Thornbury Voice July 2023

thornburyvoice www.thornburyvoice.co.uk

July, 2023 Issue 74

FREE EVERY MONTH IN THORNBURY AND SURROUNDING VILLAGES

Paris ride in memory of Dad Award for Mike

A VOLUNTEER has been given an award for his service to a Thornbury youth group he has been with since he was 11 years old.

PAGE 9

Strike warning PEOPLE are being told not to put out recycling or food bins for collection during strikes by bin crews.

PAGE 4 Brothers David and Jamie Thomas met up with brother Gareth and mum Vicki after cycling to Paris to raise money for St Peter's Hospice in memory of their dad, Thornbury businessman Ewan Thomas.

Full story: Page 5

Safety concerns at 'chaotic' nursery A NURSERY in Thornbury has been criticised for being unsafe for babies and allowing toddlers to run around in a "chaotic" manner.

Little Acorns was rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted after an inspection.

Owners Just Childcare were issued with two welfare requirements notices ordering immediate

changes.

The company, which runs 60 nurseries across the UK, four of them in South Gloucestershire, blames industry-wide staff shortages for the failings.

Turn to page 3

Pay to play TENNIS players will be asked to start paying to use public courts in Thornbury - but the town council says it could increase their use.

PAGE 2

Lotto cash for woods AN arboretum which provides a "lifeline" for people struggling with mental health issues has won a big lottery grant.

PAGE 15

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July, 2023

n NEWS

August deadline

Our August edition deadline is July 19.

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Local information South Gloucestershire Council www.southglos.gov.uk 01454 868009 Safer Stronger team sscg@southglos.gov.uk 01454 868009 Anti social behaviour team asbreporting@southglos.gov.uk 01454 868582 Streetcare/litter/vandalism etc streetcare@southglos.gov.uk

Environment/trading standards 01454 868001 Police www.avonandsomersetpolice.uk general enquiries: 101 Fire www.avonfire.gov.uk General enquiries: 0117 926 2061 NHS Health Call 111 Well Aware health & social care information www.wellaware.org.uk Tel: (freephone) 0808 808 5252

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Thornbury Voice is independent. We cannot take responsibility for content or accuracy of adverts, and it is advertisers’ responsibility to conform to all relevant legislation. We cannot vouch for any services offered. Opinions are not necessarily those of the editor. Thornbury Voice is distributed each month to local residents. If for some reason you do not get a copy, please get in touch or collect one from local pick-up points. Feedback is welcomed, call Richard On 01454 800 120 or contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

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

Further details of the complaints process can be found on the Voice website here, or can be obtained by contacting the Publisher.

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The tennis courts at Mundy Playing Fields

Pay to play at courts PEOPLE wanting to play tennis at Thornbury's public tennis courts at Mundy Playing Fields will soon have to pay to use them.

Thornbury Town Council, which operates the courts, says it will be implementing the 'Pay-and-Play' system later on in the year after a recent public consultation "indicated clear support for the proposal" and says it hopes more, not fewer, people will play.

A town council spokesperson said: "The introduction of the Pay-and-Play system means that those wanting to use the courts will be able to guarantee availability, so there will be no more disappointment when turning up to find the courts are already in use.

"Any residual income will be earmarked to offset the maintenance of the courts to a high standard, reducing the potential future impact on the town council precept of the council tax.

"The majority of residents were supportive of the implementation of a Pay-and-Play system but also suggested that the proposed fee of £6 per hour was a little expensive. In recognition of this the charges will be £5 per hour, and £3 per hour for those on certain benefits.

"The Town Council hopes to widen participation in tennis by encouraging more people to play. As the public courts are co-located next to the Thornbury Tennis Club, that is a complementary option for residents who would prefer to pay an annual membership for more regular play."

The town council is using funding from planning deals allocated

by South Gloucestershire Council to install new locks and booking software for the Pay-and-Play courts, as well as a pathway to the courts from the Mundy Playing Fields car park.

Prisoner on the run POLICE are appealing for sightings of an inmate who walked out of Leyhill open Prison near Thornbury.

Russell Pope, aged 37, is serving a sixand-a-half year sentence for causing grievous bodily harm with intent to another prisoner in Bristol Prison in 2019.

Avon & Somerset police say Pope failed to return to Leyhill following a release on temporary licence in Bristol on June 20 and they have been "carrying out urgent enquiries Russell Pope has a to trace him". distinctive tattoo on Pope is white, about 6ft tall and of medium build with brown hair and eyes, and his neck a distinctive tattoo of the name 'Rico' on his neck.

Police say he has links in Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

Anyone who has seen him or has information about his whereabouts should call 101 and quote the crime reference number 5223 145 811.

Information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

July, 2023

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Babies were 'at risk of harm', report finds From page 1 Since the inspection, which took place in April, Ofsted has re-visited the nursery twice, and says it is now satisfied the problems have been put right.

Little Acorns nursery, which is based in old school buildings in Gillingstool, has 115 places for children aged under four.

It was previously inspected last year, and rated as 'requiring improvement'.

But following a complaint in March this year, inspectors returned and found changes had still not been completed.

In the report, published in late May, Ofsted criticised the nursery for not meeting safeguarding standards by failing to supervise babies “vigilantly enough to keep them safe” and for allowing toddlers to be “chaotic” at times, running around, and being left to their own devices.

The report said staff did not check on babies frequently enough, and failed to notice incidents that result in babies receiving injuries, putting them “at risk of harm”.

Inspectors Karen Allen and Joanne Neenan said: “Supervision of babies in the upstairs room where the youngest children are cared for is poor.

"Staff fail to meet their individual needs, keep them safe or support their emotional wellbeing and welfare.

"These youngest children are not adequately supervised while eating to ensure staff would be alerted to choking. Staff do not check on sleeping babies frequently enough."

It said babies in the upstairs room were unsettled and cried continually because they had not formed secure attachments with staff who were therefore unable to console them.

The inspectors said: "This upsets other babies and creates an unhappy and chaotic environment.

“Staff fail to notice when babies move aimlessly around the room, fall and hurt themselves or when babies unintentionally hurt others.

"Staff do not check on sleeping babies every 10 minutes as per the nursery's policy to help

promote their well-being.”

It also said staff do not engage babies in play to increase their enjoyment and to support their communication and language skills.

The inspectors found that staff struggled to support children with special educational needs or disabilities and as a result, they spent long periods standing back and watching other children play.

They said: "Overall, staff encourage children to behave positively, share and take turns.

"However, it is chaotic during the transition time after lunch in the toddler's room.

"Toddlers who are not sleeping are left to their own devices for a long period, while staff engage in routine tasks.

"Toddlers run around the room using loud voices and crawl under tables and climb on furniture."

The report concluded that safeguarding arrangements were not effective.

Despite the criticisms, the inspectors said parents spoke positively about the staff, and toddlers seemed happy and confident, and had regular opportunities to play outside in the fresh air and enjoy healthy food and snacks.

Just Childcare also runs Magic Tree Nursery in Yate, which has just been rated inadequate following a complaint and inspection. Those failings have since been put right, the regulator said.

Tippytoes in Yate has been rated as “requires improvement”.

Just Childcare, a national nursery provider based in Manchester, told the Voice that recruitment of staff was a problem affecting the whole sector.

Operations Director Liz Carroll said: “One of the primary challenges we have encountered is the industry-wide issue of staffing, which has significantly impacted our nurseries in the Bristol area.

“To tackle this concern, we have made substantial investments in recruitment efforts, including increasing wages.

“Just Childcare has also made significant investments in leadership roles and

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restructuring staff to provide better support to our nurseries.

“Additionally, we have been working closely with Ofsted and the local authority to improve the situation.

"We are confident that in the coming months, our nurseries will undergo re-inspections, resulting in improved grades that better reflect their true quality.

“We sincerely appreciate the patience and understanding of our parents and families during this period.”

The Ofsted inspectors acknowledged that a staff shortage caused by some staff leaving recently had contributed to problems.

Beatrice Merrick, chief executive of charity Early Education, said: "Recruitment and retention is a major issue in the early years sector at present, with many staff leaving for better paid and less stressful work in supermarkets and retail, even if they would prefer to remain

Little Acorns nursery in Gillingstool, Thornbury

working with young children."

She said the problem was not unique to the UK but a "major contributor to the problem" was that government funding rates for the early years entitlements are too low, which means that many staff are on low wages.

Ms Merrick added: "Some nurseries are having to use agency staff or staff with lower qualifications than they would otherwise choose, which impacts on quality."

Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

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July, 2023

Don't put out recycling during bin strike PEOPLE are being told not to put out recycling or food bins for collection during strikes by South Gloucestershire's bin crews.

The council has advised residents that it is prioritising fortnightly collections of black bins and nappy sacks by those staff still working during a fortnight of strike action, which was due to last until July 9.

The action followed a one-week strike earlier in June, staged by 150 workers in response to a pay offer described as a "significant real terms pay cut".

As the second strike began on June 26, the council said there would not be "sufficient staff" to collect recycling or green bins and urged people not to put them out.

It is still advising residents to put out black bins on scheduled days and report missed collections.

A spokesperson said the authority was "aware of residents’ concerns over food waste not being collected for some time, especially in the hot weather".

