Knowle West newsletter - Issue 4 Winter 2002

Knowle West Newsletter

Issue 4

Your Newsletter This is the fourth edition of the Knowle West Newsletter Thank you for all the positive feedback we’ve had about the last 3 editions. We welcome your comments on this one. If you would like to contribute an article, be involved in the production of this newsletter, or have comments about neighbourhood renewal please contact Anita Pearce at this address: Neighbourhood Renewal Steering Group The Kabin Filwood Broadway Knowle West Tel: 0117 923 1930 All articles express the views of individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Neighbourhood Renewal Steering Group.

Art Of Wellbeing Knowle West Health Park was abuzz with colour, sound and creative activity on 28 & 29 September. The Art of Wellbeing Festival attracted well over 1000 people during a warm, sunny weekend.

The festival was a celebration of the Art of Wellbeing project. This was designed to bring Knowle West Health Park alive as a vibrant and creative resource for the whole community - a unique environment where people will feel positive about coming to gain support, education, information, entertainment as well as medical treatment.

The arts in the Health Park bring pleasure, communicate important health messages about combating stress, promoting self esteem and well-being and give a voice to excluded groups.

Check out the new website at: www.theartofwellbeing.co.uk

Walking Groups Bristol has received £221,000 to promote Walking the Way to Health Walking groups have been set up in Knowle West, Bedminster and Southville, Hartcliffe and Withywood, Barton Hill and Lawrence Weston. They are being managed by Bristol City Council, the Primary Care Trusts and voluntary groups.

Encouraging people to walk can create a wide range of health, social and community benefits which include the prevention and managing of heart disease, weight control, osteoporosis and increase a sense of well-being.

We run a programme of weekly walks around Knowle West and further afield. Photography, history, river studies and cross-community knowledge are an added bonus.

One of our walking groups is made up of mainly over 50s. It’s a lively, supportive atmosphere. On average we walk 2-3 miles most weeks, invariably followed by a cuppa and a chat, We know from feedback that many feel walking has improved their health and well being.

The Knowle West Community Safety Fund has recently awarded us a grant to run personal safety training session with walkers, to develop safe walking skills and raise awareness.

Would you like to take part in our lovely walks? Our group is open and friendly to all newcomers.

Contact: Cheryl Martin, Knowle West Development Trust Tel: 0117 908 4242 Email: cherylmartin47@aol.com Next issue: We’ll be reporting on the city’s Walking Event of the year, the CITY CENTRE PICNIC & HARBOURSIDE WALK which took place on Saturday 5th October 2002

Walking the Way to Health A poem by Sheila Blacker It doesn’t matter if you’re slow, or walk a little faster Everyone is welcome; you don’t have to be a ‘master’ Almost everyone is given the ability to walk And the nicest thing is meeting friends and to have some time to talk A year or two ago, I was invited by a friend To join the local walking group – I decided to attend.

My first walk with the Walking Group was very near to home.

To find a place of beauty – you don’t have too far to roam.

We walked to Hartcliffe Way that day, “Which isn’t far’” you’ll say, But within a minute - maybe two – It was as though we were far away.

We looked at flowers, trees and plants And a stream that was trickling by.

We crossed a bridge, saw a waterfall, our response was a great big sigh!

We took some photographs that day of the beauty all around us They turned out well, and remind us still Of creation that surrounds us.

We’ve also been to Ashton Court, to Symonds Yat & Blaise To Hengrove, Whitchurch, the City Docks We never cease to be amazed.

Lots more things for us to do Lots of places to visit and see.

And if you come along as well You’ll enjoy it as much as me.

Grow And Mow New Gardening Service for local Residents A gardening service called Grow and Mow aimed at maintaining local residents’ gardens at reasonable cost is South Bristol Community Construction Company SBCCC’s latest project.

