Fishponds Voice November 2022

issues

Community hub gets big revamp

The community hub run by Hillfields Family & Community Trust is reopening after a £150,000 revamp.

PAGE

Three cheers for Arthur's apple

A unique variety of apple is to be named after the late Arthur Hooper, on whose Fishponds allotment the tree was grown.

School moves to new building

Frenchay C of E Primary School has finally moved into its £11m new building on the former hospital site.

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EDITORIAL

Ken McCormick

07715 770377

news@fishpondsvoice.co.uk

Linda Tanner

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Brookfield Publishing

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DECEMBER DEADLINE

Shaun Edwards

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Art with a message

Twitter

A STAPLETON artist has found a unique canvas for her latest works.

Parys Gardener has produced new digital artworks which have been printed onto a fire engine based at Bedminster fire station.

And the images of firefighters and local people are not just for decoration - Avon Fire and Rescue Service says the aim of the project is to celebrate black history, with a nod to the Windrush Generation, "open a dialogue on the importance of representing your local community and celebrate what it means to be a firefighter today".

To ensure your news or letters are included, please contact us by Wednesday November 23. Advertisers are asked to contact us by the same date.

LOCAL

Bristol City Council http://www.bristol.gov.uk 0117 922 2000

Police www.avonandsomersetpolice.uk

enquiries:

www.avonfire.gov.uk

enquiries: 0117 926 2061

NHS 111 Safer Stronger team sscg@southglos.gov.uk 01454 868009

Anti social behaviour team asbreporting@southglos.gov.uk 01454 868582 Streetcare/litter/vandalism etc streetcare@southglos.gov.uk

01454 868001

Well Aware Health and social care information www.wellaware.org.uk

(freephone) 0808 808 5252

Despite our best efforts, we sometimes get things wrong. We always try to resolve issues informally at first but we also have a formal complaints procedure. If you have a complaint about anything in the Kingswood Voice, contact the publisher using the details below. We aspire to follow the Code of Conduct of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists), which holds journalists to a high standard of behaviour. Further details of the complaints process can be obtained by contacting the Publisher.

A

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Fishponds Voice is independent. We cannot take responsibility for content or accuracy of adverts, and it is advertisers’ responsibility to conform to all relevant legislation. We cannot vouch for any services offered. Opinions are not necessarily those of the editor. Fishponds Voice is distributed each month to local residents in Fishponds and the surrounding areas. If for some reason you do not get a copy, please get in touch or collect one from local pick-up points. Feedback is welcomed, call Brookfield Publishing on 07540 383870 or email news@fishpondsvoice. co.uk. This month 8,000 copies will be distributed in Fishponds and the local area.

The service is working in a number of areas to improve its representation of the community it serves and says the designs are inspired by the stories of local people and serving firefighters.

Parys said: "Representation is something extremely important to my creative practice across all the work that I do.

"Looking at an area of British Black history through this particular lens isn't something I had done before, so I was really excited to take on this project.

“Two themes that stood out to me from my research were bravery in the face of adversity and the strength found in others within the community.”

Last year the Voice reported that Parys, who has previously been commissioned by the BBC, Nike, Footlocker and gal-dem magazine, had her work displayed on billboards in Bristol.

Chief fire officer Simon Shilton said: “This project represents the next step on our journey towards a better future for the organisation and provides a fantastic backdrop for the work that we’re continuing to do.

“The artwork that has been produced is excellent, and has already sparked important conversations both within the organisation and out in our community.”

In recent months, fire crews have worked with Stand Against Racism and Inequality and youth organisation Babbasa to engage with the community and run familiarisation and recruitment events.

Pilates classes in Fishponds

Suitable for all levels

Please contact Emily to book your place on 07974252486 email: info@teachmepilates.co.uk or find me on facebook and Instagram: Emily Osborne Pilates

The truck displaying Parys Gardener's artwork

Welcoming Spaces open to provide warmth and help

organisation that could offer a service or an individual that could volunteer, we need your help.”

Anyone who has some spare time and could volunteer in a role, ranging from befriending and peer support to cooking and driving, should call 0117 965 9630 or email Charity.Wallis@ bristolcharities.org.uk.

Hillfields Community Hub

• Oldbury Court Children's Centre - open to children and families, Monday to Friday, 8am-5pm.

From Page 1

Among the venues to sign up for the scheme are the Vassall Centre in Gill Avenue, Oldbury Court; Colliers Gardens Extra Care Home; Oldbury Court Children's Centre in Frenchay Road; Hillfields Community Hub off Thicket Avenue and Speedwell Children's Centre in Speedwell Road.

The scheme was announced by Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees, who said work to set it up had been under way since April.

He said: "This is an incredibly challenging place to be in and a place I wish we weren’t.

"We want to support residents struggling with rising energy prices without stigmatising people. We’re already seeing that some people who haven’t faced financial challenge before now are, and it’s important to us that everyone feels welcome.

"A Welcoming Space is a place that is already established in the community, for example a community centre, care home, children’s centre, or places of worship, where people can meet up, socialise, keep warm and if needed access support with the cost of living crisis.

"These spaces are inclusive, accessible and about communities coming together."

The Vassall Centre

THE Vassall Centre in Oldbury Court will open a Welcoming Space every Monday to Friday between 10am and midday, and

from 2pm to 4pm through the winter, starting from November 8.

Owner Bristol Charities is offering a warm place to connect with people over a free hot drink, access to advice and referral to other services, free Wi-Fi, phone charging, telephone and access to computers, access to snack or meal at the centre's on-site café and support for grant applications for essential household items.

Centre Manager Charity Wallis said: "We want to support local residents struggling with rising energy prices and the cost of living by providing access to a range of supports on-site, locally, or on-line."

"In addition Bristol Charities will also be working with other organisations to broaden support to potentially include Winter Emergency Food Packs, household goods, including essential appliances, mental health support, energy and money advice, hot desks for people working at home through the winter, and an Affordable Christmas Fayre.

"We can’t do this on our own, so if you are a local project or

HILLFIELDS Community Hub, next to Hillfields Park, will open its Welcoming Space from Monday October 31, and will be open every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 11am-3pm.

Hillfields Family and Community Trust chief executive Katie Hanchard-Goodwin said: "We will be providing a warm welcoming area for people to connect and keep warm, charge their phones and hang out.

"Anyone who needs it can access the warm space just by showing up."

The space will be set up at the hub's 'quiet room', which has been renovated as part of a £150,000 refurbishment programme which is now nearing completion.

For more details call the hub on 0117 965 7711 or email info@ hillfieldscommunity.org.

Other venues

BRISTOL City Council's Welcoming Spaces map also lists the following local venues as part of the scheme:

Access to mental health wellbeing support, advice and a food club on Thursdays form 1-3pm is advertised on the map.

For more details call 0117 353 2899.

• Colliers Gardens Extra Care Home, run by Brunelcare. Open to everyone, the home will organise a Friends Ageing Better coffee afternoon every Friday from 2-4pm, singing group every Thursday from 2/4pm and watercolour art group every Wednesday from 10am-noon. For more information call 0117 958 6336 or email colliers_ gardens@brunelcare.org.uk

• Speedwell Children's Centre - open to children and families, 9am-3pm, Mon to Fri.

Mental health well-being support and access to other advice is offered, with a food club organised at nearby Speedwell Methodist Church every Friday from 12.30-2.30pm.

For more details call 0117 903 0206.

Hub opens after refurbishment: Page 11

More Oldbury Court news: Page 21

The Vassall Centre's café area will be open to the community as part of the scheme

George Campbell-Touray and Katie Hanchard-Goodwin at the Hillfields Hub's quiet room, which will be its 'welcoming space'

Vassall Centre receptionist Sobia Saeed will welcome visitors

Bus cuts bite but dial-a-ride is rescued

around the city.

in October

through Eastville, Stapleton

Oldbury Court and the Y4, which served Stapleton and Frenchay.

replacement" 47 route goes through Oldbury Court but Stapleton has been left without any services, while Frenchay now only has the 19, which does not run direct to the city centre. The 48 has also reduced in frequency.

Campaign group the West of England Shared Transport and Active Travel Network (WESTACT) has written an open letter, calling on West of England Combined Authority Metro Mayor Dan Norris and the leaders of all councils in the area to suspend the deregulated bus market and provide a franchised bus service, under contract

through WECA.

Under the present system WECA has responsibility for transport planning but has no powers to force bus operators to operate a given route at a given time.

It is consulted on changes to timetables but the only way of maintaining services First decides are not commercially viable is to subsidise them.

WESTACT is urging as many people as possible to sign its open letter calling for the current system to be replaced with franchising, where WECA would issue contracts for companies to

operate services it would specify.

The group said: "The deregulated market is always at odds with the bus services that many in our communities need to get to work, school, shops, and health centres.

"Residents want and demand an overhaul of this broken bus system."

The letter can be found online at actionnetwork.org/forms/ franchise-weca-bus-servicesnow.

The call is being made as Mr Norris announced £435,000 in funding from WECA to reinstate community minibus services

Around 600 mainly elderly and disabled passengers who relied on Bristol Community Transport's Dial-a-Ride and community group transport services were left high and dry when they were suddenly axed on August 26.

Mr Norris announced on October 19 that four companiesThe Big Lemon group, Lawrence Weston Community Transport, CATT Community Bus and The Sprint - had together agreed to take over the running of the services immediately.

The Big Lemon will provide the Dial-a-Ride service: people can start booking journeys by calling 01273 681681.

Mr Norris said the services were a "lifeline", adding: “I promised the West of England Authority I lead would leave no stone unturned in our efforts to find a solution."

Letters: Page 32

Parking charges rise as CAZ starts: Pages 8-9

Metro Mayor Dan Norris, passengers and staff with a Big Lemon bus.

Four arrests over killing of Fishponds man

in police custody as the Voice went to press.

Takayo Nembhard was stabbed to death in Ladbroke Grove, during the Notting Hill Carnival on August 29.

The 21-year-old rapper was building a career in music after previously working as an apprentice for Bristol City Council.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said two men, aged 23 and 18, were arrested at "residential addresses" in Bristol on October 19.

A 20-year-old woman was arrested on the same day in Islington, London, on suspicion of assisting an offender.

The teenager and woman were bailed pending further enquiries, and the 23-year-old was released under investigation.

A 17-year-old boy was then arrested in Bristol on October 22, on suspicion of murder. He was

Detective Chief Inspector Jim Shirley, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “Ever since the tragic murder of Takayo, my team and I have been busy behind the scenes gathering intelligence and evidence to bring his killers to justice, and we will continue to work around the clock until they are behind bars.

"We are continuing to appeal for witnesses to come forward.

"Takayo was stabbed to death in broad daylight in front of a huge crowd of people. I am confident that there are people out there who have not yet spoken to us, for whatever reason that may be.

"If you saw something and have not yet spoken to us, please do so as a matter of urgency.

"Don’t do it for me - do it for Takayo’s family, who are still trying to come to terms with their terrible loss."

Hundreds of people lined the streets and attended a funeral for Takayo, who recorded and performed as TKorStretch, at the E5 Church in Kingsdown on October 14.

The former Bristol Rovers academy and Yate Town youth footballer had attended St Matthias and Dr Bell's Primary School - now known as Fishponds C of E Academy - as a child, later going to Sir Bernard Lovell Academy in Oldland Common, where he had been a house captain.

Takayo died of a stab wound in a London hospital after being stabbed on the last night of the carnival, after police officers and paramedics had worked in the street to try and save him.

The police have set up a dedicated page where people can upload photos and videos of the incident, which can be found at mipp.police.uk/ operation/01MPS22U27-PO1.

Information can also be

provided by calling the incident room directly on 020 7175 2206 to speak to an officer, by calling 101 or by tweeting @MetCC quoting 7478/29AUG.

