Yate & Sodbury Voice June 2023

All change on council

SOUTH Gloucestershire Council has new leadership, after the Conservatives lost power at the local elections.

The council's Liberal Democrat and Labour groups, both of which made gains at the Tories' expense on May 4, have agreed to work together to form a new administration.

Liberal Democrat group leader and Frampton

Cotterell ward councillor Claire Young is the new council leader, while Labour's Ian Boulton will be the council's co-leader.

Announcing the partnership deal two weeks after the elections that ended eight years of Tory control of the authority, they set out a series of priorities for the new administration.

Turn to page 3

Children created their own crowns for a competition as part of Chipping Sodbury's Coronation Big Lunch, which brought thousands of people out onto the streets.

Picture: Rich McD. Coronation events: Pages 10 & 11

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Our July edition deadline is June 21.

Yate & Sodbury Voice contacts

Ken McCormick, Editor contact@yateandsodburyvoice.co.uk

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Arrest after crash injures motorcyclist

A DRIVER has been arrested after a collision between Frampton Cotterell and Yate which left a motorcyclist seriously injured.

The collision, involving a car and motorcycle, happened at about 4.50pm on May 22, on the A432 Badminton Road at Nibley.

An Avon and Somerset police spokesperson said: "The motorcyclist was taken to hospital with serious leg injuries. His condition is not believed to be life-threatening.

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"A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of careless driving causing serious injury and drug-driving. He has since been released under investigation."

Police are now appealing for anyone who thinks they witnessed the collision or has dashcam footage to call them on 101 and quote the crime reference number 5223 119 312.

The accident happened near The Swan pub, in a 30mph section close to the Nibley Lane junction.

Great Western Air Ambulance sent a critical care team by helicopter and treated the injured man at the scene before he was taken to Southmead Hospital by road.

Badminton Road was closed for more than four hours afterwards, with traffic diverted through Frampton Cotterell village, causing long tailbacks.

Mental health services must improve

THE health regulator has told the NHS trust responsible for community mental health services in the region that it must improve.

The Care Quality Commission reduced its rating for the support, treatment and advice Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust provides for adults of working age from 'good' to 'requires improvement'.

The CQC said leadership of the service had also declined from 'good' to 'requires improvement' following the inspection, which took place in February but was published in May.

The safety of services also requires improvement, unchanged from the CQC's previous inspection, while ratings for the services' effectiveness, care and responsiveness all remain good.

The trust also requires improvement overall, says the CQC, a rating unchanged from the previous inspection.

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A member of the

CQC deputy director of operations in the South of England Serena Coleman said: "During our inspection of the trust’s community services for adults, we found deterioration in how well the service was being led.

"Our experience tells us that when a service isn’t well-led, this has a knock-on effect on the quality of care being received by people.

“These leadership issues were beginning to undermine people’s safety, as the service was unable to maintain improvements across some of the areas we looked at.

"For example while we saw improvements in how risks were being managed, we saw new issues with medicines management.

“We saw teams learned from when incidents occurred but didn’t share this learning with the wider organisation, meaning people experienced preventable incidents in other teams.

“However, the service offered a range of treatments informed by best practice and actively involved people in their care decisions.

"People also told us their care coordinators were brilliant and friendly."

A trust spokesperson said: "The CQC has acknowledged that our adult community mental health services remain caring and responsive, which is a testament to our staff during this challenging period.

"However, it is disappointing that the overall rating for the service has declined to requires improvement.

"We are committed to quickly bringing all areas back up to a suitable standard across every CQC domain."

From page 1

They include:

*A shared focus on the climate emergency and helping residents with the cost-of-living crisis.

*A review of how the council makes policy, including local decision-making and more public involvement.

*Sharing the council's seat at the West of England Combined Authority, and working to improve local buses and the travel network.

The two groups spent a fortnight ironing out details of a deal following the elections which saw the Tories lose their overall majority.

The Conservatives lost ten seats at the elections, although they made their only gain of the night in the Chipping Sodbury & Cotswold Edge ward, at the expense of the Liberal Democrats.

The Lib Dems made a net gain of three seats, while Labour finished with six extra councillors.

There was also one independent gain in the elections, at Labour's expense.

While the Tories are still the largest party, with 23 seats in the chamber, the number needed to command a majority in the 61seat chamber is 31.

The 20 Lib Dem and 17 Labour members' combined 37 votes gives them an effective majority of 13.

After signing the written agreement to form an administration, Cllr Young, who was elected with an increased margin of victory on May 4, said: "People voted for change in May, following eight years of Conservative rule.

"In discussions with the

Lib Dem-Labour deal to run South Gloucestershire Council

at the elections, said: "We are disappointed that Labour and the Liberal Democrats have chosen to exclude the largest party from all discussions on how to run the council."

Ian Boulton and Claire Young announce their parties' deal to share power on South Gloucestershire Council.

Cllr Young said voters had clearly "had enough of the Conservatives", while Cllr Boulton said voters were "holding the Conservative party to account for the disastrous policies they have imposed on us — both locally and nationally".

Labour group it was apparent we had many shared goals to improve the lives of local people.

"We want to take the council in a different direction, working with local people to make South Gloucestershire a better place for everyone.

Cllr Boulton, who represents Staple Hill & Mangotsfield, said: "This is a brilliant opportunity to put forward a new vision for South Gloucestershire.

"We’re aware of the budgetary challenges at the moment, with the Conservative government failing to fund local authorities properly.

"That can change at next year’s general election."

Cllr Boulton took over as Labour group leader following the retirement of predecessor Pat Rooney at the elections.

Cabinet members for the new administration were due to be announced following the council's annual meeting on May 24, when the new leadership was being confirmed in a vote.

The council's new

Conservative group leader Sam Bromiley, who represents Parkwall & Warmley ward, criticised the other parties for not involving his group in discussions on the future leadership of the authority.

The former cabinet member for children and young people, who took over as Tory group leader after former council leader Toby Savage stood down

Outgoing Tory leader Toby Savage said that despite a "disappointing evening", his party did better locally than on a national level, where it lost more than 1,000 seats, which "suggests that South Gloucestershire Conservatives are outperforming the Conservatives nationally”.

Election round-up: Pages 4&5

Parish election round-up

ONLY four parish council wards in the Yate and Sodbury area had elections in May - two in Yate, one in Old Sodbury and one in Iron Acton.

Yate Town Council's North ward had 11 candidates vying for its nine seats, and in a result that followed the pattern of local South Gloucestershire Council seats, it was the nine Liberal Democrats who were elected, with the two Conservatives losing out.

Topping the poll were the area's three South Glos councillors, Mike Drew, Chris Willmore and Ben Nutland, followed by Nicola Clarke, Alan Monaghan, John Emms, Ray Perry, Aziz Chowdhry and Karl Tomasin, with Conservatives David and Suzan Evan-Jones more than 1,000 votes behind.

In Central ward it was also the six Lib Dems who won the six seats.

The poll was topped by South Glos councillor Sandra Emms, followed by John Ford, Margaret Marshall, Tony Sharp, Gabriela Miron, and Wendy Tomasin, who was 554 votes ahead of sole Tory candidate Marian Gilpin.

In Sodbury Town Council's Old Sodbury Ward the sole Tory candidate, Scott Gibson, missed out on a seat by 14 votes.

He was the only candidate running under a party label: Andy Williams, Chris Anderson, Philip Rumney, Kevin Pitman and Matthew Rumney were the others elected, and Steve Spooner, Peter Whyton and Andy sage-Bell also missed out.

In the Iron Acton ward of Iron Acton Parish Council five candidates, all of whom stood without party labels, contested the four seats.

John Wright topped the poll with 182 votes, followed by Paul Chapman (157), Denise Smith (154), David Barker (145) and Catherine Spedding (113). Adrian Edmonds was the candidate who missed out, with 67 votes.

Elections did not take place in other wards, as not enough candidates came forward to make a vote necessary.

ID rules cost 58 votes

MORE than 50 voters did not cast a ballot in South Gloucestershire's elections after falling foul of new rules on photo ID.

May's elections were the first to be held under new laws requiring proof of identification from everyone turning up at polling stations.

The council's returning officer said the "overwhelming majority" of electors brought photo ID that met the requirements.

A total of 216 electors were initially turned away after turning up to vote without a passport, driving licence or one of a number of other accepted forms of ID.

Of those, 158 returned with identification and were able to cast their ballots.

That left 58 who did not return.

The council says 43,798 people voted in the election and the number of people who did not get to vote represented just over 0.1% of the total who tried.

The council issued a total of 248 Voter Authority Certificates, for people who did not have another approved form of photo ID, before the election.

Sodbury win is crumb of comfort for Tories

IN an election when the balance of power shifted away from them, Conservatives on South Gloucestershire Council were given a one result to cheer in the Yate and Sodbury area.

Going against the flow of results elsewhere in the district, an extraordinarily close race saw the party pick up one of the two seats in the Chipping Sodbury & Cotswold Edge ward.

Chipping Sodbury & Cotswold Edge

The Conservatives lost ten seats across the district, and more than 1,000 across the country, but had no seats in the Yate and Sodbury area going into the elections on May 4.

Dodington

In the other local seats it was as you were after the election, with the Liberal Democrats dominating the Yate Central, Yate North and Dodington wards.

Yate Central

THE election in Chipping Sodbury and Cotswold Edge ward had one of the most dramatic results of the night, with first and fourth place divided by just 40 votes and the Conservatives making their only gain of the night, at the expense of the Liberal Democrats.

Lib Dems Adrian Rush and Patricia Trull were both sitting councillors defending their seats.

But while Adrian Rush topped the poll, with 1,687 votes, second place and the other council seat went to Conservative Becky Romaine, with 1,680 votes.

Just two votes behind her was fellow Tory candidate Roisin Hall, who received 1,678 votes.

Patricia Trull, who had won her seat by just 12 votes back in 2019, was another 33 votes behind in fourth.

Labour candidate Ian Lowe polled 336 votes in fifth place.

Afterwards Becky said: "I would like to thank everybody who supported my campaign and every single voter who put their trust in me to represent them on the Council.

"While the Conservative Group no longer controls the Council, and while my ability to influence events will therefore be limited, I will do all I possibly can to progress these initiatives and support the residents of Chipping Sodbury and Cotswold Edge.

"The hard work starts here."

Full result:

Adrian Rush (LD): 1,687

Becky Romaine (Con): 1,680

Roisin Hall (Con): 1,678

Patricia Trull (LD): 1,647

Ian Lowe (Lab) 336

IN Dodington ward, which covers an area of south Yate and Chipping Sodbury, the Liberal Democrats took both seats with an increased margin of victory.

Louise Harris and Cheryl Kirby were elected with 1,479 and 1,432 votes respectively - the third-placed Conservative, Rachel Welch, was 915 votes behind, with 517.

In 2019 the second-placed Lib Dem candidate was 867 votes ahead of the leading Conservative.

Louise Harris was a sitting councillor, while Cheryl Kirby is a town councillor and the current Mayor of Yate.

The two Tory candidates were separated by just one vote, with National Housing Party candidate Callum Leat 288 votes behind the Conservatives.

Full results:

Louise Harris (LD): 1,479

Cheryl Kirby (LD): 1,432

Rachel Welch (Con): 517

Jo Nicholson (Con): 516

Callum Leat (Nat Housing): 228

Yate North

THE Liberal Democrats kept hold of both seats in the Yate Central ward.

Sandra Emms topped the poll with 1,269 votes, followed by fellow Lib Dem John Davis, with 1,231.

Both are new to the ward, although John Davis was a councillor in neighbouring Yate North ward before the election.