Grow & Mow aims to do at least one garden per week for the over sixties or disabled for only £3.00 per hour. Knowle Safe subsidised the project until September 2002 and SBCCC is hoping to gain continued funding from Objective 2.

The project also works closely with the youth offending team’s Richard Fell. Grow & Mow takes young offenders, who have committed minor crimes in the area on a type of “pay back” scheme. The idea is that they give voluntary time and labour back to the area in which they have offended, providing a wonderful opportunity to give something back to their community.

Support has arrived from other sources: Bristol Water Plc has donated a van with insurance, tax and MOT; Knowle Safe has donated tools, a computer and a vehicle to the project. Rose Manning, chair, said “We are delighted with Bristol Water and Knowle Safe’s most generous donations to the project -without the continued support of these types of organisation we would find it hard to survive.”

Should you require the services of Grow and Mow you can obtain more information by calling 0117 963 4332.

Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership Following on from the first Partnership meeting, where many people felt the ideas of the Partnership were difficult to grasp, members of the Neighbourhood Renewal Steering Group got together to pool their suggestions about how to simplify and get across the information.

What they came up with was a diagram (see below). This shows how the Partnership could look, and who should be part of it.

As you can see, it’s in its early stages and it may be changed. The structure will be discussed in more depth at the next Partnership meeting.

Covering 5 areas Examples: Jarmen’s, Inn’s Court, Kwads, The Mede, Melvin Square, Novers, The Park, Eagle House, Newquay Road Y.Mums, Social Clubs, Over 50’s, SB3C, Sure Start,

What Does It All Mean?

Have you ever wondered what all those letters stand for?

Here’s a handy checklist of abbreviations from Anita Pearce AHO

Area Housing Office

ASBO

Anti-Social Behaviour Order

BACEN

Bristol Area Community Enterprise Network

BCC

Bristol City Council

BCHA

Bristol Churches Housing Association

BDA

Black Development Agency

BME

Black Minority Ethnic

BRP

Bristol Regeneration Partnership

BITC

Business in the Community

CAP

Community Action Plan

CTC

Computer Training Centre

DAT

Drug Action Team

EAZ

Education Action Zone

ERDF

European Regional Development Fund

ESF

European Social Fund

GBF

Greater Bristol Foundation

GOSW

Government Office South West

HLC

Healthy Living Centre

HWP /HWV Hartcliffe & Withywood Partnership / Ventures IRIS

Involving Residents in Solutions

KWADs

Knowle West Against Drugs

KWET

Knowle West Employment Training

KWMP(C)

Knowle West Media Project(Centre)

LA

Local Authority

LEA

Local Education Authority

LSA

Local Service Agreement

LSC

Learning Skills Council

LSP

Local Strategic Partnership

NDC

New Deal Community

NRF

Neighbourhood Renewal Fund

NRU

Neighbourhood Renewal Unit

OSJS

One Stop Job Shop

PCT

Primary Care Trust

RAGS

Racial Association Gathering Strength

RDA

Regional Development Agency

SLA

Service Level Agreement

SRB

Single Regeneration Budget

VOSCUR

Voluntary Organisations Standing Conference on Urban Regeneration

WECIL

West of England Centre for Integrated Living

YIP

Youth Inclusion Programme

YOT

Youth Offending Team

YP

Young People

Neighbourhood Renewal Chief Visits Bristol On 30th August, Joe Montgomery, Director General of the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit visited Bristol to see how the neighbourhood renewal was developing in the city.

In the morning he spent time visiting a number of projects including the Knowle West Development Trust, the Knowle West Health Park and the Park Local Opportunity Centre on Daventry Road. In the course of his visit, Joe talked to local residents and workers about the problems they face and how they wish to overcome them.

The main issues that came up were the need to concentrate on reducing anti social behaviour, improve the standard of education on the estate, develop services at the Health Park, regenerate Filwood Broadway and treatment for people coming off drugs.

Joe was very impressed with the effort local people and workers were putting in, but was left in no doubt as to the continued need for everyone to improve services and facilities in the Knowle West area.

