January to March 2010
up n Gro o i t c ad A ch Ro ing Chur s com r e d a r e and and t ents to promot - if you d i s e R ad her toget Church Ro e along! ve com impro any ideas ary nu have 13 Ja ruary b e 10 F arch ad M ch Ro 10 r u h da, C ethes B , m 6p
a ing on t t u p t? ou Are y unity even a comm to hire a t n a at uw Do yo e or BBQ e ? marqu onable rate 877 r eas 903 9 n o y ct Ton Conta
Housing Soluti ons is moving! As of April, Hou sing Solutions will be in a new of fice in Barton House Commun ity Room. There will be a compute r on site that you can use for bi dd properties on Hom ing for e Choice or for other counci l queries. Contact Tony on 903 9877
e digital Help with th your for switchover TV RS FINGE Russell N E E GR d for neede otment on s r e e t Volun Avenue All ntact Town urdays. Co @google Sat tment ityallo m n u m o rtacom mail.c
40 85 9 00 0 0 8 0 n o e Call fre en Lines are op k n days a wee e v e s m p 9 8am to Calls from depending d e rg a h c e b mobiles may twork provider on your ne ll users can ca e n o h tp x e e T 36 ours 8 00 40 8 5 9 nd ics C 0 a s n o a e e e B s fr u e mo OnLin sing a u heme.co.uk c t s lp n e e .h w d i w onf Visit w ard. ys 02 Feel c a d keybo s r ssage to 800 hu e m T t x d te – a n d Sen sa am esday ad, 10 n o d R eme.co.uk e h c h s g c W lp n e i r h v u @ i h yL Email info sda, C ealth e H h t g n Bethe f i pr ay o Wells d Frid r Freepost, to 3 e 2pm. it d r n W . a me 1pm e, 1st r Help Sche e 1 am – s on v 1 o n h i Centr , c it k h w n t S mon on Je D 304 lace p r ox on u C o y y d M an Book 8 or 1 1 9 955 1425
urself g o y r e y Livin Pamp H e a l th
g ellsprin ill. W t a t H en treatm ntre in Barton iatsu. a h t i W ture, sh k an Ce c n u p u o boo gy, ac flexolo 17 304 1414 t e r , e g a Mass on 01 t Amy appointment Contac
Y I T P ON n’s OL D P ociatio s s A g usin ed Elim Ho x two-b 4 1 ld i u ob e old plans t e o f th it s e h nt n Road flats o n Easto o b u p y th e Pit Pon v ed b y o r p p a were ing s plann l’ i c n u o C rk with wo t n e m . The depart ly 2010 r a e in nt g l e to r e startin b la i a v 4 ill be a t 0145 flats w Contac . m li E from 411172
e ... v o m e rhood u o b h On th g i Ne
the Heart, t a y nd the t i a n m u e a m e t Com ment ing in th v e g o a n m a e M ill b it Shop w know more as d o o h r u Neighbo we will let you ar ‐ s New Ye happen
Save £££’s and the planet ADVENTURE PLAY ON THE WAY Work is underway on the construction of two new playgrounds at the Netham and Owen Square in Easton, designed by the Council, local young people and parents. Work is due to be completed in Spring.
Easton Energy Group can help you reduce energy use in your home. They offer free advice and help with energy saving grants and funding. There are several free grants available to residents to install insulation in your home and help keep you warm.
New memorial window at Stapleton Road Chapel in memory of Pastor David Thomas who was pastor at the church for 31 years but sadly died last year.
Come along and find out how you can get involved. 27 January and 11 March 7.30pm, Easton Community Centre, Kilburn Street For further information or if you would like free advice contact easton.energy.group@gmail.com
20 mile an hour zone
If you don’t have email call Up Our Street on 0117 377 3638 and we will pass your details on to Easton Energy Group.
The Council held a consultation on plans for a pilot ‘Twenty’s Plenty Zone’ across inner east Bristol, where the majority of roads would have a 20mph speed limit to make them safer. Many people commented that some key roads were missing, so the Council has revised plans to include many of these main roads. The Council will be running further consultation to progress with the scheme soon. The plans can be viewed at http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Transport-Streets/ Road-Safety/20-mph/20mph-speed-limit-pilot-areas.en or call 0117 903 6822.
Thanks to staff from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in Lawrence Hill who spent a day clearing the cycle track to help out in the community. If your organisation would like to adopt part of the cycle path and help take responsibility for making it a safer and nicer place for the local community contact PC Nick Hughes on 0117 952 9745 or nick.hughes@avonandsomerset.police.uk
Mothers for Mothers is a support group for women suffering from post-natal depression. “We are a friendly group and would love to meet new members. Each month we have a different alternative therapist offering sessions.” said organiser Rachel Langford. Sessions run every Tuesday from 10am to 12pm at Wellspring Healthy Living Centre, Beam Street. Call Rachel on 0117 975 6006 for more information.
Citizens Advice Bureau teams up with local refugees Bristol Citizens Advice Bureau has training places available for members of the refugee community to become volunteer advisers and help thousands of people each year. The course provides a good insight into dealing with everyday problems and can help prepare you for work in the future. The course will start in January and will run each Tuesday and Thursday morning for 26 weeks. You must be a refugee and have a good understanding of English. An introduction session is being held at Wellspring Healthy Living Centre, Beam Street, Barton Hill on Thursday 7 January at 10.30am. This is an opportunity to find out more about the course and the work of the Citizens Advice Bureau. For further information contact Nicola Conolly on 0117 946 2558 or nicolac@bristolcab.org.uk
If for any reason you have trouble reading this newsletter come and see us at Easton Community Centre, Kilburn Street or call 0117 377 3638. Disclaimer: The opinions and information contained in this publication are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of Easton Community Partnership or Community at Heart.