People were being advised to use a plastic bag or double bag food waste and ensure it is tightly tied up to minimise smells during the three weeks between collections.

Recycling centres in Yate, Thornbury and Mangotsfield were being kept open, with extra facilities set up to deposit food waste.

Union Unite said 89% of workers who took part in a ballot voted to strike, after rejecting an 8% per cent pay offer from he

Striking social workers and bin crews demonstrated outside South Gloucestershire Council's Kingswood offices on June 12 council's waste contractor Suez.

The union said: "With the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 11.4%, this is a significant real terms pay cut.

Unite says Suez made profits of £80.8 million in 2021. The company’s South Gloucestershire bin loaders earn £11.53 per hour - equivalent to around £460 for a five-day week at eight hours per day, or just under £24,000 a year.

The union said industrial action would "intensify" if the dispute was not resolved.

Unite regional officer Ken Fish said: “Our members have been forced to take action because Suez refuses to table a reasonable pay offer.

"This is a lucrative contract and the council needs to intervene and force Suez to put forward a fair offer to our members."

Suez says its two most recent pay offers, this year and last, together represent a pay increase of up to 16.75%.

A spokesperson said: "Industrial action is the very last outcome we want to see - we still

COMPANION AND DRIVING SERVICE

believe our offer is a competitive one and our door remains open to Unite Trade Union.

"However, with talks currently stalled, we are developing contingency arrangements with the council so that we can minimise disruption for local communities."

Social workers strike SOCIAL workers and occupational therapists working in adult services for South Gloucestershire Council joined bin workers on a picket line outside the authority's Kingswood offices.

Their one-day strike on June 12 was the sixth.

Union UNISON has been in dispute with the council since last summer over a decision to award qualified staff in children’s services an extra £3,000 "retention payment" on top of their basic annual salary to stop them leaving the sector - but not giving it to adult services workers.

Social worker Sarah Bramley said: “Current figures show that

retention of qualified workers in adult care is worse now than when the payment was agreed for children's services.

"But retention payments are not being considered for us, which makes us feel we are not valued at all. We hold the same qualification as our colleagues in children’s services and our job is incredibly demanding.

"The basic wage is already higher in all neighbouring authorities, so South Glos Council struggles to attract experienced staff and with Wiltshire Council, for instance, implementing retention payments for adult services, this problem will surely get worse."

Unison says 94% of staff voted for strike action in the ballot.

A council spokesperson said: "We are disappointed that UNISON have proceeded with strike action, given our continuing focus on delivering our workplace action plan, which addresses issues staff tell us matter most.

"Staff in all roles in adult social care undertake vitally important work in our communities in South Gloucestershire.

"We very much hope that UNISON will continue to engage with us on the actions agreed after the last period of industrial action."

The spokesperson said the authority had "maintained a good level of service and support to our communities and hospitals" during the strike.

Row over black bin cuts: Page 12

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Sons' big ride raises £12k for hospice The team of cyclists who rode from Bristol to Paris in memory of Ewan Thomas, of Thornbury

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Ewan, 70 had lived in Thornbury for 35 years. team before and it was a fun location to end up in.

"We hoped to raise funds for the hospice so that other patients and their families can have the care they deserve at a particularly challenging time for all.”

"St Peter's Hospice is Bristol's only adult hospice caring for local people with life-limiting illnesses. "Their commitment is to improve the quality of life of patients while extending care and support to their families and loved ones.

"All of their care is provided free of charge, but it costs them around £20,000 a day to provide that care."

Jamie's sponsorship page had raised more than £12,200 as the Voice went to press.

To donate visit www. justgiving.com/fundraising/ jamiethomas2023.

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W

A TEAM of 15 friends and relatives have raised more than £12,000 in memory of a Thornbury man.

Ewan Thomas died last year at the age of 70, following a long illness.

He spent his last weeks in St Peter's Hospice in Bristol, the only adult hospice in the region.

To say thank you to the charity for its support two of Ewan's sons, Jamie and David, organised an epic cycle journey from Bristol to Paris in their dad's memory.

They were joined on their 250-mile journey by 13 friends as they cycled through Bath, past Stonehenge and down to Portsmouth for a ferry, passing Versailles on the other side of the Channel before arriving at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, four days later.

There they were met by their brother Gareth and mum Vicki, who had travelled to see them finish the challenge.

Ewan had lived in in Thornbury for 35 years and had run an advertising and media consulting group, Thomas Media Consultants, for 25 years.

He also volunteered with Thornbury Town FC and the Northavon Youth Theatre Company, which is based in the town.

Jamie, who is a doctor, said: "After a particularly hard few months in and out of hospital, Dad was able to move to St Peter's Hospice for his last few weeks.

"We cannot thank the Hospice enough for their care everyone from the reception desk to the doctors and nurses.

"Once at St Peter’s, Dad said he was so grateful to be 'treated like a human again'.

"The care provided from everyone at the Hospice, as well as the building and gardens, was incredible not only for him but the whole family.

"St Peter’s Hospice felt like a peaceful place, and Dad was well looked after. There was an effort to get to know the patient and everyone went that extra mile to look after Dad. No ask was too small for the staff, and we felt that they were looking after us too.

“This was a personal challenge for us all, as no-one had ever cycled that far in our

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July, 2023

Mayor admits bus struggles Questions over METRO Mayor Dan Norris has revealed he has struggled to book travel on his flagship WESTlink minibus service.

The demand-responsive transport service was launched in April by the West of England Combined Authority and neighbouring North Somerset Council, with a fleet of minibuses which do not follow set routes but can be booked to A WESTlink minibus take people between any bus stops in a set zone.

The Thornbury area is covered by the scheme, which aims to connect isolated areas to main transport routes.

Responding to claims that there had only been 10 of the minibuses in the Somerset area of the scheme — the “south zone” — on a day in June, Mr Norris told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “While I haven’t got official figures, I agree that Wednesday was a difficult day as when I tried to book a WESTlink myself, there were none available.

“But I’ve always said this would be a gradual roll out and that WESTlink will need more minibus drivers – the national and local shortage of drivers remains a major hurdle.”

The on-demand buses were intended as a way to supplement the existing bus service, but bus cuts across the West of England — after a funding row between the Metro Mayor and local councils saw publicly-supported bus services slashed — have left many people in rural areas forced to rely on WESTlink.

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£8m 'birthday buses'

A PLAN to give people in South Gloucestershire and the wider region free bus travel during their birthday month has been questioned by council leaders.

The £8 million scheme starts this month and gives passengers a free bus pass to use during the month of their birthday.

West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris announced the new birthday bus initiative in May. Critics of the “gimmick” raised questions about whether the millions in funding would be better spent on restoring some subsidised bus routes, which were recently axed.

Now the plan has faced further questions, as council bosses in the region said they were not consulted about the initiative before it was announced.

During a meeting of the West of England Combined Authority, on June 16, they called for more cooperation in future.

Councillor Claire Young, the new leader of South Gloucestershire Council, said: “The WECA mayor was able to make a public announcement about the buses without consulting the partner authorities beforehand.

"As a new administration, we would want better oversight of the decision-making going forward, so that we can work together to develop policy and demonstrate how we’re delivering the best outcomes for our residents.

“While I’m supportive of fare package initiatives, I do think we need to work in partnership so we can collectively explain how our new fare packages deliver value for money and seek to address inequalities. We’re really keen that future fare packages should focus on the most disadvantaged residents, including for example discounts for benefit claimants, disabled people and young people entering the job market.”

The metro mayor said he was “amazed” that some councillors were previously unaware of his plans for the free birthday bus initiative.

He also suggested that the problem was due to council staff not informing leading councillors about their work, including on public transport.

Mr Norris said: “Obviously the birthday buses initiative has been worked on for a very long time, and the thing — having been a former government minister — that jumps out at me, is I’m amazed that many councillors do not know what is going on. I’m wondering: are officers talking about the work that they’re doing and consulting with their members?"

Applications to get free bus travel can be made online — on the website www.birthdaybus.co.uk when it goes live — and a pass card will be sent out in the post. Anybody living in Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire, or North East Somerset can apply.

The initiative will last for 12 months and is aiming to get more people in the region in the habit of using buses. It’s hoped that after using a bus for a month for free, some might stick with the habit afterwards. West of England bosses are trying to change people’s travel behaviour, to reduce private car use and cut congestion and pollution.

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Let us know your views EMAIL US AT:

contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk Got News? Call Richard 0n 01454 800 120

Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

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These Little Stars live up to their name LITTLE Stars are shining in Alveston, as the preschool of that name has been praised in its first report from Ofsted.

An inspection in May highlighted the preschool's wellplanned curriculum and caring staff.

The regulator said St Helen’s Preschool Little Stars, based at St Helens C Of E Primary School in Greenhill, was 'good' in all areas - quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

Inspector Rachael Williams said that children engage in a broad range of experiences, which helps them practise skills and be confident learners.

She said: "The curriculum is well planned, and staff use their training and skills successfully to provide a range of experiences across all areas of learning.

"Staff have a good understanding of what they want children to learn next, based on accurate observations and

Staff and children at St Helen’s Preschool Little Stars assessments."

There was praise for the way children thoroughly enjoyed reading books and storytelling, showing good imagination, and building of their physical skills and coordination.