In the afternoon Joe met representatives of the new Bristol Partnership and discussed how they were implementing their Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy. Joe stressed the Government’s desire to see local partnerships getting on with delivering targets set out in their strategies.

Contact: Joe Montgomery Tel: 020 7944 8311

Our Vision Of Health

News from Bristol South and West Primary Trust Is this a vision of the future? Walking into a new Primary Care Centre, a smiling receptionist, happy staff, children in the play area, I have come to see my GP but while I’m here, I can go to the Welfare Benefits drop-in and get my prescription in the pharmacy on site. In the Health Park at Knowle West this is not the future, it is where we are now.

We are lucky to have all the above plus much more.

We want all our health centres to be part of this vision and so we are pleased to tell you about LIFT, the NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust. Set up by the government to raise money to spend on improving local health centres, NHS and private companies have come together to build new health centres. The good news is that our bid has been successful and we are now looking for a company who will work with us to improve or rebuild our existing buildings, this should raise £40 million to invest in these new facilities.

A brand new St John’s Lane building is due to be finished during 2005, Hartcliffe and Whitchurch will be finished by 2006.

Expert Patient Programme The Primary Care Trust will be involved in the expert patient programme. We will train four volunteer course tutors to run courses in different parts of our local area. People who have long term, chronic illness will be able to attend courses, to learn how to manage their condition. The courses will last for 6 weeks, 2.5 hours per week.

Topics covered include: Techniques to help you manage tiredness and pain.

How to plan for the future and get the most out of life.

How to develop skills to avoid fear, anger and depression.

How to communicate more effectively with friends and health care professionals.

How to take care of your health, looking at diet, exercise and relaxation.

If you are interested in any of the above contact Mary Smith or Elizabeth Williams at Knowle West Health Park Downton Road Bristol BS4 IWH or Tel: 0117 953 2064

The Tooth, The Whole Tooth And Nothing But The Tooth!

That’s what life can feel like when you have dental problems!

But help is at hand. If you haven’t got a regular dentist, haven’t been for years and need treatment urgently telephone NHS Direct on 0845 464748 to use the dental access service at the Health Park.

Splashing About An amazing variety of activities and opportunities for young people were on offer around Knowle West this summer!

Read on to find out what happened where in July and August.

Weeks Of Summer Fun Bristol’s Youth Offending team was awarded almost £370,000 this summer to run activities for 9-17 yr olds. Through the Positive Futures programme, Knowle West got £50,000 of this funding (called Splash Extra), which formed part of the Government’s Wider Street Crime and Robbery Initiative.

The various youth centres and other interested groups who work with young people met to decide how to allocate the money, and try to provide as wide a range of activities as possible.

The Splash programme enabled hundreds of children and teenagers to take part in everything from football and swimming, water sports and residential camps, puppet making and cooking to theatre, music and circus skills.

Inns Court Youth Project At The Mede A Summer Of Exciting Challenges And Opportunities At The Inns Court Youth Project Despite a severe shortage of staff, the Inns Court Youth Project ran a successful, challenging and fun summer programme. During July and August 2002, young people took part in two pieces of residential project work and three activity-based opportunities.

Get me out of here!

The first project was a three-day residential camp, planned, developed, carried out and evaluated by eight young people. The‘Wilderness Survival Challenge’ placed participants in a situation without running water, toilets, tents or TV! The group had to work together, learn new skills, think logically, plan ahead and challenge themselves physically and mentally. A test of all these skills came when a shelter, constructed with a lot of hard work by the group from sticks and bracken, had to be painstakingly repaired after it collapsed.

You only get out of life as much as you put in!

This was a lesson learnt by the eight youngsters at the second camp in the Forest of Dean. For many, it was the first introduction to kayaking, rock climbing and raft building. As well as preparation and evaluation, other important elements of the experience were cooking, cleaning and social education activities to develop communication,

team-building and negotiation skills.

…Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch Twenty-two young people overall took part in multi-day activities. Mountain biking, climbing, abseiling and DJ skills taster sessions. These were organised as a direct response to the expressed interests of the young people themselves, and were enjoyed enormously.

Nick Giles

Play Centre Summer Playschool Spoilt for choice at the Play Centre!

Children turned up in droves for the Play Centre’s activities this summer! Almost sixty 5-14 year olds enjoyed a whole range of opportunities. Younger ones took part in swimming and football, cooking, puppet and theatre-making, badges, chalk pictures and plaster handprints.

Thanks to funding from BYCA and SPLASH, the older group went surfing, power boating, canoeing, dry slope skiing, ice skating, Quasar and lots more! Fridays were devoted to trips for all the children which included Legoland, Drayton Manor, Woodlands, Bath park, Planet Kids and Megabowl and World of Country Life in Devon!

The camp in eight-bedded cabins in Charterhouse, Somerset was great fun. One weekend we took all the 9-14 year olds for two full days of activities, including orienteering, a night walk and team survival games.

All in all, a fantastic summer for the Play Centre!

Donna Fothergill

Broad Plain Youth Club Youngsters kept on the ball with football training and camp Ten young people had the chance to go to South Wales on a residential football camp organised by Broad Plain Youth Club and run by Bristol FC. Another 40-50 took part in two weeks of training sessions on the pitch behind the club.

The Greenhouse Youth Forum’s Drop-in hosted a whole range of activities this summer including T-shirt printing.

Eagle House Youth Centre Now in its 13th successful year, the Eagle House Youth Centre summer scheme provided 4 weeks of activities for 8-19year olds. Locally, youngsters enjoyed canoeing, power-boating, abseiling, photography and arts and crafts. Trips were taken to Drayton Manor, Crealy, Weston super Mare and Weymouth.

At the centre, over 60 people attended daily between 10am – 4pm. We at Eagle House, together with great support from families and the young people themselves, were able to offer a wonderful programme of events for summer 2002.

Margaret Rawlings

Summer At The Park Performing arts, sports and a finale with a bang!

The six-week programme for groups based at the Park offered talent shows, singing, dancing, drumming, DJ-ing, cheerleading, circus skills including a trapeze, acting, gymnastics. Sports, model car racing,and archery, to name but a few!

A fabulous show enabled the young people to display their talents and skills, followed by a firework spectacular which brought the summer of activities to a close.

Alistair Dale

Knowle West Media Centre Projects Fashion photographers watch out, there’s plenty of talent in Knowle West!

Thanks to Splash funding KWMC organised Fotofaces - an opportunity for young people to experiment with digital

photography and then compare with more conventional SLR photography using studio lights and backdrops.

The second project was to create designs combining Batik and drawings with photographs for colourful Banners to be hung in Salcombe Rd. Area Housing Offices.

This was a great opportunity for young people to meet and work with housing office workers on the designs. The projects were facilitated by Jo Hansford Photography Development Worker at KWMC and artists Cluna Donnelly and Barbara Disney.

Look out for the results coming soon!

Carolyn Hassan Manager KWMC

Street Wardens get off to a busy start!

The street wardens have been well received from the start and are already becoming a familiar sight.

The Knowle West Street Wardens have had their work cut out from day one. Since their first day of patrols on 29th July, the eight wardens and one trainee have already dealt with a number of problems on the estate, such as stolen cars, litter, syringes and street lighting. However, the Wardens have no powers of arrest or intervention – that is the job of the police.

Their main purpose is to make people feel safer from crime and improve quality of life in the area. One of their first jobs has been to get to know the area, and start building good relationships with local people. They have visited shops and local service providers and started making contact with vulnerable people, including the elderly and victims of crime.

The green space at the top of Filwood Broadway is now cleaner, thanks to the Wardens. There is now less littering and the play area is being used more.