SHAPE UP Think you need to take more care of your body? Want to tone up, lose weight and improve your physical strength? Need to de‐stress? Yoga could be just what you’re looking for! Beginners (gentle) ‐ Fridays, 10am to 11am Intermediate (challenging) ‐ Fridays, 11am to 12pm Netham Pavilion, off Avonvale Road, Redfield £5 per class or £25 for six weeks. Concessions available. Mats are provided, just wear loose, comfortable clothing. Contact instructor Kate Stott on 07846578515 or visit www.nethamyoga.wordpress.com
Radiowski
Office to let 108 Church Road, Redfield, BS5 9LJ
The Old Bank is a busy hub in east central Bristol with good access to the city centre and shops and a bus route nearby. Car parking outside and bike racks provided. You will be sharing the building with Employment Links. Four offices are available for a very reasonable price. Will rent individually or as a group. Access to meeting rooms. Access to shared kitchen and toilets. Shared access to storage and photocopier area for reasonable rate. Service charge in addition to rent charge. Contact Tracy on 0117 903 9975 to arrange viewing.
BCfm 93.2fm already has lots of programmes speaking in their native language and now there’s a new Polish show - Radiowski. Magda Bond who organises the show said: “I never thought I would be working on radio, this has been a great experience and a brilliant chance for Polish people to have something they can all be proud of.” There are some great plans for the show which include doubling the length to two hours and to broadcast in English as well as Polish so that people can find out about Polish life who are not native Polish speakers.
Radiowski is on 93.2fm at 7pm on Sundays and via the internet at www.bcfm.org.uk [ADVERT]
GARDENING SERVICE
Let us take away the pains and strains of weeding, mowing and pruning your garden. If you provide the plants we’ll even plant them for you. A regular visit by one of our locally employed team will have your gardens looking good by summer, giving you some well deserved time to sit and relax.
All this for just £10 per hour. Neighbourhood Solutions Enterprises Ltd is a local social enterprise run by residents, which employs local people to carry out a range of outdoor jobs. Call us on 07827549364, we will be happy to talk through your requirements. Registered company no: 5792191
The Fantastic Mr Foster returns! With another freebie workshop at Russell Town Avenue Allotment. On Saturday 6 February, 1pm to 4pm there will be a ‘gardening for wildlife’ workshop held at the allotment. Encouraging the ‘right’ kind of wildlife onto your allotment or into your garden requires creating suitable habitats. Find out how to create spaces for wildlife so your garden / allotment is more diverse and more productive. A pond will provide a watering hole for beneficial wildlife, while boosting the local frog population, some of the best slug predators there are! Construct a small pond at the workshop…come and join in. Bring a large plastic pot if you have one as you will also have the chance to take away a young native tree. rtacommunityallotment@googlemail.com
2009 was a busy year for local athlete Claire Hallissey. Claire, 26 from Lawrence Hill, won this year's Bristol Half Marathon women's competition with an amazing time of 72 minutes and 3 seconds. 16,177 people took part in the race and Claire's time was not only her personal best but also the third fastest time in the history of the event and the quickest ever by a local athlete. To follow this, in October she was selected by the British team as British number one at the World Half Marathon championships in Birmingham after Paula Radcliffe had to drop out of the competition. Claire belongs to Bristol & West Athletics Club and in her spare time is finishing a PhD in Immunology at the University of Bristol - we caught up with Claire to find out just how she manages it all.
Congratulations on a fantastic year for your running. How did it feel being British number one in Birmingham? It was quite exciting, but also a little bit scary in the build up to the race. I really enjoyed the actual race itself though, particularly all the support around the course (a lot of which came from my Bristol team mates who had traveled to watch the race). How much training do you have to do? I train twice a day most days, with a rest day before races. What advice would you give to someone wanting to start running? Don't be afraid to join a local club. Runners are generally a friendly bunch of people and most clubs welcome all standards, including complete beginners. Running with other people is a great social experience and really adds to the enjoyment of the sport. How long have you lived in Lawrence Hill? Two years. What do you like about the area? The mixture of different groups of people living here, which means that there's plenty of opportunities nearby to buy food and cooking ingredients from a wide range of countries. Do you have a favourite place to go running locally? Along the river towards Bath and also around Oldbury Court Estate.
Stapleton Road Street Fair 2010
Mike and Dina at the Street Fair in October
“Firstly as chair of Love Easton, may I thank everyone who, despite the inclement weather, supported and attended the Stapleton Road Street Fair last year. Thanks to all the committee for their work and input. I know it’s not normally the done thing to highlight one person but I feel special appreciation should be given to Dina Ntziora of the Council arts team for her efforts. Love Easton has received feedback from traders, supporters and residents about last year’s Fair. We are looking at ways to bring the event back to its original foundations as well as including items that took place last year. By the time you read this we will have carried out surveys in the area to find out what people want from the Street Fair. If you have any feedback or want to get involved in the Street Fair this year then please make contact on 0117 941 3343 or mike@eastoncommunitypartnership.org.uk We would be pleased to see more people on the committee so if you can spare any time please let us know and we can tell you more about it.” Mike Pickering, Chair of Love Easton
In September the Boards of Community at Heart and Easton Community Partnership agreed to join forces to form the Easton & Lawrence Hill Neighbourhood Management Board. It has already been agreed that from the 1 April we will deliver ‘neighbourhood management’ (more about that a bit later). If you want to come along to a Board meeting please do. We meet on the 27 January, 23 February and 17 March from 6pm to 9pm. Contact 0117 903 9975 for more information.
What is neighbourhood management? The key things are: 1. Coordinating services at a local level such as housing, schools, health services, street cleaning, support for older people, so they work well together and are right for the community. 2. Local people have a real say in the life of the community. By listening to and learning from local people, services will be better and money will be better spent. 3. Solving and averting problems – by working with local residents and service providers and being ‘on the patch’ we will be able to see problems brewing and address them.
The important thing is that this doesn’t need money. The Council, the police and health authority spends millions in Easton and Lawrence Hill. These large organisations are making decisions every day about your area. By being involved and working together we can make better decisions for the good of the whole community. What needs to happen next? Community at Heart and Easton Community Partnership have each had their own partnership structures, such as groups working on important issues like environment and planning. We need to create one partnership structure that’s easy for residents to get involved in and that gets things done. Meetings can be an important forum for communication and making collective decisions but they are not the best way to get things done – the new structure needs to strike the right balance. By 1 April we will have agreed a new partnership structure. Over the coming months we will be asking you what you think.
