MESSAGE FROM SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNCIL Tackling fly-tipping in South Gloucestershire

AS part of our continued efforts to combat fly-tipping, South Gloucestershire Council has recently secured a number of successful prosecutions relating to waste offences that have taken place across the area.

Fly-tipped waste is unsightly and takes up council resources to clear away. The fly-tipped materials can also be dangerous and cause harm to the environment by polluting land and waterways.

South Gloucestershire Council adopts a different approach to some local authorities in tackling the problem of fly-tipping.

We prioritise pursuing prosecutions through the courts, rather than directly issuing fixed penalty notices, and our award-winning environmental enforcement team has a 100% record of securing successful prosecutions for fly-tip related offences.

We favour this approach because we believe it sends out a firm message and attracts more public interest, which serves as a powerful deterrent to offenders. We also use the opportunity to help improve education and understanding in the community about how everyone can do their part to ensure waste is disposed of appropriately, safely and legally.

We are proud that our zero-tolerance approach means that anyone who fly-tips in South Gloucestershire is three times more likely to be prosecuted than anywhere else in the country.

When we are alerted to a case of fly-tipping, our Streetcare team will clear the waste away and dispose of materials appropriately, recycling wherever possible.

At the same time, our environmental enforcement team examines the waste to find clues as to where the waste may have come from. We often find household waste containing letters or documents with names and addresses on, or other identifiable material that allows us to trace the owner of the waste and take action.

We all have a responsibility to ensure that our waste is disposed of in a responsible and lawful manner, including when a third party is involved.

It is an offence to allow your waste to be disposed of by an unauthorised contractor. If you hire someone else to dispose of your rubbish, always ask to see their waste carrier registration certificate and ask where the waste is being taken, otherwise you could be found liable and face prosecution if the waste is illegally deposited.

Unwanted goods and household or garden waste can all be disposed of at no cost at any of the

Thornbury Memory Cafe

council’s Sort It recycling centres. See www.southglos.gov.uk/sortitcentres for more details.

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.

THE Memory Cafe is now proving to be very popular with people who have memory difficulties, and their carers or family helpers.

We are not a clinic, but we do provide an opportunity for people with these problems to meet and socialise.

The Cafe is open on the second and fourth Tuesday each month in the Methodist Hall, which is just behind the Church on the High Street, Thornbury.

Coffee and biscuits are provided, which are free of charge, although we do have a voluntary contribution box.

We are open from 10.15am until 11.45am.

There is easy parking for Blue Badge holders just outside or in the nearby car park.

On March 14 2 we will hold our anniversary party, to celebrate 11 years since the cafe opened. New guests are always welcome, so come along and share the enjoyment, chatter and entertainment.

We have an excellent team of volunteers who make and serve tea, coffee, biscuits and fruit, and also chat to our visitors.

Contact Sue Rowley on 01454 412941 or Louise Wright on 01454 260371 for more information.

John Lee

Olveston and Tockington WI

Our meeting in January, with a fantastic talk from Phil Savage, saw 2 new members joining WI.

February's meeting was all about Hatting in Winterbourne with a talk from Peter Bruce . The talk this month will be given by Carolyn Morton 'The Scientific Detective'. Carolyn is a retired Forensic Science Lecturer at University of the West of England.

Twelve of us had a great day seeing the gorgeous snowdrops at the Rococo Gardens in Painswick at the beginning of February and our next visit is exploring backstage at the Bristol Old Vic.

Olveston and Tockington WI meet on the second Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm at Olveston Parish Hall. Please contact Angela Green on 01454 615222 if you would like to know more about WI.

Julia Wood

Thornbury Lions

THORNBURY Lions Club will very soon be enrolling local primary schools for entry into the Lions ROAR 2023 Competition.

This is a nationwide competition, run, financed and supported by Lions Clubs across the British Isles in partnership with 8BillionIdeas, an award-winning education organization.

The competition is specifically designed for children aged seven to 11 years old, and takes place within their own primary school.

The children are required to think of an idea that they think could today change the world for the better.

In teams of up to four, they endeavour to produce a prototype which they will present in a video in front of a panel of judges, which includes teachers, head teachers, school governors and Lions.

Fully-prepared teacher packs are provided for teachers to conform with a number of school curriculum items required by Ofsted, including literacy, citizenship, personal, social and health education, and science technology, engineering and maths.

The children gain vital skills including how to use their imagination, work in teams, communicate, plan ahead, negotiate and problem-solve - the list goes on.

Each school runs an internal competition to decide which team they want to represent them. The successful team will progress into the district final and then the successful team will proceed into the national final.

Awards for winning team members include, a medal, a wristband and a certificate.

Full details of the competition are included in a Headteacher introduction letter which will be sent very soon to each primary school in Thornbury and surrounding area.

The district winners last year were Shirenewton Primary School, from Chepstow & Caldicot Lions, whose president said: "The six schools in my area that participated in ROAR 2022 thought it a brilliant project - not only did the children really enjoy it, but they learned a great deal through the process."

Kevin Simpson

Thornbury Lions Youth Officer

Thornbury Baptist Church

THE World Day of Prayer takes place on Friday March 3, with a service at 7.30pm.

All are welcome.

Our sisters in Taiwan have prepared the service.

Taiwan is an island rich in natural resources and culturally diverse.

The women of Taiwan share the issues faced geographically, politically and socially and also their hopes for the future.

The Day of Prayer is celebrated in over 120 countries. It begins in Samoa and prayer in native languages travels throughout the world – through Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas before finishing in Samoa some 38 hours later.

Sue Emm