The Wardens have also teamed up with the Knowle West Positive Futures Project, which encourages young people to lead crime and drug-free lives through participation in sport. This builds upon their idea to provide local young people with footballs, on condition that they play in the parks and playing fields instead of hanging around on streets getting into trouble. Positive Futures has now made a grant of £150 to the wardens for sports equipment for young people.

The project is currently funded until March 2004. If the past weeks’ successes are anything to go by, it will be able to secure funding past this date.

You can contact the Wardens at The Kabin, Filwood Broadway, Knowle West, Bristol BS4 1JL Tel: 0117 908 4222/4223

Police In The Community An update from Broadbury Road Police Station Mountain Bikes for Street Wardens Broadbury Road Police agreed to provide four mountain bikes for the use of the Knowle West Street Wardens.

Sergeant Steve White, the new deputy to Inspector Matt Ayres said,”We are very pleased to be able to help further towards the Warden Project in this way. Already they are showing their worth for the people of Knowle and these bicycles will help them get around the area more efficiently.”

Officers on the Beat PC Nick Tizzard was recently appointed to the role of Beat Manager for Filwood. Soon after starting his new role he was instrumental in the recent increased police activity you have hopefully noticed in Filwood Broadway over the summer. PS Steve White said,”During this activity we have noticed a significant drop in recorded crime and ‘nuisance youth’ type calls. We will constantly review the situation with a view to repeating the operation if necessary.”

If you would like to contact Inspector Ayres, PS White or PC Tizzard, tel: 01275 818181 Ext.5427 NB A message from the NR Steering Group: “The petition for ‘More Police Resources for Knowle West’ had a cut-off date of 6th September. PLEASE IGNORE IT! Keep those petitions coming in and look out for an update in the next issue of this newsletter.”

Doing The Do Let’s clear Knowle West of dogs mess!

If you are a dog owner look out for your local Dog Warden who can provide you with advice on responsible dog ownership. Ask him for a small supply of poop-scoop bags so that you can clear up after your dog and avoid a fine.

The street wardens also have a supply of these bags.

Where there is a problem with dog fouling please notify us. A sweeping team or pavement washing machine will be sent to deal with the problem as soon as possible.

Les Coomber, Dog Warden Tel: 0117 9776004

COMMUNITY SAFETY GRANTS IMPROVING THE AREA Knowle Safe has completed the first rounds of Community Safety Grants.

Groups to benefit from these grants include: Filwood Play Centre (security lighting) The Mede Centre (personal alarms, walkie talkies) Eagle House (security fencing) Knowle West Arts Production (window security, blinds) Open Eyes (working with teachers and police to help keep children at school) Broad Plain Youth Centre (expanding football project) WECIL (CCTV) KWADs (parents/carers group holistic therapies) and Healthy Walking Group (personal safety alarms/bags, safety instructor) Applications for Safety Grants are open to all community projects/organisations, the next round of grants is in November.

Contact: Anita Pearce,The Kabin Tel: 0117 9231930

YOUNG PEOPLE - ALL TALK AND ALL ACTION Youth Forum is the place where voices can be heard and achievement is rewarded Knowle West Youth Forum is a youth participation project. It is a platform where young people can ‘have a say’ in issues that are of concern to them and the local community by being actively involved, particularly in decision-making.

“We have a committee made up of young people who have an input into things like the running of the Greenhouse and Summer Activity Programme,” explains Jenny Hill, one of the Youth Forum workers.

The Greenhouse on Filwood Broadway, is Youth Forum’s drop-in. It’s open to all on 6.30 to 8 .30pm Mondays & Wednesdays for small groups on issue based work, for example: sexual health, training, global issues, city wide young peoples forum. Projects are constantly being developed and delivered. Mouth of the South for example, is a newsletter produced four times a year by and for young people in Knowle West. Working in partnership with the Media Centre, young people are able to access expertise in media skills. MOS is a group of ten that meets once a week at The Greenhouse. Articles from other youth projects around the estate can be submitted as long as the focus is about or concerns young people.