The margin between the second-placed Lib Dem and leading Conservative Marian Gilpin, in third, was 647 votes - slightly lower than the 799-vote difference in 2019 but on a smaller turnout of 3,820 voters, compared with 4,145 last time.

Full result:

Sandra Emms (LD): 1,269

John Davis (LD): 1,231

Marian Gilpin (Con): 584

Joanne Lewis (Con): 470

Christopher Jackson (Grn): 266

councillor, Ben Nutland, had 2,228 votes, two behind Yate town councillor Chris Willmore, with 2,230.

Leading Conservative candidate Sonia Williams was 1,469 votes behind, in what was a straight contest between three Lib Dems and three Tories.

The margin of victory for the third-placed Lib Dem over the fourth-placed Conservative was almost double the 2019 figure of 774: Between them the three Lib Dem candidates received three times as many votes as the three Tories.

Full result:

Mike Drew (LD): 2,282

THE Liberal Democrats retained all three seats in the Yate North ward, with a hugely increased margin of victory.

Mike Drew, a sitting South Gloucestershire councillor, topped the poll with 2,282 votes. The other sitting

Chris Willmore (LD): 2,230

Ben Nutland (LD): 2,228

Sonia Williams (Con): 759

Matt Lewis (Con): 734

David Williams (Con): 733

Adrian Rush and Becky Romaine

Mike Drew, Chris Willmore and Ben Nutland

Sandra Emms and john Davis

Cheryl Kirby and Louise Harris

Pre-school challenges Ofsted after 'shock' rating

A COMMUNITY-run preschool playgroup in Yate has complained to regulator Ofsted after it was given two different ratings following inspections just two months apart.

Phase Five Pre-School, which caters for 50 pupils in total, is also launching a £400,000 appeal to build a new centre, to protect its work for future generations of Yate families.

Phase Five has been running for nearly 45 years.

It is split across two sites –and in December last year the site for two and three year olds in St Nicholas Church, Chargrove, was rated 'Good'.

But in February this year the site housing 3-4 year olds in nearby Kelston Close, was visited by a different inspector, who says it 'requires improvement.

Spokesperson Matt Pritchard said staff and volunteers were disappointed and shocked by the latest inspection.

He said: “As our parent-led committee and management team haven't changed, nor have our policies and procedures, it was quite a shock receiving a second inspection resulting in a ‘requires improvement’ rating.”

He said in order to serve as many local families as possible, the charity expanded from its Kelston Road site and rents a hall in St Nicholas – and that means under Ofsted rules it requires two inspections.

Mat said: “We felt that this second inspection was particularly disjointed and disorganised, completely different to the inspection we had had only a few months earlier.”

The committee made a formal complaint to Ofsted, which was partly upheld – but did not result in a change to the rating.

Matt said: "Ofsted apologised, however they said that this didn't matter in regards to the overall grading requirements.

“As always we try to continuously improve, and have begun to look at how we can make changes to our curriculum and build upon links with other settings."

In the latest report inspector Linda Witts said the Kelston Close site required improvement in all areas. Its previous rating had been “good”.

The inspector said children were kept safe, enjoyed their time and staff showed care and consideration, and was happy with provision for children with special educational needs or disabilities and arrangements for safeguarding.

However her report said that curriculum planning "lacks challenge" and does not build

Day Centre Activity Club

effectively on what each child knows and can do.

She said: “Children in receipt of funded one-to-one support make good progress from their starting points because of the close attention they receive from their skilled key person. However, due to weaknesses in monitoring and identifying gaps in the curriculum, not all children make the progress that they are capable of.”

Her report staff were not confident in applying recently introduced 'in-the-moment' planning and did not make the most of learning opportunities that arise during the course of children's play.

The inspector also said the provider and managers do not monitor the effectiveness of the provision and curriculum well, and did not have a good oversight of what is happening in practice and the impact on children's learning.

Phase Five launched the fundraising appeal after failing

to get money to repair its Kelston Close base.

Manager Kate Smoothy said the current building was 25 to 30 years old, and rapidly falling into disrepair.

She said: "We lease land from South Glos Council in Kelston Close and own the building where our three and four year olds go. Unfortunately leasing land means we are unable to put a permanent building on site.

“We have had planning permission granted for a new semi-permanent, modular building. However, being a charity we do not have the funds available to build it.”

She said the committee had applied for grants, and approached South Gloucestershire Council as well as the local MP Luke Hall to ask for help.

Matt said they have an online fundraising page and are planning a series of events, including a 24 hour relay by staff.

He said: “With the money raised, we hope to build a new larger building at the Kelston Close site where we can continue to offer quality childcare for children aged 2-5 years old from one setting.

“We need your help to ensure that we continue for generations to come.”

The Voice approached Ofsted about Phase Five’s concerns and they confirmed a complaint about the February inspection was partly upheld but would not comment further.

The Phase Five fundraising appeal can be found at gofund.me/67b13b7d.

Staff and children at Phase Five Pre-School in Kelston Close

Relay for Life returns after four years

YATE'S fundraising Relay for Life is back – after being on hold since 2019.

And organisers are promising an event to keep families entertained all day.

The 12-hour non-stop walking festival at Yate Outdoor Sports Complex will take place on July 15.

It is part of Cancer Research UK’s national campaign to raise awareness and funds to beat cancer. Teams of sponsored volunteers will walk and run the track non-stop from midday to midnight.

Yate Relay chair Keith Hatherall, himself a cancer survivor, says this year the event will be bigger than ever.

They already have more than 20 teams signed up - each one will have at least one member walking or running the track throughout the relay.

Keith said the organisers are putting on a series of stage acts and bands to keep supporters entertained.

He said: "The event is free and open to the public to turn up whenever they like and offer support.

"We want to make it an event for people to come along and enjoy even if they are not in the relay teams."

The day starts with a survivors’ tea, paying tribute to the medical research and NHS work which has helped so many live with cancer.

Keith said: "We want them to know they are the centre of this,

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A previous Relay for Life at Yate Outdoor Sports Complex

so it will be a celebration of their success. We want to raise money so more people can survive cancer.”

Entertainment will include dance and theatre groups, acrobatics and bands.

At around 10pm there will be a 'Candle of Hope' ceremony, when friends and family of people who have succumbed to cancer will gather with decorated candle bags and spell out the word “hope” on the track.

Keith will be among those

taking part. He was diagnosed with a rare cancer in his hip when he was 48, and experts feared he might not walk again, but he says he still manages.

He said: "I can’t jog, but I can still walk – I was very lucky. It’s been ten years since my diagnosis and operation and I’m still going strong. That’s why I wanted to get involved.”

The last Yate Relay for Life was held in 2019 before the pandemic. There had been plans to run it in 2020, but social distancing rules, and the vulnerability of many cancer survivors and patients meant it was not safe to go ahead.

Keith said local survivors were determined to get the event back on track this year.

Nationally Relay For Life raises over £2 million for lifesaving cancer research every year.

To find out more or sign up to take part visit the website yaterelayforlife.org.uk.

'Disgust' as time capsule is wrecked

TWO teenagers have been questioned by police after a time capsule buried in Chipping Sodbury five years ago was dug up and damaged.

The capsule, which contained poems and pictures from local schoolchildren, as well as newspapers and business flyers, was buried in The Ridings Memorial Garden during a ceremony in 2018.

Avon and Somerset police say they are investigating.

Sergeant Rob Turner, from the Neighbourhood Policing team, said: “Following a social media post about the time capsule being dug up, two teenagers attended a police station with their parents, and they’ll be voluntarily interviewed at a future date in connection with the criminal damage offence.

“The contents of the capsule, which had been strewn under a hedge, was also handed into the police station.

“Sadly, some of the contents have been destroyed by the weather but we’ve been able to dry out and salvage all of the children’s pictures and most of the photos, which we’ll give back to the original owner of the capsule.

“We’d like to thank the community for their ongoing support with this investigation.”

The time capsule was buried by the Sodbury Big Lunch team as part of Chipping Sodbury’s 800th anniversary celebrations.

Inside were items which offered a snapshot in time of the town. They included items donated by local businesses and made by local school children.

Mayor James Ball who was at the official burying of the capsule, offered a reward for help tracing the culprits, saying he was “sickened and disgusted”.

Sodbury Big Lunch organiser Alexandra Arnall, who was with the mayor at the burying, posted an image on social media of the dislodged paving slab over where it had been buried.

She said the team were devastated, adding: "Not only were the items inside a snapshot in time of our wonderful town, they were irreplaceable pieces of history donated by local businesses with many items made especially by local schoolchildren.

"We had taken photos of every business

owner in the town outside their premises, some of which have now changed hands, and made a detailed album cataloguing our local town’s economy in that year.

"Also contained were lots of items to remember the medieval celebrations of 2018 marking the anniversary. Not to forget the time and effort that went into collecting all the memorabilia and photographs.

“We are truly devastated by such wanton vandalism and theft of something meant for future generations to learn about Chipping Sodbury’s history.”

The slab covering the time capsule was unearthed and removed.

Sodbury Festival princess unveiled

ORGANISERS

of the Chipping Sodbury Festival have chosen this year's festival princess ahead of this year's packed programme of events.

Millie-May Batten, aged ten, who attends St Johns Mead C of E Primary School in Chipping Sodbury, is this year’s Princess.

Fellow St John's Mead pupil Imogen Allen, 9, and Sarah Dendy, also nine, who attends Old Sodbury Church of England Primary School, are this year’s attendants.

Chipping Sodbury Festival Society chair Kate Cox said the three girls will become "an important part of the Festival team"

She said: "All three are delighted to be successful and are now looking forward to their major role in the Festival."

This year's festival, the 37th , runs from June 9 to 18 and has ‘Ship Ahoy’ as its theme, to celebrate the Chipping Sodbury Yacht Club’s 40th Anniversary.

Kate said: "The Art Trail is returning bigger and better for 2023 after its success last year.

"Music in the Street appears at its, now regular, night - the first Saturday of the Festival.

"With a Quiz, a Barn Dance , workshops, free morning talks and a Jazz Night on the last Saturday it promises to be another excellent Festival.

"The Lion’s Carnival is on the last Saturday and a flypast of a Hurricane aircraft is confirmed weather permitting.

"Something a little different is happening on Sunday 18th, as there will be a picnic in the park with boat races planned.

"Come along to Jubilee Park with your picnic and sponsor a boat to help the RNLI."

The street fair and carnival on June 17 will run from 10am to 5pm, with the carnival procession expected to start at around 3pm.

The picnic event on the 18th will run from 2-5pm in Jubilee Park, and will also feature a performance from the Rock Choir.

The Music in the Street event in Broad Street on June 10 runs from 6.45-11pm.

A huge number of other events, including guided walks, concerts and a treasure hunt, are taking place in the Town Hall and around the town.

For more information visit the website at www. chippingsodburyfestival.com or the festival's Facebook page.

Programmes are available in local shops and community areas.

The following weekend Yate Rocks…in the Park, hosted by Yate Town Council in Kingsgate Park, will return on June 24 and 25 for its 16th incarnation.

Performances by local musicians and dance groups on the Saturday will be followed by a 'Praise in the Park' outdoor church service on Sunday morning, followed by a "relaxed and entertaining" Great Choir Showcase in the afternoon.

Local acts already lined up for the Saturday include The Breakdowns, Decanter, S Glos School Jazz Band, V-Dubz, Sonic Sunrise, Elevation, Kaiju Blue and Beacon Rise, performing alongside local dance groups including Danceworks, 5678 Dance, L A Dance, Stapleton Dance Group, Redds Dance & Drama and StreetCred.

