for everyone. Up Our Street is hosting a public meeting on Thursday 13 December at Trinity Centre. Come and find out about plans for action, including an exciting billboard project in the spring from Up Our Street’s ‘We Are Bristol’ project. Sustrans will be there to talk about their One Path initiative. After the meeting we will lead a group walk along the Railway Path and finish up at Easton Community Centre for hot chocolate. For more information please contact Saliha. www.upourstreet.org.uk

“We are also calling on the Government to help cities like Bristol and Bath as unacceptable levels of harmful pollution are affecting many towns, cities and regions across the UK. Alongside other Core Cities and the UK100 network of local government leaders, we are asking Government to commit to much-needed additional funding and to establish a national targeted vehicle renewal scheme so that together we can effectively tackle this public health crisis.” Other cities such as Birmingham and Bath have already launched proposals for charging vehicles in an attempt to improve air quality. It’s clear that this issue is not going away, and we will report more in future editions. Up Our Street

GET INVOLVED

Up Our Street activist Khalil Abdi has been working hard on Stapleton Road to encourage local businesses to play their part in keeping the area tidy. Thank you to all the tidy street award winners, we really appreciate all you do! We are working with Khalil over the coming months, supported by the council and Bristol Waste, to keep the pressure on and keep streets clean in Easton and Lawrence Hill. 10

Up Our Street

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GET INVOLVED

David invited Up Our Street to visit Wellspring’s community garden on Strawberry Lane, and meet some of the volunteers who have helped transform this once overgrown allotment site. He’s a wellbeing practitioner at Wellspring, and has worked in the community for many years. When we arrived he and Chris, one of the regular volunteers, were busy building a new polytunnel. A bit of drizzle doesn’t put off these gardeners, and as people are busy weeding, mowing and raking up leaves, David shows me round the plot. “The aim of the garden is to provide a calm and therapeutic place for people struggling with depression and anxiety. We’ve done so much with the space already, but with some more volunteers we could do even more.” They have had advice from Avon Wildlife Trust about planting, choosing plants to encourage pollinators. They are particularly proud of ‘The Roost’, which is a wooden shelter built entirely from scrap materials. “That’s where we’ll have our tea when it’s chucking down!” The site is surrounded by houses, but as it’s screened by trees, it’s an incredibly calm and peaceful place. David introduces us to John, who first started coming to the garden as part of the Wellspring social prescribing project. John lives on his own in a rented flat and doesn’t have a garden. He says the garden has helped him tackle his depression. “Coming here was my way to start learning to reconnect with others.” he says “It was like I had to re-wire my brain.” We talk about what he has enjoyed growing most

this year. “That pear tree over there, those are beautiful pears. And we grew some really hot spicy radishes this year, along with carrots, they weren’t big this year but the taste was good. You just pick, wash and eat, there’s nothing better…” John visited the garden most days during the heatwave this summer, to make sure all the plants were watered. “It wasn’t a hardship, I live very nearby, and it’s a nice place to come and draw.” There are regular gardening sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11am to 2pm, plus a monthly session on the last Saturday of the month. Contact David to join the mailing list for updates, and get directions to Strawberry Lane. He’s also keen to hear from organisations or individuals who could donate plants, materials or equipment to use in the garden. Contact David on 0117 304 1432 or david.martin@wellspringhlc.org.uk

Did you know that 2.4m people in the UK have serious difficulties with reading? Read Easy Bristol got in touch with Up Our Street because they are looking for volunteers to help adults learn to read. They are well established in the south and west of Bristol and are setting up in the east of the city. Read Easy is a charity that trains and supports local community volunteers to work with adults who want to learn to read. It is suitable for any adult who either can’t read or lacks confidence with reading. It’s a flexible, confidential, one-to-one scheme so that a new reader can learn quietly and comfortably at their own pace. Volunteers meet up with their reader in a public place like a library or community centre. Read Easy has several volunteer roles available. If you read well, are patient and enjoy meeting and working with people you could train as a Reading Coach. They are also looking for volunteers to help co-ordinate the work of a group of coaches in east Bristol, or to join the management team. Get in touch with Bristol@readeasy.org.uk or visit www.readeasy.org.uk www.upourstreet.org.uk

Up Our Street

GET INVOLVED

Kathleen from St Monica Trust got in touch with Up Our Street to tell us about a new project for older volunteers. “It’s all about building people’s confidence to enjoy all the great activities happening in the Lawrence Hill area, make new friends and be part of the community again. Both participants and volunteers get so much out of it; it’s a win-win.” Get in touch with KathleenPhoto if youcredit: are interested in Laurence Ford volunteering or know an older person who would like a bit of a boost to get out and about again.