Youth Forum runs a successful programme of Youth Achievement Awards for young people aged 14+, which accredit young people’s achievements in their community. The YAA Neighbourhood Project, running since 1999, is based at The Greenhouse. The four levels of awards, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum demand varying levels of responsibility.

Youth Challenge is a new accreditation award for 11 plus age group. Jenny Hill is the YAA Officer and she describes the set up, “We run a Thursday drop-in for all young people on the estate to gain support, advice and access to resource to enable them to complete their awards.”

As for the future, Youth Forum is planning to continue to develop their existing projects and to have two new Outreach Workers working in partnership with The Art of WellBeing Project based at the Health Park.

Contacts: David Howe, Manager Tel: 0117 908 4233 Jenny Hill, YAA; Helena Fowler, Youth Participation Worker & YAA; Lisa Newton & Lucy Touray, Assistant Youth Workers all at The Greenhouse Tel: 0117 907 8683

Congratulations Mary-Ann Wilcox from KWADS and a friend successfully ran the Bristol Half-Marathon on 22nd September to raise awareness and money for KWADs.

FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL

It was a big day for 180 Knowle West children as they set off for school for the first time at the beginning of September.

Good luck everyone, enjoy your year in Reception, and as they say at Connaught Primary, you’re the Best in the West!

HENGROVE PLAY PARK On 17th August, the biggest play park in the South, the Hengrove Play Park, was unveiled.

It was a beautiful day and hundreds of people came along to the Gala Opening, featuring giant kites, stilt walkers and GWR DJ Howard Taylor with Black Thunder vehicles.

At a cost to Bristol City Council of £1.4 m, residents have been waiting for this kind of facility for the area for many years. As one commented,” It’s good to see a huge play park like this being built in the area. It’s obviously not finished yet and we’re looking forward to seeing how it develops”.

The centrepiece is a dome-like structure, doubling as a jungle play area. Around and about are a sand and water play area, a fantastic new wheels park catering for BMX, in-line skates and skateboards and a café.

There have been a few teething troubles - supervisors were overwhelmed when many more children than expected visited the park and the dome itself has needed further safety work. There was a general feeling that it had “opened before it was ready”, but when the park is up and running smoothly, it will be of enormous benefit to many youngsters.

Play area supervisors and youth workers are working to engage young people in positive activities on the site and its surrounding area.

Do you have anything to say about the Hengrove Play Park?

Contact Mike Branaghan at Bristol City Council tel: 0117 922 3970 or Anita Pearce, Neighbourhood Renewal Steering Group Tel: 0117 9231930

Schools Move Onwards and Upwards Schools Plus brings about new era in partnership working The innovative ‘Schools Plus’ project was recently piloted in all the Filwood Park primary schools - Connaught, Ilminster Avenue, The School of Christ the King, Novers Infants and Juniors, as well as the secondary school of Hengrove.These form a group called the ‘Knowle Edge Cluster’.

Schools Plus focused on raising children’s motivation and achievement through after school clubs, and improving partnership working between parent co-ordinators, teachers and school Heads.

The cluster’s partnership working impressed Bristol City Council’s Excellence in Cities team, who are backing the Knowle Edge cluster as part of a citywide “Bristol Learning & Behaviour Improvement Programme” (BLBIP).

BLBIP will bring additional resources into the schools to focus on improving performance in schools, and to build management capacity at school and cluster level. It is hoped that the programme will be able to support some of the activities and posts created through Schools Plus, which has been unable to secure any additional funding from elsewhere.

The BLBIP is a part of the wider National Street Crime initiative, which aims to reduce the number of young people at risk of offending and disaffection from learning.