People can also give information anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visiting www. crimestoppers-uk.org.

Takayo Nembhard

n

No need to be dazzled behind the wheel

time of year when we have

in to see

headlight glare – that

when an oncoming

dazzle you and leave

unable to see the road ahead.

The irony here is delicious. Headlights, high beams and fog lights are all supposed to help drivers see at night – but in many cases they have entirely the opposite effect.

Glare from an oncoming vehicle’s lights can distract you, physically hurt your eyes and have an adverse effect on your reaction time.

Research from the RAC shows that nine out of ten drivers think most car headlights on the UK’s roads are too bright – and the vast majority of those drivers get dazzled by them while driving.

And the problem is getting worse every year. Nearly two thirds of drivers say they’re getting dazzled more now than they were a year ago. The same number say they can’t tell if the vehicle coming toward them at night has its lights dipped or on full beam.

Official government data shows there are around 300 collisions every year where dazzling headlights are a factor.

Ninety per cent of the information a driver needs and uses is visual so to have your eyesight compromised – even for two or three seconds – while you’re behind the wheel can have disastrous consequences.

If you experience night-time glare, you’re in good company. I, along with a good number of our patients, used to experience it too. But now, thanks to our sophisticated lenses, I’m so much happier on the few occasions that I drive late into the night.

These days my night driving tends to involve ferrying one or more of our three little darlings from here to there and back again, which as they grow older is getting later and later!

How does the lens work?

Our clear comfort lens removes the excess light that would otherwise give you glare and only lets the light though that you need in a more balanced and calming way.

Is this a tint?

No, you cannot legally wear anything other than the very palest of tints for driving at night.

Is this an anti-glare coating?

Our lens is far more sophisticated than the anti-glare coatings of old, we have the lens custom made to include the glare protection on the inside which means you get more comfortable vision.

What glasses options can you choose from?

Most patients choose either varifocals or distance glasses with their clear comfort lens, but we’re happy to look at any prescriptions you may have and see how we can help.

To book an appointment, please call our Henleaze team on 0117 962 2474 or Fishponds team on 0117 965 4434

Apple variety is named in honour of Arthur

APPLES from a

be named

a

holder after they were found to be

The tree started life when Chris Hooper bit into the core of an apple he was eating in his dad Arthur's greenhouse in the early 1980s, and a pip ended up in his mouth.

Chris, who was around five years old at the time, planted and watered it, and the seedling started to thrive.

He showed it to his dad, who had a plot at Thingwall Park allotments, just around the corner from their home.

Chris said: "It grew significantly bigger and one day my dad said we should take it to the allotment and plant it."

Over 40 years the seedling has grown into a 25ft tree, producing a bountiful supply of delicious apples, a home for birds and a place for Chris's son to climb as he grew up.

Arthur continued to nurture it alongside the rest of his allotment.

He also volunteered in the allotments' shop, and helped to build the toilets, raised beds, plots for disabled people and access ramps.

After Arthur passed away in 2019 members of the Fishponds Community

Orchard, which has been growing at the allotments since 2005, took cuttings from the tree and grafted them to rootstock to create

new saplings - the usual way to produce trees bearing good eating apples.

They also sent leaf samples off for DNA fingerprinting and have now been told that the tree is a previously unknown variety.

The volunteers decided to name the new variety Arthur Hooper in his memory and gave his family one of the grafted trees.

Arthur's widow Mollie said her husband, who worked as a machine operator for packaging company DRG before taking early retirement, would have been "thrilled to bits" to have an apple variety named after him.

She said: "After he retired he was at the allotment most days. He enjoyed meeting up with a few pals, having a coffee in the shop and putting the world to rights before they went off to their plots."

Chris said: "As a family, we're so pleasedit's like a legacy for my father."

Fishponds Community Orchard founder member Charles Farina said: "Lots of people plant pips but it's really unusual to get a good apple out of planting from seed - you quite often get a tree but it will produce wild apples or crabapples."

Anyone who would like to get involved with Fishponds Community Orchard should email fishpondsorchard@gmail.com.

Charles Farina, Mollie Hooper and Chris Hooper in front of the apple tree

Car parking charge rise adds to Clean Air Zone costs for drivers

to £12, while one-hour stays remain at £4, with the aim of supporting shops and leisure activities with quicker turnover.

Off-street car park charges for shorter stays will generally increase by two-thirds, from £1.50 to £2.50 an hour, with parking up to four hours now costing £10 in total instead of £6 at present, making it the most expensive for a major city outside London.

All-day stays will rise from £13.50 to £18.

coming into the city - we want to encourage people to use other modes.

“Bus fares have gone up and we want to make our park-and-rides more competitive, and we are working on more bus prioritisation and active travel measures, so we are making that shift."

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Parking charges to rise

HUGE price increases for Bristol City Council’s car parks and city centre on-street spaces have been approved – with some fees doubling.

Cabinet members agreed the rises on October 4, saying they were necessary to encourage people to use public transport, walk and cycle. They will apply from early next year.

But the changes are expected to persuade as few as one in 10 drivers to leave cars at home, while bringing an extra £1.6 million a year in income, a report to cabinet said.

The biggest hikes are for longer stays, with four hours on-street going up from £6

The changes will affect Trenchard Street, West End, Temple Gate, Portwall Lane, The Grove, Redcliffe Parade, Mardyke Wharf, Lower Guinea Street and College Street car parks.

Increased charges at a number of other car parks, including the Maritime Heritage Centre - where SS Great Britain visitor discounts will be scrapped - Brunel Lock, Queen Square and Brunswick Square, have also been agreed.

Consultations are needed on proposed increases at Frog Lane and Wapping Wharf, where the pricing structure is out of kilter with other car parks.

Cabinet member for transport Don Alexander said the increase reflected "inflationary costs", adding: “Our policy is that we want driving not to be a cheap way of

CAZ will 'trap' disabled people in homes

MANY disabled people will be left “trapped in their homes” because they can’t afford Bristol’s impending Clean Air Zone charges or to upgrade their specially adapted vehicles to avoid them, councillors heard.

But mayor Marvin Rees has rejected calls to seek government approval to extend exemptions for blue badge holders beyond next March - and accused opposition councillors of "political opportunism" in failing to raise concerns before now.

A 'caged' demonstrator in a wheelchair was part of a protest by Bristol Disability Equality Forum outside City Hall before

a council meeting on October 18, with the group holding a banner saying: “Caged by the Clean Air Zone”.

Forum climate projects coordinator Emma Green told the council: “The scheme could mean many lose access to a car, are trapped in their homes and face fines that will drive them even deeper into poverty.

“The equality impact assessment on the CAZ recognised that disabled people will be disproportionately impacted. Despite this, insufficient mitigations have been put in place."

She said financial support to buy or adapt replacement vehicles was not enough, and in any case people had to work or volunteer for a certain number of hours to be eligible for it.

Green councillor Tim Wye said: "Too many exemptions could undermine the scheme and will be an administrative burden, however, I do not imagine that ensuring disabled people still have access to our city will generate a significant number of journeys.”

Mr Rees said an exemption for blue badge holders and hospital patients had already been extended until next March 31, and could not be changed further.

He said: “Any further extension would likely result in not meeting our legally mandated time-frame for air quality compliance. The more mitigations you put into the CAZ, the less tight you make the

CAZ, and by definition the less tight the CAZ, the later the date of compliance."

Mr Rees said it the Greens had previously criticised the council for delays in the scheme - which is over a year late - and it was "a bit rich" to raise the issue when the scheme was about to start.

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

CAZ: When it starts, who will pay - and how

BRISTOL'S Clean Air Zone will start operating on November 28.

From that date, drivers of cars, vans and taxis with petrol engines made before 2006 and diesel engines made before 2016 will have to pay £9 a day to enter an area including Broadmead, Cabot Circus, the Centre, Temple Quay and Spike Island.

Larger vehicles, such as lorries and buses, which do not meet Euro 6 diesel engine standards will be charged £100 a day.

The charges will be in force 24 hours a day, every day, to drive in an area from Old Market, Bond Street and Temple Way to Hotwell Road and Brunel Way, and from Marlborough Road to Coronation Road.

They will be enforced using cameras, with fines for non-payment.

Most drivers who have to pay the charges are expected to do so online, at www.gov. uk/clean-air-zones. Motorists can enter their vehicle's registration number at the same site to find out whether it is liable for the charge.

The Voice has asked the city council what payment options are available for people who are not online.

While the authority had not published guidance as we went to press, advisors on the council's CAZ helpline, on 0117 903 6385, said the only other option for payments was in person at the Citizen Service Point at 100 Temple St, Redcliffe, which is open from 9am-5pm on weekdays, except Wednesdays, when it opens at 10am. Visit www. cleanairforbristol.org/caz for more details.

Protesters from Bristol Disability Equality Forum at City Hall

Pupils learn about Black History Month New leader for school

CHILDREN at Avanti Gardens School in Fishponds celebrated Black History Month with a combination of study and dance.

Marked both in Bristol and across the world, Black History Month teaches about black communities and how past struggles can shape the future positively.

A school spokesperson said the event "resonates particularly highly" in Bristol because of the city's role in the slave trade, brought to global attention with the toppling

Colston’s statue in 2020.

The spokesperson added: "Avanti Gardens is a diverse and inclusive community school, and its pupils have, like many Bristolbased schools, as well as schools across the globe, had a series of lessons and extra-circular activities to learn about Black history.

"Pupils have been studying historical figures for BHM and in some instances, the horrendous obstacles that they had to overcome."

Children were given a choice of people to study, including former slave, author and pioneering abolitionist Olaudah Equiano and American civil rights activist Rosa Parks.

They produced presentations to share what they had learnt and discussed the bravery and courage of those who had faced with great adversity and racism.

Pupils then got to take part in a West African dance workshop, led by special guest Malachi Spaulding of the Shanturia Dance Theatre Group, telling an ancient Ghanaian tale.

AVANTI Gardens School in Fishponds has a new interim principal.

Samantha Travis has taken over from Ashley Milum, who left to take on the role of head of education and early years at Essex County Council in the summer.

Miss Travis joined the school, which was transferred to Avanti Schools Trust in 2019, in September. She said: "I am pleased with how the school continues to gain popularity locally.

"The open evening was an astounding success, with approximately 100 families coming to visit.

"I am thoroughly enjoying meeting local families and understanding more about the interests of the local Fishponds community."

This year the school has made "great improvements" to afterschool provision, with new clubs ranging from cookery to choir, and from football to knitting and sewing.

The school's parent teacher association held a 'spooktacular' Halloween disco before the end of term and has plans for many more events this year.

A spokesperson for the trust said: "Miss Travis brings her wealth of knowledge and experience of working in other inner-city schools in the UK and is keen to use this to take Avanti Gardens School on the next stage of its exciting journey."

Samantha Travis

Hub: We're here for the community

"WE'RE here, we're open - use us."

That's the message from the Hillfields Family & Community Trust, as the charity's building next to Hillfields Park reopens to the public.

A £150,000 refurbishment programme at the Hillfields Community Hub is nearing completion and, after having to close for around four weeks as part of the work, the trust is welcoming back the services and community groups using it, and inviting more groups and residents to use its facilities.

HFCT chief executive Katie HanchardGoodwin and chief operating officer George Campbell-Touray showed the Voice some of the improvements.

The work has included renewing the hub's sports hall, which has a new floor, basketball nets and LED lighting, has been redecorated and is having new windows fitted.

Lights in the rest of the hub have also been replaced, with energy-saving LEDs, and there are new windows and doors, flooring and a new entry system installed to increase security.

A new main reception has been created to welcome visitors.

Work to refurbish the roof is being finished off at the building off Thicket Avenue, which has also had vital structural

WHILE much of the refurbishment work at the hub has been completed, a project to create new housing for social rent is taking longer than expected.