There are plans for Window Wanderland to return to brighten up the streets of Easton, but it needs your help to make it happen! Local resident Fran says “We had over 60 houses last year so we’re expecting an even better response this year.” Fran is looking for volunteers to help organise the event “Anything from delivering flyers and maps, photographing the event, helping with fundraising and generally just spreading the word!” She would also like to hear from local businesses who would like to sponsor the trail map. For £70 your business logo will be included on the map which will go out to every house in the trail area. Contact Fran at eastonwindowwander@gmail.com Up Our Street will be hosting a community meal and window workshop on 25 January. Look out for more details nearer the time... 12

Up Our Street

Up Our Street is always looking for inspiring stories… Get in touch with Tamsin on 0117 954 2837 or tamsin@upourstreet.org.uk www.upourstreet.org.uk

THE NETWORK UPDATE

Sponsored article

Save the date: Tuesday 22nd January Please get in touch with sarahd@bartonhillsettlement.org.uk or call 0117 955 6971 ext 248. This event promises to be fun and informative so get involved for positive change.

THE GREAT DISCUSSION

CARLA AND SARAH, NETWORK COORDINATORS

If you have any questions about the group or want to get involved in organising the discussions, please contact Elyzabeth at burnsdendy@yahoo.com, or Carla at carladl@thenetworkbristol.org.uk. www.upourstreet.org.uk

Up Our Street

WORKING TOGETHER Tucked away at the bottom of a 1950s housing block in St Judes is Rosemary Nursery School, one of Bristol’s 12 nursery schools. As the children enjoyed the autumn sunshine in their outdoor play area, we caught up with Headteacher Toni Glazzard. Toni and her staff are proud of the nursery’s history, which was founded in 1925. “The purpose of nursery schools right from the start was to help address disadvantage. The government of the day recognised that children from poorer families tended to have poorer academic achievement, so the point of state-run nurseries was to give those children a better chance.” Mabel Tothill, a campaigner for women’s votes, was involved in setting up the nursery. She lived in St Judes in the early 1900s, which at the time was an area of poor quality housing and overcrowding. She noticed that parents were struggling with earning a living and bringing up children in difficult circumstances. In 1916 she started sewing and cookery classes for parents and arranged family day trips to the seaside. When the nursery was opened in 1925 it was named after Rosemary Street where she lived. Although confusingly, the first home for the nursery was actually Quaker’s Friars half a mile away from St Judes. The nursery moved to its current purpose-built home when the flats were completed in 1959. Toni says that right from the early days, the nursery used research and best practice to inform their work with the children. “That’s something that’s still very important to us, and sharing that information with parents. Babies are learning from birth, and the simple things that parents can do are so important. For example you can help your baby’s brain develop just by giving them a cuddle or

looking into their eyes… There’s a film of a new born baby interacting with his father that we show to parents, it’s just mind-blowing!” Toni is also passionate about the key role parents play in language development “Some of our parents have English as a second language and have received conflicting advice – for example being encouraged to speak just in English to their children, even if they don’t feel confident” she explains. “It’s actually really important for parents to use their own language at home for language development. Babies’ brains are like sponges, ready to learn to communicate. Children will pick up English at school, but only if they have that good grounding in their own language.” Toni is also proud that the school is rooted in its community “Most of our parents are very local, lots of our families walk to school. The special thing about Rosemary Nursery School is that it’s the place where everyone comes together – whichever schools they end up going to afterwards, they have that experience of being together with their neighbours.”

Up Our Street was invited to a celebration event for community interpreters who have been studying with WEA, a charity that provides education for adults. Kathryn from WEA said at the event “The common thread when I asked people why they wanted to do this course was that they wanted to help people from their own communities.” Hussein (not pictured) spoke of his experience. “People think that interpreting is an easy job, but it is really complicated. You have to get across the content and feeling of the words, but you do not speak for the person, you are not an advocate.” The students represent a whole range of languages between them, with 34 completing the Level 1 course, and 17 the more advanced Level 2. In front of an audience of family and friends, local councillor Ruth Pickersgill presented the certificates.