The inspector said children developed strong bonds with staff, who were genuinely interested in their well-being, developed high levels of selfesteem and made their own decisions about their play.

The inspector praised the

special educational needs coordinator for working closely with parents and others to enable children with special educational needs or disabilities to make progress.

Children's behaviour and the close work of staff with parents, particularly when children start at the preschool, was highlighted, as well as support to help staff improve their skills.

The report said that in order to further improve, the preschool should organise group times to

ensure that younger and less confident children were learning at their level of understanding, and support staff to help children understand daily routines.

It was the first time Ofsted had visited the preschool, which has 32 places for two to four year olds per session and 50 children on its roll, since it re-registered as a charitable incorporated organisation two years ago.

Committee members are all volunteer parents or carers, who give their time freely for the management of the preschool and are elected by the parents of children who attend.

Manager Lucy Long said the report was welcomed by the small charity that runs the preschool.

She said: “The team at preschool is incredible.

“We all have huge passion for early years and want to continue to give the children the best start to early education.

"I personally am so proud of my team at Little Stars.”

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Thornbury's volunteers are honoured

Barbara Ray, Chair of Thornbury Volunteer Centre presenting the Alan Hudson award for Volunteering Achievement to Thornbury Litterbusters.

THORNBURY'S outstanding volunteers were honoured at a celebration lunch and award ceremony in the town.

The event on June 7 was organised by Thornbury Volunteer Centre as part of national Volunteers' Week.

More than 60 volunteers and representatives from 24 organisations which rely on them came to the event at Turnberrie’s Community Centre.

Among those whose work was highlighted were members of Thornbury Litterbusters, who were awarded the annual Alan Hudson Award for Volunteering Achievement for their outstanding contribution to the town.

The group has about 30 members who meet on the first Saturday of the month to "blitz" the streets, with most members also doing a regular 'circuit' of streets near their homes to make sure they are litter-free.

The Clare Fardell Young Volunteer Award was presented to Mike Rogers for his outstanding voluntary contribution to youth charity Krunch South West.

Mike has been a member of Krunch since he was 11 years old and a couple of years ago started volunteering at both the younger and older youth clubs to support other members.

A spokesperson for Thornbury Volunteer Centre said: "Mike has always been a willing member of the team helping wherever he is needed.

"He is particularly good at

recognising when other young people with additional needs require support and will play pool and chat to them to make them feel welcome.

"He is a pleasure to work with and has become an invaluable member of the team.

"As well as the regular monthly litter-picks, the Litterbusters help clean up after many of the special events in the town and support Thornbury in Bloom in helping get the town ready for the Britain in Bloom judges.

"They engage fully with the local community, conduct regular litter-picks with pupils and teachers of New Siblands School and respond to members of the public when they point out areas which may be particularly bad.

"This lovely summer event allowed us to say thank you for the hard work and commitment this section of the community has given, and continues to give, to the Thornbury and district area. It was lovely to welcome guests and treat them to a delicious lunch supplied by the Volunteer Centre whilst giving them the opportunity to meet with other volunteers and organisations and share experiences."

The event also included a talk by Eryl Daniels about hosting a Ukrainian family for the past year and how the local community have welcomed Ukrainians into their homes and supported them through clothes donations, a weekly cafe, English

To advertise, contact Richard on 01454 800 120

Mike Rogers receives the Clare Fardell Young Volunteer Award for his outstanding contribution to Krunch South West. lessons and much more.

Terry Ray spoke about Thornbury's oldest charity, Thornbury Town Trust, which provides hardship grants to people in the area, donates

Christmas presents to children in need and owns Daggs Allotments.

The event was funded by Thornbury Town Council.

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My force is racist, says top cop THE Chief Constable of Avon & Somerset Police says the force is “institutionally racist”.

Sarah Crew said the constabulary is also likely to have a culture of misogyny, homophobia and discrimination against people with disabilities.

In a statement published on the police website on June 16, Ms Crew said that the “system is unfair” on black and other ethnic minority people, and vowed to put it right.

Her comments come in the wake of Baroness Carey’s review into the Metropolitan Police, published in March, which she said was a “catalyst for us to examine ourselves”, along with a damning report last year by Desmond Brown, a former chair of Bristol’s Commission for Race Equality, identifying “disproportionality” in areas including stop and search decisions.

Ms Crew said Mr Brown’s findings showed “clear evidence of differential experiences in the way we interact with people from different ethnic and racial backgrounds,

THE mystery of a bench which vanished from a Thornbury street has been solved.

The wooden seat in Gloucester Road was donated by Thornbury University of the Third Age in 2018 to mark the 20th anniversary of their founding in the area.

There was even an official “opening” ceremony attended by local members and Thornbury Town Council.

But last October it disappeared during work to build a new bus stop near its site, opposite the Anchor pub.

A few months on, and U3A contact Gill Killey got in touch with the Voice asking for our help with what she called “the mystery of the seat”.

Gill said: “The town council removed it to

July, 2023

particularly those who are from black heritage communities”.

She said: “When it comes to race, I’m in no doubt that, by Baroness Casey’s criteria at least, Avon & Somerset Police is institutionally racist.

“I must accept that the definition fits.

“I think it’s likely to be true for misogyny, homophobia and disability as well, though the gaps in the data don’t give us the sense of scale, impact, or certainty that we have for race.

“I need to be clear – I’m not talking about what’s in the hearts and minds of most people who work for Avon & Somerset Police.

“This is about recognising the structural and institutional barriers that exist and which put people at a disadvantage in the way they interact with policing because of their race.

“Not being racist is no longer good enough, not for me and not for any of us.”

Ms Crew was accused of “virtue signalling”

by Avon & Somerset Police Federation chairman Mark Loker, who represents rankand-file officers.

In a statement responding to Ms Crew, Mr Loker that while the police needed to have “difficult conversations” about racism, her words had done “nothing to drive change or amend culture”.

He said: “I contend that by our Chief declaring Avon & Somerset as ‘institutionally racist’ this will create a false narrative and actually drive a divide between our officers

Missing bench will return an unknown place when they said a new bus shelter being built.

“Thornbury U3A has 1,600 members and various members used the bench when waiting to go on coach outings. Now it is no longer available for us or anybody else in Thornbury!”

Work on the bus shelter is now finished – but the seat is still missing.

But with the help of the Town Council, the Voice has tracked it down – and the good news is, it is safely in storage, and is soon to be reinstated.

Chief Constable Sarah Crew and the communities this is intended to assist.

“It does not, in my view, promote brave conversations, it in fact stunts any conversation and becomes a label, nothing more.

“We do not always get it right, but in the absence of any data that supports this position and states that we are ‘institutionally racist’, this is nothing more than virtue signalling.”

Both Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford and Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees have backed Ms Crew’s comments.

Mr Shelford said the chief constable had his full confidence, and was “demonstrating openness, courage and a willingness to be held accountable by the communities that she and our dedicated police officers and staff serve”.

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service A town council spokesperson told us the installation of the bus stop took longer than originally expected, but is now complete, adding: "We have taken the opportunity to spruce up the bench a little while it has been in storage and now we just need to finalise the new site, and put down some hardstanding on which the bench will sit."

Gill said the update was "good news" and thanked the Voice for helping to track down the bench.

U3A works with retired and semi-retired people to develop new skills, explore new horizons, and meet new people in a friendly and informal environment.

You can find more information about Thornbury U3A here thornburyu3a.org.uk.

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thornburyvoice

July, 2023

11

n NEWS

Fundraising campaign hits new heights

SUPPORTERS of a Thornbury charity conquered the highest peaks of England, Scotland and Wales as part of a drive to raise £10,000 for its work.

JIGSAW Thornbury works with children and young people with additional needs or disabilities in the town and surrounding area, and as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations it has set a £10,000 fundraising target this year.

To boost the appeal the charity's new chief executive They were supported by Hattie Clayton, chair of trustees Russell's dog George and Steve Hyndman and supporter volunteer drivers Andrew Sandra Colohan teamed up with and Jacky Wilson, who drove fitness coach Russell Knight, of more than 1,200 miles as they Elite Fitness Thornbury, to take celebrated their 28th wedding on the Three Peaks Challenge anniversary that weekend.

- climbing Scafell Pike, Ben Steve said: "It is a challenge Nevis, and Snowdon – aiming to that I have always wanted to do, complete it in just 24 hours. so was a perfect opportunity to The team tackled 23 miles of raise money for an extremely walking, 3,064 metres of total worthwhile cause." ascent and 50,333 steps in their Russ and Hattie both finished successful challenge, raising their walks inside the 24-hour almost £5,000 in the process at target. the end of May. WB Generic ads 2023 AW.qxp_Layout 1 14/04/2023 11:41 Page 7 Hattie, who was just three

Fundraisers Hattie Clayton, Steve Hyndman, Sandra Colohan and Russell Knight on their Ben Nevis climb weeks in to her new job at the time, said: "We’ve been blown away by the generous support from over 100 people who have donated to our fundraising page.

"This much-needed funding will have a life-changing impact for children and young people with additional needs or disabilities, and their families."

Russ added: "I like a challenge and this has the added bonus of raising money and awareness for a worthwhile local charity."

