www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Tel: 0117 954 2834 Post: Beacon Centre, City Academy, Russell Town Avenue Bristol, BS5 9JH contact@eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Twitter: @upourstreet Facebook: Up Our Street Charity no: 1081691 Company no: 04023294 Neighbourhood Facilitator Lorena Alvarez Tel: 0117 954 2835 Finance and Office Manager Tracy Parsons Tel: 0117 954 2834 Manager Stacy Yelland Tel: 0117 954 2836
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Chair of trustees Sally Caseley Vice chairs Dominic Murphy Jane Westhead Trustee board Joyce Clarke Matt Fulford Amy Harrison Walter Nunez Mike Pickering Aisha Thomas
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Up Our Street is printed on recycled paper with vegetable inks and can be composted. It costs 45p to produce every copy of Up Our Street. It is hand delivered to 14,000 homes in the local area. The opinions and information contained in this publication are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of Up Our Street.
Listen to Up Our Street on BCfm 93.2 and Ujima 98fm every Wednesday at 8.45am Follow us on Twitter @upourstreet or join our group on Facebook Inside this issue Up Our Street news........................page 3 Councillors update.........................page 4 Neighbourhood Partnership.......page 5 City Academy…………………………..page 6 Barton Hill Academy......................page 7 Avon and Somerset Police…….page 10 Disability History Month............page 11 2
Up Our Street
Sport interview........................................page 13 Playing Out...............................................page 14 Somali Forum...........................................page 16 Food reviews............................................page 17 Trinity Community Garden.................page 18 Tidy BS5.....................................................page 19 Community news…………………………..page 20 Advertising.........................................page 21-24 www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Up Our Street - People changing the world. One street at a time.
“This autumn sees some changes at Up Our Street. Following our successful Business Plan launch in July we have now got a new logo and our plans in place for the future. We also welcome two new members to the Up Our Street team. As some of you may know, our Manager Stacy Yelland is going on maternity leave in October. At the time of going to press we were in
the process of recruiting an interim Manager who we hope to introduce at our AGM on 15 October. We have also taken the decision to recruit a freelancer to produce Up Our Street, so from the winter edition we will have a new person writing and producing the newsletter for us. Autumn also sees our annual Thank You Awards which is one of my favourite events of the year, when we celebrate all the great community activists in Easton and Lawrence Hill. As always we welcome local people to get in touch with feedback, ideas and issues and we hope you enjoy reading this edition.�
Thanks to Al Baseera mosque for hosting a fantastic community open day in June. So many families pitched in to make food and we hope everyone enjoyed the day.
Trustees wanted Up Our Street is a charity. We have three members of staff and a volunteer trustee board of nine local residents. We are looking for more local people to join us to support our work delivering communications and community development projects to inform, inspire and motivate people to action. Interested to know more? Contact us on 0117 954 2834. A huge thank you and good luck to Anthea Sweeney who stepped down as a trustee in July. www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Thanks to everyone who came to our Business Plan launch in July setting out our plans for 20152020. You can read a copy at www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk/about-us Up Our Street
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Councillors update and Thangam Debbonaire MP
L to R: Anna, Afzal, Hibaq and Margaret
Twinnell House and Wills Drive are being renovated, as a result the play space for the children is unusable due to the construction work. Under these exceptional circumstances, as your local Councillors, along with Up Our Street, the building contractor and Bristol City Council, we have managed to organise a pick up and drop off service to Felix Road Adventure Playground during summer holidays for the children living in these tower blocks. We have spent the last few months making our way across the schools in Lawrence Hill. A special thank you to the parents of Millpond Primary for working with us to help address some concerns about the council’s social services department. A special acknowledgement of the children, school staff, head teachers and chairs of governors we have met and who are keen to support a more open discussion about the education of our children. We would like to encourage you all to share your views on when things are going badly but equally when things are going well. We are hoping to open an office in Lawrence Hill soon! This will enable us as your local Councillors to hold regular community meetings about specific issues of concern for you. We aim to use the space to enable you to have regular interactions and conversations with organisations that effect your life and to use the space to enable volunteer led ESOL classes and CV writing classes.
Labour MP Thangam Debbonaire was elected to Bristol West in May 2015 4
Up Our Street
As a new Councillor, I’m enjoying meeting lots of organisations in the community and talking to local people. I’ve been working with residents on bike parking schemes, looking into signage about caravans, helping TidyBS5 with a consultation about bins and waste around Stapleton Road, contacting landlords about housing issues and doing little actions on fences in parks. I’m excited to be working with council officers on a new traffic scheme for upper Easton, called ‘Easton Safer Streets’. Wouldn’t it be great if our streets were quieter, with less cars driving really fast down Chelsea Road, and more kids playing out safely? This could soon be reality! (See page 14) Watch out for the information shop in the coming months which will consult people about how to make this happen. On a bigger level I’m looking into how we as a city approach and resist the ‘welfare reforms’ that are coming from central government, which will cut allowances for disabled people, and reduce benefits and tax credits for many. It’s been a busy few months! I have worked with Up Our Street, community leaders and AlBaseera mosque to reduce noise during Ramadan with great results as the event passed peacefully for all. For Eid, I organised a Community Eid party on St Marks Road which was hard work but it was great to see the community coming together. As well as supporting individuals through casework, I have campaigned for greater accountability at City Academy school, successfully campaigned to clear Easton of an illegal caravan-camp, and have also promoted fostering and adoption in our communities, anti-domestic violence campaigning, and am keen to continue to encourage residents from Black and Minority Ethnic communities to get involved in civic life through volunteering. I will be working with Up Our Street on an event about this later this year.