We will also start work on a Neighbourhood Plan for the area identifying the key problems, how we tackle them and what the area should be like in ten years time. To do this we need to know what you think. We welcome your views and feedback about life in the area – things that annoy and things you love. If you have a problem or you can see a way of doing things better please tell us. Our job is to work on your behalf to tackle the problems and protect the things you love about the area.
Tell us what you think? Last summer we talked to 137 residents who came to our summer events in Barton Hill and the Dings about the area. This is what they said:
Where do you live? What are the best three things about living there?
78% of people think that health has got better. 86% think facilities for young people have got better. 88% think parks, green spaces and sports facilities are better. 67% think crime has reduced and people feel safer.
What’s the worst thing?
What would make things better for you and your family?
77% think schools are better. 34% said the best thing about living in the area is the parks and green spaces. 30% said the best thing is the community. 22% said the best thing is Wellspring Healthy Living Centre. The worst things are: Crime and anti-social behaviour Litter Lack of shops Parking Facilities and activities for young people Dog mess This is just a snapshot of Barton Hill and the Dings we need you to tell us about where you live to help with our neighbourhood management work (see article opposite).
Are you interested in knowing about what’s going on in the area? Are you interested in getting involved? If you could change one thing about the area overnight, what would it be? Post: Community at Heart, FREEPOST, SWB 1279, Bristol, BS5 9BR Email: stacy.yelland@communityatheart.co.uk Call: 0117 377 3638 Text: 07903089002
Your Neighbourhood Shop
We run a public drop-in service in Barton Hill to help residents with problems they may be having. This can be anything from help filling in forms, support to claim your benefits or to find help with your finances or finding work. The staff are very helpful and you don’t need an appointment. It can get very busy (the Shop deals with about 800 problems a week!) but you will be seen. Pop in and see us at 212 Avonvale Road, Barton Hill, BS5 9SX or call 0117 353 2020. The Shop is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm (4pm on Fridays).
Ashley, Easton and Lawrence Hill Neighbourhood Partnership We have been supporting the Council’s Neighbourhood Partnership meetings. These cover a wider area and deal with big issues which affect the whole inner city. For more information on this email innercity@neighbourhoodpartnership.co.uk or call 0117 903 9975. The next meeting will be on 24 February.
INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR OUR LOCAL SCHOOL City Academy has won an International School Award after impressing judges with the range of projects to link students to other schools around the world. The award gives the school national recognition for its work. Among the Academy’s projects were the 2009 Euro School Games which saw pupils from Italy, Germany and Poland converge on the school for a three-day sports event. Other work includes a multilingual DVD for future students, parents and visitors who want to know more about City Academy, fact-finding missions to The Gambia, an Apprentice-style competition with students from Seville in Spain and fundraising events for schools in Zimbabwe and The Gambia.
Did you know? There are 39 languages spoken by students and staff at the Academy.
The Advice is Right Tenancy deposits – is yours safe? Did you know that since 6 April 2007, if you are an ‘assured shorthold’ tenant, (the most common kind of tenancy) your landlord must use a government approved scheme that keeps your deposit safe? If you sign a tenancy agreement and pay a deposit: Ask your landlord which scheme your deposit is in. Keep written details about the condition of the accommodation when you start renting, including a list of the furniture and fittings – try to agree the list with the landlord. You can check whether your deposit is protected by ringing The Deposit Protection Service on 0844 472 7000, The Tenancy Deposit Scheme on 0845 226 7837 or 'mydeposits' on 0871 703 0552. At the end of the tenancy you should receive your deposit back within ten days if you and your landlord agree about how much you should get back. It is reasonable for your landlord to take money off the deposit to cover damage to the property or furniture or missing items which were listed in the inventory. They should not take money off the deposit to pay for fair wear and tear, in other words, damage which has taken place over a long time through normal use. For further information visit www.adviceguide.org.uk or phone Bristol Citizens Advice Bureau on 0844 499 4718.
There’s a lot More happening in the Dings
Hannah More Primary is a small but growing school in St Philips. Most of the children live in St Judes, with others coming from the Dings, St Philips and Barton Vale, and a few from further afield. In September the school agreed to have an additional reception class, which is the start of a gradual expansion that will continue until 2015. One especially exciting part of the school’s expansion is a new play area. The Council agreed to fund the development of a brown field site that was part of the school’s land. This was City Academy’s Volker Green collecting the award from particularly important in an inner city school, where a large the BBC’s George Alagiah. number of pupils live in flats and can’t easily access outdoor play. The new play area is ‘zoned’ with different spaces for different types of play - ball games, adventure play (climbing, swinging, jumping, crawling), quiet areas, a maze and even a waterfall which the children asked for. Raised beds will provide children with the opportunity to plant their own vegetables and fruit. There is a pond so children can learn about freshwater plants and animals. The games court will be for football, basketball, netball and tennis. There is access from the street and in the longer term the court will be available for community groups to use in the evenings and at the weekends. Contact the school on 903 9936.
5th Barton Hill Animation Festival Sunday 7 March Wellspring Healthy Living Centre in Barton Hill Cinema showing films from all over the world, including old favourites like Shaun the Sheep, as Phoenix52 well as some exciting new animations made by young people from Barton Hill. There will be Resident-led community arts group. special guests, a fantastic competition with amazing Meets the first Wednesday of the month, prizes, lots of animation and art workshops. After 6.30pm in the Art Room at Wellspring Healthy all that you can recharge your batteries in the café Living Centre, Beam Street, Barton Hill. where there will be some delicious snacks on offer. If you’re an artist or you just like being a bit This is a great event for families and those creative then this group is for you - your chance interested in animation. You can send any to get involved in events, exhibitions and arty animations you have made to Sarah Winch by 12 projects on your doorstep. February. www.phoenix52.co.uk For more information visit info@phoenix52.co.uk http://animationfestival.blogspot.com/
or call 0117 304 1429. Ceramics class at Wellspring
Art classes at Wellspring Starting 12 January Painting, drawing, singing, textiles, ceramics
Saturday Animation Club 10am to 12pm Make a film for Barton Hill Animation Festival £2 per week Contact Sarah on 0117 304 1429 for more information
STOP PRESS - - - - - - - - - STAPLETON ROAD LATEST NEWS ON WAGGON & HORSES Elim Housing Association’s plans for the old Waggon and Horses pub on Stapleton Road have been approved by the Council’s planning department. Although the Bristol Civic Society voiced objections to the demolition of this historic building, the plans were approved on the basis that the building was not listed or in a conservation area. Elim will be providing 18 new homes, including three four-bed houses, two three-bed maisonettes and a mix of one and two-bed flats. They plan to start demolition in January. Contact 01454 411172.