JIGSAW has worked with

more than 850 families over the last decade, offering 17 different services.

The money it is aiming to raise will go towards providing support groups, holiday activities, a youth club for young people aged 14-25 with additional needs, opportunities for young people to volunteer, woodland sessions, parent well-being events, training and awareness workshops, and their the 'SENsory Lending Library', which has 500 items for families to borrow.

The charity saw 165 families join in the past year - 45% increase - as demand for its services increases.

It is also experiencing increasing costs and is calling on people to come up with their own fundraising ideas to help as part of its 10 for 10 birthday challenge.

Anyone who would like to help should visit www. jigsawthornbury.org.uk/ fundraise-for-us.

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12

July, 2023

n NEWS

Row over plan to cut black bin collections

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BLACK bin collections could be reduced to just once a month and garden waste fees hiked from £30 to £75 under controversial plans being considered by South Gloucestershire Council.

Opposition Tories have branded the proposals, which include new charges for disposing tyres and plasterboard at tips, as “crazy and irresponsible”.

But the new Lib Dem/Labour coalition running the council says the criticism is “astonishing and rather cynical”, as the work on a new waste contract was “largely done by their previous Conservative administration”.

Changes to how the service is run are needed because the council’s 25-year deal with Suez ends in 2025.

Officers have assessed four options to replace it but every one involves a massive funding shortfall.

The cheapest, costing £330 million over 10 years, would see bin collections are outsourced to a private operator while recycling centres are brought back in-house.

This needs more than 50 extra council staff and would leave the council having to find an extra £4.7m a year to run the service.

Cabinet members were being asked to approve general principles ahead of a consultation over the summer and a final decision in October.

A report at a cross-party scrutiny commission on June 14 said having three-weekly black bin collections from 2026 would save £500,000 a year, saving a further £300,000 by going four-weekly.

Charges for disposing of “hardcore” waste, such as asbestos and tyres, at tips would bring in £500,000. Fees for collecting bulky waste could also increase.

Increases to the green bin subscription, from £30 to £50, bringing in £800,000 a year, were proposed in the Tories' last budget but scrapped following objections.

However, these are now back on the table but officers said the garden waste charge might need to be increased to £60 or even £75 a year, and that residents would have to pay £25 for a replacement bin.

Conservative shadow cabinet member Rachael Hunt said: "We have an excellent record of prosecuting people for fly-tipping.

“These crazy and irresponsible proposals could see that record seriously jeopardised, as people try to avoid charges and deal with the accumulation of rubbish they’ll see when their bins aren’t emptied as regularly."

Labour cabinet member for communities and local place Leigh Ingham said: “It is astonishing, and rather cynical, that the Conservatives seemingly appear surprised by the proposals as the work on this project which was largely done by their previous Conservative administration.

“The new Lib Dem and Labour partnership administration has inherited incomplete plans for £40m of cuts to be delivered over the next four years."

Officers said “awkward” waste, such as nappies, clinical and sharp objects, would be collected more frequently than black bin rubbish under the proposals and that there was plenty of time to talk to residents and explain why the changes were needed. *Residents using council recycling centres are being advised that hard plastics taken there are still being recycled, despite dedicated collection areas being removed to make way for foamfilled furniture.

The council says hard plastic items are being removed from general waste collected at Sort It centres at a sorting facility in Bristol - but hard plastics put in black bins are not.

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

July, 2023

n NEWS

thornburyvoice

13

Mike Drew has been elected as this year's chair of South Gloucestershire Council.

Yate North ward councillor Drew, who has 40 years of service, will perform ambassadorial roles, with councillor Franklin Owusu-Antwi (Con, Bradley Stoke North) elected vice-chair.

Cllr Drew is supporting the Motor Neurone Disease Association as his charity of the year, after his younger brother died from the disease five years ago.

Council's new leadership teams are unveiled

SOUTH Gloucestershire Council's new joint Liberal Democrat and Labour administration has announced the cabinet that is taking on the administration of the council.

Last month the Voice reported that the two parties had agreed to share power after the Conservatives lost their overall majority, with Liberal Democrat group leader and Frampton Cotterell ward councillor Claire Young becoming the council leader and Labour group leader Ian Boulton, who represents Staple Hill & Mangotsfield ward, becoming co-leader.

Following the first meeting of the new council at the end of May, the other cabinet councillors - four Lib Dems and three Labour - and their areas of responsibility were confirmed.

They are: Chris Willmore (Lib Dem, Yate North) - planning, regeneration, and infrastructure Alison Evans (Lab, Woodstock) - cost of living, equalities and public health Louise Harris (Lib Dem, Dodington) - climate and nature emergency Maggie Tyrell (Lib Dem, Thornbury) - children and young people John O’Neil (Lib Dem, Charfield) - adults and homes Adam Monk (Lab, Filton) - resources Leigh Ingham (Lab, Kingswood) - communities and local place In addition Cllr Young will be responsible for council governance, with Cllr Boulton taking the portfolio for education, skills, employment and business.

Cllr Young said the new cabinet "delivers a broad range of experience across the council’s work areas".

She said: "This is an excellent opportunity to put forward a new vision for South Gloucestershire and to help improve the lives of local people. We want to change the way decisions are made and work with residents and communities to ensure they are supportive of our plans.

The council's Conservative group, which remains the largest even though it no longer has a majority, has announced its shadow cabinet.

Severn Vale ward councillor Matthew Riddle - who held his seat in May's local elections by 93 votes after a challenge from former Lib Dem MP Mark Oaten - is the Tories' shadow member for children and young people.

Group leader Sam Bromiley said: "The new administration must put the best interests of residents at the heart of everything it does, and the people of South Gloucestershire can be assured that the Conservative Group will be firmly on their side."

To advertise, contact Richard on 01454 800 120

Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

14

n NEWS

thornburyvoice

July, 2023

Row over 'lorry-sized' granny flat

PLANS to build a “lorry-sized” granny annex in a country cottage have sparked a row among neighbours in a village near Thornbury.

Several Rockhampton residents opposed the plans due to the size of the proposed extension, but it has now been given planning permission.

The plans include demolishing an outbuilding at the cottage in Lower Stone Road and building the large granny annex.

Representatives for the cottage owners said the extension would allow them to care for elderly relatives.

But neighbours objected to the size of the new extension during a meeting of the development management committee at South Gloucestershire Council on June 22.

Ryan Cook, speaking on behalf of the applicants, said: “The proposal is designed to

provide a high quality, accessible annex at ground floor level, capable of supporting an elderly relative.

"By integrating multigenerational living into the site, the applicant will be able to provide much-needed care and support for relatives, while also providing decent living standards, comfort and relative independence.”

Initially the plans also included using the extension for short-term lets, although this part has now been dropped after concerns were raised.

Objectors said the annex would be the size of an “articulated lorry trailer”, bearing down on a boundary fence.

Neighbour Geoff Fisher said: “My wife and I are very concerned about the quality of design, the scale and siting of the building and its impact on our property.

"An articulated lorry trailer

To advertise, contact Richard on 01454 800 120

in the UK has an average height of 4.2 metres, and the proposed building is 4.15 metres. The average length is 12 metres proposed is 13.35 metres.

“When you’re alongside one of these heavy goods vehicles in traffic, it’s quite intimidating.

"To have the equivalent of one parked against your boundary is to urbanise your property.

"My wife and I do not have any problems with our neighbours converting their property to provide accommodation space. But surely another solution can be found.”

The village does not usually see controversial planning applications, according to Severn Vale ward councillor Matthew Riddle, who called in the plans for the committee to decide as there had been five objections.

Cllr Riddle said: “Rockhampton in terms of planning is usually very quiet.

Councillor Matthew Riddle 'called in' the plans to a planning committee I think this is the first call-in I’ve done in Rockhampton since 2007.

"Five letters of objection is actually quite a lot for the small parish.

"While we should be encouraging families to look after and care for their elderly generation, the key issue here is: is the massing of this new proposal too much for the neighbouring property?”

The development management committee voted to approve the plans, with eight voting in favour and one against.

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

thornburyvoice

July, 2023

15

n NEWS

£350,000 lottery funding for arboretum A 173-year-old woodland near Leyhill has been given lottery funding to carry on its work the next four years.

Tortworth Arboretum was planted in the grounds of Tortworth Court in 1853.

For the last eight years it has been run by non-profit community interest company for the benefit of local people.

Tortworth Forest Centre, as it’s known, has just been given £350,000 to help fund its community work around woodland-based well-being groups for residents struggling with poor mental health.

Centre operations manager Amy Walsh said: "These projects are a lifeline for many people and this funding will make a big difference to people’s lives.

“We are restoring the arboretum for community use, making it a resource

available for volunteer and community groups to learn about and enjoy nature.

"All of our activities aim to bring people together with nature so that the woodland is better managed, and people are empowered to care for and protect nature when it is under threat.”

Founder Rebecca Briar manages the 600-tree arboretum on behalf of the owners Woodlands.co.uk, a family run company which buys and sells woodlands, and engages in community use of woods.

The funding will help projects like a recent audio walk called The World in the Woodland: Museum of the Future, created by Bristol artist Morgan Tipping.

Rebecca said: “We are thrilled to be inviting audiences to explore the natural heritage of the Tortworth site through this creative experience.