Saturday's events will run from noon until 8pm.

Sunday's events will run from 10.30am until 4.30pm.

Chipping Sodbury Festival Princess Millie-May Batten (centre), with attendants Imogen Allen and Sarah Dendy.

Coronation celebrated in streets, parks

THOUSANDS of people took to the streets and parks of the Yate and Sodbury area to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III.

Schools also held their own celebrations around the event, and used it to learn more about the royal family and monarchy.

The biggest event in the area was Chipping Sodbury’s Coronation Big Lunch.

Broad Street was closed for the event on Sunday May 7, and thousands of people filled the street to take in the bands, entertainment, stalls and atmosphere.

The Big Lunch team had decided to turn over their annual fund raising gathering to a Coronation celebration after the huge success last years' Platinum Jubilee Big Lunch.

One of the organisers, Alexandra Dent, said: “It was a wonderful fitting way to celebrate 10 years of the Big

Lunch in Chipping Sodbury.

“It felt like the whole town came out to mark the coronation and enjoy the fabulous free entertainment we were able to put on in our beautiful High Street.

“We are grateful for the grants and financial support we received as well as the help of lots of people on the day.

“A special thanks to all our Big Lunch committee who worked so hard to put on such a great day for the whole town to enjoy.”

The Big Lunch project helps less well off people in the town – and organisers said they especially wanted to make sure that despite the cost of living crisis, everyone had a chance to join in.

On the same day the Friends of Kingsgate Park welcomed Vice-Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire Roger Deeks to the park in Yate to mark

the completion of the park's new structure, carved by local woodwork artist Andy O’Neill.

The Vice-Lord Lieutenant, representing the King, met with Andy, the Friends, town councillors and people who had suggested designs.

Sue Swanborough, of the Friends, said: "He was so excited by the carving and said that he knew the King would love everything this commemorative bench represents - the eco theme, the images and all the amazing volunteers, plus the ‘upcycling’ of a fallen tree in the park.

"He also handed to our Mayor, Cheryl Kirby, a message that he had been authorised by the King to present to projects that embrace the King’s values. This will be framed and a copy will be on show in Kingsgate Park."

Among the schools which held celebration events were

Raysfield in Chipping Sodbury, Tyndale in Yate, and North Road and Iron Acton primary schools, who held a joint procession along Iron Acton High Street.

Iron Acton executive head teacher Mike Riches said: "The children wore their crowns, waved flags and played instruments as they walked together in celebration."

At Raysfield, children and staff dressed up in red, white and blue or Kings and Queens for the day, while at Tyndale children worked "incredibly hard" to learn the National Anthem using sign language and performed it as a whole school.

Deputy head Luke Crouch said: "Our children loved decorating plates to mark the occasion, making their own crowns, getting into the celebration with themed music, cupcakes and biscuits."

Reaching for blowing bubbles at the Chipping Sodbury Coronation Big Lunch. Picture Rich McD.

Patriotic outfits at the Chipping Sodbury Coronation Big Lunch. Picture Rich McD.

Iron Acton Primary School pupils dressed the part.

A home-made crown at the Chipping Sodbury Coronation Big Lunch. Picture Rich McD.

Sculptor Andy O’Neill shows Vice-Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire Roger Deeks his new creation in Kingsgate Park. Picture: Dave Bruten.

Big changes for Stroud Auctions n

WE are delighted to report huge changes at Stroud Auctions.

First and most importantly, our newly-built saleroom just outside Stroud was completed in mid-May, so the big move will be completed by the time you read this.

With two salerooms, lots of parking and an amazing location only five minutes from junction 13 of the M5, we are thrilled to finally be working from the new building and excited for all our customers to come along and see it too.

If you have ever thought of having something valued with a view to selling at auction, then why not come along between 9am and 4pm on any Friday after June 2?

The second big change is the name of the company, which from the date of our move to the new saleroom will become Harper Field Auctioneers & Valuers.

The change has been planned for some years now, and will come into effect as we move to the new building.

Despite the changes, we are still the same team, under the same ownership.

We are proud to be an independent company, our base firmly in Gloucestershire but dealing with clients from across the world.

With a team of specialist valuers and a global audience, we are the natural choice when you have something precious to sell.

The next auction will be on June 14 and 15, with viewing at our new saleroom on the 13th from 10am-6pm.

With over 1,500 lots of jewellery alone, plus watches, silver, coins and other small valuables, it is well worth coming along to view.

The fully illustrated catalogue is available online: please go to our new website at www.harperfield.co.uk for more details.

If you have any questions relating to auctions in general or our move, please call us on 01453 873800.

We are always happy to help.

Last chance for covid boosters

PEOPLE aged 75 and over or have a weakened immune system are being urged to come forward to have a covid booster jab by the end of the month.

The current offer of second COVID-19 vaccinations will end at the same time as spring vaccinations, on June 30.

After that date the NHS will concentrate on targeting people judged to be at increased risk, usually during seasonal vaccination campaigns.

Those most vulnerable to a covid infection, including care home residents, are being contacted by the NHS at the moment to arrange a jab.

However, carers and loved ones of those most at risk are not eligible for the booster.

Dr Geeta Iyer, clinical lead for the vaccination programme in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, said: “We are learning to live with Covid but cannot afford to be complacent – we are only able to live with this virus thanks to the excellent vaccination rates locally and across England.

"Covid-19 is still in wide circulation, and over 8,000 people are in hospital with a Covid infection.

“Older people and those with a weakened immune system remain at greatest risk of severe illness and being hospitalised from Covid-19, so if you are entitled to a spring top up vaccination, I strongly encourage you to take up the offer.

"It’s quick and easy to recharge your immunity and will give you the protection you need for the months ahead.”

People who are eligible can book an appointment at their nearest doctor’s surgery when invited, or by calling 119.

You can also attend a walk-in community vaccination clinic: local ones are listed online at the grabajab.net website.

Home care service 'not always safe'

A HOME care service is Yate has been told to make improvements after an inspection by the health watchdog the Care Quality Commission.

Nobilis Care South Gloucestershire provides personal care for 127 people in their own homes.

The business, based in Armstrong Way, Yate, was inspected in March.

The CQC report identified breaches in relation to people's care plans and medicines records being accurate and complete, and a lack of a robust system in place that identified this shortfall.

It recommended Nobilis seeks guidance relating to complaints, and to cases where people might lack mental capacity.

The CQC said it would continue to monitor information it received about the service, which will help inform when they next visit.

This was the first inspection after the service registered with the CQC in September last year.

A previous provider had been found to require improvement in an inspection report published in March 2021.

The overall rating for the service was 'requires improvement'. It was found to require improvement in areas of safety, service responsiveness, and being well-led.

It had 'good' ratings for its effectiveness and care.

The report said that Nobilis had an action plan in place that identified areas of improvement including medicines administration charts, mental capacity assessments, staff training, supervision and appraisals.

The report said: “The registered manager acknowledged our feedback where some care plans required additional information. They planned to address this with a new quality assurance system and an allocated member of staff to oversee this.”

The report said that some aspects of the service were "not always safe" and there was limited assurance about safety and an increased risk that people could be harmed.

This related to medicines administration charts not always being completed to confirm the person had received their medicines as required.

The report said one issue regarding recording of information was a breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and required changes.

The report said limited information was available relating to safeguarding records, including actions, because records had been accidentally shredded.

The inspector said they received “mixed feedback” from people and staff relating to care visits being completed on time, although people were "happy with the support" they received from staff, who were kind and caring.

Staff told the inspector rotas and people's calls were often changed at the last minute.

The CQC said it had received positive feedback from one health care professional with how the registered manager had worked in partnership with them.

The report said: "They told us the registered manager had attended meetings and liaised with them following working with them with a safeguarding concern. They confirmed actions were taken following those meetings.”

The report said the service enabled users to express their views and be involved in making decisions about their care, and people gave examples of how staff supported them with their wishes.

One person told the inspector: “The carers when they are here do ask me about

drink choices and anything I would like to have on my bedside tablet at night. They are very thoughtful and considerate.”

The Voice contacted Nobilis Care for comment but has had no response.

Villagers celebrate after mast plan is rejected

VILLAGERS have welcomed the rejection of plans for a huge phone mast in the centre of Wickwar.

The Voice reported in March that telecoms company CK Hutchinson (UK) Ltd wanted to build an 18 metre (59ft) mast for mobile phone 5G on land beside the High Street.

It is the latest of a series of applications for 5G masts to be thrown out in the district –one planned for Winterbourne was rejected by South Gloucestershire planners earlier this year, and one in Beesmoor Road, Frampton Cotterell, was rejected in 2021.

CK Hutchinson said the mast had been needed to fill in 5G phone coverage black spots – and one Wickwar resident had commented in favour of the planning application, saying it would be a welcome improvement.

But others objected - local mum Lucy Pond had complained

the proposed mast was yards from her garden and she would stage a sit in protest to stop it.

It was turned down by planners after 174 letters of objection from local people who said it would be a blight on the village.

They included Thornbury and Yate MP Luke Hall, who said it would affect the historic character of the village.

South Gloucestershire

An image submitted with the application showed how the mast would look next to trees and homes.

Picture: Clarke Telecom

planners agreed, rejecting the plan and saying the mast would be “an imposing structure” in the conservation area, causing “an unacceptable level of visual and residential amenity impact”.

Wickwar Parish Councillor Angie Carroll, who was instrumental in the campaign, said they had been saddened by the application.

She said: “The site they wanted to use was wholly

unsuitable as they wanted to put it right in the middle of the grassed area at the entrance to our lovely old High Street.

“This would have been totally out of keeping with the surrounding area. We don’t even have street lamp columns in that area, and would have been the first thing people saw as they entered the old conservation area of the village.”

Angie said Parish councillors and villagers were not against having a mast - but it needed to be out of view and away from the conservation area and housing.

She added: “The Parish Council and many villagers objected to this very strongly and all did as much as they could to draw attention to what was being planned to try to stop it.

“For once the village was listened to and South Glos refused the application, which was a huge relief to the Parish Council and villagers alike.”

Woman fined over fly-tipped rubbish

A WOMAN from Yate has been ordered to pay a total of £1,171.88 in fines and costs after South Gloucestershire Council prosecuted over waste dumped in Chipping Sodbury.

Sheena Corbin, aged 35, of Normead Drive, pleaded guilty to failing in her duty of care and non-compliance with a notice to attend rfor an interview when she appeared at Bristol Magistrates Court on May 19.

The court heard that in June last year fly-tipped cardboard and packaging was discovered on a path near St Johns Way in Chipping Sodbury and reported to the council.

The council cleared the rubbish and found documentation linking it to Corbin’s address.

She was then spoken to at her home and admitted that she recognised the waste, but claimed it had been taken away from her home by a removals man when she had moved in the previous month.

However the removal man denied touching it and investigators found documents in the rubbish dated from after the move.

A council spokesperson said that when Corbin was told this, she "claimed to be confused but maintained that the removals men had taken away the waste that was fly-tipped".

Robert Evely, Environmental Enforcement team leader at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “South Gloucestershire Council will pursue anyone who dumps their rubbish illegally through the courts and I hope this latest prosecution acts as a deterrent to anyone who considers fly-tipping in the area. Our award-winning environmental enforcement team has a 100 per cent record of securing successful prosecutions for this type of offence."

Residents who see illegal fly-tipping are encouraged to report it by contacting the council’s StreetCare helpdesk on 01454 868000, emailing streetcare@southglos.gov.uk or visiting www.southglos. gov.uk/flytipping.