You can get in touch with your local Councillor in person by coming to the Neighbourhood Forum (page 5) or on: margaret.hickman@bristol.gov.uk or 07967733735 hibaq.jama@bristol.gov.uk or 07429653309 anna.mcmullen@bristol.gov.uk or 07786832035 afzal.shah@bristol.gov.uk or 07775026384 “As you may already have heard, I have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. I am undergoing chemotherapy and am expected to make a full recovery. I would encourage everyone to learn the signs of breast cancer and talk to your GP if you have any concerns. Throughout this period, with the help of my team of staff, I will continue to ensure that my constituents’ concerns are represented and that casework is dealt with.” If you need to contact Thangam’s office email thangam.debbonaire.mp@parliament.uk or call 0117 379 0980 between 10am and 1pm. www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Ashley, Easton and Lawrence Hill Neighbourhood Partnership Neighbourhood partnership Gemma murphy, easton
The NP is made up of Councillors, local people and voluntary organisations. Here we introduce the people who help make decisions about where we live. agm
Dates for your diary
In June the NP held its Annual General Meeting. Maryanne Kempf from St Pauls was reelected as chair. Richard Curtis from Redfield was reelected as vice chair and Ashley’s Rob Telford was elected as chair of the Councillor-led committee.
Neighbourhood Forum Monday 7 September 6.30pm to 8.30pm Barton Hill Settlement Wednesday 28 October 1pm to 3pm Stapleton Road Chapel Neighbourhood Partnership Monday 5 October 6.30pm to 8.30pm Venue to be confirmed Papers can be downloaded from www.bristol.gov.uk Contact Kurt James on 0117 903 7365.
Healthy home zones The council is offering an information service to home owners and private tenants on a range of health and safety support available. A free home assessment will tell you what help you can get. Available in Easton and Lawrence Hill. Contact 352 1844. Communal bin consultation
See page 19 for details. Arena consultation
Look out for details of this in Up Our Street ebulletins as starts in September.
Waste contract
In June, Bristol City Council decided to end its contract with waste removal company, Kier, and take the service back to be run by the council. At the moment there will be no change for residents but we will keep you informed as we know more. Wellbeing Fund There two more rounds of this year’s Wellbeing Fund. Small grants are available to groups running projects in this area. Download applications from www.bristol.gov.uk or contact Up Our Street on 0117 954 2834. rats During September we want you to send photos of rat sightings - include exact location and time. Send to neighbourhood.partnerships@ bristol.gov.uk using subject ‘Easton/Lawrence Hill rats.’
www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Why are you a member of the NP? I wanted to make a difference. I grew up in Easton and have lived here on and off since returning full time eight years ago. I started attending the Stapleton Road Working Group and then the Neighbourhood Forums and they are great. I wanted to know more about how our neighbourhoods are being run, where the money comes from, who is making the decisions and why these decisions are being made. I realised the best place to see this and possibly influence it is the NP. What do you find most rewarding? The small differences that are taking place all the time. The changes to our communities, from the small things like notice boards to bigger things like the grants that are making differences to people’s lives in and around our areas. Also the great work with Avon and Somerset Constabulary to see changes to crime in the areas. I would like to see things happen faster but that is the downside to all of this as sometimes it can just take too long and can be very political. What is the thing you’d like to change? Perception. People outside of our wonderful community perceive these areas in a derogatory and dismissive way, I want to change that. I always ask people why they have this opinion and it’s always what they have heard, when you challenge them if they have been to the areas themselves, many have not! I want these people to come here and see the wonderful and diverse shops we have and to meet many of the great people who live here. Meet more local people from the NP next time. Up Our Street
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Back to school - City Academy and I have honest and open conversations with staff. I hope that people will talk to me and come and see me if they had any concerns. There are staff from most communities at the school but the diversity of the staff team doesn't at the moment reflect the community we work in - it is difficult enough to get maths and science teachers from any background.”
Jon with pupils at City Academy
It’s a tough job but someone has got to do it. Heading up a school of 850 pupils and over 200 staff at a time when it has just been put into special measures would feel like a bit of a mountain to climb for anyone. Since March 2015, Jon Angell has been interim Principal of City Academy and we caught up with him to find out how it is going. “I was Principal at John Cabot Academy, which is part of the Cabot Learning Federation, when we were approached about taking over running City Academy. At the moment the long term future of that arrangement is still being discussed but we agreed to provide school to school support with me as acting Principal and I will carry on in the role for this new school year” says Jon. Jon, who has been in teaching since 1996, is supported by a senior leadership team of seven at City Academy, as well as getting some additional help from the Cabot Learning Federation and a board of 20 local governors made up of parents, staff and members of the community.
Ofsted’s report concluded that students get on well with each other and respect each other and the school’s strength was its work around diversity and cohesion. 52% of City Academy pupils are from Black and Minority Ethnic communities, a figure not reflected in the staff team. However this issue is not unique to the school, with businesses and organisations across the city needing to diversify their workforce, especially in leadership positions. As the new school year starts, Jon is feeling optimistic about the future. “When you are in special measures you get three visits a year from Ofsted. In May they were really pleased with the changes we have brought in so far. We have focused on better planned lessons and better marking and children are showing more pride in their work. We are hoping to get the school’s best ever results with at least 45% passing English and Maths*. A lot of staff also live in the community and they want to hold their head up high when they say they work for City Academy.”