“We hope that the audio walk will help people gain a richer understanding of our global tree collection, and the myriad stories that exist in any landscape, if you take time to listen.”

The 60 minute audio trail walk was launched as a one-day event – but will soon be available to visitors who can follow a QR code trail in the woodland, listening to the audio on their smartphones.

Morgan said she first thought of the arboretum as a “living museum” but gradually changed her view.

Volunteers working among the trees at Tortworth Arboretum The 20-acre woodland had been falling into neglect for many years, but now a small army of ten part-time staff and many volunteers have been restoring it.

As well as the centre's programme, community organisations can use the arboretum for their own events and activities.

This National Lottery funding will provide 65% of the money needed for their work – and the organisers will fundraise for the remainder.

Tortworth Arboretum is open to the public every third Saturday of the month, and for special events and classes.

For more information visit tortwortharboretum.org online.

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Hidden Gems on South Gloucestershire high streets

Discover unique and quirky finds across South Gloucestershire, on urban high streets and market towns, at small, independent businesses offering friendly service and something out of the ordinary.

Beach Boudoir

Eclectic Gift Shop

At the end of Chipping Sodbury High Street, Beach Boudoir is a specialist swimwear shop that opened in 2021. They offer a wide range of bikinis, swimming costumes, and beach coverups. Vicky, the owner, enjoys helping customers explore new styles. Whether you’re looking for a fresh holiday outfit or planning a girls' trip, Beach Boudoir has over 100 styles in sizes ranging from small to plus, there’s something for everyone.

Discover unique, locally made gifts at Hanham’s Eclectic Gift Shop. They have an amazing range of Bristolthemed items, such as locally brewed beer, cider, and gin, prints of Bristol landmarks, clothing, jewellery, and more. Nicola, the owner, is passionate about supporting local artists and makers saying ‘you know when you buy something here you are supporting independent makers.’

Chipping Sodbury

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Safari Rock Softplay café Thornbury

Looking for a place to unwind while your kids play? Safari Rock is a family-friendly softplay café. Owner Aimee designed the play area with parents in mind, so you can always keep an eye on your little ones without having to climb around inside the equipment. They also offer animal encounter days, where kids can meet exotic animals, reptiles, and insects. www.safarirock.co.uk

www.eclecticgiftshop.co.uk

Fresco Fish Kingswood

Fabrics Plus Downend

Fabrics Plus is a haven for crafters. They offer a diverse range of supplies, including quilting, dressmaking, and upholstery fabrics, yarn, patterns, haberdashery, fabric dyes, and felting equipment.

Owner Robin and the team are experienced crafters themselves and provide guidance on fabric and yarn choices. They also offer classes on various crafts.

Fresco Fish on Regent Street is a traditional fishmonger with an impressive selection of fish and seafood. From wild sardines to organic salmon and dressed crab, they have something for every taste. Michael, the owner, and his staff are always available to provide advice on preparation, storage, and cooking. www.frescofishmarket.co.uk

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The Friendly Eco Staple Hill

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Need help with a broken smartphone, a slow-running computer or something not quite right with your laptop?

The goto IT team offer free diagnostics and clear, jargon free, explanations to ensure customers understand the issues and solutions. They also provide IT support for local businesses of all sizes. www.goto-it.co.uk

The Friendly Eco is a sustainable parenting store.

They specialise in cloth nappies and offer a range of brands. Owner Freya is passionate about promoting sustainability and diversity, offering toiletries, reusable sanitary products, plastic-free lunchbox supplies, wooden toys, and children’s books.

They also provide nappy classes to help families make informed decisions. www.thefriendlyeco.co.uk

Bike Station Yate

Bike Station has been serving the community for 19 years.

They have a wide selection of bikes for adults and children, including road, mountain, and electric bikes. Jude and Pat, the owners, provide expert advice on choosing the right bike, bike fitting, and saddle options for a comfortable ride. They also have a fully equipped workshop for manual and electric bikes so, if your bike needs a repair, suspension servicing, or your electric bike battery has gone dead you can book in with their qualified bike mechanic. www.bikestationuk.com

Supporting small, independent businesses on our high streets is a great way to contribute to the local economy. In South Gloucestershire, there are plenty of free parking spaces available for short and long stays on our high streets so make sure you check out a hidden gem and other independent businesses on their local high street on your next shopping trip.

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thornburyvoice

July, 2023

19

n NEWS

Praise for pre-school's outdoor focus

A VILLAGE pre-school where children enjoy plenty of time outdoors and are treated as 'unique individuals' has been praised by an inspector.

Olveston pre-school had been judged to be 'good' following its first visit from Ofsted since being registered as a community interest company last summer.

The pre-school at the Parish Hall in Upper Tockington Road, was found to have a clear curriculum, and an environment where children feel safe and secure.

Inspector Marie Swindells visited in April and her report, published in June, said children had good bonds with all staff members, who are kind and attentive.

The inspector said: “Each child is viewed as a unique individual, and this helps children to have confidence in their own learning.

"Children feel valued and respected through the genuine interest that the staff team take in speaking to the children each day.”

The report rated the pre-school as 'good' in all areas - quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

The inspector said its curriculum was ageappropriate, broad and ambitious.

Her report said: "Staff use information

gathered through observations of all children to provide meaningful experiences to help extend children's learning even further.

“They work closely with parents to understand each individual child's likes and needs. Staff keep parents up to date about their child's progress, which enables them to continue children's learning at home.”

The report highlighted the preschool's emphasis on outdoor activities and fostering kindness among the 40 children on its roll.

The inspector said: "Children enjoy being outdoors. They competently use the woodland resources and make up their own games.

“Children are kind and considerate towards each other and carefully navigate risks."

The inspector said improvements could be made by staff more consistently encouraging children to do things for themselves to help them gain new skills, and by helping them gain a deeper understanding of the rules and boundaries during activities.

She praised how children make independent choices about their learning from the wide range of resources and equipment on offer, and the 12 staff members introduce early mathematics to build on children's increasing abilities.

The pre-school's director and manager

An outdoor lesson at Olveston pre-school Rachel Curtis said staff were extremely proud of the report.

She said: “Pre-school is a wonderful environment, where the staff work so hard to provide the best Early Years provision.

“We ensure it is a safe and secure environment for children to flourish in, and feel the report really reflects this.

"I would like to say a huge thank you, to the staff and the families for their ongoing support.”

“A safe and supportive environment for all residents. Staff are friendly and provide great care.

Thank you for looking after my mother so well.”

Jane, Daughter of Resident at Beech House (source: carehome.co.uk) At Beech House care home in Thornbury, the safety, care and well-being of our residents are at the centre of everything we do.

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21

n NEWS

Refugee's songs 'enchant' festival

A UKRAINIAN refugee's traditional songs were one of the highlights of a festival raising money for an injured boy in her homeland.

Katrin Ananieva sang at the festival of accordion music at Europa House, Midland Way on June 11, which was dedicated to supporting Roman Oleksiv, who is seven years old, and suffered severe burns in the Russian missile attack that killed his mother and more than 20 other people.

The festival was organised

by Andy Coles, who works for insurance company Motorcycle Direct at the venue, and met Roman's father Yaroslav online when they both served on international juries for world accordion championships.

Andy said: "The event was a great success. In fact, I’m already being asked if I would arrange something similar for next year.

"As well as accordion soloists, duettists and the wonderful Marlborough Accordion Orchestra, we were blessed with a huge range of diverse talent, much of it local.

"The event opened with the Bristol Mandolin and Guitar Ensemble before we headed into the main accordion competition.

"A 14-year old Ukrainian refugee, Katrin Ananieva treated us to a couple of enchanting traditional songs from her homeland.

"Also, by video, we had contributions from two Ukrainian accordionists who are currently studying in France under the world-renowned teacher and friend of mine, Fred

We

uit : s ilator Invig m Exa kers ta Care staff in Adm

also

Yaroslav Oleksiv and his son Roman, who was badly burned in a Russian attack.

Katrin Ananieva sings at the accordion festival Deschamps.

"A further video featured 35 of the world’s top accordionists performing a piece of music called ‘Romance For You’.

Yaroslav Oleksiv had written this for his wife, Halyna, just months before she met her death as a result of a Russian attack. There were tears!"

Other performers at the South/South West Accordion Festival, the local area festival held on behalf of the National Accordion Organisation, included Bristol a ladies-only barbershop-style choir Black Sheep Harmony.

Andy said: "The day ended with the audience dancing and singing along with the talented Panache Steel Band from Thornbury, which produced the most joyous sound.

"We are so lucky to have such

talent on our own doorstep.

"The day would not have happened without the performers, but I’d equally like to thank Ray & Anna Bodell, (another world-class accordion teacher and adjudicator) for helping with running the event, Anne and Steve Takel

of Thornbury and, of course, Europa Group for allowing me use of their premises for the day."

So far Andy has raised just under £400 for Roman donations can be made online at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ musicians-for-ukraine.

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22

n WHAT'S ON June 30-July 1 n THORNBURY CARNIVAL, Mundy Fields. Swing in the Park Friday evening, Main Event Saturday 11am until 11pm. For tickets and more details visit www. thornburycarnival.co.uk.