Do you vote in X-Factor or Strictly Come Dancing?
PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON PARKS AND GREEN SPACES Contact Rob and tell him why you value your local green space. Rob McGovern robert.mcgovern@bristol.gov.uk 0117 352 1045 COTTON MILL LANE, Barton Hill In response to a local petition to keep the fenced-off land on Cotton Mill Lane as a green space, Solon Housing Association has dropped plans to build houses on this site. We are working with local residents and the Council to agree a long-term plan for improving and maintaining the site as an open green space.
Every week thousands of people vote for their favourite in reality competitions but not many people have their say about local planning decisions, which really affect your everyday life. Planning Solutions is a resident group which looks at planning applications and seeks to influence planners and developers about the type of developments residents would like to see, and to object to developments which they feel are bad for the area. If you live in Old Market, Newtown, Upper Easton, Redfield, Lawrence Hill, the Dings, Barton Hill, the Netham, Temple Meads or St Philips Marsh they would like to hear from you with a view to drawing up a Neighbourhood Plan. Contact Matthew on 0117 377 3640 for more information.
Gate and door access to tower blocks If there are any problems with the gates or secure door access call 0117 922 2200. Within 24 hours an engineer will come and inspect the problem. If it is on a weekend then they will come on Monday unless it is causing serious problems with access, when the Council will send an emergency engineer. When the problem has been looked at they will fix it as soon as possible. This may take a while because new parts need to be ordered. The gates and doors are often broken because they are kicked in. The Council is looking at how to stop this happening by changing the way the gates open. If the funding is agreed they will be consulting with tenants about this in the New Year.
CCTV – part of the solution, not the only solution By the time you read this the cameras in Barton Hill will have been numbered to help residents when reporting incidents. CCTV has two uses. The first is by the Council housing team to monitor crime, general damage, repairs and anti-social behaviour. This is what staff are looking at in the control room. The second is for the police, who can take over the use of a camera to focus on a specific person or property, to monitor them when they suspect them of serious criminal activity, for example drug dealing. When the police are using a camera they have to get a special license and this takes priority over the Council. Occasionally this may mean a camera cannot be diverted to an incident reported by a resident. CCTV is very useful to help gather information about criminal activity and helps to prevent crime but it does have its limitations. Incidents still need to be reported and witnesses need to come forward. Footage from the cameras is kept for 30 days.
EARTH (Easton and Ashley Resident Tenants Housing) Contact John James on jon.jay@btinternet.com or 0117 385 1051.
Housing Solutions (Barton Hill, Croydon House, Kingsmarsh and Baynton) Contact Tony Hicks on tony.hicks@communityatheart.co.uk or 0117 903 9877.
Support your local group to become a Tenant Management Organisation. This means that residents will be overseeing some of your services, in particular repairs and caretaking, getting a fairer service for tenants.
Want to have more say over services to Council tenants?
If you want an update after your call, tell them!
Call the police on 0845 456 7000 to report the incident
If it is an emergency call 999 straight away. If you are at home contact the CCTV control room to ask them to point the nearest CCTV camera at the activity
If you see a crime in action
If it is not an emergency but you are seeing it happening (e.g. anti-social behaviour) and you are at home contact the CCTV control room to position the camera at the activity and then call the police on 0845 456 7000
If the crime has already happened (is not an emergency)
Site Coordinator will pass jobs on to caretaking team to be sorted
If it’s an emergency customer service team will contact the emergency caretaker who will come and sort out the problem
NO The customer service team will decide if it is an emergency or not
If it’s not an emergency the team pass on the issue to the Site Coordinator on the next working day
YES Customer service centre will contact the Caretaking Site Coordinator
Is it Monday to Friday between 7.30am and 4pm?
Bristol City Council customer service centre If you report anything to the Council and you want to know what’s happened, request a call back. You must leave your name and contact number.
Call 0117 922 2200
Tenant Participation Contact Pete Heffernan on peter.heffernan@bristol.gov.uk or 0117 352 1314.
Keep reporting issues by contacting the Council customer services (not the CCTV control room) as this lets the council know there is a problem that needs sorting. You can also join the tenant forum to discuss issues with other residents and the Council:
Do you live in a council flat with a concierge intercom? The ‘concierge’ button on your intercom goes through to the CCTV control room. Their job is to monitor the CCTV and log incidents, reporting them to the housing officers. The staff at the control room are not concierges and do not deal with caretaking issues. In fact, there is no longer a concierge service. The control room log all incidents and send a confidential report to the housing officers, it is then their decision whether to take the problem further. It is the housing staff not the control room staff who follow up any incidents.