Esam receives his certificate from Ruth

If you are interested in enrolling on a Community Interpreting course in Bristol please contact the WEA office on 0117 916 6500 for more information. New classes are due to start in January 2019. 14

Up Our Street

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WORKING TOGETHER

Local parent Lucy Badrocke got in touch to tell us about a project that the newly-formed Bannerman Road PTA has been working on: “In 2017, we raised money to commission artist/ designer Bahbak Hashemi Nezhad to create an artwork for the new pedestrian area outside the school, which will be created when the junction of Albion and All Hallows Road (under the railway bridge) is closed as part of the Easton Safer Streets project next year. The artist is working with architect Sahra Hersi, along with children, parents and residents to rethink the space, and look at ways to improve the area, making it better for children and residents. The artist delivered a series of workshops at the school in July. Children were asked to respond through drawings to two questions: How can the

space under and by the railway bridge be used by local people? and How can the space under and by the railway bridge be used as part of the school? The children also made banners and renovated a

pizza oven which was then used at the school’s summer fair. The artist made pizza with the children, and we engaged parents and passers-by in the project idea, mapping the journeys people make and discussing the future use of the space. The conversations, drawings and notes from the workshops and fair will be used as material by the artist to inform the design proposal. For the PTA, this project offers the opportunity to make creative practice central in rethinking the social spaces around the school, and implement an approach to learning that encourages experimentation and active research. An event programme for 2019 is planned, which will include a celebration of the outcome of the commission and a programme of community events.” To find out more about the project please email lucybadrocke@gmail.com.

Bristol Wood Recycling Project (BWRP) faced an uncertain future a year ago. They had to move from their Cattle Market Road site to make way for the new University of Bristol campus, and the only sites on offer were out of town. With just weeks to go, BWRP had a call from JLL, the property finder firm that was working with the University. They had seen the coverage in the local press and wanted to help. They were able to find a new site in St Philips less than a mile from BWRP’s old home. After a bit of negotiation, BWRP moved in early February, and didn’t even miss a Saturday (their busiest trading day). They’ve settled in well, and the future now looks bright for this social enterprise. www.upourstreet.org.uk

Find BWRP at Unit 4 William Street, BS2 0RG (just round the corner from the Council Recycling Centre at Days Road) Up Our Street

WORKING TOGETHER

Up Our Street invited one of the world’s leading academics on Roma culture, Professor Yaron Matras, to speak at Felix Road Adventure Playground. Jolana Curejova is of Roma descent. She attended the event and gives us her thoughts here:

Credit: Rachael James, The Original Spinners

“The event which attracted the attention of professionals from across a different spectrum of voluntary and statutory sector was warm in welcome and with open doors on free debate. Its aim was to gather ideas on future ways to get to know Roma families living here After a short movie presented by the Original Spinners, attendees had a fantastic opportunity to hear from Professor Yaron Matras from the University of Manchester. He spoke about his years of experience in advocacy to start with, and later how he has continued to help the Roma by entering the academic world. Professor Matras presented the Roma culture in a rather unique way by skipping the usual stereotypical ‘who the Roma are’, a background exploration that it is often unfair or meaningless. It would be like saying who the English are based on how they were 100 years ago. Credit: Rachael James, The Original Spinners

Instead, in order to enlighten the audience he focused on the current plight of the Roma and the style of migration in large families. Further on, he highlighted the gross inaccuracies done to the Roma by throwing the whole ethnicity into a box altogether with others, i.e. Gypsy and Travellers as per national data gathering, Census 2011. As such, Professor Matras concludes that the well known acronym of ‘GRT’ which continues to be especially popular among professionals in the field is nothing but a fiction. He also spoke about the long term prejudice and discrimination that the Roma face by law and by people. After his presentation, questions were given a space to be asked. Whilst well considered, the nature of 16

Up Our Street

some questions highlighted that there was a lack of understanding among some professionals about the Roma , including very basic facts. For example, knowing that the mother tongue spoken by the Roma is Romani. The presence of the Roma in the UK is not a new phenomenon, rather the opposite. The Roma have been part of the neighbourhoods in Bristol and surrounding areas for a number of years, and there are service providers locally reflecting on the reality by having an open door policy for all the Roma. They include among others: Easton Community Centre, Wellspring Drop-In Centre, the Big Issue, all of whom presented their valued work and service provisions that are ongoing. To provide for the present audience and their wellbeing, Felix Road Adventure Playground served the attendees with a rather delicious lunch which was served by Mandy and her team. It was Mandy who enchanted the whole audience by words of simplicity, and her majestic observation at the same time, when she praised the Roma children for being no different to the rest of the playground groups she serves, other than the fact that all they strive for is ‘just to fit in.’” Up Our Street hopes to work with Jolana and The Original Spinners on more projects in the near future. This was part of our series of Neighbourhood Conversations funded by Bristol City Council and Awards for All.