BRITAIN'S best-selling classical singer is set to appear in South Gloucestershire at a charity's outdoor festival.

Russell Watson is the headliner for the tenth annual Music in the Meadows open air concert in Iron Acton on July 1.

The event, organised by local charity Acton Aid, attracts hundreds of people to Iron Acton Parish Meadows every year.

The bigger sister event on Friday June 30, Mash in the Meadows, will feature a mix of rock and pop music, led by Queen tribute band Flash.

Money raised will go to fund local good causes, and a bucket collection at both nights will raise money for St Peter’s Hospice.

Acton Aid spokesman Rob Taylor said: “To attract Russell Watson to our Music in the Meadows is a major coup for Acton Aid.

“He will be appearing on a large professional stage, backed by the Bristol Millennium Orchestra.

“We look forward to welcoming a large appreciative audience for a very special evening in Iron Acton Parish Meadows.

“They can bring their own picnics or enjoy local foods from various stalls.

The finale of the Saturday evening will include Last Night of the Proms music followed by a spectacular fireworks display.”

Acton Aid is a not-for

Classical star Russell Watson to play charity festival

profit-organisation which is run entirely by volunteers from the village of Iron Acton.

Past events have funded local projects including an all weather track at the Parish Meadows, play equipment and Christmas parcels to around 100 pensioners in the parish each year.

In the past the bucket collections have raised money for the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity and Ukrainian refugees.

Last year the two events were attended by 2,000 people, raising £3,500 for good causes.

Russell Watson has been described by the New York Times as a performer “who sings like Pavarotti and entertains the audience like Sinatra”.

He shot to fame after winning a local radio competition in 1999 – and his debut album The Voice was number one in the UK classical music album charts for 52 weeks.

He has performed for the royal family, the late Pope John Paul II, former US presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush, and the Emperor of Japan. Watson has also collaborated with artists including Meatloaf, Lionel Richie, Paul McCartney,

Lulu, Alexandra Burke, Sean Ryder and the late Luciano Pavarotti.

Flash are the UK’s leading Queen tribute band, and are returning after appearing at a previous Mash in the Meadow.

They will be supported by Joey the Lips – described as “the Nation’s funkiest ten-piece band”.

Over the years they have supported big names including Bob Geldof & The Boomtown Rats, Will Young, UB40, Gabrielle, and Bananarama.

Acton Aid's Richard Hunter said the tenth Mash could be the most successful ever.

He said: "We are so excited to showcase two world class acts.

“The evening will be a wonderful start to the weekend. A full range of food stalls and a well-stocked bar will enable the audience to feast, drink and dance to their favourite music.”

Acton Aid was formed more than 40 years ago, and the twin concerts are their most high profile fund raising events.

Anyone in Iron Acton parish who needs assistance from the charity can apply for help through its website www. actonaid.org.uk, where tickets to the Mash and Music in the Meadows are also on sale.

Win tickets to see Russell Watson at Music in the Meadows

The Voice has teamed up with Acton Aid to offer you the chance to win one of three pairs of free adult tickets, worth £100 per pair, to see Mash in the Meadows on the Friday and then Russell Watson & Guests Live on the Saturday.

Simply follow this link and answer a simple question about Russell Watson to be in with a chance to win. Good Luck!

www.actonaid.org.uk/2023-music-competition

Classical star Russell Watson

Queen tribute act Flash

n ADVERTISING FEATURE

Flowers for Kings at Acton Court

ACTON Court is preparing for its 2023 public opening.

Summer activities include dancing and music with the Tudor Players, accompanied by Merchant’s House Musicians, a Tudor sewing display and demonstration with Lady Sam, a Tudor herb and medicine stall, Owl Occasions, the Acton Court Bee man and a painting activity directed by the artist in residence.

We’re also celebrating British Flower Week with our neighbours Organic Blooms, who recently coordinated the flowers for the Coronation.

At Acton Court they’ll be providing flowers for a different King, Henry VIII.

Acton Court and Organic Blooms have collaborated for a number years, as we’re neighbours and both sites are Soil Association certified.

Acton Court provides a fabulous setting for many Organic Blooms workshops during our opening season and also at Christmas.

This year we’ll be celebrating British Flower Week together. Organic Blooms will be decorating the house, making it ready for the visit of King Henry and Anne Boleyn on July 1 and 2.

They’ll also be running a stall and doing demonstrations during the season.

wild flower meadows to support the wildlife environment; we cultivate an organic vegetable garden and the glorious display of old variety wild roses should not be missed!

Acton Court is open to the public from May 31 until July 2.

9236-AC-Voice-1/4page-ad-23-87x120.qxp_9080-AC-Voice-1/4page-ad-87x

Acton Court also propagates its own

For details and booking information visit www.actoncourt.com, email info@actoncourt. com or phone the information line on 01454 228224.

Low rape charge rates concern

ONLY eight percent of rapes reported to Avon & Somerset Police are leading to charges being brought.

Chief Constable Sarah Crew told a meeting of the force's performance and accountability board that it was actually double the number of charges from the previous year but was "not enough".

In the year to April, she said the force brought 141 rape charges, more than double the 69 brought in 2021/22.

Ms Crew said: "We are now in the top quartile for positive outcome rates for rape and serious sexual offences, having been previously bottom quartile 24 months ago."

The meeting heard the number of sexual offences and domestic abuse crimes recorded across the last year has gone down but it was not clear whether this was due to "proactive and preventative work undertaken" or a loss of confidence in the police which is deterring victims from reporting.

The chief constable said: “Increasing trust and confidence is our top priority as an organisation."

Ms Crew is the National Police Chiefs’ Lead for Adult Sex Offences and the police force ran a pilot scheme of a new approach to rape cases, Operation Soteria Bluestone, in 2021.

It involved the creation of a specialist rape investigation team, improved collaboration with victim support services, and a focus on perpetrator behaviour rather than on the credibility of victims.

The approach is now being rolled out in police forces across the country.

The chief constable said: “We believe that what we are learning from Soteria Bluestone has the potential to improve our response to all male violence against women and girls offences.

"The dynamics are the same and, actually, the problems in rape that we are starting to overcome are the most difficult.”

By John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Music and dancing at Acton Court

'Shocking' levels of bacteria in River Frome

CAMPAIGNERS say "shocking" levels of potentially harmful bacteria in the River Frome in Frampton Cotterell mean it is no longer suitable for swimming.

Frampton Nature says tests showed the water in some places had more than 100 times the Government recommendation for coliform bacteria - the family containing harmful E. coli - for inland bathing waters.

Founder David Hanks said: “My dad learnt to swim in the river in Frampton, and I swam here as a child, but my children didn’t get to experience that because the river is so polluted now.

“As well as being a threat to human health, the poor water quality is bad for our wildlife. The river here used to be full of fish but now you hardly see any.

“It’s a disgrace that the Government continues to allow water companies to dump raw sewage in our rivers.”

In the tests, two students from the University of the West of England took samples from five spots on two dates in March.

The samples were analysed and the number of colony forming units (CFU) for

Yate Town Council Update

Election Results for Yate Town Council

suspected E. coli per 100ml of water was calculated.

David said: “On both occasions four sites were found to have poor water quality, with every site found to have poor water quality at least once.

“One site was found to have a horrifying 103,000 CFU/100ml. This is over a hundred times worse than what the Government considers a poor standard for inland bathing water.

“Water with these high levels of faecal bacteria poses a real threat to human health.”

David said the latest data showed six monitored sewer overflows in Frampton Cotterell overspilled 213 times in 2022. But the students found the highest levels of bacteria downstream of another overflow, which is not monitored and was littered with sanitary waste.

Water companies recently announced a £10 billion plan to improve water quality - with much of the cost being passed on to consumers.

A spokesperson for Wessex Water said there are numerous sources of bacteria in rivers, especially in a rural area, including

The results for the May local elections saw 12 serving members returning at Yate Town Council (YTC) and we also welcomed 5 new Councillors. We extend our thanks to those who chose to stand down this year, for their commitment and services to our town over the years, with special mention to former Councillor, Wully Perks, who stepped down from YTC after 20 years of devoted service.

5 of our Town Councillors were elected to have a dual-role of also sitting on South Gloucestershire Council to represent Yate; Councillors Mike Drew, Ben Nutland, Chris Willmore, Sandra Emms and Cheryl Kirby (as well as John Davis and Louise Harris).

At YTC, our Councillors sit on a number of main committees, meeting to discuss matters of Environment & Community, Planning & Transportation and Finance & Governance, together with a number of sub-committees and working groups As elected members, Councillors play a vital part in representing the residents of Yate which is sectioned into the wards of South Yate, Yate Central and Yate North within the Parish boundaries Working at a very local level, this tier of local government is closest to its residents and can respond quickly to local need On behalf of the community we manage and maintain a range of services and facilities and are also one of 70 named ‘super’ councils from approximately 10,000 town and parish councils in England.

Some of YTC’s recent achievements include the “Warm Welcome” initiative (opening doors of our venues with other partners to provide a free warm place to meet over winter), launch of a “Memory Café” at the Pop Inn Café, and commencement of the refurbishment of the award-winning Kingsgate Park. We provide for all ages; for example, we host the vibrant annual “Yate Ageing Better Festival” to showcase what is available locally for older residents Youth provision is also high on the Town Council’s agenda with the Armadillo youth café provision, cinema and detached mobile youth bus, Peg Hill Skate & BMW Park, as well as numerous parks, play areas and open spaces throughout the town.

The Town Clerk and council staff teams are based at Poole Court offices and can be contacted on info@yatetowncouncil.gov.uk, telephone 01454 866506.

agriculture and wildlife.

The spokesperson said: “Regulated storm overflows, which are licensed to operate automatically during or after heavy rainfall to protect properties from flooding, account for less than 1% of the reasons why rivers in the Wessex Water region do not achieve good ecological status."

"We’re investing unprecedented amounts to help improve river and coastal water quality in our region.”

The Environment Agency said the River Frome is not a designated bathing water, and it was not required to monitor bacteriological water quality.

A spokesperson said: “However, the Environment Agency is a partner in the Resilient Frome project, and one of the benefits is expected to be improved water quality in the Bristol Frome.

“We are also aware that Wessex Water has been investigating several combined sewer outflows in the Frampton Cotterell area and looking at potential improvements as part of the periodic water company price review process.”

Mayor Re-elected for Second Year

Councillor Cheryl Kirby was delighted and honoured to be re-elected as Mayor for a further year at Yate Town Council, with Councillor Ben Nutland re-elected as Deputy Mayor.

In her statement Cheryl commented that “Last year was another extraordinary year, but one, where yet again, the people of Yate came together to support, help and encourage their community. All this could not have been achieved without the help and support of our staff and officers at Yate Town Council together with my fellow members.

This year, we have planned so many exciting activities and events for everyone. Our beloved “Yate Rocks” will take place on 24th & 25th June in Kingsgate Park – come along with your families and picnics and enjoy yourselves. Yate Heritage Centre will be holding a number of events and exhibitions, such as International Day on 16th September and Yate Ageing Better will be holding their Festival on 19th July in Yate town centre Also, our newly launched Memory Café will be open on the first Friday of every month at the Pop Inn Café. So, watch our website and social media for details of upcoming events. Come along and we will look forward to seeing you!”

Many happy returns (and singles)

AS your Metro Mayor, there are three things that are constantly on my mind.

The first is the cost-of-living crisis, which is frightening to many of the one million people I proudly represent.

The second is the climate emergency, with the latest research suggesting things are far worse than feared.

The third is, how do we encourage people to voluntarily change their behaviour on an ongoing basis to meet the huge challenges of the modern world?