Plans to build 10 one and two-bed homes on land next to the hub were announced alongside the refurbishment project in 2019, to provide somewhere local people who did not need a three-bedroom home could live in the area, and an income for the trust at the

work carried out.

The work on the sports hall was funded by a £60,000 grant from Sport England, while the other £90,000 has come from community infrastructure levy payments made by developers to Bristol City Council.

The hub is currently used by 14 different groups and organisations, including Punjabi, Bulgarian and Hungarian cultural groups, two youth clubs for different age groups, a children's cricket club and an over-50s relaxation group.

There are clubs for teenagers and for young adults with disabilities, and a food club is due to reopen in the coming weeks.

Education provision for younger children with disabilities and teaching of English as a second language is also hosted at the hub.

Katie said: "We've got a lot of new users since Covid - it's really picked up and is continuing to do so - but we still have space for more, particularly in the sports hall.

"We would encourage enquiries from local sports and exercise classes who are looking to open in the area."

The hub is also available for people in the community to hire for one-off events.

And its 'quiet room' has been confirmed as a venue for the city's Welcoming Spaces scheme, where people struggling with the

cost of heating bills can come, charge their phones and socialise every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 11am-3pm.

The building, formerly Hillfields Youth Centre, had been in decline for years before HFCT took it on in 2018 in a community asset transfer from Bristol City Council.

The trust was created at the same time, out of a merger between Hillfields Community Trust and the Hillfields Young Mothers Group, which was based at the centre and founded by George and childhood friend Jan Ross in 2003.

In 2019 plans for a £250,000 refurbishment programme were announced, along with a project to create housing on a site next to the hub.

The work being completed represents the majority of the refurbishment announced in 2019.

Other areas identified for improvement were renewing the changing rooms and toilets, kitchen and lift, and restructuring internal rooms to create a bigger music studio. However a football club which would have been involved in the changing rooms project is no longer in contact with the trust.

To find out more about hiring the hub email info@hillfieldscommunity.org or call 0117 965 7711.

Housing project delayed

same time.

Community consultation sessions were held last year and architects appointed to draw up designs, with the scheme adjusted to include 11 homes – a mixture of five one-bed flats and six two and threebedroom houses - on the site of the disused football clubhouse and waste land blighted by fly-

tipping.

It was hoped that plans would be submitted by the end of that year, and work could have started this year.

However while the project is still ongoing, it is now likely to involve a housing association.

Katie said the scheme was one of several around Bristol, involving community projects

to build on council-owned land, which have been delayed.

She said: "The plan is still very much to provide social housing for the area on the site.

"We are in preliminary talks with a local housing association to see how we can work together to achieve this.

"It's a far longer project than anyone anticipated."

Boulders are being installed at the entrance to the site in a bid to stop the fly-tipping.

Katie Hanchard-Goodwin and George Campbell-Touray in the refurbished sports hall.

Katie at the reception desk

Independent inquiry into council social media monitoring

A NEW independent inquiry will investigate how Bristol City Council officers monitored social media messages by parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

A majority of councillors voted to call on Mayor Marvin Rees to set up an inquiry into the ongoing “scandal”.

Calls began after emails leaked in the summer revealed council staff had collected and shared a dossier of critical social media posts, cross-referencing anonymous Twitter accounts with private Facebook wedding photos to find who was behind them.

Two of the people monitored volunteered for the Bristol Parent Carer Forum, a charity representing parents and carers of children with SEND.

Staff alleged they had been “campaigning” against the council, because they were criticising the city’s SEND provision, creating a conflict of interest. Both parents said they were raising legitimate concerns.

A row led to the council scrapping its funding for the charity.

Conservative councillor Geoff Gollop proposed the inquiry at a council meeting on October 18. His motion was backed by other

opposition parties, while Labour councillors chose not to vote.

Cllr Gollop said: "These parents are a remarkable group of people who deserve to feel the council is on their side, not adding to the many challenges that they already face. But instead of responding to their needs, somewhere within this organisation, someone made a decision to monitor those parents’ social media accounts.

"Only an independent inquiry will tell us who was responsible for this.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Tim Kent said: “An independent investigation is now vital, if this council and the administration wishes to rebuild trust in parents.”

Cabinet member for education Asher Craig said: “When we heard of the allegations, we immediately commissioned a report to get to the bottom of what happened.

"All the information that was collated was publicly available, and any suggestion that this council was carrying out covert surveillance on parents is just ridiculous.

“But if councillors want to spend taxpayers’ money on an external investigation, then that’s fine."

After the meeting Jen Smith, a mother

whose social media was monitored, said: “The ultimate issue is that it’s the parents or carers of children with special educational needs in Bristol who are suffering.”

Bristol has a long history of poor SEND provision, with Ofsted inspectors failing the city in 2019.

The inquiry vote came as two investigations by watchdog the Local Government Ombudsman led to the council paying compensation to parents of SEND children.

In one case the council apologised and paid £3,800 compensation to the parents of a girl with special educational needs for failing to provide her with lessons for seven months and taking a year to produce an education, health and care plan (EHCP), which affected an appeal over a school place.

In the other the council paid £1,750 compensation for failures that left a vulnerable teenager without an EHCP for six months, denying them half a year of speech and language therapy.

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Hillfields man jailed for role in drug gang

who was part of a gang selling

cocaine and heroin has been jailed.

Cunningham, aged 20, was part of a "county lines" gang which sold class A drugs sourced in the West Midlands on the streets of a Somerset town.

Avon and Somerset police said people in Bridgwater alerted them to street dealers openly selling drugs in Bridgwater earlier this year.

They identified several locations in the town where sales were being made and moved to stop and search people seen acting suspiciously.

A police spokesperson said: "Evidence obtained during these stops led to the identification of two phone lines, which were being used to coordinate sales of heroin and crack cocaine."

Officers dismantled the operation by carrying out nine raids on addresses in Bridgwater, Wolverhampton and London, leading to the arrests of four men and three women.

The spokesperson said: "Significant sums of Class A drugs and cash were recovered following searches of the properties, along with a number of weapons, ammunition for a gun and a stab vest."

At Taunton Crown Court in October, Cunningham, of Hillfields Avenue, was jailed for two years and two months after he admitted two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.

Four other members of the gang were also jailed: Natasia Gayle, 26, of Woden Road, Wolverhampton for three years and six months; Malique Orrell, 27, of Hamstead Road, Birmingham, three years and one month; Emmanuel Buyondo, 26, of no fixed address, three years and four months; Tina Austin-Saunders, 43, of no fixed address, two years and nine months.

Two people from Bridgwater - 48-year-old Clare Finka and Phoenix Fox, 33 - were given two-year suspended prison sentences and told to attend drug rehabilitation courses.

Detective Sergeant Jonathan Atkin said: “County lines gangs continue to be a significant national problem.

“Those behind them don’t care about the harm they cause to communities or to the vulnerable people they often exploit, only for the money their unscrupulous actions can make.

"“These sentences send a clear message to those individuals involved in transporting harmful drugs into our towns and villages that we will come after you, arrest you and stop you.”

Man arrested over bus sex assault

A MAN has been arrested by police investigating sexual assaults on bus passengers in Fishponds after a public appeal.

Officers issued a CCTV picture in October of a man who was wanted for questioning over sexual assaults on two 12-year-old girls on the 48A, as it travelled towards the city centre on Fishponds Road on July 5.

A police spokesperson said the incident was being treated as sexual assault by touching.

After an appeal was published online and shared via the Voice website and Facebook page, a police spokesperson said: "Thanks to the public’s help, we have received information to help us identify the person we wished to speak to. One arrest has been made as part of our investigation. Enquiries continue."

Another appeal was made after a man was seen taking pictures up the skirts of two teenage girls on a number 5 bus near Eastgate Road, Eastville, between 4.45pm and 5.15pm on August 5.

After a CCTV image was shared on the Voice website and social media, a police spokesperson said officers had "positive enquiries to pursue".

impact from engaging with Future Bright, on all

of my

has been life changing.”

Lewis Cunningham

Primary school pupils celebrate differences

A PRIMARY school has staged events and appointed a special group of pupils to help celebrate differences.

Minerva Primary Academy in Hillfields set up a group called Equality, Diversity and Inclusion ambassadors, with pupils applying to join and working with staff to plan assemblies and an international day to celebrate the countries and cultures linked to members of the school community, which was described as a "roaring success".

In September the school celebrated World Afro Day by holding 'little big hair' assemblies and encouraging pupils to celebrate and learn more about natural afro hairstyles.

During October, events to mark Black History Month included a whole school assembly to consider the meaning of 'community' and find out more about Roy Hackett, one of the organisers of the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott to overturn a racist recruitment policy on the city's buses, who died earlier this year.

Year groups also learned about inspirational people active in Bristol today, including Jasper Thompson, the founder of the charity Help Bristol's Homeless.

Principal Jennifer Harvey said: "This year, the EDI ambassadors are going to help all the teachers to look more closely at the books

we read, the famous people we learn about as geographers, historians and scientists, and the images that we use when we teach to make sure we are promoting equality and diversity in the curriculum all year round.

"We know that representation matters."

The school also teaches British values and the principles behind its EDI approach as part of its 'Global Citizens Curriculum'.

Mrs Harvey added: "We are proud to enrich children's learning with a curriculum that has an EDI lens. This ensures that all families in our community are represented and celebrated throughout the year."

Somali flags and traditional clothes on the school's international day

World Afro Day

Minerva Primary Academy pupils on the school's international day

Vaccination rates lag

CHILDHOOD vaccination rates in Bristol are lagging behind neighbouring South Gloucestershire.

An NHS report found vaccine coverage had decreased nationally over the past year, with average rates below the 95% target.

In Bristol 92.6% of babies had received the 6-in-1 jab, including polio diphtheria and tetanus, by their first birthday, with 94.3% vaccinated for pneumococcal disease, 91.9% for meningitis B and 90.3% for rotavirus.

By contrast in South Gloucestershire the percentages were 96.3%, 96.7%, 95.6% and 94.6% respectively.

NHS England South West screening and immunisation lead Dr Emma Kain said the NHS was focusing on improving the uptake of the preschool booster and the second dose of MMR, offered at 3 years 4 months.

The percentage of Bristol children who had received a second MMR dose by their fifth birthday was 84%, with diphtheria and tetanus booster rates at 82.8% - both were over 90% in South Gloucestershire.

Cossham Birth Centre shuts

A MIDWIFE-led service allowing mothers to give birth at Cossham Hospital has been temporarily closed due to staff shortages.

Other midwife services at the hospital in Lodge Road, including antenatal and postnatal clinics, are running as normal.

North Bristol NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, aims to reopen Cossham Birth Centre as soon as possible but has not given an anticipated reopening date. A previous temporary closure of the birth centre lasted a year, from October 2018 to October 2019.

NBT chief nursing officer Steve Hams said: "Like many NHS organisations across the country, we are facing workforce challenges due to sickness and vacancies.

"As a result, we have decided to temporarily suspend our birthing service at Cossham Birth Centre and divert labouring women to the midwife-led Mendip Birth Centre at Southmead Hospital - this will ensure that we are able to maintain a safe service.

"We have temporarily suspended the service before in similar circumstances and our focus has always been on resuming the

full service as soon as possible. Our improved home birth service, which launched this month, will continue to be available as an option for women on a case-by-case basis.

"All antenatal and postnatal clinics at Cossham are unaffected and running as normal. ny woman worried about this decision should, in the first instance, contact their midwife."

The trust needed to carry out a recruitment drive before reopening in 2019, with expectant mothers who arrived in daytime offered the chance to give birth at the centre but night arrivals diverted to Southmead.

It comes as the NHS faces widespread staff shortages as demand increases for the winter.