The school has started to form partnerships with other local schools and to involve parents more in day to day life at the school. Jon also realises it is important for City Academy to be out in the community. “I have spoken on BCfm and in local media about issues such as extremism. I want the voice of City Academy to be heard. We want to engage with parents and we have a team which In January 2015, an Ofsted report concluded that works to provide ways for parents to get involved. the school was failing and it was put into special We have around 50 volunteers who help with measures, so when Jon took over the position there reading, homework, drama and school projects. was a lot of work to be done. “The report held a Over this next year our focus is going from special mirror up to the school and the staff accepted the measures to a securely good school.” findings. No one argued against the report, instead we realised that we needed to focus on improving If you would like to contact City Academy you and getting things right. The report said that teaching was not good enough and leadership and can call 0117 941 3800. The school will be holding an open evening for prospective pupils governance were not right and because of these and parents on 17 September with more open things the results also weren't good enough.” mornings being held later in the month. In 2014, the school hit the headlines following an employment tribunal which found the school had *School exam results are released on 13 August so racially discriminated against a member of staff. were not available at the time of going to press. “The school has moved on since then with different leadership. I am a white man and I am aware of that 6
Up Our Street
www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Back to school - Barton Hill Academy Emma and Gina with children enjoying a dinosaur day at Barton Hill Academy
board of directors oversees finances and leadership for both academies. Over recent months the school has been building links to share best practice and has set up partnerships with other schools in the area. “During the first year things were complicated in the school, working with newly qualified teachers who need more support which takes a lot of energy, but now we are ready to look outwards and work with everyone in our community. All our teachers wanted to stay for this year which is brilliant and we have got some great new teachers starting so we are attracting excellent staff” says Gina.
When we ask Gina and Emma what keeps them up at night worrying, the answer is telling. “Definitively whether the building work will be completed on time. At the beginning of the year it was about teaching and our staff but now we are in such a There’s no doubt it’s been a tough 18 months for better place that it is more day to day things that Barton Hill’s primary school. Key staff leaving and are concerning.” The school has increased to three an Ofsted report which saw them in special form entry this year with a larger dining hall and a measures left the local community and parents feeling concerned about the future. A few editions cookery room. Everything seems to be moving in ago we introduced Gina Lewis, the acting Head of the right direction, but it takes time for a school to School from Hareclive, who was tasked with turning shake off a negative reputation as Gina explains, “we feel that at the heart of the change will be things around. With 508 pupils and 55 staff, this was no small job. We caught up with Gina and her word of mouth. I am certain our results will be better this year and we are looking forward to an deputy, Emma Tovey, to find out how they were Ofsted visit as I know things will have changed and feeling before the start of the new school year. it will be positive and that will really help us.” “We have now had confirmation that the Growth in “We want to be innovative and extraordinary and Learning Trust, which runs Hareclive Academy, is we have got our ideas about how to do it - we want now officially responsible for Barton Hill and I am to be the school people come to, to see new ways permanently in post. Over the past year we have worked really hard to make the children the centre of working. We are in the business of exciting and growing children. When I first came to this school of everything we do. The whole atmosphere has changed here. You hear laughing and see children the children were walking around with their heads hung down and now they come up to us to tell us skipping down the corridor. Teachers, although exhausted, are excited and loving teaching and are what they are doing. I have to tell them off for always full of funny stories about what the children skipping in the corridor - seeing them skipping was unthinkable 12 months ago! I enjoy every element have been learning. We have introduced real professionalism into our teaching, yes we want the of this job. I have always loved teaching and children to have fun but it is about learning and we learning but never as much as being here. I say to are professionals” says Gina. “It feels like there has my staff team, at first we were walking along a difficult path then we were running and now we are been a big improvement in trust between the all skipping!” school, parents and children” adds Emma. You can contact Barton Hill Academy on 0117 The school has reinvigorated the children and parents, getting them excited about the school as a 903 047. place to be, with sleepovers, camps, welcoming parents into school, parent questionnaires, a parent forum, a Friends of Barton Hill group and community events like their summer carnival. The school is overseen by a local board of governors made up of parents, staff and experts. A second www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
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Back to school - Redfield Educate Together and Millpond Primary where we are based and all the children are from the local area. We have a strong school ethos of celebrating diversity and equality.” The school is As the new term starts, the doors will open at Redfield primary school’s brand new building. After fast becoming a part of the local community with an allotment, a history project and children visiting a year teaching 60 children in the old Victorian building, it has now been demolished to make way the elderly residents of Redfield Lodge. A new chef starts this term and Ros is keen to welcome the for the new state of the art, environmentally community into the school. “Our new building is friendly school. We had a chat with head teacher, Ros Farrell, to find out how the first year has been. designed to be open to the community and we have lots of spaces to hire. We also want our “It’s been a very successful year and parents have kitchen to be used so we are thinking of ideas for been really supportive. We’ve made good local that. We’ve had an exciting year and it has been partnerships with other schools and we are now excited about settling into our new building where really rewarding to create a lovely learning environment for our children and we hope over the we will have a team of 18 staff.” next 12 months we will continue to flourish” says When the school is full it will be home to 410 children with 60 new children due to start this term. Ros. You can contact the school on 0117 379 0119. They are looking for volunteers to help “This year we were over subscribed. We are really with the allotment. pleased that our school reflects the community
By resident journalist Rachel Phipps
lessons and through extra circular activities such as the gardening club. There is also a wildflower garden and plans to plant a mini arboretum and an edible forest that will be explored in future forest school sessions. In this new green space in June they held their first ever summer fete that opened up the school to the whole community. The children and their guests had a lot of fun. The children particularly enjoyed having a go on the go -carts! The school is also hoping to achieve an ecoschool’s Green Flag Award in the year that sees Bristol as the European Green Capital. Linked to this outdoor focus the school has been involved in the one tree per child project. This project was established by Olivia Newton-John to help children connect with their community and environment. Bristol is the first city in the world to run this. Millpond School has been involved so far by giving 80 children an apple or pear tree to take home and plant in their gardens.