With these three things in mind, I’m delighted to tell you about a special birthday initiative I’m introducing as your regional mayor.

Starting soon, you’ll be able to ride the buses of the West of England completely free throughout the month of your birthday. This will help your pocket, the planet, and, I hope, see positive change in the way we all travel in future to reduce congestion, pollution and delays.

This innovative offer - which applies to the vast majority of buses running in the West of England, as well as the region’s WESTlink bookable minibuses - begins for lo-

cals with a July birthday and runs 12 months until every resident has had the chance to benefit from their free Birthday Month Bus Pass.

If you’re not a regular bus user, this birthday month of free bus travel is particularly aimed at you. Give it a go - you’ve literally got nothing to lose.

If you are a car user, think how many times you could avoid filling up at a petrol station during the month of your birthday? I hope, with a whole birthday month to try the bus for free, we come to like (even love) bus travel to continue to use it into the future.

Other places in the UK have tried free bus travel for a day, or a weekend, but this is very different. It’s about encouraging lasting behaviour change. Try a whole month - maybe you won’t look back!

This offer is also for you if you’re already a bus user. I hope this birthday bonanza is a boon to you too. A free month to help during the cost-of-living crisis. Plus, you can use it for extra days out too - perhaps to enjoy the amazing attractions and beauty of our fantastic region. You could be better off by one twelfth of the bus costs you shell

out annually. It’s super easy to claim your free Birthday Month Bus Pass – simply go to www.birthdaybus.co.uk. We’ll send you your pass in the post, and you’re away!

People tell me buses are important. That affordable transport is critical. That behaviour change of an ongoing kind is key to overcoming the climate emergency.

This initiative to give free bus travel in the month of your birthday is a UK first. It is innovative and new. It allows our brilliant region to show the rest of the country how to take on the big challenges of our time.

I wish you many happy returns - and singles!

Metro Mayor Dan Norris writes for the Voice

Fundraising flourishes at Woodlands

CHILDREN at Woodlands Primary School in Yate have found a variety of ways to raise money for good causes.

Year 4 pupil Ruby Bell had a 12-inch length of her hair cut in May to raise money for the Little Princess Trust, which makes wigs for children going through cancer treatments.

Head teacher Rachel Dean said: "It was all her own idea. Along with her family and friends, we are so proud of Ruby."

And Year 2 children held a cake sale on the playground, selling cakes they made as part of their design and technology lessons, raising £94 which will go towards providing porridge

to children at Kumi Primary School, Uganda.

Mrs Dean said: "As part of their geography learning, the children compared Yate to Kumi.

"They looked at the similarities and differences, which were brought alive by having photographs sent over from the children and the teachers in Kumi Primary School.

"The staff at Woodlands Primary are very proud of the Year 2 children, and the kind parents who donated both cakes and money to support this event."

Ruby Bell

Rachel Akintola nd River Gardiner

Nursery told to improve by inspector

MANAGERS of a day nursery in Yate say they have resolved issues identified by an Ofsted inspector who said the centre 'requires improvement'.

The inspection said at times the toddler room at Tippytoes Day Nursery, in Firgrove Crescent was “disorganised” and “chaotic”.

People arriving at the nursery passed through the room, causing disruption, which impacted on sleep and rest time, and children’s ability to learn.

The inspection was in March - and managers were told they must make some changes to the toddler room by April 14.

The nursery, which is run by the Just Childcare group, was also told that in order to further improve the quality of the early years provision, managers should ensure staff use available resources to support children with additional needs to play and understand, to promote their best possible outcomes.

And staff must be supported

to “seize every opportunity to extend children's learning”, by building on their emerging interests and ideas during play.

Inspector Michelle Grayling praised staff for using effective interactions to support children's learning.

They used techniques such as asking open questions and narrating alongside children as they play. This helps to develop children's thinking and language skills.

Staff also supported children to develop independence and self-care skills throughout the nursery.

The inspection found partnerships with parents were successful. Staff ask parents

Recruiting Now

The Abbeyfield Gloucestershire Society is an independent living charity which provides sheltered housing for people over the age of 55.

We pride ourselves in making our houses, homes. We can’t do this without a staff team who are willing to go the extra mile for our clients.

Abbeyfield Gloucestershire is always on the lookout for excellent staff.

We have roles for anyone who can provide fresh home cooking for our clients and take a genuine interest in their lives

We are also on the look out for volunteers who can provide IT support, befriending services, activity coordinators, gardening or any special skills you might want to share with our wonderfully curious clients

We have houses in Chipping Sodbury, Cheltenham and Prestbury.

For more information please get in touch with our General Manager, Stacey, on 07368 135 025 or email us on hello@abbeyfieldglos.org.uk

about children when they start. They gain information about family culture so that they can celebrate children's diverse backgrounds.

The arrangements for safeguarding were effective.

There was also praise for the manager, who supported her team well and had effective systems in place to monitor staff practice and support their wellbeing.

The nursery was rated 'good' at its previous inspection in 2017, when it was known as Little Acorns.

Just Childcare operations director Liz Carroll told the Voice that the layout of the nursery had an impact on the rating.

She said: “The inspector raised concerns about disruptions in the toddler room during drop off and collection times.

“We have since implemented a reorganisation of the parentchild collection process to fully address these concerns.

“We are now looking forward to welcoming Ofsted back to our nursery, allowing them to review the improvements we have made.

“We are confident that these positive changes will be reflected in an updated report."

"While we are naturally disappointed by the outcome of the Ofsted inspection, we take pride in the commendations the team at Tippytoes received.

"The report highlighted that children in our nursery feel safe, enjoying their time and forming strong bonds with our staff.

“The team’s well-planned activities, which promote children's development and independence were also recognised."

n RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Easy home-made ice cream

AT long last the better weather seems to be coming.

Hopefully, we're set for a flaming June, or something like it.

So why not please family and friends with a home-made ice cream?

This ice cream is easy to make, with no need for an ice cream maker - and won’t cost anything like you'd pay for Ben and Jerry’s!

It has no extra additives or colourings, just natural ingredients. You can’t say fairer than that.

Plus, having recently given you a couple of more complex recipes with lots of ingredients, this one has only three - and is super quick to make, after allowing freezing time.

So what are you waiting for? Get freezing!

Ann’s honey ice cream

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

568ml (20 fl oz) carton whipping

cream

180g light cream cheese

7 tbsp clear honey

Here’s What You Do

Set freezer to fast freeze.

Place cream in large bowl and whip until it forms soft peaks.

Soften the cheese slightly in the microwave

Slowly whisk into cream

Fold in the honey

Place mixture in a shallow freezerproof container.

Cover and freeze for about 90 mins or until slushy.

Remove from freezer and whisk until smooth.

Cover and return to freezer until solid.

Cook’s Tips

Leave the ice cream out of the freezer and put into the top of the fridge for about half an hour to soften slightly before serving.

This ice cream is a great dessert to follow a spicy main or a curry, as it is creamy but refreshing.

Serve with your favourite seasonal fruits, eg satsumas in winter, pears, plums or blackberries at the end of summer and all sorts of different berries at the height of summer.

Exotic fruits like papaya or pineapple are great after a curry.

Ann Murray founded the Cooking4 Cookery School based in Chipping Sodbury. She’s teamed up with Yate & Sodbury Voice to pass on her wealth of experience in the kitchen.

n YATE HERITAGE CENTRE Romans around Yate

A DISPLAY celebrating the rich Roman archaeology we can boast in our area will be at Yate Heritage Centre from June 6 to July 29.

The display will cover all manner of themes, from road networks to climate change, and will contain some of the best finds from excavations at Hall End Roman site, the premier Roman settlement in South Gloucestershire.

A celebratory display would not have been possible 30 years ago.

In the late 20th century people regarded the Yate area as an archaeological desert, at least for Roman settlements.

Despite a major Roman road passing to the west of the town, there seemed to be little evidence here.

This was all to change. There have now been several sites in the wider Yate area that have yielded significant finds.

Evidence of Roman villas which would have had agricultural estates have emerged at Horton,

Badminton and Lower Woods, Hawkesbury.

At the Lower Woods Lodge site, excavations revealed not only a villa with a mosaic floor, but also an inscription on the mosaic.

The only remaining letters were REG, supposedly the owner of the villa; it is one of fewer than ten inscribed mosaics in the country.

One of the most important Roman discoveries in the South West was made in 2001, when work began on a series of fields near Hall End Farm, Wickwar.

Geophysical survey and excavation revealed a fantastically well-preserved small Roman town with a central road, off of which were buildings and evidence of social life dating from the 2nd until maybe the 5th century AD.

The town, with an estimated 500 or so inhabitants, yielded all manner of local and continental artefacts and coins.

Perhaps more significant was the evidence of building materials such as tiles and lead, and a stretch

of town paving.

Discoveries of Roman settlement have continued to excite archaeologists and demonstrate this area as one with a high population, reflecting the location between Bath, Cirencester and Gloucester.

A further settlement of round houses was discovered north of Chipping Sodbury in 2022. Will there be more to follow in the coming years?

Yate Heritage Centre is part of

Diary dates:

Until June 3: Yate Art Open

June 6-July 29: Romans around Yate

June 27, 7.30pm: Yate Lecture Series, the Bristol Cotton Mill Story with Professor Mike Richardson.

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Yate Town Council. David Hardill

A depiction of Hall End Roman town by Richard Spence

Maria,

a crematorium. Burial or ashes internment. Complete burial service from £1,495.

Children join summit

PUPILS from two Yate schools were among 150 young people who gathered to talk to regional leaders about their future lives.

The students from Yate Academy and Brimsham Green Secondary School joined others from more than 60 secondary schools at Aerospace Bristol in Filton for the West of England Schools Summit, hosted by Metro Mayor Dan Norris, and co-designed with Creative Youth Network.

They were there to learn about the possible careers they might follow in the future and were asked to make their voices heard on key regional issues affecting their lives, with a chance to shape the policy decisions of the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority headed by Mr Norris.

The event included a series of interactive workshops led by regional employers, including a session from Bristol Energy Network on cutting energy use and a test of the engineers and planners of the future using a LEGO model of a city under the shocks and stresses of changing weather conditions.

Ten students were also able to pitch policy ideas to Mr Norris and a panel of business leaders in a live Dragon’s Den-style competition.

Mr Norris said: "They told me their number one issue was the climate and biodiversity emergency we face, but more importantly they also looked for solutions."

Mr Norris said ideas from the young people will directly feed into WECA policy - including an upcoming West of England plan for transport - and said the authority would issue progress reports on how the summit has shaped change.

He said: “This summit was all about asking young people what kind of West of England they want to see - and turning their ideas into reality.”

Maypole tradition

CHILDREN from Iron Acton Primary School danced round the maypole on the village green as part of traditional May Day celebrations. School executive head teacher Mike Riches said: "Children from across the school had been preparing their may pole dances ahead of the event. They did incredibly well!"

yate & sodbury voice n LIBRARY

NEWS

YATE Library is hosting a series of half-term holiday activities for children aged four and over.

A drop-in farmyard fun crafts event takes place on May 30 from 10.30amnoon.

Bookings are required for the 'Party Animals' party on June 1 from 2.30-4pm and the Lego 'Beware of the Bull' challenge on June 2 from 10.3011.30am.

Craft bags are available to take home, while stocks last.

The library is now looking for friendly and enthusiastic volunteers, aged 14 and over, to join the team running the children's Summer Reading Challenge 2023. Ask in the library for more details.

The regular Lego club takes place on June 24 from 10.30-11.30am for 4-10 year olds (booking required).

