from left: Adam Tutton, Dr Mike Peirce, Tom Lockyer, Helen Godwin and Tom Gorridge
SOUTHMEAD’S FANS AT THE GAS! By Cllr Helen Godwin COUNCILLOR FOR SOUTHMEAD
At the Southmead Project we were delighted to hear that Bristol Rovers has chosen us as one of two official charities for the 2018/19 season.
which means the very survival of the organisation can at times be uncertain. To have the support of local organisations is vital and the support of Rovers is a real boost.
This is huge news for the charity in so many ways. Southmead is Rovers Since 2016, I have been a trustee of the territory and we know that lots of charity, as well as one of the residents and fans would be delighted Southmead Councillors, and I have to see Mike Peirce’s amazing work seen how many people the charity recognised by our local football club. supports and the positive impact it has . . . cont on back page and includes on so many lives. And yet there is little funding for the work of the Project * FREE match tickets prize draw
for Saturday 9th February *
POETRY IN MOTION Full story on page 3
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POETRY IN MOTION, AND IN PRINT! from left: Kit, Pam, Kath, Sue, Susan and Brian: the Southmead Creative Writers
this with others. As the name of this book (our first publication) says, our group members do indeed have ‘a There’s nothing better than snuggling way with words’, even though for up with a good book and a cup of tea most they had never written before. as the chilly weather descends upon In our weekly workshops we share us. Apart from said book being what we have written – encouraging penned by members of Southmead each other to use individual Creative Writers’ Group that is! experiences whilst valuing the Southmead Creative Writers’ Group friendship of group members. If you started meeting a year ago, after would like to come and join us, you local resident Kath Horseman was would be most welcome. We meet keen to reignite the joy she’d found every Tuesday, 10.30am-12pm at the through being a member of a similar Greenway Centre”. group ‘back in the day’. Other ‘A Way With Words’ is available to Meaders had a similar passion for purchase for £5 from the reception creative writing and, with a bit of desk at the Greenway Centre. All support from Southmead (small) profits will go to Southmead Development Trust to find some Creative Writers’ group. Get your funding, Southmead Creative Writers’ copy today before they’re all snapped Group was formed. And now they up! are in print! For further details about the Kath said, “‘I set up Southmead Southmead Creative Writers’ Group, Creative Writers’ Group in February please contact Kath Horseman on 2018. As someone who has tel: 0117 950 0587. experienced the value of being part of a writers’ group, I wanted to share
By Colette Brown
SOUTHMEAD DEVELOPMENT TRUST
BECOME A COMMUNITY JOURNALIST Come and learn journalism skills and write for your local newsletter during six sessions (monthly) run by an experienced journalist. You will learn how to write news, features and opinion pieces, as well as interview skills and how to sniff out a good story in your community. Begins: Thursday 7th March 5:00 - 6.30 pm at the Greenway Centre Please contact The Mead (details on back page) to find out more and to add your name to the list. Places are limited. The course is a partnership between Knowle West Media Centre, The Mead and the Southmead Development Trust. It’s FREE and we welcome small donations to The Mead and The Knowledge (Knowle West’s local newsletter).
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YOUNG CAMPAIGNERS AT ORCHARD FROM ORCHARD SCHOOL BRISTOL Some of the most serious issues facing society are the focus of an exciting campaign project for Year 9s at Orchard School. The entire year group has been working towards producing a professional campaign and film for the best teams. The project – Sharp Shotz - is a year long initiative run by the Bristol based charity – IDEAL, in partnership with the University of the West of England and the BBC. This year the project will be engaging with the Mayor’s City Leadership Programme and UNESCO Bristol City of Film, who will be part of the judging on the finale day in July. Members of Unique Voice, another familiar local charity, have been visiting In the summer, the best campaigns the school to help students in day-long from each school will be produced, filmed then presented back to their workshops. peers in special assemblies. The project asks students, in small The launch of Sharp Shotz saw students groups, to come up with an idea for a form small groups with the initial idea campaign then research, create and deliver it. It is also being run in parallel of identifying the theme and creating branding and a logo. Orchard students at City Academy in Bristol and as the year goes on, the strongest campaigns have been exploring a diverse range of topics, from gang culture to funding in in each school will progress to the schools. finals day.
Orchard School partnerships Manager Helen Howard said: “It has been a real pleasure seeing the students begin with just a small idea then build on that, research the issue and think up ideas for the campaign. It is clear even in the early days that the standard will be high and competition to make the final stages will be fierce. It has also been a good example of students working in collaboration with each other.”
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LEARNING FUN AT LOCAL SCHOOLS IT’S PLAY-CLIMB AT FONTHILL! FROM FONTHILL SCHOOL At the end of last year a brand new state of the art playground was installed at Fonthill Primary Academy, Ascot Road. Mrs Absalom, the Headteacher, agreed to spend the money for the spectacular structure. It was built to improve children’s balance, agility and coordination. The School Council (made up from two children from each Key Stage 2 class) made an important decision in deciding the best design from a choice of three. All the children in KS2 voted for the best one. The winning playground won protection, but it was worth it as the new playground is amazing. by eighty-five votes. The company who installed it are called Miss Pestell, a Fonthill teacher, commented, “I wish I was back in KS2 Playforce. It was anticipated it would so I could go on it!”. Nathan take two weeks but it took longer as Steadman, a Y4 pupil, exclaimed, they needed to add another layer of
“When I’m on the climbing frame, I feel like a spider.” Fonthill now has excellent play facilities and Mrs Absalom expressed that she is relieved that the playground has finally been built.