Millpond Primary School and their small twenty place nursery is situated in a densely populated part of Easton right next to the M32. Many families You can contact Millpond Primary School on 0117 377 3085. in the area live in high-rise flats and don’t have their own outdoor green space for the children to play in. In this very urban environment the school has been making improvements to the outdoor and green areas that are already in its grounds. The If your child is due to start primary school in pupils have chosen their own new playground September 2016 then you will need to have equipment and have been involved, along with applied for a school place in January 2016. their parents, in designing and making an Details and dates can be found from 0117 903 allotment. The allotment is home to many exotic 7694 or by visiting vegetables and is in the courtyard, right in the www.bristol.gov.uk/page/children-and-youngmiddle of the school. Here the children are able to people/primary-admissions explore the area independently, in timetabled 8
Up Our Street
www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Bannerman Road Academy, Bristol Community Links and Green Capital Arts
Bannerman Road Community Academy in Easton is joining the Colston's Girls' School Trust. The transfer has been approved by the Department for Education with effect from 1 September. You can contact the school on 0117 377 2080.
L to R: Paul, Wendy, David, Steven, Jahluke, Pas and John
Up Our Street shares the Beacon Centre with Bristol Community Links central dropin. This is a free service run by the council for adults with learning disabilities. It is open from Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4pm and is one of three drop-ins in Bristol. We had a chat with our neighbours to find out what they enjoy at the drop-in. John: “I like playing games like dominoes and going on trips. We organise meals out together and we are planning a surprise birthday meal for someone.” www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
This autumn, Mufti Games is converting a large communal bin into a playable games station. Come and play Transforma-bin when it tours fly -tipping hotspots in our area. Why a communal bin? We're interested in how something communal can become a problem for the community, how something for everyone becomes a big problem hiding in plain sight. We want to draw attention to this, from unloved, abused and ignored, to a fun, gathering place that brings people together. The game itself will see our neighbourhood’s waste in a different way. Keep an eye on www.muftidoesgames.com @muftigames fb.com/muftigames for dates and locations where you can play.
Paul likes listening to music, his favourites are Abba, and playing on the Wii computer. He has recently been supported to get a voluntary job. The day we popped by, Linda and Tracy were going to visit a friend and were going into town together. Everyone puts ideas on a board of things they’d like to do and the staff help make the ideas happen. Tracy: “We are trusted here to do our own thing. We get help and support with things.” Pas: “I like going out on day trips and meeting new friends. I went on the radio to talk about life with learning disabilities.” Manager Wendy adds “we like being here as we are with other organisations and it is nice to be around more people.” People come from all over Bristol for the drop-in which is staffed and everyone can come and go as they want. New people are welcome to come along and the staff will chat to you to find out more about you during your first visit.
You can contact Bristol Community Links on 0117 954 2830.
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Avon and Somerset Police
Being a policeman is a varied job with no two days the same. We met Inspector Olly Cosgrove, who has been a police officer since 2001 and has worked at Trinity Road Police Station for the past seven years, to get a taste of what life is like. What are the priorities for the police? Priorities are set by the Police Crime Commissioner across the whole force for a five year term. Until 2016 these are ASB, road safety, burglary, violence against women and children and ensuring victims are at the heart of the criminal justice system. Since having a PCC, our priorities come from feedback from the community whereas in the past they were decided based on data about reported crime. Locally for us it is street sex working and the sale and use of drugs. Our most common call outs here are ASB linked to those two things. What does neighbourhood policing mean? For me it is about the engagement side of policing, the longer term problem solving side of what we do. The patrol teams go out day to day, neighbourhood policing is getting to know the communities we serve and trying to solve the problems longer term. When I was a response officer you never got to know anyone outside the force really. Now I build relationships. As Neighbourhood Manager for East Central my area covers the city centre, Ashley, Easton, Lawrence Hill, St George and Greater Fishponds. I oversee neighbourhood policing, problem solving and partnership working with a team of 91 Beat Managers and PCSOs. Describe your day During an average day or week I might see all the sergeants. We meet regularly to see how we are doing against our aims. I have lots of external meetings with key community leaders,
Olly will be moving to Portishead Station in September and we will introduce his replacement as soon as we know more. 10
Up Our Street
Olly (left) at Glastonbury Festival organisations and council workers. The staff can be doing anything from turning up to deal with community cohesion issues or crack house closures to dealing with day to day requests from the public. How has policing changed during your career? It has changed hugely really. We are a much more professional and efficient service than we used to be. We used to resolve about 1 in 10 crimes but now it’s about 1 in 3. What motivated you to join the police? A lot of people say they always wanted to join the police but I stole the idea from my brother! Real life policing is a bit more boring than on TV but it is a rewarding and fun career. It’s a cliché that every day is different but it’s true. It is an enjoyable and fun job. My favourite thing is catching people who are doing bad things. Sometimes it is really rewarding like the Christmas Eve I spent six hours holding on to someone who was going to jump off the Suspension Bridge. When I went home I was freezing but I felt I had really helped someone. There is a lot of guidance out there for people interested in joining, especially from the Black Police Association. We face challenges in the future like all public services. We are trying to do things to prevent crime ever happening like working with young people who might otherwise go down that path as it helps them and saves us work in the future. What is it like to police big events? I did Glastonbury this year and Harbour Festival. I always do St Paul's carnival. For me it's a really enjoyable side of policing. Pride is also good. It is really nice to get out