A meeting of South Gloucestershire Council's health scrutiny committee on September 21 to discuss NHS provision to manage winter pressures was cancelled, with members being told that the area's winter plan would not be finished in time to be discussed at the meeting. The plan is now due to be discussed at a meeting on November 23.

Take a fresh look at caring with Home Instead

Reimagining the world

A SECONDARY school is taking part in a project using art to change how society understands the impact of the transatlantic slave trade.

The World Reimagined Learning Programme is a mass participation art education project created with artists, teachers and educationalists, which aims to "empower students, teachers and school communities to create a future for racial justice".

Among the schools taking part is Bristol Brunel Academy in Speedwell, where pupils created a globe with artwork telling the story of Africa before, during and after the slave trade.

A school spokesperson said: "The design is centred around the theme of Mother Africa.

"Each portrait represents a small visual glimpse of the African journey. The first depicts its rich, cultural heritage prior to the transatlantic slave trade and leads on to the journey during which so many Africans suffered. The story unfolds into a world reimagined, where there is racial justice and differences are unifying rather than divisive."

The design includes African and British flowers, the sea stars that "follow the path of the transatlantic slave trade triangle to recognise the suffering, impact and legacy of slavery".

Academy curriculum leader for art Rachel Taylor-Evans said: "Students really embraced this project, and a lot of thought and passion went into the design.

"I feel it is important to bring issues that are happening around the world into the classroom, so we can educate and debate with our students the importance of these matters."

All yellow for Brunel

STAFF and students at Bristol Brunel Academy dressed in yellow to raise vital funds for charity.

Staged on World Mental Health Day in October, the Hello Yellow event is run by Young Minds, which aims to ensure children and young people get the mental health support they need, when they need it, and no-one is left feeling alone.

Students and staff raised around £300 on the day, when they were also able to wear shoes or trainers of their choice in return for a £1 donation.

Off The Record, a local charity that supports children with their mental health, visited the school lunchtime and had a stall where students could discuss issues around mental health, and there were also sessions during tutor time when students could talk about anxiety and nervousness, and find out about support.

Associate assistant principal Tom Leahy said: "The purpose of the day was to encourage students to discuss young people’s mental health and ensure they know what support is out there.

"The more we talk about this and get young people to open up, the more we can help.

"Although Hello Yellow is one day, we will revisit the issue regularly at Bristol Brunel Academy with students and staff."

Staff at Bristol Brunel Academy dressed in yellow for the fundraiser

Bristol Brunel Academy students working on their globe

POLICE want to talk to this man over a disturbance at a shop in Lodge Causeway.

Officers said a man entered the shop and "acted in a threatening manner" at about 9.20pm on September 11.

A spokesperson said: "We are issuing a CCTV image of a man we wish to identify and talk to in connection with our enquiries."

Man wanted over threats

The man police want to trace is described as black, about 6ft 2in tall and in his 40s or 50s.

At the time of the incident he was wearing a grey hooded top, black beanie hat, black gloves, dark jeans and was carrying a small satchel bag.

Anyone who saw the incident or thinks they know who the man in the picture is should call 101 and quote the crime reference number 5222 220 026.

Information can also be given online at the avonandsomerset. police.uk website.

Lamps to light gloom

A LANTERN parade will help light up the darker evenings of autumn in Hillfields.

People are being encouraged to make lanterns at home or join two workshops being held at Hillfields Library ahead of the event on November 19.

Ofsted 2021

The parade will start at Hillfields Library in Summerleaze at 4.30pm, and there will be a procession to Hillfields Park, where the event will continue until 6.30pm.

Minerva Primary Academy and two other Fishponds schools are expected to take part.

To tempt people along, free hot chocolate will be on offer.

People are being encouraged to either make lantern at home and bring it to the parade or join one of two workshops being held at the library on November 5 and 12, from 10am until noon each day.

No booking is required.

The workshops and parade are being organised by volunteers from the Friends of Hillfields Library, Hillfields Community Garden and nonprofit group Imayla.

Both of the Hillfields groups are looking for volunteers to help them plan and stage events, help with social groups bringing people together and spark change to improve the community.

Volunteer Sarah Rogers said: "The workshops and parade came about as we wanted a fun way to celebrate the change of seasons, and join together the efforts of the new Friends of Hillfields Library with the community garden."

To get involved with the groups, email friendsofhillfieldslibrary@ gmail.com or hillfieldscommunitygarden@ gmail.com.

“Pupils say they are happy here and love learning, because adults ‘make it fun’.”

Award recognises buzz around Grow Wilder

said: "This is just the tip of the iceberg and we need to do many more of these mass wildflower plantings.

Avon Wildlife Trust's Grow Wilder project, based on a sixacre reserve on Frenchay Park Road, won the People for Nature Award at the West of England

Bold Awards, in recognition of the work its team of staff and volunteers does to demonstrate

The project grows and sells wildflowers and vegetables, and holds courses and events where people can learn how to take action for nature at home, in schools and in their workplaces.

The Bee Bold Awards were launched this year to showcase groups in the region taking positive steps to support bees and other pollinators by engaging communities, workers or customers to actively create pollinator-friendly places.

Metro Mayor Dan Norris

presented the awards at a mass planting event to create a new wildflower meadow on Siston Common near Kingswood in October, which involved 10,000 plants from Grow Wilder.

He said: “Bees and pollinators are not just nice to have - they are absolutely essential to ensuring we can have the fresh fruit and veg we eat year-round and keeping our precious countryside and forests

maintained and cared for.

"I hope these award winners inspire others to take action too, whether that be letting their gardens grow wild for longer periods in the year or throwing away those bee-harming pesticides."

Members of the Grow Wilder team at the mass planting event included wildflower nursery manager Shaun Waycott and site manager Chris Kaboutian, who

"Getting these nectar rich habitats reinstated is crucial if we want to make the West the place to be for pollinators. I’m really proud of the wider team who made this happen."

Avon Wildlife Trust chief executive Ian Barrett said: "Grow Wilder is a fantastic site, which embodies the work we’re doing to inspire, support and empower people to take action for wildlife.

“We want everyone to feel part of Team Wilder, working together to create and restore homes for nature and bring wildlife back into gardens, communities, business parks and farmland right across Avon.

“Wild bees and pollinators are at the heart of nature’s recovery and I’m delighted that the West of England Mayor has initiated these awards to celebrate action for nature."

Metro Mayor Dan Norris with members of the Grow Wilder team receiving their award

Making Oldbury Court a neighbourhood

A PROJECT to bring the community of Oldbury Court closer together has started by asking children what they like about the area and how it could be improved.

Pupils at Frome Vale Academy were asked to produce their own maps of Oldbury Court and to draw what they liked, what they didn’t and suggest what might be improved.

The event in October was organised by the Oldbury Court Neighbourhood Project, an initiative being run by residents and funded via Bristol City Council's Frome Vale Community Grant scheme.

Project coordinator Nils Lindahl Elliot said its aim was to help Oldbury Court become a neighbourhood, providing somewhere people can come together to discuss neighbourhood needs, problems and aspirations, and work on projects to benefit everyone in the area.

He said: "Put very simply, the project is looking to promote neighbourliness – the ultimate objective being to develop a neighbourhood partnership that can work effectively to address decades of lack of investment in our public spaces and facilities."

The Oldbury Court Neighbourhood Project is planning two different forms of public consultation to establish itself and is inviting everyone who lives in the area between

Oldbury Court Road, Vassalls Park, Frenchay Road, Downend Road and Overndale Road to take part.

The first will be a series of workshops where neighbours can meet, share their views and come up with practical ways of improving everyday life. They will take place at a local venue, with snacks, on dates to be announced.

The second will be to gather history, memories and images of Oldbury Court together online, to share experiences, raise awareness of its past and changing character.

This aspect of the project,

Day for carers

A CHARITY supporting the city's carers is inviting people to an event in Oldbury Court to help them find out more about dealing with the cost-of-living crisis.

Carers Support Centre is hosting the Carers Rights Day event at the Vassall Centre in Gill Avenue on November 24.

It is inviting unpaid carers who are providing vital support to family or friends, from across Bristol and South Gloucestershire, to join the event in person or online.

The charity is offering help and advice to carers, who it says are among the "hardest hit" by rising inflation.

People can find out about how the cost-of-living crisis is affecting carers, ask questions of council representatives and find out about where and how to ask for support to deal with financial difficulties.

Carers Support Centre spokesperson Adrian Robson said: "The event will also give people the chance to meet other carers, mingle, share food, browse stalls, enjoy free pampering, and join other carers for a Walk and Talk in nearby Vassalls Park.

"Or, if you prefer, the event can be joined from home via Zoom."

The event runs from 10.30am to 3pm.

To book a place visit www.carerssupportcentre.org.uk/events, email Comms@carerssupportcentre.org.uk or call 0117 958 9902.

called Signs of Oldbury Court, aims to strengthen local identity by "sharing representations" of the area.

Nils said: "The depictions may include photos, but also

oral memories, creative texts or performances, historical archives – in short, any representation that might help to generate a space in which we may become more aware of Oldbury Court’s history, even as we celebrate its contemporary qualities and achievements, and look to the future.

"As individuals and as a neighbourhood, we are who we are, but we're also who we were and who we would like to become."

The project is particularly keen to involve people who live in Oldbury Court's councilbuilt housing estate, along with groups in the area "whose voices may have been overlooked in the past".

Anyone interested in learning more about the project, or taking part in a workshop, can find out more at the project website ocnp. org.uk.

People can also call 0770 802 7439 or text OCNP to the same number to make contact.

Children from Frome Vale Academy work on the map project

Council faces £88m black hole

BRISTOL City Council could face a funding shortfall of up to £87.6 million within five years, cabinet papers reveal.

The authority announced in late September 27) that it needed to find an extra £31m next year to balance the books as a result of soaring costs, inflation and demand for services.

But an additional report included a “worst-case scenario” where the gap for the 2023/24 budget is double that, at £62m, rising to £83.8m the following year and £87.6m in 2027/28.

The forecast also includes a 'best-case' projection for the deficit of £13m for the next financial year and a high of £14m, but the £31m figure was the most "realistic", the report said.

It added: "This scenario assumes high inflation levels, a poor financial settlement and claw back of the grant allocations for the Health & Social Care Levy following the reversal of the scheme."

The report said uncertainty about inflation was the “most significant driver” in the organisation’s potential costs being much higher than the base-case prediction.

It said: “We are in a period of unprecedented economic uncertainty which is having a significant impact on the ability to forecast with accuracy, and in reality with the scale and volatility of the current climate, the only certainty we have is that this reported financial position will be subject to change.”

It said the worst-case scenario referred to the “most extreme situation that can happen if things don’t go as planned”.

Mayor Marvin Rees said the authority will need to “change the way we do things” in some core services to “focus our attention on those who need support most” even in the most realistic circumstances.

The medium term financial plan forecast provides the framework for annual budget-setting and longer-term financial planning.

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Luka's on the move

A CHARITY cafe in Speedwell has presented a new electric wheelchair to a youngster with disabilities.

Barton Hill RFC Charity Cafe, based in Duncombe Lane, has raised more than £46,000 since opening in 2020, spending most of the money on equipment for local families of children with disabilities and also regularly donating to mental health charity Mind.

Luka Cerabona, from Keynsham, is the 11th person to be helped by the cafe, which raised £4,900 for his new wheelchair.

He received it on a visit to the cafe in late October, when it was handed over by specialist firm Taylor Made Wheelchairs, and was only too happy to give supporters a demonstration in the car park.

Luka’s mum Kim Cerabona thanked the fundraisers, saying: "We are extremely grateful to you all - and just look how happy Luka is, all made possible from your kindness.

"The joy in his face just melts my heart. This has given us great hope for the future and one step closer to independence for Luka."