MATHS MANIA AT BADOCK’S WOOD E-ACT ACADEMY angles, symmetry and co-ordinates and to be well behind them. The whole finished by creating their own school will be involved in Science, Art As a parent Ambassador, when I was Kandinsky inspired pieces. and IT days this year, and I look first invited into Badock’s Wood E - ACT forward to seeing the work the The very youngest children had the Academy to see a Maths Mania day I children produce. If you are looking for wasn’t really sure what I was going to. tape measures out, measuring nursery places from age 3 or a space anything that would stay still, and as I Both my children love maths so the headed up the school each class was a for an older child and want to see for thought of a Maths Mania day in the yourself, contact the school on school was very exciting, and had been hive of activity producing fantastic, detailed and accurate work. Maths and tel 0117 903 0050. talked about a lot in the days before. art, team work and communication When I arrived in the hall for the skills all coming together for a assembly that would start the day, I great days learning. With an didn’t expect to see pieces of art assembly the next week displayed on the screen, and I where everyone showed wondered how this was all going to link the work they had done together. It soon became clear. Wassily and the art they had Kandinsky, a Russian artist, used created, Maths Mania shapes, lines and colours to create his seems to me to have abstract art, I was fascinated to hear been a great success. what the children felt about his paintings, and they confidently shared Last year Badock’s Wood had some of their thoughts and ideas with me. the best SATS Results Creativity and maths being linked make in the area, and now sense to me and after a brief with leadership from introduction the children went E-ACT, one of Bristol’s excitedly back to their classrooms. Over strongest academy chains, the day the children explored shapes, the challenges of the past seem
FROM BWEA AMBASSADORS
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HELP US GATE IN! By Anthea Mustard INCLUSION SOUTHMEAD
Inclusion Southmead has long worked to get access to the entrances of Doncaster Road Park for All. Motability scooters, wheelchairs and double buggies either can’t get into the park or struggle with the gates which makes the park inaccessible to some. On a cold and blustery December day Nic Ferris, representing the Parks division of the Council, James Creed, Youth worker of Southmead Development Trust, Lorna Dallimore, the Police Commissioner, and myself, representing Inclusion Southmead, met
at the park and walked from Doncaster Road through to Greystoke Road gate to consider how best to adapt the gates to make them accessible. Here in lies a dilemma: by making the park more accessible how do you then restrict access if you find you need to restrict access at some point? Inclusion Southmead has previously contacted residents to understand their views on making the park more accessible and discovered that, as a group, residents were largely in favour of opening the park to everyone, especially when they understood the inequalities that currently exist.
The reservation which some of us older Meaders have lies in the park’s history when theft of motorbikes was more common and joy riding in the park was the main reason for locking and limiting the entrances. We all want to feel times have changed for the better and to believe that over the years we have become better at managing our open spaces for the benefit of all. It is a big leap of faith and challenges our ingrained perceptions. It is clear from the work we have done in the community that there is a ground swell of people who consider themselves Friends of Doncaster Road Park. Clearly there could be many more people we have yet to know who have a similar view. We already have a Friends of Badock’s Wood group, so let’s start a Friends of Doncaster Road Park group and see how we can make the park more accessible and welcoming to everyone. If you are interested in joining or have a view, please email: antheamustard @gmail.com and we will look into how to proceed from here.
Inclusion Southmead is a group of local Disabled and non-Disabled residents, working to make Southmead more inclusive and welcoming for All. telephone: 0117 914 052
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FEB DIARY DATES Regeneration Tour Thurs 7th Feb 10:00 or 11:30 am Phone: 0117 950 3335 Regeneration Tour Sat 9th Feb 10:00 or 11:30 am Phone: 0117 950 3335 Rovers match dedicated to Southmead Project Sat 9th Feb - 15:00 pm The Memorial Stadium
FEBRUARY HALF-TERM Make Lunch is an initiative run throughout the school holidays at St Stephen’s Church in an effort to help struggling families. The sessions run from 11.30 am and start with a choice of activities from games to crafts. A free hot lunch, including desert, is provided at 12.30 pm and the children are then collected at 1.15 pm. Previously we have run Make Lunch on an invitation only basis, by giving invitations to contacts at local schools and leaving it up to the schools to decide who to invite. But this time around we want to open it to the whole community as we are aware that there are people who are likely struggling in silence, or home schooled. email: enquiriesststephenssouthmead@gmail.com
tel: 07825 689 336
SINGING FOR LUNG HEALTH A reminder to all that there is a weekly singing group that meets in the Activity Room at the Greenway Centre every Wednesday from 2 pm to 3 pm. Joels keeps us in time, leads the group and helps keep us in key as we sing various ditties and favourite sea shanties. We focus on breathing from the bottom of our diaphragms so that we can develop more power in our voices and to enable us to improve our breath management for longer lines in songs, plus life. We also have a laugh when we find it all too complicated and miss-cue songs, after all it’s all casual and nothing too serious. Everyone is welcome so why not join us for an enjoyable better breathing hour. Don’t worry if you can’t sing, it’s amazing how learning to breathe in the right place of a song really improves the quality of your song voice, in fact it’s a revelation!