Barton Hill Youth Forum Thursdays, 5.30pm to 7pm Barton Hill Settlement Dings Youth Project Dings Park, off Oxford Street, St Philips Mondays, 7pm-9pm - Open access Wednesdays, 4.30pm-6pm - Outreach Fridays, 7pm-9pm - Open access Contact Kinny on 0117 955 6971
The Mill Youth Centre Lower Ashley Road, Easton Tuesdays, 7pm to 9.30pm Open Spaces - for young people with disabilities or learning difficulties (ages 14+) Thursdays, 6pm to 8.30pm Open access - music, art, sports (ages 13 to 17) Contact 0117 951 0188
SCOUTS, CUBS AND BEAVERS Leaders, cubs, scouts and parents visited the Bristol Blue Glass Works at Whitby Road, Brislington in November. “The company boss Paul gave the group a talk about the origin of Bristol Blue Glass. We were told that a Jewish family called Jacobs from Germany came to Bristol between 1755 and 1760, and in 1774 the family established the original company in Temple Street, Bristol. This was the origin of the Bristol Blue Glass that we see today.” “Following the talk two of the firm’s workers demonstrated how to blow molten glass for making various items ranging from jugs, vases and ornaments. Then cubs and scouts had a go at blowing the molten glass to make a glass bubble. Some of the cubs and scouts drew a design to be printed on a paperweight. The finished designs were left at the factory for printing onto the paperweights, which will be collected at a later date” said leader, Maureen.
The 128th Bristol (St Gabriel’s) Scout Group is looking for new members for cubs, scouts and beavers. To find out more contact Maureen on 0117 965 0510.
The Pickle Factory, 13 All Hallows Road, Easton Mondays, 5pm to 7.30pm Open access Tuesday, 5pm to 7pm Bike club
ALLIES IN BRISTOL Independent Visitor Service
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Wednesday, 5.30pm to 9pm Open access All for ages 9+. Coming soon… cinema evenings and dance nights. Contact 0117 955 7733. The Musicworks Studio - available to hire. Contact John Stokes on 07904577005.
CAN YOU UNDERSTAND AND RELATE TO YOUNG PEOPLE? ARE YOU A GOOD ROLE MODEL?
The Crypt St Luke’s Church, Barton Hill Contact Gladys on 304 1433 Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7pm to 9pm Youth club for young people aged 13 to 19 Wednesdays, 4pm to 5.30pm Youth club for girls and young women
HAVE YOU TIME AND COMMITMENT TO GIVE?
Volunteers are needed to befriend children and young people who are in care in Bristol. We specifically need volunteers to match with African Caribbean young people and boys. CONTACT SUE BURR ON 0117 907 7270
AVONVALE ROAD
The old shops on Avonvale Road will be demolished and new homes built in their place. There will also be work done to the grounds around Ashmead House. Work is due to start in Spring.
NEW SHOPS PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS
Community at Heart will own the four shops and the rent from these will fund our work in the future. There is one large retail unit and three smaller ones. The shops were advertised through an estate agent to see who might be interested in the premises. One retailer, Costcutter, expressed interest in the large shop. Our priority has been to make sure there is a grocery store in the new shops. We welcome the opportunity to work with Costcutter so that people can shop locally. In response to comments raised by residents we will be asking Costcutter to address the following: 1. Providing a free cash machine 2. Reliable provision of gas and electric 3. Improved customer service (including monitoring out of date stock) Interest in the smaller shops includes an internet café, halal butcher and Emmaus (second‐hand furniture).
Proposals have been drawn up for a zebra crossing on Avonvale Road opposite the new shops and a simple marked crossing on Marsh Lane opposite the shops there. Residents requested a crossing on Marsh Lane but the Council recommended that there should not be a zebra crossing so near a junction as it is confusing for drivers. The Council’s formal consultation will start in the New Year.
Climate Art The 222 project and the Dugout have recently completed a street art project on the hoardings of the new shops in Barton Hill, opposite Ashmead House. Five young people have been involved and the theme of the project has been to raise awareness about climate change. The 222 project and the Dugout work with young people who are getting their education back on track after difficulties in school.
Two bed apartments for rent From March, Sovereign South + West has six new, stylish and spacious two bedroom apartments available to rent (20% cheaper than private rented). These new apartments will be on the corner of Beam Street in Barton Hill above the new shops. The homes are designed to a high specification; they come with a fitted kitchen (including appliances) and are available on six months renewable lease. Sovereign is looking for people who have a local connection with the Barton Hill area. If you are working and have a local connection then contact Hannah Lewin on 0117 317 0730 to find out how to apply. You need to contact Hannah early to avoid disappointment.
Following a successful planning meeting in July, Bristol City Council and Knightstone are pleased to announce that Junction 3 is finally on the way. This new development combines a state-of-the-art library with learning and creative zones, crèche, community meeting rooms, seven small scale commercial units and 59 residential units. Work will start on site in Spring with the centre opening around the end of 2011. In the meantime though there are lots of activities going on in the area which you can get involved with that will give a taste of the sorts of things that might be going on at Junction 3. These events will also give you a chance to find out more about Junction 3 and how you can get involved.
More than Words Fired-Up Join the Adult Learning Service and make an artwork for display in Junction 3, for example fired clay pieces, stained glass or screen prints. For more information contact 0117 903 8844.
Junction 3 Festival Day Mill Youth Centre, 13 March, 11am till 4pm Organised by the Libraries and Museums Services, this fun day will include a dance performance, digital photography workshops, an exhibition of local people’s photos of Easton and opportunities to become involved in the Junction 3 project.
Housing at Junction 3 The proposal is to develop the site with 59 one, two, three and four-bedroom houses and flats. The site will provide 28 unallocated parking spaces within the development. The rented homes will be let through Homechoice and advertised in local papers and on www.homechoicebristol.co.uk. This will be within a few weeks of the scheme being completed in early 2012. The other units will be available through Nectar Homes at Knightstone.
Single Parent Action Network, Bristol Libraries, 2QAB and Amana Education Trust will be running activities over the next few months where you can try out new things, meet new people and learn new skills. A final display in a major city centre venue will bring these ideas together on 21 February. For more information contact SPAN on 0117 952 2712.
Jobs Fair at Trinity Centre in March Following on from last year’s successful jobs fair, a second is planned for March. There will be employers with jobs to fill and the ever-popular 'Jobs-Wall' (with even more job vacancies), as well as a couple of support agencies for anyone who needs a little bit more help to find work. Junction 3 will be there as well as organisations who work with people to improve their English. For more information contact Chris Mitchell on 0117 922 2719.