Cafe volunteer Denis Demmery said: "It's fantastic to see the happiness and difference our cafe makes to someone."

The cafe provides a friendly place for people to meet, with cheap food and drink and bargain donated goods, every Monday and Wednesday from noon until 3pm.

It is staffed and managed entirely by volunteers.

Your local Nursery Schools need more Governors Little Hayes and Speedwell Nursery Federation

Have you considered being a school Governor? Would you like to help local children get the best start in education? If so we would love to hear from you.

Little Hayes and Speedwell Nursery Schools Federation are part of Bristol City Council’s provision of Nursery Education.

Our schools welcome and educate approximately 220 local pre-school children. Governors are responsible for supporting and monitoring high quality standards of education and welfare for the children. Currently we have some Co-opted Governor vacancies, and are looking to recruit more committed people to join us.

What’s required?

Governors do not have to be education experts! We welcome Governors with an enthusiasm for early years education (children aged 2 - 4), who can contribute a range of skills and expertise, have some spare time, and a willingness to get involved.

Governors meet 6 x annually, the average commitment is 5 – 8 hours monthly during term time. We visit schools for monitoring and other purposes, and report back to the Governors. We ensure effective use is made of schools financial resources.

All Governors can undertake a wide range of free training courses to enhance knowledge about Early Years and Governance. Being a Governor is a great opportunity to increase your skill set, and enjoy a rewarding role; it looks great on your CV, and gives an opportunity to make a real difference to the outcomes for local children at our Nursery Schools.

For further information, please call Maggie on 07895 930640.

Application forms can be obtained from Clerk@speedwellnurseryschool.com

Luka Cerabona with his new electric wheelchair

New home gives school space to grow

have waited patiently - some of them for years - but children at Frenchay C of E Primary School cannot contain their excitement at finally being in their new school.

head teacher Katherine Marks it has been easy to tell how much they love it.

said: "They've given a little cheer each morning when I've come out to open the school gates."

The difference to the school's cramped old site next to Frenchay Common, where it had been since 1842, could not be more marked.

The new two-storey building has six upstairs classrooms, eight more on the ground floor, a library space with a twostorey coloured window, a large hall which can be partitioned to create separate cafeteria, assembly or gym areas, and two new kitchens - a big one where school meals can be prepared on site, and a smaller one where

pupils can learn about cooking.

Outside is a playground and playing field, with separate outdoor learning areas, including one for early years pupils, which Mrs Marks says have already shown their worth.

She said: "The children are enjoying having the outside so close. They have been more focused in the afternoons because they can pop out and have a break."

The estate around the new school in Alexander Road is a still building site, and the school itself needs some finishing touches: a play castle, climbing frames and outdoor stage will be installed early next year and a 'spiritual area' for quiet reflection is also awaiting completion, although a mosaic made at the old school at Churchside has already been installed.

The school community itself is also a work in progress: having been limited to 140 pupils on its old site, there are currently 159

children in the new building.

Capacity for next year will be 210, with spaces for a single form of 30 new reception pupils.

Eventually, as the number of families in the area grows around it, the school will have places for up to 420 children, in two forms every year.

All will be taught in airy classrooms, with large digital screens in an £11 million building which has been built to be highly energy efficient, with triple glazing, solar panels, low energy LED lighting, air-source heat pumps and a mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system.

After years in the pipeline, plans and funding for the school were approved in 2018-19, with the original completion date of September 2020 postponed after the lockdown, and supply issues meaning a revised opening date of this September was put back by a month.

But Mrs Marks said: "It was

worth the wait.

"It's a wonderful building. There are still things we need to learn but it's fantastic.

"When I go back to the old site now I wonder how we coped as long as we did."

Clear Bristol

Head teacher Katherine Marks in a first floor classroom overlooking an outdoor learning area and surrounding trees

The two-storey window by the library

Deputy head teacher Michael Backett teaches a Year 5 class

What support is there for investing in renewable energy?

IMPROVING the energy efficiency of homes will not only support the UK to transition to a greener economy, but also support Bristol households with mitigating the rising costs of energy and living.

Properties with higher EPC ratings boast lower energy bills by relying less on gas and oil and instead on solar, hydro and wind.

In April 2022, the Government an nounced 0% VAT for energy-saving meas ures until 31 March 2027 to incentivise investment in renewable energy. Energy improvements covered under the scheme include controls for central heating and hot water systems, draught stripping, insulation, solar panels, ground and air source heat pumps, micro combined heat and power units, wood-fuelled boilers, and wind turbines. Find out more by visiting https://www.gov.uk/ government/publications/changes-to-the-vattreatment-of-the-installation-of-energy-sav ing-materials-in-in-great-britain.

The Government also announced the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The scheme aims to support owner-occupiers to overcome the upfront costs of low carbon heating technol ogies. The new £450 million Boiler Upgrade Scheme will run from 2022 to 2025 to support households with grant funding of up to

£6,000 towards the cost of renewable heating solutions. Find out more by visiting https:// www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-may-beeligible-for-the-boiler-upgrade-scheme-fromapril-2022.

Are Bristol City Council offering local support for homeowners?

With growing pressures on household finances, an energy efficiency loan funded by Bristol City Council could be a good way to fund energy-saving measures or spread the cost of renewable energy installations. Working in partnership with Social Enterprise lender, Lendology CIC since 2005, Bristol City Council offer loans to homeowners for home repairs, improvements, energy efficiency and renewable energy measures. Loans are fixed at 4% regardless of your circumstances or your loan amount or term.

To find out more about fixed rate energy efficiency loan repayable over 1-15 years, visit www.lendology.org.uk or https://www.bristol. gov.uk/residents/housing/private-tenants/ get-a-grant-or-loan-to-improve-your-homeenergy-efficiency or call Lendology on 01823 461099.

This is a financial promotion approved by Lendology CIC.

Typical Example (4% fixed interest rate, Typical 4.2% APR)

Borrow £5,000 over 60 months. £92.08 monthly repayments. Total amount repayable = £5,544.96, including £20 fee for registering the Title Restric tion. Missing payments could affect your credit rat ing and ability to obtain credit in the future. Loans are subject to status and are typically protected by a Title Restriction. This means that you may not be able to sell your home without our permission unless the loan is fully repaid.

Lendology CIC is a trading name of Wessex Resolutions C.I.C.: A community interest company limited by guarantee, registered in England, com pany number 4512225.

Registered address: Heatherton Park Studios, Bradford on Tone, Taunton TA4 1EU. Wessex Resolutions C.I.C is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (675263) for credit regulated activities.

Working

For an informal chat about the loan scheme and eligibility, call Lendology on 01823 461099, email loans@lendology.org.uk or visit www.lendology.org.uk

For more information on the services provided by We Care Home Improvements, call 0300 323 0700 or visit www.wecr.org.uk

approved by Lendology CIC.

Lendology CIC is a trading name of Wessex Resolutions C.I.C.: a community interest company limited by guarantee, registered in England, company number 4512225. Registered address: Heatherton Park Studios, Bradford on Tone, Taunton TA4 1EU.

Wessex Resolutions C.I.C is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (675263) for credit regulated activities.

for

to £1,000 OFF the cost of works to your home**

New path at Stoke Park

A NEW path across Stoke Park has opened for use.

The city council, which built the mile-long path on the north west edge of the park that separates Stapleton from Lockleaze and Stoke Park, says it will help more people to enjoy the historic beauty spot, including anyone travelling by bike or using a wheelchair, mobility scooter or pushchair.

The path connects Sir Johns Lane in Lockleaze with Jellicoe Avenue.

It was given planning permission in 2019 despite 50 objections over development in the Stapleton and Frome Valley Conservation Area, concerns about conflict between pedestrians and cyclists, and a 480-name protest petition.

A further 93 objections were made when the council, which owns the parkland, applied to change the surface to an "extremely robust" asphalt and quartzite stone, after being told the bound gravel surface originally proposed would be unsuitable for steep sections of the path. Historic England backed the move, however, and officers said the "public benefits would outweigh the harm" to the designated heritage asset and site of nature conservation interest.

Council cabinet member for transport Don Alexander said: "It’s wonderful to see Stoke Park’s new accessible path in place, which will open this lovely park up to many more people all year-round who have previously struggled on the muddy and uneven paths.

“It should also help people to leave their cars behind when travelling between the north and the rest of the city, which is essential in tackling our air quality and congestion.”

Cabinet member for public health Ellie King said: "Visiting green spaces can help people’s physical and mental health, so it was important to make it easier for people to get out and benefit from our work to boost and protect nature in the park."

The path is part of the Lockleaze Sustainable Transport Infrastructure investment programme, funded through government agency Homes England’s Housing Infrastructure Fund.

Council cabinet members Don Alexander and Ellie King with former Lockleaze councillor Estella Tincknell, highways engineer Stuart Wilkinson and Jonathan Medlin of Homes England on the new path.

Cry out to God in times of crisis and he will respond

reminds us from where we began as a nation. The United Kingdom was founded on the background of the scripture. As time unfolds, circumstances and pressures have pushed us away from God. Perhaps one might say not everyone knows there is a God; my brother or my sister, I beg to differ because the Bible says ‘all creation knows there is a God’. Read with me Romans 1:19-20 to know how I came to this conclusion. “…what may be known about God is plain to man. For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being

understood from what has been made, so that mankind is without excuse”

Looking at what is happening around us, we are being squashed on every side with the food crisis, with the cost of living shooting off the roof, and now with winter fast approaching, some are unable to heat their homes, etc. All this therefore calls on us as a nation to look for solutions. What can we learn from history?

The United Kingdom was faced with a similar crisis in the 1940s, and what did they do? King George V1 called for the whole nation to cry out to God with one voice for God’s divine intervention,

and through God’s intervention the UK came out triumphantly.

Today, can we as a nation learn from what history has taught us. I know without a shadow of a doubt that if we do this now that, we are still in the day of grace and grace will abound. The United Kingdom has always cried to God for divine aid in time of crisis; since the times of King Aethelred from 978-1016 (Medieval English Monarch).

It will be wise for us as a nation to follow suit because it works. In this light, let us all as a people and nation cry out to God with this word, He taught us to pray using the Lord's Prayer.

Rev Beatrice Anayo

Stapleton Baptist church

School grows reading tree

A STAPLETON school has started a new programme to get children reading at home.

Begbrook Primary Academy has bought hundreds of new books for pupils to borrow and read, with their families or on their own.

The Begbrook Reading Tree includes novels, shorter fiction, non-fiction and poetry books.

Children get to take a book home, then bring them back in and swap them for another book on the reading tree.

Assistant principal Laura Horner said: "Each Year Group from Year 1 to Year 6 has their own collection of 20 to 30 books to take home, share and read.

"Every child has their own tick sheet to mark off how many they've read across the year."

Pupils in years 1 and 2 are expected to read the book with their families and change them after a week, while older children have bigger books they can borrow for longer and read independently.

The school, part of the Cabot Learning Federation, plans to expand the programme to include pre-school and reception children.

Health strikes on the way

THE boss of Bristol's city centre hospitals says NHS trusts are preparing for a “wave of strikes” this winter.

Eugene Yafele, the chief executive of University Hospitals Bristol and Weston says there is a “growing appetite for industrial action” among staff.

Trade unions representing staff in the organisation, will be balloting their members for industrial action.

Mr Yafele told the trust's October board meeting: "This is something that our colleagues are going to be doing reluctantly, should they sign up for it, but still gives us cause for concern because of the difficult nature of the strike action and the fact that you can’t plan for one isolated incident. It might be a wave of strikes, which makes it even more challenging.”

The trust's 'director of people', Emma Wood, said managers were looking how they could support staff with financial problems but added: "We are limited in terms of national terms and conditions around pay. But there are some other things we can do."