BS10 Parks & Planning Mtg
Mon 11th Feb - 18:00 pm Greenway Centre enq: 0117 950 3719 Love The Ranch Sat 16th Feb - 09:00 am The Ranch enq: 0117 950 3335 Team Southmead Mtg Tues 26th Feb - 11:00 Southmead Library enq: 07790 426 609 SAVE THE DATE! Performance: Meadows to Meaders; A New Direction Saturday 30th March
MONDAY 9:30 am, 11:30 am, 5:30 pm, 7:30 pm TUESDAY 5:30 pm, 7:30 pm at Southmead Community Centre, Greystoke Avenue, BS10 6BQ Call Nicola on: 07873 818 193
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WHAT’S ON WEEKLY BY VENUE - FEBRUARY 2019 GREENWAY CENTRE - tel: 0117 950 3335 MON
TUES
WED
THURS
09:15 AM 10.30 AM 14.00 PM 18.00 PM 19.00 PM
STRONG by Zumba Forever Active Staying Steady Circuits Myofascial Release
19.00 PM 09:15 AM 10.30 AM
Badminton Club Piloexercise Creative Writers Group
11.00 AM 14.00 PM
Tai Chi Staying Steady
18.00 PM 18.30 PM 19.00 PM 19.30 PM
Insane X (High Intensity) Zumba Boxercise TNT Gym (Circuit Training)
09.15 AM 10.00 AM
STRONG by Zumba Gentle Walking Group
10.30 AM 11.45 AM
Better Breathing Intermediate Pilates
15.30 PM 17.00 PM 17.30 PM 18.00 PM
Reach After School Club Music Course for 11-16s Greenway Pool Club Legs, Bums & Tums
19.00 PM 19:00 PM 09.15 AM
Core & Stretch North Bristol Wellbeing Choir Morning Boxercise Imps Toddler Group Forever Active Gardening Group (ends December 2018) Insane X (high intensity) Skip Box Westbury Art Club Support for Mental Wellbeing TNT Gym (Circuit Training) Cubatone Better Breathing Knit & Natter Tai Chi (Improvers)
09.45 AM 10.30 AM 13.30 PM 18.00 PM 19.00 PM 19.00 PM 19.00 PM 19.30 PM FRI
09.00 AM 10.00 AM 10.30 AM 11.00 AM 12:30 PM 14.00 PM 18.00 PM
SAT SUN MON WED SUN
THURS
FRI
SAT SUN
SCC Bingo Slimming World SCC Bingo SCC Coffee Morning & Bingo Southmead Young Mums SCC Sensory Session SCC Tai Chi Distraction Dance Bristol Keralites Association Christ Embassy Group SCC Sequence Dance Cubatone Brandon Trust Music Group SCC Knit & Natter Real Economy Southmead Harmony Bingo SCC Sensory Session Precision Dance SCC Bingo Precision Dance 3 Trees Walking Basketball Silvercare Skittles Distraction Dance Southmead Somali Association Southmead Somali Association Christ Embassy Group Senegambian Cultural Group SCC Bingo Irish Dancing SCART SHOP - tel: 0117 950 6823 Benefits Advice (Appointment Only)
TUES
10.30 AM 09.30 AM 13.00 PM
THURS FRI
10.30 AM 10.30 AM
Baby & Toddler Group Southmead Girls Group C of E Communion C of E Service SOUTHMEAD YOUTH CENTRE - tel: 0117 377 3605 Open and all welcome Open and all welcome
MON
11.30 AM 18.00 PM 10.00 AM 18.00 PM 18.00 PM 11.00 AM
Keep Fit for Living (also 09.45 AM at Scout Hut, Tranmere Ave, Brentry) Aadra Kalaa Dance Southmead History Group Girls Brigade - 3rd Bristol Aadra Kalaa Dance United Reformed Service ACTIVITIES AT OTHER VENUES
M-F MON
10.00 AM 10.30 AM 17.00 PM 09.20 AM 09.30 AM 18.15 PM 12.00 PM
Activities for 60+ at Westbury Fields, tel: 0117 377 3700 Coffee Morning at Pentecostal Church, tel: 0117 987 1327 Wicketz - ages 8-11 at Bristol Free School, tel: 07398 211 598
OPEN: 11:30 AM
LPW Friendship (ages 13-24) HENBURY & BRENTRY COMMUNITY CENTRE tel: 0117 950 3573 Coffee, Tea and Cake Drop In Coffee, Tea and Cake Drop In Art Group for Over 55s Soup Club SOUTHMEAD LIBRARY - tel: 0117 903 8583 Tues 11-5 pm | Wed 11-5pm | Fri 1-5pm | Sat 11-5pm Story time Takeover
11.15 AM 11.15 AM 14.00 PM 12.00 PM 02:00 PM
Story & Rhyme - Baby Bounce Art Club on the Mezzanine (Adults) Southmead Shares Reading Junior Art Club Saturday Stitch (Adults)
09.30 AM 11.30 AM 10.30 AM 09.30 AM 19.00 PM 09.30 AM 10.00 AM
TUES FRI
10.30 AM 09:30 AM 10.30 AM 12.00 PM
SAT
WED
Line Dancing GC Lunch Club (eat at 13.00) Ladies Club
10.00 AM
17.00 PM 17.00 PM
WED
TUES