Angela White, who has been seconded from her role as Deputy Head at Connaught Primary to co-ordinate the scheme on behalf of the cluster says: “Where everyone works in partnership with clear goals, which engage children positively in their learning, we can have an impact on behaviour and street crime. We must continue to build on many of the exciting initiatives that are already in place.”

Another key partner is School & Family Link Worker, Jacky Bloomfield, whose post was put together by the Schools Plus Team, and will be funded by the Children’s Fund for two years, initially. Jacky hopes to contribute to the BLBIP and the work of the cluster by liaising closely with schools and parents, with a view to raising attendance and attainment in the area. Jacky’s office is situated in Filwood Broadway, next to KWADS. She can be contacted on 0117 908 4240.

The good work goes on in the Knowle Edge cluster!

Jemma Keegan

YOUTH START

Saleem Gazdar talks about his work with disabled young people Many of the disabled young people I meet are denied access to ordinary schools, youth clubs and other social and leisure opportunities. I have found they think of themselves first and foremost not as disabled people, but as young people, who are frustrated with things such as poor transport, limited access to buildings and ignorance or prejudice about physical differences or learning difficulties.

With the Youth Start project, I work directly with disabled young people in the area. We try to concentrate on the individual’s situation, and to provide support in taking the next step into so-called ‘mainstream’ services and settings.

We are more concerned with removing barriers to disabled people’s inclusion in ordinary life than in what labels have been attached to them. Youth Start also works together with other organisations, such as the Youth Service and Knowle West Media Centre, where I am a trustee. Another project I am involved with, Brave New World, has proved to be one of the most enjoyable parts of my work over the last two years.

Youth Start has recently moved into Leinster House. This project is run by the West of England Coalition of Disabled People, a campaigning and community development organisation working to the Social Model of Disability.

In an ideal world, anyone working with young people would take individual access needs such as personal assistance, handrails or a quiet space, into account. One day perhaps, projects like this will be unnecessary; in the meantime, the main focus of the work is to advise and assist anyone working with young people to identify and remove barriers to full inclusion.

If you have any enquiries about the project - and we particularly welcome them from young people - contact: Saleem Gazdar, Youth Start, Leinster House, Knowle West, Bristol, BS4 1 NL Tel: 0117 377 2597 email: saleem.wecodp@talk21.com

Knowle West Online The Knowle West Website has been launched! It’s at www.knowlewest.co.uk This is a website for the Knowle West community where the Neighbourhood Renewal Planning issues issues and concerns can be promoted, exchanged and discussed.

The site will contain archive copies of all the Knowle West Newsletters, plus sections on local events and organisations, a young people’s section and a message board where anyone can start discussions on any local topic.

The site has been funded by the Neighbourhood Renewal fund and put together by Martin Hanstead at the Knowle West Media Centre. If you have any comments or suggestions about the site, please email Martin at: martin@kwmp.org

Snap Happy Gary Congratulations to Gary Williams who won the 11-16 year olds section of the South West of England Photo Challenge.

He now goes forward to the final at the Tate St Ives in October. His brilliant winning photograph was taken during the Inns Court summer photography project.

Competition!

This issue we are offering a prize of ASDA Vouchers for the house with the most stunning display of Christmas decorations. Send us your nominations. Local celebrity to judge, winner to be announced next issue.

Credits & Thank Yous With thanks to the following people: Neighbourhood Renewal Steering Group: Manager - Michael Webb Neighbourhood Renewal Facilitator - Anita Pearce Resident Members - Denise Britt, Rene Gough, David Rothwell, Floss Moulton, Carole Casey, Rose Manning, Mary Smith, Sue Baldock, Ann Howell Margaret Jordan, Sister Joanna Brennan Goodbye and thank you to Ross Thompson…..

Thanks to Margaret Jordan for interview Photography: Jo Hansford, Mark Simmons, Mouth of the South news team Editor: Barbara Benson Design: Rowena Dugdale Knowle West Media Centre (KWMC) who facilitate the production of this newsletter.