Check out The Original Spinners film here: www.gettingtoknowtheroma.com/film www.upourstreet.org.uk

COMMUNITY NEWS

Belmont Street resident Hannah Crudginton got in touch to share some photos of a new mural on her street, on a storage unit used by Khan’s Food Store.

Before

Hannah says “We've been slowly painting the whole street and it started with SilentHobo's mural, which was completed last spring.”

After

The artist for the Khan’s mural is Conrico Steez “Connor was amazing with the people from Khan's and managed to get some names and a picture of one their kids worked in. He also did the Sweet Mart painting on St Marks Road this summer.” You can find more of his work at www.conricosteez.com. Thank you Hannah for brightening up Easton’s streets!

The Home Secretary Sajid Javid has announced that EU nationals who want to remain in the UK after Brexit will have to apply for ‘settled status’. Applicants will be asked:

· · ·

to prove their identity to prove that they have been living in the UK for the past five years to declare that they have no serious convictions.

The application will be made online via a government website or an app for tablets and smartphones, or by post.* The government carried out testing of the system in late August 2018 in north west England. The system will be fully open by March 2019. The deadline for applications is currently 30 June 2021. The government intends to charge a fee of £65 for applications, or £32.50 for children under 16. EU citizens who have already obtained permanent resident status or indefinite leave to remain in the UK will be able to exchange this for settled status free of charge Up Our Street will be hosting some Brexit themed events in the new year to make sure that residents are informed. Also try Avon and Bristol Law Centre for free specialist advice at www.ablc.org.uk

*source: www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizensfamilies www.upourstreet.org.uk

Bristol City Council is to create a new councilowned housing company to speed up the development of new homes and communities in Bristol and beyond. The council’s Cabinet gave the company the green light when it met on 4 September 2018. Reports prepared by officers for the meeting set out the aspiration to build houses and allow the council to have greater control over how sites for new homes are developed. Sites developed by the housing company will also comply with council planning policies, aiming to deliver, as a minimum, policy compliant affordable housing. In other housing news, the Prime Minister announced at the Conservative party conference that her government was scrapping the cap on how much councils can borrow to build council houses. Plans would allow councils to use money raised from existing social housing to invest in new stock. Up Our Street

COMMUNITY NEWS

Credit: Khali Ackford After nearly a year of being covered by scaffolding Trinity is finally set to reveal their iconic towers again after completing a programme of critical repair works. Emma Harvey, Trinity Centre Director said “We have been overwhelmed by people’s support, generosity and love of Trinity. Support from funders and members of the public means that we’ve been able to secure the building’s future for generations to come and we want to say a big thank you to everyone involved. We will continue to work hard to make Trinity the diverse and pioneering community venue that the city deserves ”

As the weather gets colder, we all start to worry about heating costs. The Cold Homes Energy Efficiency Survey Experts (C.H.E.E.S.E) project is a Bristol-based not-forprofit Community Interest Company that aims to reduce domestic energy losses, at low cost. Surveys are FREE for people on low incomes. C.H.E.E.S.E Energy Tracer surveyors carry use thermal-imaging surveys to identify where your home is losing heat. Losses are often due to draughts and poor insulation and can be remedied in cheap and easy ways. After a survey, you are supplied with a video and verbal report, and an energy monitoring and action pack. This service is open to all residents in our neighbourhood; you don’t have to be a home-owner. Find out more and book a survey at www.cheeseproject.co.uk

St Lukes Church celebrated 175 years in the heart of Barton Hill on 20 October with an exhibition of photographs and memorabilia, including a wedding dress from a wedding held in the church in 1938. The church welcomed people throughout the day to reflect on their memories of the church and also look to the future.

Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) has announced that Evergreen Primary Academy (formerly Millpond Primary) joined the trust on 1 September 2018. CLF is a multi-academy trust that runs 15 schools, including City Academy. Millpond had been working in partnership with the CLF in the period up to the transition to Evergreen Primary Academy, focusing on wider school improvement and the development of teaching and learning. 18

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NOTICES

Stapleton Road Chapel at Christmas Sunday 16 December, 11am Christmas Praise Sunday 23 December, 6pm Carols by Candlelight

Tuesday 25 December, 10.30am Christmas Morning Service All welcome

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Up Our Street copy deadline for spring edition is 18 January 2019 Get in touch with tamsin@upourstreet.org.uk if you have story ideas

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Up Our Street

COUNCILLORS CORNER Councillor Ruth Pickersgill writes: “Transport is an issue we can’t ignore in Easton and Lawrence Hill. The problems are clear: poor air quality (causing an estimated 300 deaths a year in the city); congestion (average speed on some bus routes last year was 6mph); unreliability of public transport; chaotic parking and safety. Due to the growth in housing, we need to reduce people commuting by car from 53% to 43% over the next few years- just to keep the traffic at current levels! The local figures are interesting (see right) but many people feel walking and cycling are not safe options, particularly for children. We have train stations in each ward which are not fully accessible which people don’t always feel safe using.