09.30 AM 10:30 AM 13.30 PM 05:30 PM 09.30 AM 12.30 AM 14.00 PM 14.00 PM 17.30 PM 19.15 PM 10.30 AM 10.30 AM 13.30 PM 14.00 PM 16.15 PM 17.30 PM 18.30 PM 19.30 PM 09.15 AM 10.00 AM 10.30 AM 10.30 AM 13.30 PM 13.30 PM 17.00 PM 19.15 PM 19.30 PM 10.30 AM 10.30 AM 16.15 PM 10.00 AM 10.00 AM 10.00 AM 14.00 PM 18.00 PM 19.30 PM
MON
MON TUES WED
TUE
MON
SOUTHMEAD COMMUNITY CENTRE - tel: 0117 950 1187 Slimming World 3 Trees Skittles Art & Sensory Slimming World
18.30 PM
Scrabble Club Staying Steady Pilates Forever Active Circuits Community Church Service ST STEPHEN’S CHURCH - tel: 0117 950 7164
WED THURS SUN
TUES WED THURS
09.00 AM 10.00 AM 10.30 AM 10.45 AM 11.00 AM 18.30 PM
Bristol Credit Union Job Club Stop Smoking Advisor Bristol Credit Union Bristol Credit Union NEW BRUNSWICK URC - tel: 0117 950 7776
Westbury Walkers - meets in W-o-T, tel: 0117 330 1194 Debt Advice appts - Greenway GP Surgery, tel: 0117 924 1930 BS10 Community Bingo, The Woodnook, tel: 07968 277 787 Chill & Chat, Bethany Baptist Church, tel: 0117 969 5672 SUNDAY CHURCH SERVICES Catholic Mass at St Vincent’s Church C of E Service at St Stephen’s Church Community Church at Greenway Centre Bethany Baptist Church New Brunswick United Reformed Church Pentecostal Holiness Church
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WHAT’S ON WEEKLY BY VENUE - FEBRUARY 2019 GREENWAY CENTRE - tel: 0117 950 3335 MON
TUES
WED
THURS
09:15 AM 10.30 AM 14.00 PM 18.00 PM 19.00 PM
STRONG by Zumba Forever Active Staying Steady Circuits Myofascial Release
19.00 PM 09:15 AM 10.30 AM
Badminton Club Piloexercise Creative Writers Group
11.00 AM 14.00 PM
Tai Chi Staying Steady
18.00 PM 18.30 PM 19.00 PM 19.30 PM
Insane X (High Intensity) Zumba Boxercise TNT Gym (Circuit Training)
09.15 AM 10.00 AM
STRONG by Zumba Gentle Walking Group
10.30 AM 11.45 AM
Better Breathing Intermediate Pilates
15.30 PM 17.00 PM 17.30 PM 18.00 PM
Reach After School Club Music Course for 11-16s Greenway Pool Club Legs, Bums & Tums
19.00 PM 19:00 PM 09.15 AM
Core & Stretch North Bristol Wellbeing Choir Morning Boxercise Imps Toddler Group Forever Active Gardening Group (ends December 2018) Insane X (high intensity) Skip Box Westbury Art Club Support for Mental Wellbeing TNT Gym (Circuit Training) Cubatone Better Breathing Knit & Natter Tai Chi (Improvers)
09.45 AM 10.30 AM 13.30 PM 18.00 PM 19.00 PM 19.00 PM 19.00 PM 19.30 PM FRI
09.00 AM 10.00 AM 10.30 AM 11.00 AM 12:30 PM 14.00 PM 18.00 PM
SAT SUN MON WED SUN
THURS
FRI
SAT SUN
SCC Bingo Slimming World SCC Bingo SCC Coffee Morning & Bingo Southmead Young Mums SCC Sensory Session SCC Tai Chi Distraction Dance Bristol Keralites Association Christ Embassy Group SCC Sequence Dance Cubatone Brandon Trust Music Group SCC Knit & Natter Real Economy Southmead Harmony Bingo SCC Sensory Session Precision Dance SCC Bingo Precision Dance 3 Trees Walking Basketball Silvercare Skittles Distraction Dance Southmead Somali Association Southmead Somali Association Christ Embassy Group Senegambian Cultural Group SCC Bingo Irish Dancing SCART SHOP - tel: 0117 950 6823 Benefits Advice (Appointment Only)
TUES
10.30 AM 09.30 AM 13.00 PM
THURS FRI
10.30 AM 10.30 AM
Baby & Toddler Group Southmead Girls Group C of E Communion C of E Service SOUTHMEAD YOUTH CENTRE - tel: 0117 377 3605 Open and all welcome Open and all welcome
MON
11.30 AM 18.00 PM 10.00 AM 18.00 PM 18.00 PM 11.00 AM
Keep Fit for Living (also 09.45 AM at Scout Hut, Tranmere Ave, Brentry) Aadra Kalaa Dance Southmead History Group Girls Brigade - 3rd Bristol Aadra Kalaa Dance United Reformed Service ACTIVITIES AT OTHER VENUES
M-F MON
10.00 AM 10.30 AM 17.00 PM 09.20 AM 09.30 AM 18.15 PM 12.00 PM
Activities for 60+ at Westbury Fields, tel: 0117 377 3700 Coffee Morning at Pentecostal Church, tel: 0117 987 1327 Wicketz - ages 8-11 at Bristol Free School, tel: 07398 211 598
OPEN: 11:30 AM