and speak to people. I always volunteer as I am usually behind my desk and so it is great to be out meeting people. Contact the police on 101 or 999 in an emergency. You can contact the Black Police Association on 0117 952 9528. www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Disability History Month - 22 November to 22 December This year, Disability History Month will be looking at the UK portrayal of DISABILITY Disabled people HISTORY and disability in MONTH the media. We met up with Laura Welti, coordinator for Bristol Disability Equality Forum (DEF) since 2003, to find out how they were planning to mark the month. What does DEF do? It was set up by the council and became independent in 2010 with trustees, a part time coordinator and administrator. We are led by Disabled people and have around 250 members. The mantra I use is about ensuring Disabled people have independence, choice, control and inclusion. Our role in that is to ensure that Disabled people's issues are addressed. What is Disability History Month about? It's about acknowledging the positive contribution of Disabled people over the centuries, the negative ways they have been treated so we can learn from our past and it's an opportunity to come together to discuss issues and celebrate our own resilience and creativity. We are hoping to launch our Disabled people's manifesto for Bristol and to help run an event to celebrate the life of filmmaker Ann Pugh. How do you feel Disabled people are portrayed in the media? Until very recently they were nearly always the villain, think back to any Bond film, or as the pathetic victim and never more than on the side-lines of the plot. It has started to get a little better in that there are now some portrayals of Disabled people as key characters. What we hope for is that the film doesn't have to be about Disabled people for a Disabled person to have a lead role. How has discrimination towards Disabled people changed? www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
I think it has changed twice in my lifetime. When I was young it was something shameful and largely hidden. Thanks to the Disabled people's movement in the 1990s we got lots of advancements like being able to live in the community. In the last six years it has got very scary with us being portrayed as scroungers and an expense that society can't afford. There has been a retrenching of the financial support that allows Disabled people to live. What do you worry about in the future? I worry that Disabled people will be forced back into special school units and locked in their own homes with absolute minimal support and little quality of life. What makes you proud about your work? I think supporting our members to demand the right to control the future of DEF, getting the Mayor to drop £1m of cuts which would have impacted particularly on Disabled and older people and helping organise the ‘hardest hit’ demonstration, which was one of the biggest turn outs outside of London. I hope that people generally will rally behind the Disabled people's movement to show their rejection of the way that we have been portrayed over the last six years. I’d urge people to get involved with organisations like ours that are campaigning to change the situation, pressure your MP and tell them your vote will not go to the party that is talking about penalising us for being Disabled people. Voting is so important. The reason no cuts affect older people is because they vote. How do you relax when you are not campaigning for equality? I like to go walking or 'rolling' as I call it, meeting up with friends, camping and gardening, growing my own veg. DEF is looking for more members and Disabled people who want to volunteer. Contact 0117 914 0528, bristoldef@org.uk or find them on Facebook and Twitter. Up Our Street
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Up Our Street
www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Interview with Bobby Reid, Bristol City Football Club from seven, they knew about me. I came through the ranks, so they could monitor me, and I guess I just kicked on. What sacrifices did you have to make in order to become a professional footballer? It’s hard when your friends are going out and you want to go, but you have training in the morning so you can’t. So you just have to chill, be prepared to make those sacrifices, to be rewarded later. For me it was quite easy, because of my cousin, I could always see the bigger picture. Also to be fair we were a tight group at City growing up, I had a lot of friends there, so we were all in the same boat and supported each other. by resident journalist Neil Maggs What advice would you give to a seven year old You were born and raised in Easton, when you starting out like you? were growing up who was your role model? Put in the hard work, be dedicated and committed It was my cousin Anthony McName who was a everyday to be the best you can be. Another local professional as well, playing for Watford, Swindon lad, Orlando Aarons, who also went to City and Norwich. He was the first person I knew doing Academy, and now plays for Newcastle in the his football thing at that level. He broke into the Premier grew up near me. He was a bit younger first team at 18 at Watford, and that was an eye and he was always curious, used to ask me opener for me, making me realise what was questions like ‘what do I need to do to become a possible. pro?’ I always tried to encourage him. And look at Did you enjoy your time at City Academy? him now! Yeah I really enjoyed my time at City Academy, they Where would you like to see Bobby Reid in ten helped me a lot down there. It was a sport years time? orientated school, which was great. Yeah it was Firstly, I want to break into the City team regularly good times. this season, and beyond that like any player I want What inner city local club did you play for in? to play in the Premier League, and Champions When I was seven I joined St Philips, which merged League. Obviously that’s not happening yet, but I with what is now Bristol Central Football Club. Then have a vision in my mind of how to get there. I was picked up by Bristol City aged ten, and played with their academy since then. Neil Maggs is a Sport Development Consultant, There have only been a handful of players over presents Midweek Sportsbar on BCfm, and is the years that have turned professional from director of Street2Elite, utilising the media to inner city Bristol. Are there enough coming raise awareness of grassroots sport. He lives in through? Easton. No I don’t think so, I have a lot of local friends that are actually very good players that should perhaps have been picked up by a professional club, but for whatever reason it hasn’t happened. I do think that there is a lot of talent in the inner city that gets wasted. We get over looked. GIRLS FOOTBALL There are only a couple of current Bristolian Ages 5-10 players at Bristol Rovers, and Joe Bryan and Run by Bristol Central Youth Football Club yourself at City. What can we do as a city to get Wednesdays, 5.30pm to 6.30pm more local players through? City Academy, £3 per week Hard to say, not sure really. I guess it’s about the Female coaches club and the player. The player needs to be Contact Sharifa on 07756156829. dedicated, and apply themselves. For lots more information about local football What was different about you? Why did you teams visit make it when others didn’t? www.bristolcentralfc.co.uk Maybe because I got spotted young. Being there www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