Davis & Jones appointed as Junction 3 ‘Public Engagement Programme’ artists To kick start this process they would like to invite you on an Easton tour, when you will take one or both of the artists on a short journey to a place that you particularly like. This will inform the artworks that are commissioned for Junction 3. To book an Easton tour or for more information contact davisandjones@gmail.com
Want to know more? Julie York, Julie Bowie, Kate Cole 0117 903 7246 or 0117 903 7210 (Bristol Libraries) Jayne Whittlestone - 0117 984 8156 (Knightstone Housing Association) This page was brought to you by Knightstone Housing Association and Bristol Libraries Service
Brought to you by BEST and East Bristol Enterprise Tel: 0117 941 5800. www.eastbristolenterprise.co.uk What are small businesses telling us? BEST and East Bristol Enterprise held a business forum in November as part of Global Enterprise Week and the more local Bristol Enterprise Week. A number of local businesses took part to discuss some of the key issues which face many small businesses and social enterprises at the moment. It is not all doom and gloom for small businesses affected, like everyone else, by the economic recession and credit crunch, but there was a recognition that small businesses could do with some support. Some of the key issues affecting business performance were identified as: · Controlling and managing your cash flow · Obtaining business finance · Employing the right staff and developing your workforce · Understanding your markets and adapting to change · Improving sales and marketing skills · Time management BEST and East Bristol Enterprise will be launching a business events programme in early 2010. You can keep in touch through Easton Business Centre on 0117 941 5800 or check out the website at www.eastbristolenterprise.co.uk
Older people Brought to you by LinkAge Promoting increased activity and independence among senior citizens Lincoln Gardens, Lincoln Street, Barton Hill. Contact Kathe on 0117 304 1726 Lincoln Gardens is a sheltered scheme for older people in Barton Hill, close to Church Road and easily accessible from all over the area. It’s a warm and comfortable place serving lunch in a canteen every day and with a full weekly programme of social activities. We welcome older people from all over the community to join us. Come along to Lincoln Gardens, Lincoln Street (off Ducie Road), beside Lawrence Hill Church.
WHAT’S ON AT LINCOLN GARDENS? Monday 2.30pm Singalong Sweethearts Golden oldie songs and rousing tunes (£1.50) Good for all voices, whatever standard Tuesday 2pm Knitters and Natters Show others or learn yourself – free wool and loan of needles 6pm Nail cut and file Monthly. Basic cut £4 Wednesday 10.30am Coffee and quiz 2pm Book Club (1st Wednesday of the month) Thursday Hairdresser – basic cut and dry, £7 2pm Chair aerobics Fantastic session for the older physique (£1) 7pm NEW Bingo and raffle (£1.50) Friday 10.30am Tai chi Limber up gently (£2) Saturday 11am NEW Mini walk to Gaunts Ham Park
Best foot forward
Your guide to gentle walks in the area Here is a short programme with contact numbers for a range of gentle walks going on around the area, all suited to the older walker. There is training available if you would like to lead community walks. These are simple, friendly guidelines to help you be more involved. Please call Nicola Ferris on 352 1283 to find out about the next session. Regular ‘mini walks’ suited to frail elderly people wanting to get some fresh air, weather permitting. Saturdays, 11am from Lincoln Gardens, Barton Hill. Contact Mandy Cox from Wellspring Healthy Living Centre on 304 1425. Ambler’s Group for a range of free walks, all levels, meeting at points around Lawrence Hill and the city centre. A seasonal programme is produced, available from Wellspring Healthy Living Centre. Weekdays and weekends, various start times. Contact Mandy Cox on 304 1425. City Health Walks Team organises free walks all over the city with trained volunteers. One of these goes from Easton Community Centre every other Tuesday, 12.45pm to 1.30pm. Contact Morowa on 0778 994 3146 to find out more.
Are your feet in a state? Do you have trouble reaching your pinkies? LinkAge foot therapy service is out and about across Easton and Lawrence Hill. You can get your nails trimmed and filed for only £4, plus a free foot soak for all customers. Just drop in, no need to book. ST JUDES COMMUNITY ROOM - 3pm on 11 January, 8 February and 8 March WELLSPRING HEALTHY LIVING CENTRE - 12pm on 18 January, 15 February and 15 March SALVATION ARMY, HASSELL DRIVE - 11am on 21 January, 18 February and 18 March BETHESDA CHURCH, CHURCH ROAD - 2.30pm on 22 January, 19 February and 19 March LAWRENCE HILL HEALTH CENTRE - 10.30am on 25 January and 22 February (to be confirmed) Please note, this is not a medical service and we cannot cut nails for people with diabetes or using warfarin.
Call Kathe Jacob on 304 1726 for more information. LinkAge reports: A public inconvenience We can announce that our research has revealed a total of one public toilet for the Lawrence Hill and Easton area. It is located in St George's Park. Use it while you still can! We have spoken to older residents in our LinkAge Advisory Group and the St George Townswomen’s Guild and they feel that this is an important issue to tackle. Our current options include campaigning to build more toilets in our area, and negotiating with local businesses to enable the public to use their toilets. Older people are willing to pay 20p to have a decent public facility available at a range of locations. Not all want to ask a favour in cafes and bars. If you have views on this subject, we want to hear from you. We aim to try and build an alliance with organisations representing older people, disabled people and those with small children, as well as transport workers who have pointed out that they need to access public toilets while they are working out and about. In the end, it’s about priorities. Money is short, but perhaps with your support we can restore public conveniences to the high street.
Call Kathe on 304 1726 to pass on your comments.
Bristol is a city, which is home to people from all over the world. Our area in particular is home to a large Somali community. Over the past few months we have been finding out how people feel about life here and what has brought them to this part of Bristol.