LPW Friendship (ages 13-24) HENBURY & BRENTRY COMMUNITY CENTRE tel: 0117 950 3573 Coffee, Tea and Cake Drop In Coffee, Tea and Cake Drop In Art Group for Over 55s Soup Club SOUTHMEAD LIBRARY - tel: 0117 903 8583 Tues 11-5 pm | Wed 11-5pm | Fri 1-5pm | Sat 11-5pm Story time Takeover
11.15 AM 11.15 AM 14.00 PM 12.00 PM 02:00 PM
Story & Rhyme - Baby Bounce Art Club on the Mezzanine (Adults) Southmead Shares Reading Junior Art Club Saturday Stitch (Adults)
09.30 AM 11.30 AM 10.30 AM 09.30 AM 19.00 PM 09.30 AM 10.00 AM
TUES FRI
10.30 AM 09:30 AM 10.30 AM 12.00 PM
SAT
WED
Line Dancing GC Lunch Club (eat at 13.00) Ladies Club
10.00 AM
17.00 PM 17.00 PM
WED
TUES
09.30 AM 10:30 AM 13.30 PM 05:30 PM 09.30 AM 12.30 AM 14.00 PM 14.00 PM 17.30 PM 19.15 PM 10.30 AM 10.30 AM 13.30 PM 14.00 PM 16.15 PM 17.30 PM 18.30 PM 19.30 PM 09.15 AM 10.00 AM 10.30 AM 10.30 AM 13.30 PM 13.30 PM 17.00 PM 19.15 PM 19.30 PM 10.30 AM 10.30 AM 16.15 PM 10.00 AM 10.00 AM 10.00 AM 14.00 PM 18.00 PM 19.30 PM
MON
MON TUES WED
TUE
MON
SOUTHMEAD COMMUNITY CENTRE - tel: 0117 950 1187 Slimming World 3 Trees Skittles Art & Sensory Slimming World
18.30 PM
Scrabble Club Staying Steady Pilates Forever Active Circuits Community Church Service ST STEPHEN’S CHURCH - tel: 0117 950 7164
WED THURS SUN
TUES WED THURS
09.00 AM 10.00 AM 10.30 AM 10.45 AM 11.00 AM 18.30 PM
Bristol Credit Union Job Club Stop Smoking Advisor Bristol Credit Union Bristol Credit Union NEW BRUNSWICK URC - tel: 0117 950 7776
Westbury Walkers - meets in W-o-T, tel: 0117 330 1194 Debt Advice appts - Greenway GP Surgery, tel: 0117 924 1930 BS10 Community Bingo, The Woodnook, tel: 07968 277 787 Chill & Chat, Bethany Baptist Church, tel: 0117 969 5672 SUNDAY CHURCH SERVICES Catholic Mass at St Vincent’s Church C of E Service at St Stephen’s Church Community Church at Greenway Centre Bethany Baptist Church New Brunswick United Reformed Church Pentecostal Holiness Church
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YOU MIGHT LIKE TO TRY
FROM LIFE CYCLE UK
FROM BRISTOL WOMEN’S VOICE
FROM
Anyone looking to boost their skills and employability in 2019 should check out Life Cycle UK’s cycle maintenance courses. Their City & Guilds Level 1 courses are open to anyone aged 19+ and there are fully-funded places available for people on low incomes – or those who are not in education, employment or training.
Bristol Women’s Voice’s annual International Women’s Day celebration returns on the 2nd of March 2019, 11 AM – 5.30 PM.
The following workshops are free, but you will need to complete our booking form online at: www.second-step.co.uk to guarantee your place, or telephone: 0117 914 5498 ALL SESSIONS: 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm, Cabot Room, Greenway Centre, Doncaster Road, Southmead, BS10 5PY telephone: 0117 950 3335
Trainees will be taken through the essentials of cycle maintenance, including: Repairing a puncture; removing and replacing brakes; removing and replacing gears; and carrying out a systematic cycle safety check. “An excellent course - the tutor was first class! He was really good at explaining what we were doing and his enthusiasm really came through.” – Leo, trainee. The next City & Guilds course runs from 12th – 13th February and costs £250 for non-subsidised places. Participants must attend two days of training, based at Life Cycle’s bike workshop on Cambridge Road, Horfield. Successful attendees will be awarded a City & Guilds Level 1 qualification in cycle mechanics. Who is it for? This is the perfect course for those looking to kick-start a career in the cycle industry – and for anyone who wants a solid skills-base in cycle mechanics. The course is a great way for those with no formal qualifications learn practical skills and boost their employability. For more information about what the course entails, funding eligibility and to book on, go to Life Cycle’s website (www.lifecycleuk.org.uk/cityguilds1) or call 0117 924 5487.