Ideas currently being looked at include locating food banks inside NHS libraries and providing discounted meals or free soup and rolls for staff at workplaces.

More than 15,000 ambulance workers across 11 trusts in England and Wales, including South West Ambulance Service, started voting on strike action on October 24.

The ballot, which closes on November 29, is in response to an imposed 4% pay award and "unsafe staffing levels" across the service.

GMB Acting National Secretary Rachel Harrison said: "Ambulance workers don’t do this lightly - and this would be the biggest ambulance strike for 30 years.

"But more than ten years of pay cuts, plus the cost-of-living crisis, means workers can’t make ends meet. They are desperate."

John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Are you a passionate, empathetic, hardworking person, who likes to make a difference in children’s lives, if so, we have exciting opportunities to work at our rapidly expanding Special School in a variety of roles.

Briarwood is a Bristol Special School, based in Fishponds and Barton Hill, committed to providing a high quality of education, care and life skills for children and young people with severe learning difficulties and complex needs including autism and sensory impairment from 3-19 years.

Temporary HR administrator required, term time only, 37 hours/week (negotiable), until 21st July 2023, please contact HR for more details.

visit our careers page on www.eteach.com/schools/briarwood-school-25106 or contact us via emal on HR.briarwoodsp@bristol-schools.uk

Briarwood School, Briar Way, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 4EA www.briarwood.bristol.sch.uk

Assistant principal Laura Horner made a video to explain the new Reading Tree to children

Frenchay care home to close for up to a year

A FRENCHAY care home has closed for up to a year for "significant repairs and refurbishment".

Begbrook House in Sterncourt Road closed two months after regulator the Care Quality Commission made a visit, when "safeguarding concerns" were raised.

Owner Barchester Hellens says the closure of the home was unrelated to the CQC visit and report.

The regulator visited Begbrook House in May. The home, which provided personal and nursing care for up to 32 people, had 23 residents at the time.

The CQC has issued a report, which did not provide an overall rating of the home but said: "The inspection was prompted due to safeguarding concerns which had been reported to us by the service and the local authority safeguarding team.

"This was in relation to safeguarding people from abuse and the process which staff followed to report such concerns.

"At the time of this inspection the concerns were being investigated by the service and other agencies involved.

"We inspected to examine those areas of risk and to check that people were safe.

"Although the staff we spoke with understood their responsibility to report and raise safeguarding concerns, recent incidents at the service highlighted that policy and procedure were not always followed.

"The appropriate action had not been taken by some senior staff when they had been alerted to recent concerns.

Equally staff who had raised the concerns had not escalated these to management or the local authority when their concerns had been ignored."

The CQC said there were enough staff and effective quality assurance systems at the home, and residents felt safe and positive about the management of the home.

The Voice asked Barchester Hellens to comment on the report and the company issued a statement, which said: "Following a review we unfortunately had to make the difficult decision to close Begbrook House in July for significant repairs and refurbishment for a period of 9-12 months whilst we make vital improvements, that sadly could not take place whilst we cared for residents living there.

"Support was given to residents and staff to find alternatives care homes and employment, including within other Barchester care homes locally."

Asked to clarify whether the closure and the CQC visit were

connected, the company issued a second statement, which said: "The closure of Begbrook House was unrelated to the CQC report and is due to the need for a refurbishment.

"The decision to close a home for refurbishment is not one that is taken lightly and involves a lengthy process of review.

"We have an ongoing programme to refine and improve our homes, and 75% have been refurbished over the last five years."

The Voice asked Bristol City Council, which runs the safeguarding team covering the home, about the concerns raised.

A council spokesperson said: "We cannot comment on individual services or share details of safeguarding concerns."

The CQC has confirmed that Begbrook House is no longer registered following the closure.

Pupils help Macmillan

BRISTOL Metropolitan Academy staff and pupils got together to help fund the work of one of the UK's biggest cancer charities.

Tea and memories at library

STAFF

the Bristol

staff of a Fishponds

Library Service

home

to anyone over 18 living in Bristol who is unable to

BHLS

audio tapes to them, and is run by charity the Royal Voluntary Service, working with the city's library service.

Service manager Janice Walsh arranged a reminiscence session at Fishponds Library with residents of Quarry House Care Home, in Channons Hill.

Janice said: "Both residents and staff had a lovely time, chatting over times gone by while enjoying a nice piece of cake and a cuppa.

"I think many of us are guilty of presuming that once you reach a certain age you don’t have anything interesting to say.

"If you actually spend some time really talking to a person, you realise what amazing lives they’ve had.

"I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with the residents of Quarry House and was quite disappointed when it was time for them to go home!"

For more details of the service call Janet on 07714 898 558 or email BHLSVisits@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk.

The school held a 'cake morning' as part of the annual Macmillan Coffee Morning fundraising drive, with people paying a donation in return for something from a selection including cakes, muffins, brownies and doughnuts.

The event raised more than £60 and was one of three held across Cabot Learning Federation schools to support the cause.

Associate assistant principal Natasha Martin said: "Macmillan give comfort to patients and families when they need it most. The work they do is amazing.

"We thank everyone that attended for their kind donations.

"A particular thank-you to Terry, head chef of our Aspens catering team, for donating four trays of cakes, and to the following staff who donated cakes - Helen Harman, the admin team, Bethan Jones and the humanities team.

"Thank you also to Jennie Britton, for making it happen!"

Nationally, the event has raised around £5.4 million - enough to fund 86 Macmillan nurses for a year.

Macmillan Cancer Support provides free help and advice for people living with cancer and their families. For more information, visit www.macmillan.org.uk.

Fishponds

Political turbulence could lose families their homes

WITH the departure of yet another Prime Minister, many people will be left scratching their heads wondering who is providing the leadership the country desperately needs.

The policies unveiled in the infamous mini-budget caused a market crash and unravelled incredibly quickly, with firstly the Chancellor and then Liz Truss departing, making her the shortest-serving Prime Minister ever.

We will all be paying the price of this for years to come.

Inflation is still not under control, and people paying off a mortgage are seeing interest rates shooting up; 55,000 households in Bristol face their annual mortgage payments rising by an extra £580 per month.

There are worrying indications the next Prime Minister may insist on further public spending cuts, despite the fact that after more than a decade of austerity,

the NHS, schools and councils simply can’t make any more savings without harming essential services.

For many people, recent developments will have made home ownership seem like a distant dream that is slipping even further away. Over recent decades, house-prices in Fishponds have risen far quicker than people’s wages, making housing unaffordable to so many.

Now, the average property in Bristol costs over 10 times someone’s annual salary.

Keir Starmer recently presented proposals to make home owning a reality for millions of people, setting a target of 70% of households owning their own homes.

We could do this by getting Britain building and prioritising communities over buy-to-rent landlords and foreign owners.

In the Chamber this month, I called on the Government to raise

housing benefit rates in Bristol, as current rates fall far short of even the cheapest rented properties, leaving people on low incomes with a huge shortfall to make up.

People who are renting deserve security of tenure, and a decent and safe home.

That's why I support a Private Renters’ Charter that will give renters rights to make home alterations, stop bans on animals in rental properties and double the notice period for eviction.

I would love to be able to spend my time in Parliament pressing Government ministers on these issues.

But it’s very difficult when you don’t know who’s going to be in post from one week to the next, and when ministers are more preoccupied with their own survival than with the country’s future.

We need an end to this chaos and political instability. The public deserves a Government that is

Kerry McCarthy

MP for Bristol East writes for Fishponds Voice

focused on the issues that matter, like the cost of living crisis, the delivery of public services and the climate emergency.

As always, if you need help from me and my team, do please get in touch via kerry.mccarthy. mp@parliament.uk or 0117 939 9901.

Philanthropy gone mad - a palace for paupers

The development of Bristol Municipal Lunatic Asylum, which eventually became Glenside Hospital had its critics, as MIKE JEMPSON discovers

IT will come as little surprise that the foundation of what became Glenside Psychiatric Hospital was mired in controversy.

In some ways it dates back to 1698, when St Peter’s Hospital was opened in what is now Castle Park. There was a ward reserved for ‘lunatics’, although essentially it was a workhouse presided over by a Dr Thomas Dover.

The good doctor would later find fame and fortune by leading the landing party that rescued the shipwrecked Alexander Selkirk - the inspiration for Daniel Defoe’s 'Robinson Crusoe’ - and by combining opium and ipecacuanha to form Dover Powders, which could reduce pain and induce euphoria, but also induce violent vomiting if over done.

By the 19th century, St Peter’s had three ‘lunatic wards’ and conditions at the hospital were causing concern. The poor were transferred to a new Stapleton Workhouse in the refurbished ‘French Prison’ on Manor Road, now private housing. Some patients were transferred to private asylums in Fishponds, but it would continue to house others until the Bristol Lunatic Asylum opened in 1861.

In 1844 the Lunacy Commissioners, who inspected such places, were scathing about St Peter’s, describing it as "totally unfit for an asylum". But Bristol Corporation vacillated about providing an alternative, arguing that they had already had to spend "heavily on sewage and other sanitary measures under the Public Health Act". They even set up a committee to "endeavour to postpone the building of a new lunatic asylum".

The Bristol Gazette joined in, saying it would be "lunacy itself" to build a new asylum: "To take a pauper simply because he is mad and to place him in a palace with pleasure grounds, ornamental water, etc, is nothing short of philanthropy gone mad."

Pressure on the corporation from the Home Secretary led the

Bristol Mirror to opine: "We are asked to provide Pauper Lunatics with a palace which will cost from £200 to £700 per idiot or madman (that's £15-53,000 at today’s prices). It must be a positive pleasure, to be out of one’s mind in the present day."

After years of much argy-bargy, Fishponds was chosen out of eight possible sites and work began on the Bristol Municipal Lunatic Asylum in 1858.

Designed by Irish architect Thomas Royse Lysaght, it echoed the Bristol Byzantine style he employed in the construction of the castle-like headquarters for his brother John's iron works in St Philip's, now Plymouth MarJon University’s film school, Screenology.

The asylum went up beside Stapleton Workhouse on Manor Road, just along from Fishponds House, a private asylum which was closing after a sensational public inquiry.*

The light and airy buildings had not been completed when 50 men and 61 women from St Peter’s were transferred in early 1861, but the Lunacy Commissioners were impressed by the transformation. They "could hardly recognise the patients before them as the same company they had been accustomed to seeing in St Peter’s Hospital".

However the new premises were quickly both over-crowded and in debt. Within two years there were 199 patients, and it was decided to expand the hospital and make it more self-sufficient, with profitable piggeries, a bakery and a smithy. Patients were now less likely to be physically restrained, and those who could were expected to work, keeping costs down at the same time as improving their mental and physical health.

Patient health was problematic, since many were admitted with incurable or contagious diseases, from cancer and senility to syphilis and tuberculosis.

The added problem of a poor water supply from wells was exacerbated by a severe drought in 1864. Water had to be carried up from the river Frome by cart until land was purchased to house a 5,000 gallon tank, with a pumping system into the hospital. Nonetheless, three or four patients still had to bathe in the same water.

Inevitably there were outbreaks of typhoid, and deaths from contamination. Bristol Water Works were persuaded to provide a mains supply in 1877 and things improved even as the number of patients and the hospital itself expanded. A bricked-over quarry beneath the hospital grounds became a spring-fed reservoir containing a million gallons of water.

By then, the stress of these early days had taken their toll

on the hospital’s first medical superintendent, Dr Henry OxleyStephens. After a lengthy sick leave, he retired in 1871.

His liberal regime included social and cultural events and outings, involving both patients and staff. It was a tradition that would continue until the hospital’s closure in 1994.

* Mike Jempson’s history of the pri vate ‘madhouses’ in Fishponds which predated Glenside is scheduled for publication by Bristol Radical History Group in 2023.