How do people get to work? Easton

Lawrence Hill

31%

16%

34%

19%

As councillors we try our best– we have new traffic calming on several roads and new parking restrictions on many corners have been agreed. We lobby for crossings and more enforcement, and we have secured funding for some improvements to entrances and access to Stapleton Rd station.

However, it is increasingly clear that unless each and every one of us makes a major change in our The Council recently consulted on a very ambitious own travel patterns, the impact will be minimal. transport strategy, looking at how we can develop Every day we see drivers racing through our narrow an integrated, accessible and sustainable public streets sometimes at 50mph, cars parked on corners transport system, improve air quality with a clean air and pavements making it impossible for disabled zone, manage parking more efficiently, reduce and older pedestrians, drivers nose to nose refusing excessive lorry and van journeys and make walking to back up and causing blockages, parents with and cycling safer. engines idling waiting on zigzags outside schools. Nothing is being ruled out – major cycling Strategic change and investment is needed in the infrastructure, underground, improved railways and long term, but right now, we could all make a buses, rapid transit system and even cable car! difference.” Easton

Ruth Pickersgill

Lawrence Hill

Afzal Shah

Marg Hickman

Hibaq Jama

Easton: cllr.ruth.pickersgill@bristol.gov.uk cllr.afzal.shah@bristol.gov.uk Lawrence Hill: cllr.marg.hickman@bristol.gov.uk cllr.hibaq.jama@bristol.gov.uk

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Get news about Easton and Lawrence Hill every two weeks from Up Our Street. Sign up to our ebulletin at www.upourstreet.org.uk Bristol Big Youth Vote In January 2019 young people in schools, colleges and youth centres across Bristol will vote in 32 young people to the Bristol City Youth Council for a two year term of office. The young people that are voted in will represent young people’s views to adult decision makers. The opportunity to stand as a candidate in the 20

Up Our Street

Bristol Youth Vote is open to all young people aged 11 to 18 years, living in or going to school in Bristol. Find out more at bristol.gov.uk/youthcouncil Stapleton Road station Bad news for train passengers. Stapleton Road train station will have limited accessibility until April 2019 due to the track upgrade project. In the new year

Up Our Street and Severnside Community Rail Partnership will bring people together to draw up plans for station improvements funded by CIL money. This is a chance to improve lighting and other safety features, as well as making the station more accessible for people with restricted mobility (as well anyone with luggage or a buggy!) so watch this space...

FOOD REVIEW

Saliha and Tamsin from Up Our Street went to try out Real Habesa Restaurant on Stapleton Road. Solomon and his wife Senait opened just six months ago, serving up freshly cooked Ethiopian food. We shared a mixed meat and vegetable dish, which came served on enjera, a sourdough -risen flatbread with a slightly spongy texture which is traditionally made from teff flour. This is food designed for you to share, eating with your fingers and mopping up the sauce with the fluffy enjera. At £10 between the two of us, it was also a very reasonable price. On a Wednesday lunchtime the small space was full of a really mixed crowd enjoying lunch and chatting.

We finished off our meal with some traditional Ethiopian coffee made from freshly roasted beans and served with popcorn. Solomon explained that the coffee ceremony is an important part of hospitality in Ethiopia, and that popcorn represents good luck. The coffee was strong, but with a deliciously fruity taste and no bitterness. Find Real Habesa at 146 Stapleton Road. Open 10am to 10.30pm. Walk-ins welcome at lunch time but call 07814 549 704 to book in the evening.

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Save those precious memories Do you have old tapes that you would like to play but no longer have the player or camera that you used? I can convert them for you to DVD or any other format that you require.

redheadproduction@me.com 0117 370 6112

Happy holidays from Jess & all at Bristol Waste As the holiday season is fast approaching I thought it might be good for you to know a few festive bits of information regarding your waste and recycling collections in the area. Again this year, Bristol Waste is doing their own bit to reduce paper by providing all electronic waste and recycling collection calendars online. Residents are encouraged to download their correct calendar online at: www.bristolwastecompany.co.uk/festive Don’t fret if you don’t have access to the internet or would prefer a paper version! We have some on hand for those who are unable to download them. All you need to do is call 0117 304 9022 or email hello@bristolwastecompany.co.uk to request your copy! Jess Tulit, Community Engagement Officer

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