Reading group ‘Have You Read’, to enjoy tea and a chat with like-minded book lovers, takes place every fourth Friday in the month, from 10.3011.30am.

Craft Group meets on June 3 and 10, from 10am-noon, for tips on knitting, sewing or crochet.

Regular events include Wriggle & Rhyme: rhymes and songs for parents and babies/toddlers to enjoy together on Thursday and Friday, 9.30-10am. Free family-friendly story time, with crafts for preschool children, takes place on Tuesdays from 9.30-10am.

Stay & play Duplo and trains sessions for pre-school children take place every Tuesday and Friday Morning during term time, from 10.30-11.30am.

Computer support with digital champion volunteers is on Saturdays from 10am-noon.

A Vision West of England information, advice and support drop-in takes place on the second Thursday of the month from 10am-noon.

Legal advice from Wards solicitors, 10am-noon, June 1.

For bookings and more information on any event call 01454 868006, speak to a member of staff at the library or email yate.library@southglos.gov.uk.

The library is open Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 10am-5.30pm, Thursday from 10am-5pm and Saturday from 9am-2pm.

Open access (unstaffed) is from 8am-7.30pm every day.

Megan's run raises £500

A YATE runner joined almost 15,000 people to complete the Great Bristol Run, raising more than £500 for her mum’s charity.

Megan Wood praised the atmosphere at the event on May 14, where she ran her first 10K to raise money for Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire.

The charity provides vital advice for anyone who needs it in the region, and demand has soared since the start of the cost-of-living crisis.

Megan’s mother Amanda Wood is marking her 25th year at the charity this year.

Megan was one of five runners who gathered sponsorship for Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire.

Between them they have reached more than £1,750, with time still left to make donations.

The funding will be used to support the charity’s free telephone advice service, which allows those who can't travel to still access advice from anywhere in South Gloucestershire.

Megan, 25, an assistant psychologist, grew up round the corner from the charity's Yate base.

She said: “The run went really well. The first couple of kilometres felt good, though when I

reached the 5km sign I did say ‘really?!’ to myself. ”The last kilometre was definitely the hardest but running past the crowds was a great motivator to get to the finish line.”

“The atmosphere was great and really helped to push you through. There was lots of cheering and support from the crowd, and some great bands and dancers along the way.

“It feels really great to have had so many donations from family, friends and strangers.

“I’m really proud to support such an important local charity and know the money will go such a long way and make a real difference.”

Megan ran with her partner Carrick Livingstone, 25, a civil servant.

To find out more about Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire or support the runners, visit www. southgloscab.org.uk.

Orienteering challenge

YATE will host an orienteering challenge in June.

Organised by the Bristol Orienteering Club (BOK), the urban orienteering event will take place on the evening of June 28.

Orienteering is a competitive sport that involves running (or walking) using a map and compass to navigate your way round a set of controls as quickly as possible, using whatever route suits you. Described as "the ultimate mind and body workout", competitors choose their own route and pace, with beginners using paths and more advanced runners going through challenging terrain.

The Urban Orienteering Series race number 9 will start at the QE2 Playing Fields, on the east side of Kelston Close.

Entries need to be made in advance.

For more information visit www.bristolorienteering.org.uk.

Megan Wood and partner Carrick Livingstone after the race.

n WHAT'S ON

June 3

n CRAFT AND GIFT FAYRE!

Chipping Sodbury Town Hall

Saturday 3rd June 10 am to 4 pm. Local Crafts, Papercraft Supplies, Gifts & Collectables, Cakes, Refreshments and More! Voluntary Entrance fee (20p) to be donated to The Friends of Horton School

Email bythewoodsfayres@ hotmail.com for more info

June 9-18

n CHIPPING SODBURY FESTIVAL, host of events including street fair and carnival on June 17 from 10am-5pm (carnival 3pm approx start) and end of festival celebration in Jubilee Park on June 18 from 2-5pm.

June 12

n BRISTOL BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY Specialist & Rare Variety Competition plus any variety nest feather classes, 7.30pm, Little Stoke Baptist Church, Kingsway, Little Stoke. Visitors welcome without commitment to join. More details from secretary Ron Ramplin at ronnie.ramplin@btinternet.com or 0774 874 0794.

June 12

n FRIENDS OF KINGSGATE PARK AGM, Pop Inn Cafe, West Walk, 7pm. All are welcome to join our friendly group and to hear what is happening in the park. For further information please email friendskingsgatepark@gmail.com.

June 17

n ROCKHAMPTON FOLK AND WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL, from 2pm. Wide variety of music from Scotland to the Balkans and Africa, participation workshops and street art sessions. More information and tickets are available from rockhamptonfolkfest.org.uk.

June 25

n YATE ROCKS…IN THE PARK FESTIVAL, Kingsgate Park, noon8pm. Featuring a range of different music from local acts, bands and dance groups. Rides for children, inflatables, sideshows, arts and crafts.

June 26

n PRAISE IN THE PARK AND GREAT CHOIR SHOWCASE, Kingsgate Park, 10.30am-4.30pm. Outdoor church service 10.30am-noon, choir singalong from 12.15-4.30pm featuring local choirs including Raysfield School, Fascinating Rhythm, Bristol Show Choir and the Rock Choir.

June 30

n MASH IN THE MEADOWS outdoor festival for Acton Aid, Iron Acton Parish Meadows. Gates open 6pm. Mix of rock and pop music, led by Queen tribute band Flash and 10-piece funk band Joey the Lips. Tickets in advance only. More details at www.actonaid.org.uk.

July 1

n MUSIC IN THE MEADOWS WITH RUSSELL WATSON & GUESTS, Iron Acton Parish Meadows. Gates open 6pm. UK’s best selling classical artist with the Bristol Millennium Orchestra. Tickets in advance only. More details at www. actonaid.org.uk.

REGULAR EVENTS:

Monday

n YATE & SODBURY ART & CRAFT CLUB meets every Monday, 7-9 pm at Ridgewood Community Centre. Painting, drawing, collage and many other crafts in a friendly informal setting. £5 per session. More information at yateandsodburyartsociety.weebly.com or call Roz on 07941 946412.

n GENTLE YOGA-IN WITH NAZAMA Weekly yoga class 9.30am. Easy to follow gentle yoga, ideal for back pain relief and joint issues. A slowerpaced, mindful and lighter yoga in Chipping Sodbury with experienced teacher. Beginners Welcomed. Sodbury Masonic Hall, 1 Hatters Lane, Chipping Sodbury. From £6.00. Book online www.yoga-in.co.uk or call 07804598353

n FLOW-IN YOGA WITH NAZAMA Weekly yoga classes 6.15pm & 7.45pm in Chipping Sodbury. Become more flexible, worry less and sleep better with an easy to follow flowing yoga. Book online www.yoga-in.co.uk or call 07804598353

n YATE & DISTRICT BOWLING CLUB in Moorland Road meets every Monday evening from May to mid-September from 5.30pm for club practice night. Home and away friendly matches, also ladies and men's leagues run throughout the summer season. Call 01454 882230 for more information.

Tuesday

n YATE POETRY GROUP meets every Tuesday morning. Small, informal and friendly group to share and enjoy poems. For details and to learn more about the venue, contact Tony on 0770 4140682 or

email yatepoetrygroup@gmail.com.

n SUNRIDGE GOLF CROQUET CLUB meets on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in Coalpit Heath and has players at all levels. Learn how to play, club equipment is available to use. To find out more contact croquet@wilko.eclipse. co.uk or call 07977 201440.

n SOUTH COTSWOLD PROBUS GROUP meet every 2nd Tuesday of the month at Masonic Hall Sodbury, 10am. Contact Pete Chaplin for details. 01454 324956.

n YATE & SODBURY ART & CRAFT CLUB (POTTERY SECTION) meets every Tuesday and Wednesday, 7.30-9.30 pm at Ridgewood Community Centre. Tuition available. £5 per session. More information at yateandsodburyartsociety.weebly.com or call Roz on 07941 946412.

n YATE CHORAL SOCIETY rehearses at St. Nicholas' Church Centre, Chargrove, Yate, 7.30 - 9.30 p.m. For details call 07833 597114

n PUCKLECHURCH FOLK DANCING CLUB, Pucklechurch Community Hall, Abson Road, every other Tuesday from 7.3010.15pm. All welcome, with a partner or solo. Call Alan on 07812 508396 or Linda on 07843 240414 f.

Wednesday

n LINE DANCE CLASSES AT RIDGEWOOD COMMUNITY CENTRE, Wednesdays 9.30am to 12. Cost £5 No partner needed. A fun way to keep fit, reduce stress, improve memory and make new life long friends. Contact Gill 07837 784816, or FB gill.butler.90

n GENTLE YOGA-IN WITH NAZAMA Weekly yoga class 9.30am (term time). Easy to follow gentle yoga, ideal for back pain relief and joint issues. Book online www.yoga-in.co.uk or call 07804598353

n CRAFT MORNING, St Mary's Church, Yate, 10am-midday. Bring a project, get help learning something new or just come to sit and chat, enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit. Small donation requested to support church heating.

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

WE WOULD LOVE TO PUBLICISE YOUR EVENT

Send details of your events and activities in the following format: WHAT IT IS WHERE IT IS WHEN IT IS in no more than 40 words. Send by email, with 'what's on' as the subject, to contact@ yateandsodburyvoice.co.uk

Thursday

n GOLDEN OLDIES SING & SMILE SESSIONS, Cambrian Green Court, Wellington Road, every third Thursday from 10.3011.30am. Sing along to hits of the 50s onwards, chat and laugh with friends. £3 donation to attend. Call 01761 470006 for more details.

n COELIAC UK LOCAL CAFÉ MEET UP occurs every third Thursday of the month, 10-11.30am, at Iron Acton Garden Centre cafe. Join us to share experiences of living gluten free. For further info contact volunteering@coeliac.org.uk.

n YOGA-IN WITH NAZAMA Weekly Flow-in Yoga 6.15pm & Calm-in Yoga 7.45pm in Chipping Sodbury. Become more flexible, worry less and sleep better with an easy to follow yoga. Beginners Welcomed. Chipping Sodbury Sports Centre. From £6.00. Book online www.yoga-in.co.uk or call 07804598353

n BRISTOL MALE VOICE CHOIR Always been keen to sing? Come along to our rehearsal nights, 7pm - 9.15pm on Thursdays in St Andrew's Church, Elm Park, Filton, BS34 7PS. No need to read music, no audition, just a voice test to establish whether you are tenor, baritone of bass. We cover many musical styles, enjoy singing in a great social vibe as we prepare for our regular concerts in local and national venues. From the Beatles to Mozart, from classical choruses to classic pop. Ffi : www. bristolmvc.org.uk ; facebook; or contact Steve: secretary@ bristolmvc.org.uk;or ring 07776447699; or 07587143

Sunday

n TEAS ON SUNDAY at Old Sodbury Church, 2.30-4.30pm, every Sunday and bank holiday Monday until August.

Yate Community Bike Hub

YATE Community Bike Hub’s Bank Holiday Coronation ride ended appropriately enough at Kingsgate Park.

Even though the weather ran true to form for a bank holiday Monday, nevertheless some 40 or so participants joined in the celebrations of this unique event.

A selection of the participants are shown at an appropriately respectful distance behind the new park feature, a large fallen tree trunk which has just been sculpted by Andy O’Neill.

Before ending up at Kingsgate Park, Rebecca Bennett, third from the left in the photo, had led the group on a 14km tour around Yate, passing places with links to the monarchy, including Windsor Drive, Mountbatten Close, Cornwall Crescent, Kingscote, and both Charles Court and Charles Road.