Most of the material in this article is drawn from ‘The Lunatic Pauper Palace’ by Dr Donal F Early, consult psychiatrist to the hospital, and founder of the museum. It is on sale at the museum, which is open on Wednesday mornings and all day Saturday.

St Peter’s Hospital, which was destroyed in the Bristol Blitz in 1940

Bristol Municipal Lunatic Asylum in Stapleton opened in 1861

WECA must take control of buses

AS residents and organisations in the West of England Combined Authority area, we are deeply concerned by the present cuts to essential bus services.

The private bus companies are entirely profit-driven, so they’re justifying the bus cuts with the falling passenger numbers, rising fuel and wage costs, and driver shortages that make the services unprofitable with no regard for the public need.

This deregulated market is always at odds with the bus services that many in our communities need to get to work, school, shops, and health centres.

Further, the loss of public transport will worsen congestion on the roads, increase air pollution, and undermine commitments WECA has made to reduce its carbon emissions and its climate emergency pledge.

The current constitution of WECA requires that the Metro Mayor Dan Norris and the three group leaders of Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, and South Gloucestershire to all agree to make changes to bus services.

This open letter is calling for them to put in place bus franchising, to suspend the deregulated bus market and provide a bus service under contract from WECA.

We encourage readers to sign this open

letter now at actionnetwork.org/forms/franchiseweca-bus-services-now

West of England Shared Transport and Active Travel Network

suggesting same person doing them.

Some shops, including the new one on the corner of Beechwood Road and the Co-op at Straits Parade, have painted over it or cleaned it off, only to be sprayed again, and I expect will be targeted again at some point.

Something needs to be done to clean up the mess and stop this vandalism reoccurring. For it not to be resolved by businesses, the council and the police is unsatisfactory.

The police must be able to identify the vandals if any effort was made to do so.

I thought the general Fishponds area was improving but this goes against that view.

A Fishponds resident

More should be done about graffiti

IN recent months there has been a dramatic amount of ugly graffiti tagging on shop shuttering along Fishponds Road.

If you travel from the junction of Lodge Causeway with Fishponds Road and head towards Staple Hill you will see many shops have been sprayed.

Some is visible during the day as the shops are permanently closed, some is only visible when the shutters are pulled down in the evening.

The tags are very large and similar,

n Avon and Somerset police have responded: “We have received a small number of reports around antisocial behaviour involving graffiti in Fishponds over the past three months.

“Although the number of reports has not seemingly increased during that period, we understand the concerns raised and would like to urge anyone who experiences this in their community to make the police aware.

"We have a dedicated reporting system on our website and the information provided will be used to try to identify offenders and to shape proactive patrol plans.

“We also work closely with the local authority and will ensure the concerns raised are shared with the council to ensure a joinedup approach to tackle and deter this form of antisocial behaviour.”

Chester Park Infant & Junior School

Tagging by the Co-op in Straits Parade

Parks need our support more than ever

autumn

our first as a

first

-

brought a cake, and made teas and coffees as we shared information with park users about who we are, what we’ve done, and what we plan next.

was a lovely opportunity to look back and see how far we had come to turn the dilapidated Nissen hut into a successful community hub that supports a wide selection of activities and well-being groups.

shared details on the funds raised for the park through the Pop-Up Cafes and space rental that we can put back into making the park great.

Our next step is to add outdoor exercise equipment, improve the play provision, and renovate the old bowls pavilion to provide a more frequent café, toilets, and sports facilities.

We had some great feedback and offers from volunteers to help with future projects, so we plan to do a few of these each year. Look out for information on our noticeboard outside the Community Hub (the Nissen hut next to the bowling green) to find out more.

Our Eastville Community Hub also hosted the Bristol Parks Forum AGM. Bristol Parks Forum is a network of public interest park groups that support each other and volunteer to liaise with the council to get the best for parks.

Cabint councillor Ellie King (parks) was present, along with local Green councillor Lorraine Francis, senior parks staff and other city representatives. In many ways these events are a fantastic opportunity for collaboration, networking, and learning.

However, after 12 years of successive cuts to public funds, it was disheartening to hear that Bristol City Council are being forced to cover an additional £30 million in state funding cuts.

Cutting tax and shrinking the state sounds good in a political sound bite, but the reality means undermining the public services we depend upon to create and run infrastructure.

Public libraries, parks, museums – all the things we appreciate are at risk of reduction and closure, as demoralised council staff desperately

try to meet mandated government savings and find the cupboards bare.

After such slimming of services, the council is struggling to find enough staff and capacity to deliver new infrastructure when volunteer groups have obtained funding through community grants. Bristol Parks Forum remains committed to the vision where parks and green spaces are recognised fully for their value to the city and are better than they are now, though this will take more effort to realise through charity funds and committed volunteers, without support from the state.

Economists at Vivid Economics, commissioned by the Mayor of London, Heritage Lottery Fund and National Trust, determined that London’s parks provide £91 billion of economic value in relation to people’s

physical and mental health, recreation, and amenity.

We have no comparative figures for Bristol parks, but it seems the only way to help protect public spaces is to show their natural capital accounting value, beyond the cost of maintenance: a value we are likely to underestimate for, in the words of William Blake, "a tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way".

How much value can we place upon an artist’s inspiration from nature? Or the bench where a new friendship was struck?

A new initiative called Roots to Wellbeing has been running in Bristol Parks.

A collaboration between the charity Your Park and Parkwork, the weekly programme of well-being activities is for anybody struggling with their mental health, feeling lonely, anxious, or isolated. Healthcare professionals can refer a patient in need of social prescribing or people can refer themselves via the website yourpark. org.uk/rootstowellbeing

On the first Wednesday of the month in Eastville Park, Parkwork do hedge maintenance, litter picking, sapling watering, step building, and renovating the Old Swimming Pool Garden with a £5,000 fund from Ikea, obtained by Friends of Eastville Park.

A lot of work went into making the new planters vandal-resistant (a sad reality in city parks), so we hope that the new garden will be appreciated as a place of peace and remembrance for the young people who lost their lives there when the WWII bomb fell.

We welcome anyone with a good idea and a zest for fundraising to come and join in, meet new friends, and give time to our park community.

We are looking for volunteers to help our next fundraiser, Christmas tree and 2023 calendar sales, so if you have an hour or so to spare in December to unite beautiful trees with happy folks, please get in touch at friendsofeastvillepark@gmail.com.

Sarah West

Volunteers repairing steps in the park. Picture: Joe McKenna

Cracking the code

LAST month I wanted to draw a line

the speculation that

had been

in,

change the future

how politics

But with the Prime Minister changing yet again between the time I started writing this column and the time you read it, who knows whether the government is going to maintain an interest in 'levelling up', growth (x3), or whether these concepts will join outdated phrases such as ‘back to basics’ or ‘the Big Society’.

Last time around, promises made on the campaign trail were abandoned as ‘difficult decisions’ were taken, went wrong and everything started going into reverse (bar bankers’ bonuses).

While this justifies perfectly not being drawn into trying to keep up with politicians and their promises, whoever takes charge will have to reform planning to help deliver their agenda - if they are in power for long enough.

While you are unlikely to have

heard any leadership contenders talking about 'design codes', they will be on the agenda, albeit in the background and easily overlooked.

Every planning authority in the country is charged with coming up with their own design code. Each will therefore be different, and should reflect and adapt to local circumstances.

A code does not just have to specify storey heights, window proportions and building materials for the front of new buildings. It can also be a means of delivering sustainable construction, cutting carbon out of the manufacturing and building process.

It can determine layout and relationships between buildings, therefore determining density.

It can deliver a different agenda from the prevailing one, where everything has to work in terms of car movements, in favour of promoting cycling and walking.

The prevalent way of

designing the built environment until now has led to the size and manoeuvrability of the motor car determining the design of much of our surroundings, not least the M32 carving through Bristol. Naturally this process left little room for electric charging points, for instance.

Design codes can lead to significant changes, if the political will is there.

Design codes used to be born out of necessity. Going back far enough, for instance, open sewers ran down the space in front of houses. As scientific understanding and technology improved, the design of infrastructure changed, creating its own codes which are still with us today, playing their part in preventing disease.

The fact that each area will have its own code will help to make places more distinctive.

Codifying what an area looks like at present may ensure that a Cornish fishing village, say, retains

its character and you don’t reach it through a ‘could be anywhere’ housing estate.

Design Codes need to have one eye on the future and to work in the present, or risk preventing anything being built.

They need to balance the requirements of nature and health with choice to avoid the code becoming a set of rules.

That adds up to quite a challenge and a responsibility, but that is what planning has always been there for.

Chrisgoslingplanning@gmail.com

West of England: keeping us dogs safe during Bonfire Night

BANG! Pop! Screeeeech, Pant!

Hello, I’m Angel, First Dog of the West of England, and I write today to formally protest about your human Bonfire Night celebrations with those loud boom-boom things that terrify me and my fellow canine pals. Bad humans! Bad! I’m sorry. I don’t actually think you’re bad. I think you’re the best, promise. Let’s go for a walk. Please can we go for a walk. Anyway, let’s cut to the chase. What, did someone say chase?!

Sorry, back again. The point is that for you hoo-mans, Bonfire Night may well be a time to ‘ooh’ and ‘aww’ over impressive displays and pretty colours exploding in the night sky. But un expected loud noises tend to have the opposite effect on us pets, and can leave owners pretty frazzled too - sorry, Dan!

The RSPCA say an estimated 62% of dogs in the UK show signs of fear on Bonfire Night. It’s easy for you all to say “Calm it, it’s just fireworks,” but that’s like you watching the UK’s current eco nomic trials and tribulations and us dogs telling you: “Calm it - mortgage rates, interest rates, fuel costs and inflation are no big deal – they are just money things.”

So what can you do to help man’s best friend? Here are a few pointers for the big night.

The best thing you can do for your scaredy cat (or dog) is to make the day as un-Bonfire Night-like as possible. Why not create a ‘doggy haven’ with all our fave toys and blankets, like Dan has in the spare room - which, if you don’t mind me saying, is a bit dusty - or put on calm music to muffle the boom-y noises? I’m a big fan of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No 9 in E major –yes, I’m a cultured pooch!

And if you’re going to buy them, then please consider getting those ‘silent’ fireworks, or qui eter ones at least. The good thing about that is loads of supermarkets are stocking their shelves with these now - and some, like Sainsbury’s, have even stopped selling fireworks altogether (woooo!).

Dan’s a big fan of these quieter fireworks. He doesn’t want to be complete killjoy, because he, like many people, really enjoys the displays, but he thinks it’s bonkers the noise levels in those big scary light things used at public events are around 120 dB - equivalent to a rock concert or a jet engine.

Metro Mayor Dan Norris and his dog Angel write for the Voice

He thinks there are sensible ways to reduce the impact fireworks have on animals – includ ing farm animals and horses. That’s why he’s written to all supermarkets to clarify whether or not they’ll be stocking quiet ones in the run-up to celebrating the Gunpowder Plot near-miss of 1605 in 2022, and is encouraging you all to buy them. Way to go, Dan!

Happy Bonfire Night! Keep yourself and your furry family members safe and healthy!

Sincerely, Angel, very good girl to Metro Mayor Dan Norris.

n WHAT’S ON IN OUR AREA

November 5

n LANTERN MAKING WORKSHOP for lantern parade on November 19, Hillfields Library, Summerleaze, 10am-noon. No booking required.

November 5

n FIREWORK DISPLAY AT BARTON HILL RFC, Duncombe Lane, Speedwell. Gates open 5.30pm, display at 7.30pm. Funfair, food, hot drinks and bar.

November 12

n LANTERN MAKING WORKSHOP for lantern parade on November 19, Hillfields Library, Summerleaze, 10am-noon. No booking required.