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Playing Out, Easton Safer Streets and CHOICES energy project playing out and it got me thinking about how far we have come in those 12 months. Today kids bring out scooters, bikes and balls, we have a very old battered box of chalk and we’ve learnt to bring out healthy snacks as it means less tantrums and less worry about how much your child has eaten while you are stewarding! For our anniversary we enjoyed a wonderful evening sat on our green space, welcoming new neighbours and enjoying each other’s company and home cooked food (and If you’ve ever we did make an exception for birthday cake!) The wished your most noticeable difference a year on is that we are street and pavements could be safer spaces for all friends now more than neighbours. Where once children to play and adults to meet and talk, then there was rubbish and dog poo, now every day I Playing Out can help. Children in Playing Out see a child playing on the patch of green space on streets are enjoying the chance to play safely and our street – and not always a child from our street. freely, make friends and get to know their Playing Out has changed our street into a space neighbourhood better, and adults are benefiting where it is OK and safe for kids to play. It's also from the chance to get to know neighbours and made me feel more empowered about the place I build a stronger sense of community on the street. live in and has inspired me to become more Thanks to funding from Bristol Green Capital, Kate involved in the local community and take Staniforth (a local mum) is now working in our area ownership for the place where I live. I have loved to support anyone who wants to organise playing our first year of playing out and can't wait to see out on their street. Kate will support with advice what the next year brings but I know it will involve and free materials to guide you through the whole chalk!” To find out more about Playing Out visit process. Nearly 100 streets have organised regular www.playingout.net or call 0117 953 7167 or playing out sessions in Bristol, yours could be next! contact kate.playingout@gmail.com Kate says: “This week our street celebrated a year of
Residents in parts of Easton have regularly reported issues in the area relating to traffic volumes, rat running and speeding traffic. These things impact on safety, quality of life, air pollution and noise. The council has secured some funding to trial a community led solution to these issues. The idea is to limit driving through an area by keeping traffic on perimeter roads using various methods like one-way streets, closures and gates. Residents and businesses have access but other traffic is unable to cut across communities, reducing the volume of traffic. The idea is to look at the area as a whole rather than individually. The council has been collecting information about problem hotspots and will then be consulting local people.
An innovative new scheme to capture and store summer heat in the ground for use in colder winter months is planned for Easton. The project will provide clean energy that will help save Easton Community Centre money on fuel bills and could later be extended to benefit local residents. The scheme is being supported by Easton Energy Group and Easton Community Centre. While the work is under construction, a part of Owen Square Park will be closed for up to 12 weeks from October. For more information contact choices@eastonenergygroup.org
Contact John Richfield on 0117 903 6692 or john.richfield@bristol.gov.uk 14
Up Our Street
www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Somali Forum and Rosemary Early Years
Yusuf and Abdul
Earlier this year Bristol Somali Forum elected a new board. We met chair Abdul Ahmed and vice chair Yusuf Salah to find out about their plans. “Yusuf and I both have a background in community work and we wanted to do something to help our community. The Forum was set up in 2010 by volunteers with support from the council to be the voice of the Somali community. We bring together about 20 member organisations who work with the Somali community to unite our voice, to play an active role in the city and to help with integration” says Abdul. The Forum has big plans for the next 12 months which include setting up an office base, a conference focusing on young people, a Somali cultural celebration in September and working with schools on ideas to help improve education results. Young people are definitely a top priority for both Yusuf and Abdul. “Education is the biggest thing for
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us to focus on. We want to destroy the myth that Somalis are a failing community. There have been bad examples in the media and we want to wipe out the negative image of our community” explains Yusuf. Abdul says: “Our community has been marginalised. You only know your own problems so we knows what problems we face. Somalis are living here and are part of this society and we need to take part and consider ourselves as British Bristolians.” Both Yusuf and Abdul would like things to change in the longer term. “I’d like to see more active citizens and role models in politics, sport and education, with Somalis as teachers and in other sectors” says Yusuf. Abdul agrees: “Somalis should be running organisations like every other community and be represented in every sector, political, professional and health. I am not worried about Somalis running businesses as we are very business minded - if you took Somalis to Siberia they would open a small shop!” Both Abdul and Yusuf feel it is very important to volunteer. “I have been volunteering for years. It is really important to give back and it also makes you a better human being. It helps everyone, for example if I help someone with a form or phone call it also helps the pressure on advice services as that person doesn’t need to go there” says Yusuf, a familiar face around Stapleton Road where he can often be found helping others. “You learn a lot from volunteering” adds Abdul “we look forward to working with all the community over the next year.” You can contact Bristol Somali Forum on somaliforumbristol@gmail.com
Parents involved in Rosemary Early Years 90th birthday
In July, St Judes based Rosemary Early Years celebrated its 90th birthday with the publication of a book and history project involving parents. Head teacher Toni Glazzard said: “What was really interesting was that we still operate by the same principles that the nursery was founded on today - that health and education go hand in hand and a focus on parents and children learning together.” You can contact the nursery on 0117 903 1467.