July 3 n ALVESTON GARDENS ASSOCIATION, Jubilee Hall, Alveston at 7.30pm. Talk by Richard Harvey on the Gardens of Madeira.

Non-members welcome.

July 11 Eastwood Gardeners' Club, Turnberrie's Community Centre, Thornbury, 7pm. Talk from Victoria Wright: "Peat-Free Compost, a Positive Approach to a Future Without Peat". Visitors welcome.

July 13-15 n THORNBURY MUSICAL THEATRE GROUP JUNIORS present The Wizard of Oz at Redmaids High School. Evening shows 7.30pm, plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Tickets from £10, available from www.ticketsource. co.uk/tmtg or 07305 222922.

July 16 n CASTLE SCHOOL Friends Car Boot Sale at Castle School. Sellers welcome from 8.30am, open to buyers from 9am, finishing at noon. £5 a car, £2 table hire - adults 50p entry, children free. Includes preloved uniform sale. Refreshments available.

July 16 n ST PETERS HOSPICE Severnside Support Group garden party at Grove House, The Street, Alveston, 2.30-5pm. Entrance £5, to include tea and cake. Bring a picnic chair, listen to the music of Panache Steel Band and enjoy the gardens.

Raffle and book sale for your local hospice.

July 22-30 n THORNBURY ART CLUB Summer Exhibition, Thornbury Methodist Church Hall, Castle Court, High Street. Variety of media and styles, with items available for sale and public vote on favourite painting. Open 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday, 2-4pm Sunday. Free exhibition, all welcome. For more details contact Fiona Foyer at fionafoyer1@gmail.com.

REGULAR EVENTS

Monday n SEVERN VALE FLOWER CLUB meets on the second Monday in the month at 2pm in St Mary's Hall in Eastbury Close, Thornbury, for classes, demonstrations and competitions. For more information contact Sally on ssjjtaylor@hotmail. co.uk or Hazel on 01454 885213.

Tuesday

thornburyvoice n THORNBURY ART CLUB hosts live talks and demonstrations by established artists on the fourth Tuesday of the month at St Mary's Church Hall, 7.30pm. Non-members welcome: £5 entry. For more information call Mary Drown on 01454 414433 or email mary.drown@ blueyonder.co.uk. n CITIZENS ADVICE South Gloucestershire sessions at Thornbury Town Hall Tuesday 10amnoon. No appointment needed. n JUST SEW IT SEWING CLUB, every Tuesday 6.30-9.30pm at the Chantry Community and Arts Centre Castle Street, Thornbury. Come along and sew with others bring your sewing machine & materials/ pattern. Call Carrie 07753 236095. n THORNBURY MEMORY CAFE is open on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (except August) from 10.15am until 11.45am.

Methodist Church Hall, High Street, Thornbury. For information contact Sue Rowley on 01454 412941 or Louise Wright on 01454 260371. n SUNBEAMS TODDLER GROUP, 1.30-3pm every Tuesday in term time, Thornbury Methodist Church Hall (off Castle Court). All families welcome, no need to book, £2 per family includes snack and drink.

Thursday n THORNBURY GOOD AFTERNOON CHOIR, Thornbury URC, Chapel Street, 1-3pm. For info visit www.goodafternoonchoir.org, email gac@grenvillemusic.co.uk or call 01761 472468.

July, 2023

n LIBRARY NEWS THE Summer Reading Challenge - Ready, Steady, Read - is back at Thornbury Library from July 8.

For all primary school-age children: read six books by September 9 to earn a medal, with activities planned throughout the holidays.

Thornbury Horticultural Society holds a 'Ready, Steady, Sow and Grow' event on July 22 from 10am-noon.

Come and sow some seeds, take them home and watch them grow.

Ukrainian storytime sessions take place every Monday at 4pm - tell your Ukrainian family, friends and colleagues about Zoya, a Ukrainian teacher who will share stories, reading and more from Ukraine.

The Have You Read book club meets on July 7 from 2-3pm - no set novel, just drop in for refreshments and a chat about books.

Lego club meets every Saturday from 9.30-10.30am - no booking required.

Rhymetime takes place every Monday and Friday, from 9.30-10am.

A Sight Support West of England drop-in support and advice session for people with visual impairments will be held on July 17 from 10am-1pm.

A computer volunteer is ready to help with your IT and online questions on Thursday mornings, with one-to-one sessions available from 9.30am.

People can enjoy a free hot drink in the library every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday from 9.30am-4pm, use the computers or WiFi with your own iPad or phone, read a book, a newspaper, browse the shelves, enjoy a communal puzzle or just relax The library is open 9.30am-5.30pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 9.30am-12.30pm on Saturday.

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

For bookings and home library service call 01454 868006, email thornbury.library@southglos.gov.uk or visit the website www.southglos. gov.uk/libraries.

Get your Garage into Shape!

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n BRISTOL MALE VOICE CHOIR are recruiting new members. 7pm - 9.15pm, St Andrew's Methodist Church, Elm Park, Filton, BS34 7PS. A varied repertoire, no audition.

No need to read music - our regular practices will get you in shape to sing at our regular concerts and enjoy the social vibe. www.bristolmvc.org.uk email secretary@bristolmvc.org. uk Telephone 07764447699.

Friday n HAVEN MEMORY CAFE, Thornbury United Reformed Church, Chapel Street, first and third Fridays of the month from 10.1511.45am. More details from Stuart Hill on 07913 241437 or Sue Walton 07794 370903.

Saturday n THORNBURY PARKRUN, 9am, Mundy Playing Fields. Free.

Sunday n THORNBURY ROYAL BRITISH LEGION branch meeting, last Sunday of the month at the Black Horse, Gillingstool, Thornbury, noon.

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July, 2023

thornburyvoice

23

n NEWS

Spreading the word at Susty Fest

THORNBURY'S Festival of Sustainability gave groups doing good things for the environment a chance to showcase their work and show people how they could help.

The event at the town's St Mary Centre in late May was organised by environment group Sustainable Thornbury with support from South Gloucestershire Council.

As well as highlighting local activities that are taking place to help restore nature and tackle climate change, visitors were given advice and information about ways everyone can reduce our impact on the environment.

The 12 stalls showed activities ranging from mapping local wildlife, using electric vehicles and bikes, growing your own food and estimating the carbon produced in buying your shopping to information about home energy efficiency, thermal imaging surveys and alternative energy sources like heat pumps and solar panels.

Thornbury's Festival of Sustainability was held in bright sunshine Groups represented included local churches with EcoChurch status, South Gloucestershire Councils’ Hedgehog Heroes project, Thornbury Community Orchard, the Thornbury composting site, Thornbury Men's Shed and Active West

travel.

Locally made Castle Crafts made wildflower seed bombs, while there was also information on how South Gloucestershire Council is tackling the Climate and Nature Emergency.

Sustainable Thornbury

secretary Melinda Evans said the group launched its Biodiversity Ring project at the event.

Melinda said: "The idea behind the Biodiversity Ring is to create a walking route around Thornbury that joins up existing biodiversity hotspots, using existing paths, like an "M25" for nature. "Sustainable Thornbury published a map of the route which was available at Susty Fest, it is also on the Sustainable Thornbury website.

"Sustainable Thornbury wishes to thank all the stallholders who put in a tremendous amount of work to make each stall so engaging.

"Thanks also to South Glos Council and the St Mary Centre for their support too – it was a wonderful team effort."

For more information about Sustainable Thornbury and its projects and activities, email cats@sustainablethornbury. org or visit the website www. sustainablethornbury.org.

Calendar Girls show will boost cancer charities A NEW amateur production of the hit musical Calendar Girls is set to boost a Bristol cancer charity.

The show will be performed by new group Collaborative Productions at Rangeworthy Village Hall from September 21 to 23, raising funds for BUST and Blood Cancer UK. BUST was founded in 1990 and supports Bristol‘s only breast care centre based at Southmead Hospital.

It treats 1,000 new cancer patients a year for the disease which affects one in seven women and a small number of men.

BUST has raised more than £1.5 million and continues to raise funds to provide the unit with state-of-the-art equipment to aid and speed up diagnosis and treatment, from ultrasound scanners in every consulting room to the latest additions for mammography and MRI technologies.

Blood Cancer UK also funds world-class research into all blood cancers including

Members of the cast of Calendar Girls leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

It funds 360 researchers are being funded across the UK in search of the next breakthrough, and has already helped transform treatments to the point where the charity hopes the day blood cancer will be beaten is now in sight.

Founded in 1960 as the Leukaemia Research Fund, it has invested more than £500m in

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blood cancer research since, and rebranded to Blood Cancer UK in 2020.

Collaborative Productions' Sue Smith said: "Calendar Girls is based on an inspiring true story of a group of friends from a Yorkshire WI who do something extraordinary and spark a global phenomenon when they persuade one another to pose for a charity calendar with a difference!

"The WI ladies joined forces to raise funds for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research when one of their husbands died of a form of blood cancer, wherein lies our link to Blood Cancer UK, and similarly the local breast cancer charity BUST." Sue said the show was suitable for people aged 16 or over, with three evening performances at 7.30pm and a Saturday matinee at 2.30 pm.

Tickets will are on sale from July 1, costing £12 (£10 concessions), with group bookings of 10-plus receiving a free ticket.