We welcome you to explore City Hall though an exciting and packed programme of events celebrating Bristol’s amazing women. There will be music, art, workshops, theatre, talks, discussions and more. We will collectively celebrate the achievements of all women, old and young, and provide an opportunity for women to connect, share their stories and ideas about how to tackle the challenges we face. Children are welcome to attend workshops and talks and there will be a crèche throughout the day (managed in two-hour slots to ensure fairness). If you have additional access needs or would like to enquire about community transport for your group, get in touch via email: info@bristolwomensvoice.org.uk or telephone: 0117 916 6555
NEW EXHIBITION Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing 1 February – 6 May 2019 Bristol Museum & Art Gallery tel: 0117 922 3571
BRISTOL WELLBEING COLLEGE
INTRODUCTION TO ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION Date: Thurs 7th Feb This workshop helps us think about why we may become unassertive, think about strategies for becoming more assertive and is designed to help us make the changes we want. Suitable for sufferers of depression. UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF Date: Thurs 14th Feb Within this session we will take some time to get to know ourselves a little bit better, identifying our strengths and qualities, recognising what is important to us and how we can better nurture ourselves. CONFIDENCE BUILDING WORKSHOP Date: Thurs 21st Feb This workshop looks at what confidence is, what we think characterises confidence and how we can improve our own. The session also looks at our comfort zones and the relationship this has with confidence. INTRODUCTION TO WRITING FOR WELLBEING Date: Thurs 28th Feb Connect with your inner author simply by sharing your own lived experience through a series of writing activities aimed to boost creative juices and increase your confidence with the pen. The aim of this workshop is to help you overcome your fear of the blank page, take your imagination for a walk, and rediscover the weird and wonderful in our everyday lives.
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YOUR HEALTH & WELLBEING STRESSED OUT?
like divorce, and good things, like children and holidays. Small things like sitting in traffic and the milk being left out of the fridge top up our buckets too. And some of these things we can do something about, but many of them we can’t, and it seems inevitable that our buckets will fill right up and overflow.
And when our buckets overflow, that’s the moment we feel ‘too stressed’ and we can become depressed or anxious. The great thing about stress buckets, though, is they have a tap at the By Clarie Miles bottom. And the person in charge of SOUTHMEAD RESIDENT AND turning on your tap, and relieving that COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPIST stress, is you. You can do it a whole Christmas feels like forever-ago, New multitude of ways; having a bath with Year’s resolutions have been made and relaxing candles; going for a walk; broken, somehow it's now February meeting up for coffee with a friend; already and all the pressures of the year ahead are looming large. It’s time to talk about stress. We all feel stressed, now and then, and a little bit of stress is healthy for us – it motivates us and gives us the energy to tackle those important tasks. But when we don’t feel able to meet all the demands on us, we can start to feel overwhelmed and stressed out.
stopping to look at the spring bulbs appearing in the verges; finding some clothes to give to the local charity shop. When our stress buckets fill up, often our instinct is to stop doing all these things, “I’m so busy, and so stressed,” we think, “I haven’t got time to look after myself”. But of course, when we do that, we turn off the tap at the bottom and our stress bucket fills up even faster. So what can you do this week to turn on your tap to your stress bucket? If you are stressed about your stress levels, why not book on to a ‘Getting the Balance Back’ course with Bristol Wellbeing Therapies: tel: 0117 982 3209
In times like this, I find the image of a stress bucket helpful. Our stress bucket is a picture of how much stress we can carry. Every day, stressful things happen and fill our buckets up. These can be big things, like illness, or moving house. They can be bad things,
WHAT’S UP DOC? BEING HEALTHY STARTS ON THE INSIDE By Dr Nick Halsey GREENWAY COMMUNITY PRACTICE We all need to take time to look after ourselves. But how often do we do so? Time just seems to fly by these days and people forget about self-care. There is such a wide variety of organisations, support groups, community groups, events and activities that can help improve your
health and wellbeing, but where do you start? It can be so overwhelming and can often take courage to attend or visit these events. And sometimes you’re not even aware that these things exist! ‘Well Aware’ is a fantastic website with tonnes of local information for Bristol and South Gloucestershire. It focuses on Wellbeing through Nature, Learning Disabilities, Dementia, Mental Health, Community Transport and much more. It has a search facility to help you find local activities, events, groups and organisations that will help you to find
something that suits you and your needs. From fitness classes and social groups to support groups and training, there is something for everyone! Let’s start the New Year right, be connected, well informed and healthy together. www.wellaware.org.uk
* The Mead website works in the same way and the What’s On section in each issue is a print-out from our website, listing all Southmead’s activities, groups and organisations. If you are online visit www.themead.org.uk
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THE NEIGHBOUR CONNECTION FROM NEIGHBOURS CONNECT SOUTHMEAD Southmead residents are being given the opportunity to be involved in a new initiative to support people in their community. The project is called Neighbours Connect Southmead and does exactly what it says on the tin – connecting volunteers with people who are isolated in order to develop greater connectedness and neighbourliness. From sharing a cup of tea with an isolated older person, to going with someone to a new group or helping them with their weekly shop, Neighbours Connect Southmead is looking for residents who are interested in becoming Volunteer Community Supporters. Here, Letty Anderton, Volunteer Coordinator, answers all your burning questions about the project. Tell us about your role Letty? I’m working to recruit, train and support Volunteer Community Supporters. You aren’t new are you? You’re right – you may well have seen me before in my previous role as the Community Access Support Networker
for North Bristol, working to raise awareness of mental health within the community. I’m excited about being involved in this new project. Who is runs your new project? It’s being delivered by Southmead Development Trust in partnership with Adult Social Care. Those who will receive support through Neighbours Connect Southmead will be referred through Adult Social Care. What do you hope will be achieved through this project? We think that a strong community is one that is connected to each other, where neighbours look out for each other and where people feel part of things. We know that this sense of community is strong in Southmead and we want to be part of helping to grow this locally through the project. How will you match Volunteer Community Supporters with those they are supporting? You’ll be matched with someone based on your interests and experience and
we’ll support you to meet with them regularly. For example, if you are a chess enthusiast, we’ll match you with someone else who is a keen player! Who can get involved? Anyone can apply to volunteer as a Community Supporter. We value all kinds of experience that you might have and welcome anyone who has an interest in being involved. How much time will a Volunteer need to give? Most roles will involve supporting someone in the community for an hour or two a week, but you are welcome to give as much or as little time as you like! It sounds like lots of a tea will be made through this project! What’s your favourite biscuit with a cuppa? It’s got to be shortbread. Yum yum! If you would like to find out more about becoming a Volunteer Community Supporter for Neighbours Connect Southmead telephone Letty Anderton on: 0117 950 3335/07498 763 465. If you are online email: lettyanderton@southmead.org, and visit our website: www.southmead.org
HELP SHAPE THE DESIGN OF ARNSIDE AND GLENCOYNE From Hannah Walker SOUTHMEAD REGENERATION PROJECT
You can help to shape the regeneration on Arnside and Glencoyne Square. What do you want the new homes, park and community spaces to look like?