Of course, Yate already has its own statuesque carving, by the same local artist, of the King of Yate, which is topped with the crowned head of King Edmund to commemorate Yate’s origin as the gateway into what was once the King’s wood.

Once in the park, the riders were able to partake in the appetising food which had been provided from one of the King’s Coronation

Awards for such joyful celebratory activities.

The Community Hub, which is exists to promote cycling in Yate and district, and has a particular emphasis on giving bikes to local refugees and families in need, has just received encouraging news about their tenure of 12 South Walk in Yate Shopping Centre.

The centre management have just agreed the terms of a two-year lease, which removes the need for a relocation every three months - the practice for the first 12 months of their

occupancy of vacant shop units. This allows the Hub Management Team to now pay serious attention to establishing the layout of the unit, which has gone from strength to strength, turning over an average of more than 120 donated bikes from each of the four different locations to which they were kindly granted free access to by the shopping centre management.

You can follow the Hub’s activities by contacting Yatecommunitybikehub@gmail.com.

Bob Keen

Yate Community Bike Hub supporters at Kingsgate Park's new sculpture at the end of their ride.

A new beginning for Yate Choral Society

YATE Choral Society gave their annual charity concert in St Mary’s Church on May 13.

However, this was not a normal concert, as it was the first public performance for the choir since the unexpected death of their conductor of 50 years, Geoff Wickham.

One of our own very talented members, Carol Cook, stepped up into the role of conductor and musical guide for the choir, and brought us up to the high standard that was seen in this concert.

The concert, A Spring Serenade, started in our traditional way of singing choral pieces, such as a chorus from Handel’s Messiah, and Come Gentle Spring by Haydn.

After a few more of the lighter classical

pieces, we moved onto two spiritual pieces, Steal Away to Jesus and Swing Low Sweet Chariot woven together, followed by pieces from the musicals and culminating in Morecambe and Wise’s Bring me Sunshine.

This programme was also interspersed with two sessions of brass band music from our guest performers, Oldland Brass, who gave us a rousing performance.

Not content with this wonderful selection of music, the programme also included a solo by Sian Walters, singing Handel’s Where Ere You Walk and one from Carol herself, an amusing piece from the musical Kiss Me Kate, called I Hate Men.

The concert also included a monologue, Albert and the Privy beautifully delivered with northern accent and comic timing by Jan Hazelby.

It was rounded off by two verses of the National Anthem, accompanied by the brass band, with the first verse sung in harmony by the choir and the audience joining in, having been given the words for both verses.

The concert was very well-received by our audience, who congratulated Carol for achieving great success after taking on such a difficult task and showered complements on the singing of the choir and the soloists.

The evening was seen as a wonderful display of music and singing and seemed to have been enjoyed by all who were there.

This year our charity, chosen by Geoff Wickham’s daughters, is Save the Children. There was a bucket collection during the concert and a total of £467 was collected - that, along with the profit from the concert, means that we can present Save the Children with £847.

Michael Stephenson

Carol Cook

Chipping Sodbury WI

WHAT a sensational day May 6 was, despite the weather not being the best.

The King may have held a Coronation concert but our WI had a wonderful afternoon tea, with plenty of delicious food, a quiz and Union Jacks fluttering.

Our small walking group went to Ridge Woods, then followed the River Frome to Sodbury. Unfortunately, phone communication went slightly awry, with The Squire and Esquires venue getting confused, but the gentle walk and refreshment was enjoyed by those who made it.

The WI is supporting the Great Big Green Week, a celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature, on June 10 to 18, and will arrange a litter pick. This carries on from a very interesting talk in April from a local ecologist on the very same subject - every little thing we do can help to make a difference.

Our skittles team played a friendly match against Hawkesbury Upton and won - a couple of ladies even knocked down all nine pins! The Avon Federation will hold its annual WI quiz at Chipping Sodbury Town Hall, a fiercelycontested event - we have two teams entered.

Apart from our regular meeting in May, we also held a coffee morning.

Our June meeting on the 20th will be about Bristol Beacon: The Fall and Rise of the Colston Hall.

If you would like to join us, we meet on the third Tuesday of the month at 10am in the Masonic Hall, Hatters Lane. Parking is available: we would love to welcome you.

Call 07809 534 107 if you would like to find out more.

Sue Bird

Coeliac UK Local Café Meet Up

DO you have coeliac disease? Do you need to live gluten-free? Do you know someone who does? If you have answered yes to any of these

questions, then why not pop along to a new Coeliac UK Local Café Meet Up?

Our first meeting occurred in April at Iron Acton Garden Centre Cafe and was attended by 27 people. The cafe had kindly reserved us tables in a specific area of the café which meant we could talk and mingle easily.

After purchasing a cuppa and a gorgeous slice of gluten free cake, there was a good deal of talking to be heard – sharing tips, discussing supermarket gluten free products and prices, and comparing life experiences of having coeliac disease or needing to live gluten-free for other reasons.

The next meeting will be on Thursday June 15, from 10-11.30am at Iron Acton Garden Centre café. Just pop in for a chat any time.

All future meetings will be on the third Thursday of the month at the same time and venue.

The Coeliac UK volunteer host looks forward to meeting previous attendees again and welcoming new people. Everyone is welcome. For further information email volunteering@ coeliac.org.uk.

Coeliac UK is a charity for people who need to live without gluten – the website can be found at www.coeliac.org.uk.

Sodbury Vale Quilters

the challenge in their own way.

The rest was left to our imagination and these miniature masterpieces ranged from a single strawberry to a whole tree laden with oranges.

It was a fitting end to a busy year, when we had had interesting speakers and workshops introducing us to techniques we possibly hadn’t tried before.

A whole range of subjects are set to be covered at future meetings and if you’d like to come along we meet at 7.30 pm in the Watkins Room in the Old Grammar School, Chipping Sodbury (behind the Library) on the third Wednesday of the month.

At our meeting on June 21 we will be making small items (pin cushions, needle cases, for example) for the Quilters’ Guild Tombola at the Festival of Quilts at the NEC in August.

For more details contact Gillian on 01454 854735.

Chris Gough

Yate WI

IN May we held our own indoor street party for King Charles III's Coronation, due to the poor weather.

We have a visitor talking about Guide Dogs in June.

Yate WI meet on the second Monday of the month at 7pm for 7.30pm start at Poole Court in Yate. Our Committee works hard to ensure that we have a variety of activities from Speakers to quizzes, games and demonstrations.

We always enjoy a hot drink, biscuits and chit chat. We meet in a small cosy room which means no-one is left out, Making friends is our aim.

We also meet in smaller groups for craft, coffee mornings, supper club and, when the weather improves, for local walks.

If you would like to join us, you will be assured of a warm welcome.

THE Chair’s Challenge to Sodbury Vale Quilters comes around annually, and members assembled for the big reveal at our AGM in April. We were to make a fruit-themed 12in quilt; not a competition – just everyone interpreting

For more information email us at yatewiavon@gmail.com, or just come along to our next meeting at Poole Court.

Sharon Bower

Chipping Sodbury Rotary

ON June 25 we will be staging our major fundraising event of the year, the annual Classic Vehicle Run.

Entrants will line up in Chipping Sodbury High Street for a start at 8.30am, and return to the Ridings by Chipping Sodbury Rugby club from about 1pm onwards.

As always, members of the public are encouraged to come along and see the eyecatching vehicles of all ages and sizes on display.

The Rock Choir will be entertaining all present at the Ridings from 1pm.

Entries are still open. For further information please e-mail rotary.classic.run@hotmail.co.uk or phone 01454 311712.

On May 7, several members of the club and the Inner Wheel joined the Sodbury and Yate Clean Up Group to spend an hour clearing up litter, shopping trolleys, car wheel covers etc in the area near Yate Shopping Centre.

As can be seen from the picture, it's astonishing that so much discarded litter can be collected by 20 or so volunteers in such a short period of time. The group usually meets on the first Sunday of each month in an area of Yate or Chipping Sodbury.

The final tea dance of the season was held in Chipping Sodbury Town Hall on May 4.

Once more, the dance floor was full, with some 90 attendees enjoying an afternoon of singing and dancing.

The ladies of the Inner Wheel Club provided delicious home-made cake and gave the hall a coronation theme.

Thanks to the generosity of attendees, over £1,200 has been donated, all of which will be recommended to go to dementia-related causes. A new season of dances is planned from October.

Our annual charity golf day was held on May 12 at Chipping Sodbury Golf Club, with 16 teams of four and 11 sponsors. The profit from the event was over £2,000, a sum that will be shared equally between the Jessie May Children's Hospice and Rotary support efforts in Ukraine.

The winning team was JP Fannon Estates.

Stuart Fraser

Chipping Sodbury Inner Wheel Club

UNUSUALLY, the club has had social meetings in two consecutive months. Our April meeting has always involved some sort of 'birthday' celebration, as this is the month when the club was founded.

This year we visited The Old Bank Hotel in Chipping Sodbury, for cocktails and a buffet supper - both of which were delicious! It was a convivial, friendly evening much enjoyed by those who attended.

Next year will see the club's 40th anniversary

so we are already planning something special. (Our oldest member - in her mid 90s - liked the idea of a weekend in Paris!)

Our May meeting had to be rearranged at short notice when we were let down by a speaker, so instead it was organised 'in house' with a royal theme.

Members got together for a cream tea and cake (beautifully made and served by members Annie and Sheena) followed by a quiz (with an unusual Royal theme - thank you Liz L)

The winning team are pictured below with their prizes.

Inner Wheel members have also helped once again at the Tea Dance organised by Rotary. Some of us also help out at the Memory Cafe held in the Baptist Church, where once again we enjoy a chat or playing cards or doing quizzes with the cafe's 'customers'.

You can contact us at chippingsodbury@ innerwheeldistrict10.co.uk

Liz Pattison

Yate & Sodbury District u3a

ATTENTION all artists! Looking to join a friendly and supportive art group?

We are a group of people who like to paint and draw in a relaxed and non-competitive environment. While we don't offer formal lessons, our members are always happy to lend a helping hand to anyone who needs it.

Each week we all bring along a piece of art we are working on to show to others, and to get tips and ideas on how to improve.

We welcome all levels of ability and our meetings provide the opportunity for members to do some art, circulate and chat.

We encourage potential new members to come along to a 'taster' session.

Annual membership is just £8 a year. You can visit any one of our groups or attend our monthly speaker meeting twice to experience the u3a for yourself before joining as a member.

For more exciting u3a groups, from garden visits to indoor kurling, visit our website at u3asites.org.uk/yate-sodbury/welcome

Pauline Mullholland

Yate-Genieri Community Link

OUR communities have been linked in friendship over many years, and ‘The Link’ proved literally to be a lifeline during the pandemic years, providing the village with a monthly truckload of rice distributed fairly by the Alkalo (headman of the village).

Modernisation is gradually being extended to the rural areas away from the capital Banjul, and we have been able to send enough money to allow an electricity connection to the Primary Healthcare Centre.

The power consumption will be small - just for internal lights, an external security light and power sockets for a computer and mobile phone charging. We have allowed for an extra socket for the inclusion of a refrigerator at sometime in the future, but this is not currently a necessity. The monthly costs will be covered by a small increment to the very low charges made for treatments and medicines dispensed, so the Primary Healthcare Centre will continue to be self-sustaining.

Any help with any of our projects in the village of Genieri is always welcome!

Find out more at www.yategenierilink.org.uk.

Marian Gilpin

The joint litter pick with Inner Wheel and the Sodbury and Yate Clean Up Group.