For more details and tickets visit www.ticketsource.co.uk/ collaborative-productions, call TicketSource on 0333 666 3366 or visit the Rose & Crown in Rangeworthy, where tickets can be bought for cash.

Sue said: "If you would like to support these two charities by seeing this wonderful play, make sure you secure your ticket early as it is undoubtedly going to be popular."

Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

thornburyvoice

24

n ADVERTISING FEATURE

July, 2023

Hugely successful auction at Barrow Court CLEVEDON Salerooms enjoyed one of its most successful auctions in recent years with the sale of the contents of Barrow Court, Barrow Gurney on Thursday June 1st at the Kenn Road Auction Centre.

The outstanding single owner collection had been amassed over a thirty year period by the late technology entrepreneur Iann Barron CBE. Having purchased a substantial portion of the Jacobean mansion in the 1970s, he embarked on a major restoration of the historic interiors, creating a wonderland of period furniture and works of art, the majority purchased from established dealers in the Cotswolds during the 1980s.

Collections of such provenance and quality are always guaranteed to create a stir when they appear on the market and Clevedon Salerooms maximised the opportunity with a dedicated printed catalogue and a co-ordinated publicity campaign in the regional and national press.

This certainly proved effective, generating an unprecedented level of interest in the sale with one keen bidder making the journey to the auction by helicopter – and strong and sustained bidding throughout the sale.

With some 98% sold and a total well above expectations, the Barrow Court sale was another

resounding success for a saleroom going from strength to strength.

Attention now turns to the Autumn Specialist sale on September 14th which is

already looking very promising with strong showings of jewellery, furniture, paintings, clocks, ceramics and modern design for which entries are invited.

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Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

thornburyvoice

July, 2023

25

n LOCAL MP

Protecting green spaces must be council's top priority IN the coming months, South Gloucestershire Council will be taking important decisions about where to build large housing developments, how to support our local bus services, and how much to invest in our roads.

Thornbury, Alveston, Tytherington and the surrounding towns and villages have seen unprecedented levels of housing in the past few years.

We know that South Gloucestershire simply does not have the infrastructure to accommodate thousands more houses. It has never been clearer.

Building the ‘Buckover Garden Village’ would be a mistake.

That’s why this new council should place protecting our green spaces and the character

of our towns and villages at the heart of its mission.

Brownfield sites should be prioritised for housing development above all else.

It is also time for urban areas like Bristol and Bath to take their fair share of housing, something that government ministers have clearly said should be the case.

Our communities could not be clearer that the plans are completely unsuitable and must be opposed. Alongside local residents, I have taken up the fight time and again, as I did regarding the Buckover Garden Village Plans that would have built 3,000 houses, which would put huge pressure on our infrastructure and local services.

After a fierce, four-year

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campaign, armed with thousands of residents’ views from my petition, I urged the council, WECA and government to stop the plans to ensure we get a fair deal for our area.

In Parliament I urged the government to take the unusual step of intervening to pause the plan to ensure we get a fair deal for our area.

I have since recently received clear written assurances from ministers that areas such as Bristol should be taking an additional 35% of housing need to stop further pressure being put on our GP services, our schools and our roads.

With a new council administration now in place, it is vital that the new leaders

Luke Hall MP writes for Thornbury Voice

keep up this fight, and pledge to protect Thornbury from Buckover ‘Garden Village’.

The council will be judged by how well it protects Thornbury and the surrounding villages from overdevelopment.

South Gloucestershire is the best place in the country to live, work and raise a family. No wonder developers want to build here.

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Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

thornburyvoice

26

July, 2023

n NEWS FROM THE METRO MAYOR

Celebrating ‘pupil power’ IT was fantastic to see over 150 young people from 60-plus secondaries right across the West of England at my Schools Summit - our region’s first ever.

It was held under the wings of Concorde over at Aerospace Bristol in Filton - and I could tell the moment I walked in this was going to be a supersonic event!

How right I was - local students took part in thought-provoking and really fun sessions designed to get them thinking about what our West of England region might look like in the future, how they want to shape it, and what part they will play in this.

As you might expect, the climate crisis was a big, big topic of conversation, because this region’s youngsters, and young people in general, will be most impacted by our changing climate, and will be taking some very difficult decisions in the future.

If you had seen the session organised by Bristol Energy Network it would have all looked a bit nuts, with students jumping around on a giant Monopoly-style board wearing chicken hats. But I promise you, there was a serious message there about how to cut our energy use!

Another favourite was Atkins’ workshop,

where I saw curious young people finding out about being engineers and planners through a LEGO model of a city.

Other big employers, including Airbus, Deloitte and Firstbus, ran sessions on the future of transport, culture and sport.

The ideas of the young people were all noted down, so as to directly influence the future of West of England policy.

That’s important - the ideas students came up with could, genuinely, change our West of England region for the better. And I’m already taking steps to ensure this is the case, visiting participating schools like Yate Academy and others to update them on how mayoral combined authority policy – like our upcoming plan for transport – will be changing thanks to their awesome ideas.

Meanwhile, at the ‘marketplace’, students could pick up some wildflower seeds to help me in my efforts to make the West the bee and pollinator capital of the UK, meet a robot dog and learn about the routes to becoming an apprentice.

And I got to play Duncan Bannatyne when a dozen students pitched great policy ideas to me in a live Dragon’s Den-style event.

Metro Mayor Dan Norris writes for the Voice My thanks to all the students for sharing their ideas, which will really help me get on with making our region an even better place to live, study, and thrive. My thanks also to their teachers, and all the local businesses and organisations who helped make it a success.

I came away feeling buoyed by these young people, the true change-makers and system-shakers - their imagination truly has no limits.

I call that Pupil Power. Now I have the task of harnessing this energy and turning these ideas into reality.

I know they’ll be making sure to hold me to my promises!

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Hilary, Sister of Resident at Field House (source: carehome.co.uk) At Field House care home in Horfield, the safety, care and well-being of our residents are at the centre of everything we do.

If you are looking for a home or a home for a loved one, we would be happy to show you around our beautiful, family-owned home in Horfield, Bristol.

Contact us: 0117 969 0990 fieldhouse@bristolcarehomes.co.uk

Field House Care Home, Blakeney Road, Horfield, Bristol BS7 0DL

To advertise, contact Richard on 01454 800 120

Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

thornburyvoice

July, 2023

27

n COMMUNITY NEWS Thornbury Choral Society

Ride and Stride for churches

THORNBURY Choral Society’s 2022/23 season ended on a high, with a very successful concert at St Mary’s church on May 13.

We had a large and enthusiastic audience who enjoyed an evening of music to celebrate the Coronation of Charles III. The choir were also involved in the Sing for the King event, which took place in Bristol Cathedral.

A massed choir of 650 voices joined together to sing Handel’s Zadok the Priest, to celebrate not only the Coronation but also the 650th anniversary of the founding of the City of Bristol.

We were one of only three choirs to be asked to perform another of Handel’s Coronation Anthems, The King Shall Rejoice.

The entire programme was recorded, and a copy will be sent to the King in due course.

We are now enjoying our summer break. We resume rehearsals on Monday, September 4 at 8pm at the United Reformed Church.

Our next concert is on Saturday, November 25 at St Mary’s church and the programme will include A German Requiem by Brahms and also pieces by Mendelssohn.

We are always delighted to welcome new singers and feel sure that with so many new residents moving into the locality, there must be some enthusiastic choral singers amongst them.

Do come along and join us!

For more information visit www. thornburychoralsociety.org.uk

Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust raises funds and provides grants for churches in Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire and North Bristol.

Churches in our own area have benefited from such grants - you can visit the GHCT website at ghct. org.uk for more information about their work.

Ride and Stride is an annual fundraising event which will take place this year on September 9, which coincides with Heritage Open Day. St Mary’s and St Paul’s Churches in Thornbury, St Arilda’s in Oldbury and St Mary’s Shepperdine will be open on that day to welcome visitors.

As in previous years, I and a group of friends will walk around the churches in our benefice to raise funds to support this work.

If you would like to sponsor our team you can do so by visiting the donations page at www. justgiving.com/page/thomaskeates6, which is the preferred method of giving, but if you would rather donate by cash or cheque please make cheques payable to Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust.

I will leave sponsorship forms in the Churches. If you can gift aid please also leave your name, first line of address and postcode on the form or you can put your details and donation in an envelope and give it to me when you see me.

Rev Tom Keates

Angela Hughes

Thornbury Lions Club THIS month Thornbury Lions Club will be presenting their Young Leaders in Service Gold Award to 15-year-old Thomas Eastman.

Thomas has successfully completed more than 115 hours of hard work, diligently helping out at Rudgeway Donkey Sanctuary voluntarily in his own time.

Thornbury Lions also wish to say a big thank you to Jean Fooks, the owner of the sanctuary, for hosting the event and for all her endeavour over the years encouraging young people in various programmes, including the Duke of Edinburgh award.

Thornbury Lions are looking forward to the presentation.

Well done Thomas - excellent stuff.

Kevin Simpson Youth Officer

Carers Support Centre CARERS Support Centre Bristol and South Gloucestershire has brought its popular Walk and Talks programme to Thornbury.