Tours take place on: ● Thursday 7th February, at 10:00 and 11:30 am ● Saturday 9th February at 10:00 and 11:30 am
You are invited on a short driven tour of three local sites where homes, parks and community areas have been built. Have a look around and tell us what you like, and what you don't. What do you want to see happen in Southmead?
To reserve your space or find out more contact: Hannah Walker, tel: 0117 950 3335, email: hannahwalker@southmead.org visit: www.southmead.org/southmead-regeneration-project
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WRITE FROM THE HEART MORNING WALK By Susan Hare SOUTHMEAD RESIDENT
North wind stinging pale soft skin, then a tingling A shudder. Feet crunching on glass like grass. White autumn offering, the hoar frost gathering On a spiders web. Moist, glistening. Diamante. Breathe streaming, sleepiness cascades from body Vitals enliven. Red fluid, blood now pumping. Dawn chorus overhead. Paregoric, satiated. To and fro they sweep and soar. Undecided. They shriek their warnings. Stranger approaching.
SEE WHAT A PHONE CALL CAN DO?
Small pneumatic drill, the woodpecker bores,
By Dawn Payne
His breakfast he seeks, before disappearing.
SOUTHMEAD RESIDENT
A shy one. One glimpse. A flash of green.
I had not seen my eldest daughter Sharon since the funeral of my daughter Janine, over two years ago. I had been calling Sharon’s mobile from time to time. But then one night I went to ring my mate Sarah, and instead I had rang Sharon’s number, and to my amazement I heard, “Hi Mum!”. I just could not believe what I heard. I said “alright Shar, shall we meet up?”, and that was that.
Thrasonical blackbirds inform the morning Food in plenty. Life is very, very good. Supercilious crows screech away invaders In their territory, warning all who venture there.
When we met Sharon explained how hard she had found it to cope with the situation about Janine, I fully understand. But then we met up down Greenway - my daughter Sharon, my granddaughter Lauren, and my great granddaughter Esma. We had a selfie taken (above) and Esme is wearing the scarf I made her. Lauren is having a baby in May, this will be my fifth great grandchild!
What Sue, th a beautiful p oe an be join k you. Will m ing you Writin the Creative g Grou p?
What a lovely way to end a year and to start a new one! May I wish you all a Happy New Year. Love Dawn
We’ve got to say Dawn that’s a cracking picture! Thank you for sharing this heart-warming story.
WHY I LOVE SOUTHMEAD By Sami Chugg, SOUTHMEAD VISITOR & FRIEND My nan (who was my favourite adult when I was little) was one of 19 children (one father, two mothers). I feel a connection between my nan who came from South London and Southmead, as South London and Southmead both happen to be areas that need support to prosper and develop. So when I am building my connection to Southmead I do feel that I am touching my deepest roots. For this reason, I am delighted to be part of Southmead Project’s art group for survivors (of child abuse). I know that healing from any trauma in the past is completely possible and as a participant in that art group I feel simultaneously that I am strengthening my own identity and helping build community in Southmead. p.s I loved Beauty and the Beast at the Greenway Centre, it was wonderful!
Sami, thank you for this. Our community likes to welcome everyone . . . WELCOME!
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MARION’S MEMORY LANE: THE TRAIN
Horfield Station as Marion knew it. Pics courtesy of Don W and www.bristol-rail.co.uk (there’s lots of great pics here)
By Marion Garland SOUTHMEAD RESIDENT
I must say I always loved a train ride. This year for a change I am having a train holiday instead of a cruise. A few weeks ago I got a return ticket to Weston Super Mare. I was surprised how the countryside has changed. Instead of green fields and fields of rape flowers all I could see was old cars and rubbish dumped. Oh how the scenery has changed. I was really disappointed. I remember when I was in my teens my friends and I would often go to Severn Beach. If we didn’t cycle we would go by train. The station was at Horfield, the bridge is still there but the station has long gone. When we got to Severn Beach we couldn’t afford to go in The Blue Lagoon, so we would have a picnic of jam sandwiches and a bottle of water sat around the boating lake. On the way back we would deliberately miss our stop and carry on to Temple Meads just to have a bit longer on the train. We always found a kind guard who would always send us back to Horfield and presuming we missed our stop!