The winning royal quiz team

n LOCAL MP

Soft plastic recycling scheme expands

I AM delighted that every house in South Gloucestershire will soon be able to have their softplastic recycling waste collected at the kerbside, following our successful campaign.

Thousands of homes across Chipping Sodbury are already part of the trial, which is seeing items such as plastic bags, cling film, bread bags and crisp packets collected, along with the other weekly recycling collections.

More than 1,000 bags of material are being collected from residents in Chipping Sodbury and other local villages every week, reducing the amount sent to landfill.

This initial success has helped us make the case that

houses in Wickwar, Old Sodbury, Hawkesbury Upton, Badminton, Acton Turville, Horton, Little Sodbury, Yate and the remaining houses in Chipping Sodbury should also have their soft plastic collected, along with the other recycling, every week.

The national trial is helping to inform the Government and industry how soft plastic waste can be added to existing household recycling collection services, with plans to introduce consistent collections for all households in England in 2027.

Too many residents in our community have found it difficult to access soft plastic recycling, so when the opportunity came along, we submitted a bid to the Government which centred

around South Gloucestershire’s impressive record for recycling rates, and the region’s mix of urban areas and rural villages, which will be perfect for softplastic recycling.

We launched a community petition, and I held a debate in Parliament, pressing the need for our community to be part of the scheme. I also met with the Minister for Nature Recovery and the Domestic Environment to hammer home the point that there is strong local demand for soft plastic recycling.

I am grateful to everyone who supported our campaign to make this happen; by signing my petition, supporting the debate in Parliament, and backing the application from the local

council.

Delivering soft-plastic recycling is a key part of our positive plan for the Environment in South Gloucestershire.

It will help boost our local recycling rate, and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

I am determined to see through a full roll-out of this scheme to every house in South Gloucestershire.

Luke Hall MP writes for Yate & Sodbury Voice

Trophy haul for Sodbury martial arts team

A MARTIAL arts team from Chipping Sodbury is celebrating after its members won gold, silver and bronze trophies at a national competition.

Several students from Chipping Sodbury Tang Soo Do, which trains at the sports centre in Bowling Road every Tuesday and Thursday, took part in the World Tang Soo Do Association National Championship in Nottingham in April.

They returned with medals for patterns and sparring in junior and adult categories, and several students have also been promoted to higher ranks after successfully grading.

Instructor Tim Butcher said: “I’m proud of our members and their dedication.

“While it’s lovely to win medals and earn a promotion, it’s more important to follow the tenets of the art. This includes integrity and perseverance – which they have shown.”

Tim, 50, is a 5th Dan who started training at the age of seven when his neighbour brought him along to a class.

He first competed in the World Championships at the age of 16, started teaching at 17 and retired from competitions as a World Champion.

World champion student Becky Sheppard said: “The club is massively family-orientated and a very supportive group, with everyone

working to help each other improve.”

Tim, a self-employed painter and decorator, said several siblings and children and parents train together.

He said: “It’s a fun activity to do together and many families have spoken about how it’s strengthened their bond.”

Tang Soo Do is one of the oldest martial arts systems and promotes self-defence, physical and spiritual health and all-round personal development.

Martial arts film star Chuck Norris is a student of the art and displayed his prowess in films such as the classic 1970s film The

MESSAGE FROM AVON & SOMERSET PCC

Stand with us against knife crime

IN May I attended the first ever Avon and Somerset Police Outstanding Policing Awards, a remarkable opportunity to honour the outstanding achievements of the men and women who dedicate their lives to keeping our communities safe.

May also marked the start of Operation Sceptre, a national targeted initiative to reduce knife-related violence, increase public safety and engage communities in the fight against knife crime.

Proactively tackling knife crime is central to my police and crime plan, and I would encourage people to safely discard any weapons or knives they may carry in the ‘weapons surrender bins’ installed by Avon and Somerset Police.

The bins are in areas where we know they are needed, and offer people a safe and anonymous way of getting rid of a weapon. If you know someone who carries a weapon, please encourage them to surrender it. You can find your nearest bin in the crime prevention advice section of the police website.

Avon and Somerset Police and partners already carry out a large range of activities to raise awareness of and combat knife crime, and the Violence Reduction Units’ work is at the heart of this, delivering talks to young people in schools, running Blunt Truth workshops in partnership with the NHS and hosting pop-up information stands.

While we have seen a reduction in street-based knife crime across Avon and Somerset, more still needs to be done to ensure people feel safe in their communities. Let’s raise awareness, educate, and stand against knife crime.

As the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners’ national fraud lead, I also welcome the publication of the government’s long-awaited strategy, setting out how it plans to tackle fraud and bring more offenders to justice.

This strategy, and the accompanying Economic Crime Plan, is an important step forward. I fully support the Government’s three-pillar approach to stop, block, pursue, and

Way of the Dragon, with Bruce Lee.

Tang Soo Do is the same style taught by Kreese's captain in Vietnam in the Cobra Kai series, a sequel to the 1980s Karate Kid films.

Students of Tang Soo Do have credited it with developing focus, clarity, greater flexibility and strength.

Classes take place at Chipping Sodbury School Sports Centre in Bowling Road with children and adult classes on both Tuesday and Thursday, starting at 7pm and 8.15pm respectively. For more information, contact Tim on 07758 877381 or visit the group's Facebook page.

to educate the public.

I have been able to have a direct impact on two important areas within the strategy, which will ensure there is national central coordination of prevention and awareness messaging, and ensure banks are delaying and doing extra due diligence checks on large BACS payments out of accounts that could be fraudulent.

However, the strategy does not recognise some fundamental challenges, including the highly complex landscape of investigating fraud, which needs to be fully supported.

I am calling for more to be done to recognise this crime’s significant impact and harm on victims. Fraud can leave lasting mental and physical trauma, with some victims taking their own lives.

Finally, I am pleased to say that the Commissioner’s Crime Prevention Fund grant has opened for applications.

This grant, set up by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner in partnership with Somerset

With Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford

Community Foundation and Quartet Community Foundation, aims to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour through community projects and activities.

Community groups previously awarded this grant have delivered some fantastic crime-reducing initiatives and activities.

I implore local organisations to apply for this worthwhile funding, to reduce anti-social behaviour and make our communities safe.

The Chipping Sodbury Tang Soo Do team with their trophies.

n SPORT

Ros and Walter win rain-soaked Badminton at a Canter

ROS Canter defied conditions to take her first Badminton Horse Trials title with a huge 15-penalty advantage aboard Lordships Graffalo.

Leading from start to finish, Ros carried a dressage score of 22.1 into the demanding crosscountry phase, where heavy rain made the going testing and led to just 30 horse and rider combinations completing the course out of 58 who had set out to tackle it.

No-one got round within the optimum time but former world eventing champion Ros and her 11-year-old bay gelding, known as Walter, were the second quickest and earned praise for their seemingly effortless performance.

They then went clear in the final day’s showjumping phase, accruing just 1.6 time penalties to finish on a final score of 35.3.

They were way ahead of runner-up Oliver Townend and his Olympic team gold medallist Ballaghmor Class, and thirdplaced Irish Olympian Austin O’Connor on Colorado Blue.

Double Olympic medallist Tom McEwen, from Gloucestershire, was fourth on Toledo De Kerser, Tom Jackson

took fifth position with Capels Hollow Drift and Gemma Stevens was sixth with Jalapeno.

Ros also rode her second horse, Pencos Crown Jewel, into ninth place.

She said: "Walter is an amazing horse - it’s a privilege to have him in our lives.

"The cross-country was a serious question but he’s really light on his feet and so honest.

"This was one of the most challenging riding weeks I’ve ever had but to win at Badminton is just what dreams are made of."

The international, presented

by Mars Equestrian, had accepted 64 starters but six withdrew before the feature cross-country phase.

Top 16 finishers included past Badminton winners Pippa Funnell (Majas Hope) and William Fox-Pitt (Grafennacht), as well as South Gloucestershire former Team GB rider Harry Meade (Away Cruising).

Harry, of West Littleton, near Tormarton, said: "This is a really special moment. I tried to ride him sensibly from the start on the cross-country because of the conditions and we got home."

But Bristol’s Alexander Whewell and North Somerset’s Selina Milnes were among 11 who retired on the cross-country course.

A further 17 eliminations included Oliver Townend, on his other horse Swallow Springs, who was pulled up by the officiating ground jury and given a warning for dangerous riding.

Lynne Hutchinson

Badminton Horse Trials winners Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo at the Mars Equestrian Sustainability Bay cross-country fence. Picture: Copyright Badminton Horse Trials Ltd

Ros Canter on Lordships Graffalo is congratulated by spectators.

Picture Copyright Badminton Horse Trials Ltd.

n SPORT

Damp start to season for Chipping Sodbury

WET weather led to a damp start to the season for Chipping Sodbury’s cricketers - but early highlights included a century for Adam Febry in a tremendous 3rd team victory away to Bedminster.

Mason Poole’s burst of 5 for 17 – which included hitting the stumps all five times –inspired a memorable 2nd team home win against Woodmancote.

The first XI, settling back into life in the West of England Premier League, have two home matches in June, against Gloucester on June 10 and Bourton Vale on June 24.

Their home fixture against Tewkesbury on May 6 was cancelled because of the weather, although the Sunday First XI were able to play the following day, beating Cam by 32 runs. A 71-run defeat away to Dumbleton on May 13 for the First XI was followed by a 35-run win at Cirencester the following weekend.

The Twenty20 side won their first match, against Downend, by six wickets.

The 2nd XI, who play in the Gloucestershire County League, host Churchdown on June 3 and Frocester 3rds on June 17.

The club’s women’s and girls section has been boosted by a sponsorship deal with high speed broadband provider Truespeed.

AERIAL SERVICES

The agreement has enabled Sodbury to purchase a starter kit bag, featuring bats, pads and gloves, which will help encourage more female players to take up the sport without having to worry about purchasing costly items.

Sodbury chairman Jim Kendall said: ”We’re very grateful for the help of Truespeed. Their contribution will make a big difference to our women and girls section which is looking to grow and push forward in the coming months.”

Matt Gerrard, brand engagement manager at Truespeed, said: "Sponsoring a

AERIAL SERVICES

Chipping

Sodbury Cricket Club's women’s and girls section has been boosted by a sponsorship deal from broadband provider Truespeed.

local community club like Chipping Sodbury that provides so much to the local area is very important to us as a company.

“To be able to support a quickly-growing women’s team this season is something we are proud to be involved with."

Sodbury Women have a host of home fixtures to look forward to, including facing Winterbourne (June 4), Cam (June 11), OB Westbury (June 18), Twyford House (June 25) and Brislington (June 30).

Senior practice takes place on Thursdays at 6pm: players of all ages and abilities are welcome. Steve Hill

The Heathers Nursing Home

Our aim is to give a high standard of nursing and personal care in a traditional, homely and friendly environment. The Heathers is a home of great character and charm. The interior architecture, with many of its original features, gives a perfect setting for the home comforts we aim to provide.

The Heathers Nursing Home is a privately owned, Grade 2 Listed Georgian manor house, situated within walking distance of the town centres of Chipping Sodbury, and Yate.

First Class Facilities and Support

• A history of providing 24 hour, high quality care in South Gloucestershire

• Each resident is unique to us and treated as such

• The home is small and family run, offering a highly personalised service

• Exceptional standards of cleanliness and hygiene

• Respite, residential care and day care available

• Special diets catered for by our expert Chefs

Get in touch and speak with our team, or arrange a viewing to see our facilities for yourself.

Aneesh – Registered Manager

• Julie – General Manager

www.3abcare.co.uk