November 12

n INTO AFRICA CONCERT at Staple Hill Salvation Army, Broad Street, 7pm, featuring Staple Hill Band, Severn and Somerset Youth Choir, and pianist Andrew Wicker. Proceeds to the Kenya Trust. Tickets £5 from Hilton on 07851 121 571.

November 15

n DOWNEND GARDENING IN RETIREMENT CLUB, 10.15am, the Assembly Hall, Salisbury Road. Non-members welcome, £3 including tea/coffee.

November 16

n HILLFIELDS COMMUNITY GARDEN Wild Women, 6-8pm, Hillfields Park. Mindfulness activity and walk to Hillfields Library to make seasonal foraged wreaths. Open to women of all ages. No need to book, just turn up on the day. More information from hillfieldswildwomen@gmail.com.

Friday November 18

n FRIDAY LUNCHTIME CONCERT Concord Clarinets 12.30 - 2. St. Marys Church. Manor Road. Fishponds.

Saturday November 19

n CHRISTMAS FAIR. 1st Fromeside Rainbows and 176th Fromeside Brownie and Guides. 101. Beechwood Club. Beechwood

Warm coats offered

FAMILIES who need warm clothing during the winter months are being invited to pick up free winter coats, hats, scarves and gloves at an event in Fishponds this month.

Organised by Eastville ward city councillor Lorraine Francis, the Winter Coat Project will be at All Saints Church on Grove Road on November 19 from noon. Anyone who can offer a donation should email cllr.lorraine. francis@bristol.gov.uk or allsaintsfamilycafe@gmail.com.

Road. Fishponds. Free entry.

November 19

n CHRISTMAS BAZAAR, noon3pm, All Saints Community Hall, Grove Road, Fishponds. Enjoy lunch, browse through various crafts, buy some handmade Christmas presents and have some fun with our selection of games. Entry 50p per adult. More information from Gina Smith on 0797 681 7194.

November 19

n WINTER COAT PROJECTfree winter coats, hats, scarves and gloves for families in need during the cold winter months. All Saints Church, Grove Road, noon onwards. To donate new or barely worn items for those in need email cllr.lorraine.francis@bristol.gov.uk or allsaintsfamilycafe@gmail.com.

November 19

n LANTERN PARADE, 4.306.30pm, meet at Hillfields Library for parade to Hillfields Park. Free hot chocolate. Make your own lantern at home or at one of the workshops listed above.

November 22

n HILLFIELDS COMMUNITY GARDEN MINI EXPLORERS, 10-11am. Friendly playgroup with gardening, stories, songs, crafts and activities for children aged 2-4, parents/carers and siblings. Free – no need to book in advance. More details from hillfieldscommunitygarden@gmail. com.

November 24

n CARERS RIGHTS DAY WITH THE CARERS SUPPORT CENTRE, Vassall Centre, Oldbury Court. Discuss how the costs of living crisis affects carers, get help and advice, meet other carers and enjoy free pampering. Book online at www.carerssupportcentre. org.uk/events, email Comms@ carerssupportcentre.org.uk or call 0117 958 9902.

November 26

n AFFORDABLE CHRISTMAS FAYRE, Vassall Centre, Gill Avenue, Oldbury Court, 11am2pm. Includes swap shops for toys, unwanted and unopened Christmas gifts, Christmas clothes and non-perishable food, free tea, coffee and mince pies, Santa visit and carols. Cost of living workshops from Fishponds Repair Cafe and Greater Fishponds Energy Group. Email office@vassallcentre. org.uk or call 0117 965 9630 for more details.

December 3

n CHRISTMAS FAIR, St Mary's Church, Manor Road, 11am-2pm. White elephant, tombola, cakes, books, raffle, crafts, plus Light refreshments. Christmas music provided by the church choir.

December 3

n FILTONES CHOIR 40th anniversary Christmas Crackers concert, 7.30pm, Filton Community Centre, Elm Park. Tickets £8 including refreshments, accompanied children free. Tickets from Dot Bryant on 07870 984760 or on the door. Raffle and retiring collection in aid of charity Sense.

Saturday December 3

n THE CLEEVE SINGERS CHRISTMAS CONCERT is a MATINEE and ONLY on at 2.00 pm. The charity being supported this year is Clic Sargent chosen in remembrance of a members grandchildren. Tickets @ £5 will be available from Melanie's Kitchen, Lincombe Barn and on the Door. The event is at Downend Folk House, Lincombe Barn, Overndale Road, BS16 2RW.

December 7

n DOWNEND FLOWER ARRANGING CLUB

Christmas flower arrangement demonstration, 7pm, Lincombe Barn, Overndale Road. Tea, coffee and mince pies included

in £8 ticket price. After the demonstration, the arrangements will be raffled off. All welcome.

REGULAR EVENTS

Monday

n BARTON HILL RFC CHARITY CAFE, Duncombe Lane, Speedwell, from noon until 3pm. Food and drink, bargain donated goods, friendly and welcoming place to meet, staffed entirely by volunteers raising money for charity.

Tuesday

n PHOENIX ART CLUB meets on Tuesdays at Stapleton Church Hall, Park Road, from 10am to midday.

Wednesday

n BARTON HILL RFC CHARITY

CAFE, Duncombe Lane, Speedwell, from noon until 3pm. Food and drink, bargain donated goods, friendly and welcoming place to meet, staffed entirely by volunteers raising money for charity.

n DOWNEND FLOWER

ARRANGING CLUB meets at 7.30pm on the first and third Wednesday of each month from September to June, at Lincombe Barn, Overndale Road, Downend. Call Genise on 0777 245 1217.

n BRISTOL SCRABBLE CLUB meets every Wednesday evening at 7pm until 10pm at Filton Community Centre, Elm Park, Filton BS34 7PS. New members welcomefirst visit free so come along and give us a try. For further information contact Sheila on 01179570792 or 07435316458 or email shinett@ blueyonder.co.uk

Friday

n EASTVILLE PARK FOODCLUB OPEN FOR COLLECTIONS, every Friday 12-1.30pm. To enquire about membership, email eastvilleparkfoodclub@gmail.com or call 07591 748548.

Naseem nominated for another award

A FISHPONDS-based social entrepreneur and environmental campaigner has been nominated for an award for his social and community work.

Naseem Talukdar, who founded Projects Against Plastic (PAP) to find ways to reduce single-plastic use, has been shortlisted in the Person of the Year category at the Mast The Magazine (MTM) awards, a regional scheme to celebrate excellence and achievements among Asian, black and ethnic minority residents.

Naseem, pictured, who has

also received a High Sheriff’s Award and the Lord Mayor’s Medal in recognition of his community work, also helped provide thousands of homecooked meals to rough sleepers with Feed The Homeless and worked with UK Curry Connect to help deliver meals to key workers and vulnerable people during lockdown.

He also leads workshops to educate residents, business owners and community leaders on ways to tackle climate change as part of the Curry and Conversation series, is an

environmental consultant to the city council and is a champion for Gympanzees, which provides exercise, play and friendship for young disabled people.

Naseem said: “I am delighted to be nominated for an MTM award, where businesses and communities come together.”

The awards take place on November 26 at the Bristol Marriott Hotel City Centre.

DURING the last few months of this blog I’ve really enjoyed talking to you about all the things going on outside of the clinic. Now it’s time to take you back inside and focus on a common problem that we treat here at Cleve Chiropractic – neck and arm pain.

Pain in both these areas can vary from a mild annoyance to having a crippling impact on your life. When a patient comes to see us with these symptoms, we first consider red flags that would need further investigations, such as night pain and unexplained weight loss.

When these have been ruled out or dealt with, in most cases the problems can then be managed in house. Some of the causes of this condition include traumas, such as a sports injury or a fall, simply sleeping in a strange position, or even extreme sneezing. Our job is then to work out what happened in the first place and try to reverse it.

With severe neck and arm pain, we would first consider problems such as disc bulges or bony spurs in the neck. To assess this in the clinic, we run through

Neck and arm pain

the same advanced neurological tests that a consultant would conduct and, if appropriate, refer the patient in house for an X-ray, or for an MRI scan, which takes place off site.

If the diagnosis is confirmed as a disc issue, the immediate remedy involves gentle traction and soft tissue work. With regular treatment, we would expect a patient to feel significantly better within two or three months.

Another cause of neck and arm pain that’s even more common is a condition known as Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, or TOS. Many people would have suffered with temporary TOS, probably without realising – it sometimes happens when we have slept in an odd position that leaves us with a numb arm. In most cases, this sensation will quickly disappear.

However, muscle spasms and joint issues can sometimes create permanent neck and arm pain, or feelings of numbness. We define TOS as a condition where a patient’s pulse will disappear

at the wrist when we perform certain stress tests – sadly this can frustrate patients for years. Fortunately, however, TOS normally responds really well to treatment in most cases, allowing the patient to get back to enjoying their lives again within a matter of weeks.

One more example of neck and arm pain can actually originate from shoulder problems. The most common of these is impingement syndrome, where classically a tendon and small fat sac – called a bursa – gets trapped between the arm and the shoulder. Bursas can refer pain down the arm and make the neck muscles spasm, causing the patient to endure some annoying neck pain.

It’s beginning to sound like all bad news, isn’t it? But don’t worry, because help is at hand. The good news is that, in the clinic, we have ultrasound scanners that can easily diagnose these conditions. After that, we can treat you with a combination of therapies

including chiropractic, physio, sports therapy and sometimes injections.

So if you, or anyone you know, has been suffering with neck and arm pain, book in to see us straight away and let’s get you on the road to recovery!

at all times and we have ensured a high volume of supply

• Skilled nurses are on site 24/7 and respiratory equipment is at hand

•

face-to-face visits where possible

Boxers learn hard lessons in championships

at

been representing

Harry Crook

at this year's England Boxing National

Downend Boxing Club's Usamah Zaman contested his 63.5-67kg Western Counties stage final in Bodmin against Alfie Woods of Christchurch on October 1.

A good start saw the 22-year-old Bristolian utilise a considerable height and reach advantage to good effect, before making a common novice mistake in holding his feet, which the heavy-handed Dorset man capitalised on with a massive shot that sent Usamah to the canvas at the end of the first round.

At the start of the second it was clear the Downend boxer had not recovered, and another big shot prompted a fast response from the referee in calling a halt to the contest.

Next to compete in the pre-quarter final stages was 16-year-old Arthur Tipping, in the youth 51-54k category in Exmouth on October 8.

Arthur faced the more experienced Matthew Moores, of London's Don Davis club, who had a significant height advantage.

He tore into his opponent from the first to the final bell, forcing the Londoner onto

the back foot, but Moores boxed and moved, switching stance between orthodox and southpaw to score with long shots.

The cleaner punches took a points decision back to London, however lessons were quickly learned, as within a week

Arthur returned to Exmouth, this time at the pavilion on October 15, to box Lympstone boxer Issac Smith-Stead.

An all-action contest across three rounds saw the Bristolian win the second and third rounds to take the points win and utilise the valuable experience the development championships gave him.

On October 16 Jasmine Poole contested the 60kg quarter final against Aya Hijazi of London's All Stars gym.

A nervous start saw Jasmine caught early on, causing a flash knock-down. Returning to her feet, a hard-fought contest followed, which saw both boxers give everything but in just her seventh contest it wasn't to be this time for the Downend boxer, who lost a split points verdict.

Progressing to the final stages is 16-year-old Mya Das, who was travelling to Oxfordshire after the Voice went to print to meet Rachel Morris of St Ives in Cambridgeshire.

The coaches are delighted by the performances in these championships.

The boxers have achieved what the championships seek to do, in developing performance both physically and mentally, and gaining experience on a larger stage.

Craig Turner

Arthur Tipping wins in Exmouth