Up Our Street
www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Food reviews - Salt and Pepper and Coco’s Desserts Polish people living in Bristol according to the 2011 census, there are lots of residents who will find a taste of home at Salt and Pepper. “We are the only Eastern European restaurant in Bristol. We are all from Poland and most dishes we serve are popular throughout Poland. I am from Bialystok, a city in north-east Poland and I prepare dishes in the eastern style which is hearty, large portions, homestyle cooking” explains Adrian. Mains start at £8.50 with soups at £3 and a daily two-course special for £11. You certainly get a hearty portion for your money. We sampled the Highland potato pancake with goulash and the pork chop. “All of our employees are either family or close friends. Most come from the same town in Poland. My mother and sister both work in the kitchen” adds Adrian. “The restaurant seats around 50 with the design contemporary and simple. We concentrate Salt and Pepper, 137-139 Lawrence Hill on creating unique food, flavours and atmosphere. Lawrence Hill is home to a new restaurant serving We plan to start offering Polish cooking lessons for homemade Polish dishes. Salt and Pepper opened small groups starting in September and Polish in June and is ready to make a name for itself by tapas one night a week when our guests will be serving the best of Polish cuisine. Owner and chef, able to try small servings of our main dishes. In Adrian Jenczelewski, said: “We opened in Lawrence autumn, we start offering wild game which is very Hill as we are near a train station and there is popular in Poland. We are already working on a parking and lots of Polish people living nearby.” great recipe for a venison stew and I would like to All the food is made on the premises and includes introduce baked wild boar ribs.” their speciality dumplings (pierogi) as well as The restaurant has an alcohol licence and is open popular favourites such as potato cake and from breakfast to dinner. goulash. “We have several unique dishes. We highly Salt and Pepper is at 137-139 Lawrence Hill. It is recommend to try our Flaki - tripe soup. It is tender, open Monday to Friday from 8am to 10pm and spicy and filling, a meal in itself. Tripe soup may not Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 10pm. sound great but, trust us, it tastes wonderful. Be Contact them on 07754313167 or adventurous!” says Adrian. With around 6,500 marketing@saltandpepperbristol.co.uk
Coco’s Desserts 276-278 Stapleton Road
During our visit we sampled pistachio, coconut and toffee ice cream and a Belgian chocolate waffle. The place was busy with Friday night customers, families, young couples and very polite and friendly staff. The modern décor includes booths to sit and enjoy your sugary treats. At around £5 for a dessert you are certainly full afterwards. It is great to see new businesses opening up on Stapleton Road and attracting new customers to the street.
If you fancy something sweet then why not pop along to Stapleton Road’s smart new Coco’s Desserts is open from Monday to restaurant, Coco’s Desserts. Serving Italian Sunday, 11am to 11pm. Contact them on gelato, waffles, crepes and milkshakes it is a 0117 951 8867. real treat for all the family. www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
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1625 Independent People and Trinity Community Garden garden plays host to an after school club, a youth club, a wellbeing group and regular workshops and events, as well as monthly community gardening days, all available free of charge. Since April, the garden has been open on Mondays at 6.30pm for up to 15 young people age 11 and over. We met a few of the regulars to find out what they enjoy about coming. They are all from the local area and arrive to the session by bike or on foot. “I enjoy all if it” says Kayleigh, 12. Mason, 12, adds: “I like the woodwork, cooking and games. I have learnt to stay positive and keep on L to R: Kayleigh, Mason, Paige, Beck, Kieran, task.” Nasif, 12, has been coming since the club Nasif and Lisa started, “I have met new people. I enjoy the cooking and all the activities we do here. I learnt something new about gardening. It is a new experience and you learn lots of new things and it is lots of fun and you can spend time here and it is Trinity Community Garden is a green growing oasis helping the community.” hidden amongst the concrete streets of Lawrence “At the youth group we do cooking with food Hill. The garden is run and managed by volunteers picked from the garden, bush craft skills, fire who open it up for a range of different community lighting, cooking on the fire, using tools and we activities for all ages. We met coordinator, Lisa had a water fight” says Lisa. “We also run Tozer, and some of the young people who use the gardening, food foraging and herb workshops. The garden to find out more. garden and the youth club close in November for “The garden has been here for seven years and a the winter but we hope to restart it in the New core group of us set up a community organisation Year.” For more information contact Lisa on about a year ago. We apply for bits of funding to lisat@3ca.org.uk or 07791140916 run activities here and we support about 30 Facebook/trinitycommunitygarden volunteers who maintain the garden” says Lisa. The final. Pilar Garcia tells us more: “We are so excited to be finalists. Future 4 Me supports vulnerable children and young people leaving care and custody. They are most likely not to achieve without support and are at the highest risk of homelessness and social exclusion. We know that 50% of all homeless people are young people who were in care and 57% of young people leaving care haven’t achieved the national curriculum standard at school. Future 4 Me provides intensive one-toone support for up to two years around housing, mentoring, independent living skills, counselling, The team out drumming up public votes. education, training and employment opportunities – helping them to completely transform their lives.” One young person who used the project said: “I’ve learnt a lot from Future 4 Me. I’d probably still be Old Market based 1625 Independent People helps homeless, still getting into trouble, doing whatever around 1300 local young people every year who I can just to make money. Ever since working with are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. It Future 4 Me it’s all been good positive choices.” At runs numerous projects aimed at supporting young the time of going to print the winner had not been people to live independently. This year, their Future announced so we are keeping our fingers crossed! 