The history of Somalia
Somalia’s flag
Somalia is a country with an ancient and complicated history. It is a Muslim country that is linked to the Arab world as well as the continent of Africa. It was occupied by the British and other European countries for many years. 1800s - The British Empire spread across the world as far away as the Caribbean and Africa. In the late 1800s the British sailed to the Horn of Africa where Somalia is located and tried to colonise the country. The Somali army resisted and managed to keep their independence until after World War I. 1920 - The British bombed Somalia and the country was divided into two, British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland. 1945-50 - After World War II the history of the country becomes even more complicated with power struggles between Italy and Britain and deals being struck over land with neighbouring Ethiopia. 1950-60 - The northern part of Somalia was a British protectorate (looked after by the British) and the southern part was a UN protectorate (looked after by the Italians). 1960 - Somalia was united and regained independence. 1975-9 - Somalia was at war with Ethiopia over land that had been given away by the British. This ended in 1979 and a military government took control. 1980s - Rebels in Somalia fought against the military government. 1990s - The military government collapsed. There was no government and no law; there were mass killings and rape and thousands of people fled to neighbouring countries where the UN set up refugee camps. The Somali people were relying on the UN for their survival. Today - Life is dangerous with much of the country in a state of violent conflict and people living in fear. There are fuel shortages, inflation is high and food expensive.
S.A is a resident of Barton Hill
“When the government collapsed in 1991, I fled with my family from Mogadishu to Kenya. We stayed in a refugee camp. We lived in that refugee camp for about two years. Life in the camp was miserable. There were no schools or proper shelter. Groups of young men used to harass us. My father died before the war and my mother took care of my sister, brothers and me. We were depending on UN handouts and could not go back to Somalia because the fighting was continuing. My sister came to the UK through refugee resettlement and in 1999 she sponsored my brother and me to come to the UK as well. Now I feel Britain is my home. The best thing about life here is the safety. The biggest challenge is finding work and adapting to the new way of life. My hope for the future is to find a job and become a productive member of society.” KHALIF NUR, resident of Easton
”It was very difficult coming to Britain from Somalia. I had to leave my country without choice. I fled to Ethiopia with my family. I was one of the youngest members of the family. We stayed in a refugee camp for a couple of years without any form of education. I was separated from my family. I stayed with my oldest sister and moved with her to Addis where we stayed with a relative. My brother was living in the UK already and he brought me here through the family reunion scheme. I feel Britain is my second home. The biggest thing is that you do not have to wake up every morning to think about your safety. The biggest challenge is how to overcome other people’s perceptions that I am a burden on them. I hope that peace and security will return to Somalia so that I can go back.”
Somalis in Britain
Since the 1800s Somalis have been settling in the UK. They came here in merchant ships and worked as seamen or for the British army. They settled in busy ports like Cardiff and Liverpool. In the 1990s the UN took many people from the African refugee camps to settle in the west, including USA, Canada, Holland, Sweden and Britain – the people did not get any choice about where they were taken. Many people have come to Britain from other countries in Europe where they have been living for many years and are citizens so are able to move freely within the European Union. They come to Britain to join family members and a community they can connect with. There are still many Somalis living in other European countries. Since 2000 the UK government introduced what is called a dispersal system. This means that people have no choice over where they are going to live if they need support from the government. Bristol was made a ‘cluster area’ for Somalis and as a result many people were sent here from other parts of the UK. The Somali community is extremely mixed, coming from different clans and different social backgrounds, including a high proportion of skilled professionals who have not been able to find work in their field in the UK. In Somalia individuals would be part of a group (clan, family or religious), which would anchor them in society; here the culture is very different and it can take a long time to adjust. Many people have had little choice about where they live and if there was peace in Somalia they would Abdullahi Farah, resident of Easton like to return.
Mubarig Bodleh, resident of Barton Hill
“In 1991 when the rebels attacked the capital Mogadishu, I was working for the government. The rebels were targeting government employees so I had to flee the capital to one of the few remaining regions that was in government control. After couple of days, the rebels captured the small town where I was hiding. I fled to Kenya and stayed in a refugee camp controlled by the UN. I lived there for a couple of months before coming to Europe with the help of the UN. I lived in Holland for about 15 years before moving to the UK for family reasons. Although I still have strong feelings for Somalia, I consider Britain as my home because it is where I work and my family lives here. There is a big difference between old people who grew up in Somalia and young people who were born in Britain or in Europe. Young people see themselves as Britons or Europeans and old people see themselves as Somalis who live in Britain. The old would like to go back to Somalia if peace returns. But young people would stay in Britain. The best thing about life here is the freedom and that there is a rule of law. The biggest challenge is how to overcome the negative stereotyping and other problems that are related to the cultural differences. I hope that peace and security will return to Somalia so that I can go back.”
“I had to flee Somalia when I was young. We had to walk over 300 miles to Ethiopia. The journey lasted for 40 days, we didn’t have enough food. The Ethiopian government and the UN set up refugee camps to accommodate over a million people. We thought we would be going back to our homes but it wasn’t to be. At the time my brother was studying in Sheffield. My dad claimed asylum in the UK and he managed to sponsor some members of my family including me. I felt happy to be coming here and reuniting with my brother. By the time I arrived in 1994 my brother had moved to Bristol so I decided to come here as well. I started to learn English and went on to do courses. Life is always difficult when you go to another country, but it is harder when you don’t speak the language and are not familiar with the culture. I have been back to Somalia a number of times since I arrived here and I still feel at home there; I would like to go back. I think people in this country are very fortunate and opportunity is the best thing about life here. People in Africa have very limited opportunities, which means they are unable to shape their destiny. Only those who can afford to pay can have an access to education, health, housing or can eat. In contrast, everyone here in the UK has the opportunity to learn, has access to good health and jobs. There are many challenges when you come here including language barriers, culture shock, loneliness, feeling helpless, home sickness and many more! The biggest challenge is feeling unaccepted. I remember when I first arrived here sometimes people would say ‘go back to your country, you don’t belong here’. I found dealing with those comments very challenging because I didn’t speak enough English to defend myself. I am happy in Bristol and now it is more my home. I am used to the culture, speak the language and have a lot of friends. I love English football particularly Arsenal FC, I love when it snows, and most of all I love talking and meeting people. I have been here in the UK for a long time; my children were born in Bristol. However, I wish to go back to Somalia and help people to overcome the challenges that they face. I would like to help children who lost their parents by setting up a school. I believe in giving people an opportunity and I feel education is one of the best opportunities that you can give a child.”