Walk and Talks are easy walks around local green areas, where unpaid carers get a chance to enjoy a break from their caring responsibilities by being outdoors in the company of other carers.

One of the charity’s friendly support workers leads the walk, offering a listening ear and providing information to support walkers in their caring role.

The overall aim of Walk and Talk is to improve the health and wellbeing of carers.

The walks take place once a week over six weeks and are free to take part in.

All carers are welcome, and Carer Support Centre looks to make the walks as inclusive as possible.

Whatever your background, whatever your walking ability, Carer Support Centre wants you to join them and your fellow carers on a Walk and Talk.

For more information about Walk and Talk and to take part, contact Stacey on 0117 939 2562, email walk@carerssupportcentre. org.uk or visit Carers Support Centre’s website at www. carerssupportcentre.org.uk.

Adrian Robson

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It’s good to talk…

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thornburyvoice

July, 2023

29

n COMMUNITY NEWS tasty melon and pineapple for dessert.

A fruit cocktail was given out as people arrived, with one of them having a hint of rum.

When the steel band played 'Hot, Hot, Hot' there was no stopping us - everyone was up dancing in the aisles!

A great time was had by all.

Thornbury WI meets on every third Tuesday of the month, at 7.30pm at the Methodist Hall.

Anyone is welcome to come along as a guest.

At our July meeting on the 18th we have Fifi's Fancy Furniture, which should be interesting.

Gill Blackborough President WI members with their headdresses

Severn Vale Flower Club

Thornbury WI THORNBURY WI hosted a group meeting for all the WI's in the area.

A combined 73 members enjoyed a taste of the Caribbean, with entertainment by the wonderful Panache Community Steel Band.

Gill Holmes gave a brief explanation about the sound of each pan, and how they are made.

Members were asked to design and wear a Caribbean headdress, with Gill Spiller winning first prize.

The food of jerk Chicken, salsa, yogurt and flatbread was enjoyed by everyone, with some

OUR afternoon’s floral demonstrations have all been colourful, interesting, and well attended.

Our meeting held in June was our competitions event, with the Kay Evans and Trophy awards.

We had a lot of entries in each category.

Sally gave a warm welcome to our judge, Fleur White from Somerset. Fleur had a challenging task in picking the winners, as they were all excellent.

Whilst Fleur judged each of the arrangements, members all enjoyed tea and nibbles.

'Gardens Delight' was the subject for the Kay Evans Trophy: Sally Taylor was first, Jo Whiteman second and Julie Barnes came third.

'Summer Party' was the subject for the Katie Hawkins award: Joan Adams won first prize, with Susie Rees coming second and Julie Barnes third.

'Fabulous Foliage' was the subject for the Carmen Pitts award. First was Susie Rees, second was Sandy Holland and third Sue Williams.

'Reet Petite' was the subject for the Nancy Robbins award: Sandy Holland won this, with Barbara Williams second and Jo Whiteman third.

Congratulations to those who won, and well done to all those who entered - without the entries we would not have a competition.

On Monday July 10 we are having an afternoon tea. We will not be having a demonstrator, but instead, members can bring a decorated jam jar. These will be arranged on each table.

The competition is an arrangement without using foam.

Monday July 24 is a practice class with the subject 'Summer Celebration'.

Running into August, Brigette Manton will give us her interpretation of 'Brollyology' with flowers. This will be held on Monday August 14, and visitors are welcome to join us.

For information on our club call 01453 811089 or 01454 885213.

Jo Whiteman

n MESSAGE FROM AVON & SOMERSET PCC

Tragedy shows importance of tackling knife crime I HOPE everyone has been enjoying time outside in the sunshine and stayed safe whilst doing so during our recent spell of glorious weather.

Earlier this month, I put questions relating to knife crime and increased summer demand for police support to Chief Constable Sarah Crew at the latest Performance and Accountability Board (PAB), which livestreams every month on Facebook.

I know that the police get exceptionally busy in the summer, but local people still rightfully expect a high level of service.

During PAB I asked the Chief Constable how she will ensure that officers respond in a timely way and improve on what they did last year.

I also asked for an update on the week of awareness tackling knife crime – and how officers work with Violence Reduction Units to prevent knife crime.

This was particularly important following the tragic death of 16-year-

old Mikey Roynon, from South Gloucestershire, at an incident in Bath on June 10.

Two teenage boys, one from Dorset and another from Wiltshire, have since been charged with murder and possessing an offensive weapon.

At the PAB we also discussed the amazing work of police volunteers, as well as rape and sexual assaults in hospitals.

If you would like to listen in to the conversation, you can view our Facebook live video that was recorded and has been posted to the OPCC Facebook page.

I would like to take some time to highlight the 159 service, launched by Stop Scams UK. If you think someone is trying to trick you into handing over money or personal details, I urge you to stop, hang up and call 159.

This is a short-code phone service that connects people safely to their bank’s fraud prevention service.

This free phone service should be

used when either you or someone you know may have provided an unknown person with your bank card or banking information over the phone, to report fraud potentially taking place.

I would like to mention the work of Crimestoppers and the South West: No Place for Drugs campaign.

Currently, Crimestoppers is appealing to the public to speak up and report cases of property being used as a grow house or farm to cultivate cannabis.

Organised crime gangs are renting properties in both urban and rural parts of the country and setting up cannabis farms. This illegal activity often brings serious violence, victims of modern slavery, and increased risks of building fires and explosions.

If you are a landlord, I implore you to become aware of the signs of cannabis cultivation: barricaded windows and doors, unsafe electricity wiring, and mould and water damage

With Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford from hydroponics and irrigation systems.

I urge you to learn the signs of cannabis cultivation, which can be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk. org.

I would like to thank everyone for their continued contribution to keeping our communities safe and wish you all a safe and happy week.

News! - Email us at contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk To advertise, contact Richard on 01454 800 120

Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

30

n SPORT

thornburyvoice

July, 2023

Thornbury Netball Club ends season on a high

Thornbury Netball Club's First team.

IT has been another great year for Thornbury Netball Club.

Only four seasons in the Avon league, and Thornbury's First team are celebrating their fourth promotion in a row, after finishing in second place behind their long-term rivals Emu in Division 7.

They look forward to meeting them again in Division 6!

Thornbury's Second team

Thornbury's Second team season in September.

If you fancy some competitive netball, Thornbury Netball Club is looking for new players and holding some open training sessions on July 6, 13, and 20, from 7.30-9pm each evening at the Castle School sports hall in Thornbury.

Thornbury Netball Club would like to thank Phoenix Orthodontists and Thornbury

were late starters to the party.

They began their season with a relatively new squad, which took time to settle. Their confidence grew and they ended the season with some convincing wins against tough opposition.

They finished bang in the middle of the table and felt their season ended too soon.

They can’t wait to build on this when they start the next

Tandoori for their support this season.

If you are interested in sponsoring the club for the coming season, or would like to know more about the open training sessions please email Thornburynetballclub@gmail. com.

Nicola Latham

Awards night celebrates successful season THORNBURY Hockey Club celebrated a highly successful season at their presentation evening, held at Thornbury Rugby Club.

The club's first team were Berkeley Division 2 champions after completing an unbeaten season, with the only points lost being in the first game of the season against UWE. This was the team' second successive promotion, having finished as runners up to the students the previous season.

Captain Jo Deas was full of praise for her side, and their enthusiasm throughout the campaign. They scored 140 goals during the league season - more than double the next highest scorers.

Coz Deas led the way with 53 goals, following her previous season's total of 67.

Vicky Ball found the net on 23 occasions, followed by Sophie Vizard with 15, Ella Clark and Esther Jenkinson on 10 each and Jo Deas on 8.

Thornbury Hockey Club's award winners at the club's presentation evening

Second team captain Sarah Lally headed the scorers for her side, who finished their season mid-table after a couple of years' break.

The newly-formed men’s team finished a commendable third in their division.

Captain Pardip Bhogal led from the front when not confined to the sidelines by injury.

Promising youngsters Tiger Sherred-Isles and Lewis Henderson provided the speed

up front, while Steve Wyres, David Anderson , Sam Amos and leading scorer Connor Matthews often troubled opposition defences.

Club president Angela Greenslade presented the Margaret Jackson Shield to Martin Abrahams, in recognition of his commitment to coaching at both junior and senior level.

The Bill Crawford Cup was awarded to Jo Deas for her commitment to umpiring when

To advertise, contact Richard on 01454 800 120

she was not playing herself, especially in the men's matches.

Other winners were under-14 girls Zoe Ashfield, Amalie Hopkins, Emily Board, Amelia Fitzgerald and Evie Blackham, and U14 boys Isaac Reid and James Powell.

The men's awards were presented to Tiger Sherred-Isles and Lewis Henderson, players' player Sam Amos and top scorer Connor Mathews.

Coz Deas received the ladies' top scorer cup, with Connie Talbot was players' player and Lou-Lou Taylor the captain’s player.

Beth Hunt, Amy Long and Lauren Lever received the 2nd team awards.

The club continues to play hockey throughout the summer, the ladies in South Glos Hockey Club games at Bradley Stoke School, the men home and away in a summer league.

The club also hosts a mixed tournament at Castle School.

David Parry-Jones

Email: contact@thornburyvoice.co.uk

July, 2023

thornburyvoice

31

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