4 Me project was shortlisted for the National Lottery’s Best Charity Project in the UK, the only You can contact 1625 Independent People on charity in the West of England which made the 0117 317 8800. 18
Up Our Street
www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Tidy BS5 and communal bin consultation results and July, Up Our Street, Easton Energy Group, Councillors, residents and council officers visited all Up Our Street has been supporting residents to these homes to carry out a survey to find out what tackle the blight of fly-tipping and littering in people thought about the bins and fly-tipping. In Easton and Lawrence Hill. In the last few months we total we collected 592 completed surveys which have been busy but to make a real impact on this told us that the majority of people (46%) wanted to problem we need your help. keep the bins as they are. However, 66% recognised Report it If you see litter and fly-tipping there was a problem with fly-tipping and identified (dumped rubbish), please report it online at misuse of the bins by businesses and outsiders as www.bristol.gov.uk (report > problems in my area) the or call 0117 922 2100. This will get the rubbish cause. cleared and provides useful information to the council. Communal bin consultation There are 1589 properties which use a communal bin around Stapleton Road and the side streets. During June Look out for some community and council action around Jane Street soon. Why not join us and help stop this for good?
Tidybs5
On facebook
tweet #tidybs5
Contact Lorena 954 2835
Report it
Do you think litter and rubbish are a problem? Yes 68% No 20% Not sure 12% Do you think fly-tipping is a problem in the area? Yes 66% No 19% Not sure 15% The communal bins were introduced in 2012 to solve a significant fly-tipping problem in the area. Since you have lived or worked in the area do you think that the amount of fly-tipping has: Reduced 20% Stayed the same 41% Increased 39% How often do you see the communal bins overflowing? Never 17% Rarely 24% 1-2 times a week 30% 3-4 times a week 18% Every day 11% What do you think causes this? Do you think the bins should be: 56% Residents from other streets use the bins 46% Kept where they are 52% Shops and businesses use the bins for commercial waste 34% Not applicable 35% Houses do not recycle 15% Removed and replace with a 28% Houses produce too much waste wheelie bin service 25% Other 6% Moved to a new location 21% Bins not emptied enough In autumn the council will meet residents involved in Tidy BS5 and Up Our Street to look at how they will respond to the survey findings. Watch our ebulletins and social media for more details. www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
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Community news Classical chamber music with flute, guitar, violin and cello
Louder than words Theatre group for children age 7+ with additional learning needs. Starts 21 September Mondays, 5.30pm to 6.30pm, free Travelling Light Theatre Barton Hill Settlement, 43 Ducie Road Contact Giulia on 0117 377 3166 or giulia@travellinglighttheatre.org.uk Funded by BBC Children in Need
Friday 2 October, 7.30pm St Anne’s Church, St Leonards Road, Eastville, BS5 6JN, £10/£5 concessions. Tickets in advance and on the door. Adam Khan and Clarissa Payne plus special guests and a raffle. Contact sasbristol@gmail.com or 07796813099. Julian House Bike Workshop Bike maintenance and sales Training and confidence repairing bikes Unit B, Baptist Mills Court, BS5 0FJ Monday to Saturday 9am to 5.30pm Contact 0117 951 2541
Bristol Irish Society Fireworks Display Thursday 5 November Gates 6.30pm, display 7.30pm £4 adults, £2 under 12 St Patrick’s Church, Blackswarth Road, Redfield
Gardening club For older people, people with dementia and their families. Thursdays, 11am to 1pm Barton Hill Walled Garden 60 Barton Hill Road Organised by Growing Support Contact Dale on 07581281578 or dalec@growingsupport.co.uk www.growingsupport.co.uk 20
Up Our Street
Christmas Bazaar Saturday 21 November, 2pm, free Lots of stalls and attractions and an early visit from Father Christmas St Patrick’s Church, Blackswarth Road, Redfield
October is Black History Month. A programme of events can be found on www.bristol.gov.uk
Coffee morning Stapleton Road Chapel Newton Street Friday 25 September 10am to 2pm In aid of Macmillan Contact Mike on 0117 941 3343
BRISTOL CELEBRATING AGE FESTIVAL A WEEK OF ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER PEOPLE LAUNCH EVENT SUNDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 10AM TO 4PM, M SHED CONTACT SHELLEY HANKINS ON 0117 929 7537 OR VISIT www.celebratingage.org.uk www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Up Our Street Endowment Fund Deadline 5pm on 29 October. Grants of up to ÂŁ300 for individuals and ÂŁ1000 for groups. Only for people and groups in Barton Hill, The Dings, Newtown and parts of Lawrence Hill and Redfield. Contact Tracy on 0117 954 2834 to check if you are eligible and for an application form.
Jobs fair Thursday 1 October
10.30am to 3pm, Trinity Centre Lots of employers will be available to discuss job opportunities. Organised by Bristol City Council.
VIRUS REMOVAL
www.pc-dial-a-fix.co.uk