Thank you for adding this item to our website Marion; it was ready and waiting for us to pop in to this printed edition. On the next page Darren talks about a new transport hub north of Lockleaze - we wonder if this will be on the site of the old Horfield Station you used to ‘miss’?
Do you som etim wander dow es ‘Memory La n We’d love to ne’? prin recollection t your s. Details are on the back page about h your item p ow to get ublished in The Mead.
Pics of Boating Lake, Blue Lagoon & Severn Beach advert courtesy of Paul Townsend @www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebornandbred
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DARREN’S THE TRAIN, BIKE & CAR! MY PLAN FOR TRANSPORT HUBS By Darren Jones MP After a year’s worth of work, I am launching my North Bristol Transport Plan. This plan has been formed off the back of public meetings I held in 2018 and feedback from residents about their views on transport. It will be the basis on which I lobby national, local and regional Government to secure funding for transport upgrades across Bristol North West. The three key messages are that: 1. We want to see new ‘Transport Hubs’ where we bring rail, park and ride, electric vehicle charging points and cycle lock-up/hire into one site. I’m calling for three new Transport Hubs at Shirehampton (at the Portway Park and Ride), Henbury (near the Rugby Club) and North of Lockleaze. 2. We want to see continuous bus and cycle lanes from these new Transport Hubs into and out of Bristol City Centre and Cribbs Causeway to provide safe travel to work routes. 3. We must see significant transport investment and no access to the Filton Airfield from back roads across the North of Bristol if the proposed Bristol YTL Arena is to go ahead.
UPDATE FROM BS10 PARKS & PLANNING GROUP By Mike Murch, Secretary Wessex Water are planning a new £55M North Bristol Relief Sewer, which will run from Lawrence Weston through Henbury, to connect with the existing network under the Bristol Golf Club at the top of Cribbs Causeway. This new sewer network is in anticipation of the additional demand which will be created by the development on and around the former Filton Airfield. Wessex Water will be installing a 2.85mtr deep tunnel using a tunnelling machine, this will minimise the disruption to the local community. Work is planned to start in the autumn of this year and will take 2.5 years to complete, although they plan to
Additionally, these new Transport Hubs should not be built on greenbelt (there’s sufficient brown field sites available) and I believe that new bus and cycle lanes can be built without reducing the current road capacity. I want to know what my constituents think about this plan, so I’ve launched a Transport Survey – would they use public transport more if rail, bus and cycle services were located at same place and if you could drive/cycle and park there? Transport, and its weaknesses, are not something we can escape - it impacts our time, businesses and our pockets as well as complete the tunnelling by autumn 2020. Further details can be found at: wessexwater.co.uk
public health and climate change - I encourage everyone to have their say. You can view the Transport Plan and find a link to the survey online: www.darren-jones.co.uk/transport-plan
Not online? Contact: Darren Jones MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. telephone: 0117 959 6545 Online? Contact: email: darren.jones.mp@parliament.uk www.darren-jones.co.uk www.facebook.com/darrenjonesmp www.twitter.com/@darrenpjones Mobile App: www.poweredbyyou.org.uk
airfield, will be from either the A38 or from the Blenheim roundabout on the Hayes Way link road.
At a recent meeting concern was expressed about the use of Charlton Road as an access point Blenheim roundabout to the Massive Attack concert planned to be held on the former Google maps airfield site during the summer. Upon further investigation this IS NOT THE CASE. Access to this concert, which is being held in the ‘Steel Yard’ site within the
BS10 Parks and Planning Group meet on the 2nd Monday of each month, with the next meeting to be held on Monday 11th February, 6 pm, at the Greenway Centre, everyone is welcome.
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THANK YOU For donations this month to * Sami * Southmead Development Trust * Life Cycle UK The Gas . . . Continued from front page
play Shrewsbury Town at the Mem. We would love to pack the stands with But it is bigger than that. The Meaders to celebrate the achievements Southmead Project is one of the of Mike and the work of the project. leading organisations in the country working with victims and survivors of There will be a bucket collection and child sexual abuse. For a football club Mike will be on the pitch at half time to to vocally support our organisation is talk about the work of the Southmead ground-breaking, especially as football Project. itself is answering difficult questions Please come along to the game if you about historic sexual abuse in clubs are able. If you can volunteer to shake across the country. buckets to collect donations at the match then please let Mike Peirce know, Dr Mike Peirce from the Southmead tel: 0117 950 6022 (Volunteers will be Project and I had the pleasure of meeting representatives of the club in given free access to the game). October to plan how we can make the I also have a pair of tickets to give away most of this partnership during the - please leave your name and number season. We had a lovely meeting and in The Mead pigeon-hole at Greenway photo session with the back room Centre reception if you would like to be team, including club captain Tom entered in the draw for the tickets. Lockyer. We were thrilled when the Match tickets are on sale as usual via club told us that they wanted to the Rovers website: dedicate a match to us this month, on www.bristolrovers.co.uk Saturday 9th February when Rovers will
We rely on donations, however small, and advertising, to pay for our printing costs. We are run by Volunteers. Please help to keep The Mead in print by donating or volunteering to help with distribution, advertising, our website, and IT - everyone is welcome.
Just add your item to our website by the next deadline to be printed in the paper edition. Not online? Don’t type? Just contact us and we will find you someone who can help. MARCH DEADLINE FOR DOWNLOAD: Monday 18th February www.themead.org.uk telephone: 07895 477 379 email: editor@themead.org.uk