Safer Bristol is trying out new ways for dealing with street prostitution, an ongoing problem in our area. Some of the ideas they are trying are: Offering support to prostitutes to help them get back on their feet and out of that lifestyle Courses for men caught kerb crawling to teach them about the impact of their actions and change their attitudes to these women Police have been targeting problems surrounding street sex work in the Fox Road and Warwick Road area. Kerb crawlers and street sex workers have been issued with fines, cautions or acceptable behaviour contracts to deter activity. New security lights, fence repairs and removal of shrubbery are planned to deter activity. Safer Bristol is also consulting residents on what other changes could be made. It’s a tough nut to crack that isn’t going to be solved overnight but hopefully by working together, organisations like the police and Safer Bristol can reduce the impact this has on the community and also help get the women trapped in this cycle to a better life. For more information about the work of Safer Bristol in this area contact Neil Burwell on 07795446429.
Take care when using candles A family from Easton recently had a lucky escape after a candle fire at their home. Narinder Kaur, from Stapleton Road, and her family, including her three day old niece, were celebrating Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Light and had lit several candles. Narinder had gone upstairs, leaving her family downstairs, and fallen asleep. She awoke a short time later and realised her room was filling with smoke. Narinder called 999 and fire fighters from Temple Fire Station were there within minutes to tackle the fire. The room was damaged but fortunately no one was hurt. Tips for using candles safely Tea lights and nightlights in foil containers can get very hot and melt through plastic, or set fire to wood and paper, so always place them in a suitable holder. Never leave candles burning unattended. Keep candles away from furnishings and clothing. Candles and matches or lighters should always be kept out of reach of children. For more information about Home Fire Safety Visits call 0800 1693 999 or visit www.avonfire.gov.uk The police need your support. They can only address problems that they are aware of and would encourage anyone in the community who has any concerns or information about criminal or anti-social behaviour to contact them. If you want to report a non-emergency crime you can call 0845 456 7000 or Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. Dial 999 in an emergency.
Update from the Easton police team Since last issue’s Hot Topic on crime in Easton, residents have come forward to report drug dealing and antisocial behaviour to police along Stapleton Road and its side streets. New CCTV cameras around Easton Way are proving to be an excellent resource for police in detecting and deterring crime. There are some concerns that they might push crime into the side roads, out of sight, so the local beat teams have increased patrols in the area. Throughout the Summer and Autumn there have been many positive things happening in Easton: A tenant was evicted from a flat on Stapleton Road after complaints about anti-social behaviour and drug use. A cannabis factory was discovered in Robertson Road and dismantled by police. Officers closed a crack house in Twinnell House. Halloween and Bonfire Night passed without major incident and there were only a small number of firework related incidents, without injury. The police were out in greater numbers than ever on both nights, to provide reassurance in the local area and deter anti-social and criminal behaviour. Since the community meetings about crime in Easton, violent incidents and anti-social behaviour have decreased. As a direct result of complaints about drug dealing from a property in Villiers Road, officers visited and made arrests after knives were recovered. This property will continue to be monitored by police. Additional patrols are happening in Armoury Square after people raised concerns about possible drug dealing and anti-social behaviour. At the last Trinity Beat quarterly meeting residents voted prostitution, drug dealing, fly tipping and nuisance parking as top priorities for policing. Crime statistics in Easton and Lawrence Hill show that these areas are NOT above the average for levels of crime.
You can access crime statistics for your area on the Avon and Somerset Police website.
Do you have any long-term condition such as arthritis, diabetes, MS, Parkinson’s disease, IBS, migraines, depression, heart trouble, ME? Or do you know someone who does? You may have been recently diagnosed, you may have been living with your condition for some time, or someone close to you may be affected. Are you looking for ways to cope? If you feel in need of help a Challenging Your Condition course is just right. FREE (paid for by NHS Bristol) Run by fully trained people who understand Six sessions of two hours each, friendly and informal Practical help to reduce the impact of your condition Starting on Friday 5 February Lincoln Gardens, Lincoln Street, Lawrence Hill, BS5 0BZ Early booking recommended Ring Clair at Lincoln Gardens on 0117 304 1721
Cleaning up Easton and Lawrence Hill Over the past few months we have been finding out what bothers people most about their neighbourhood. Time and again the response has been rubbish – litter on the streets and in parks, bins left out on the pavement all week and large amounts of dumped or fly tipped rubbish. We all live in this city together and share responsibility for keeping it clean. The Council must do its job properly but we must also treat our city with respect and dispose of our rubbish in the right way. In November there was a special Neighbourhood Partnership meeting for all residents, dedicated to the issue of rubbish; what the Council is doing to tackle this and what we can do to help as concerned residents. There’s no doubt that the problem is worse here than in other parts of Bristol. Three times a year the Council surveys the city’s rubbish and the findings show that Easton, Ashley and Lawrence Hill are much worse for all types of rubbish. The statistics Easton ward has 10% Litter, 15% Detritus, 11% Graffiti Lawrence Hill ward has 12% Litter, 9% Detritus, 21% Graffiti Why is this area so bad? The citywide figures are 3% Litter, 5% Detritus, 3% Graffiti The inner city is the most densely populated part of the city with many buildings converted into flats and businesses, often with no storage space, and large families. Richard Holbrook is a driver and team leader for one of the street sweeping and recycling crews for Barton Hill, Redfield, Lawrence Hill and the Dings. Up Our Street caught up with him during a shift to find out a bit more about what it’s like being on the frontline of the fight against rubbish….. What’s the worst part of your job? The worst thing is when you’ve just finished a road and it looks clean then when you go back a few hours later it’s messy again. That can be quite disheartening. What’s the best part of your job? It’s really nice when people stop us and say we’ve done a good job. It’s not an easy job especially in bad weather so it’s nice when people notice and thank you for your hard work. What are the guidelines about collecting black bags next to bins? When we see black bags we note them down on our problem sheet which we take back to the office. We then either get permission to collect the bags ourselves or they will send round the larger vehicle to collect it. The same goes for fly tipping. We have to log it on a problem sheet and we can’t collect it without permission. The problem sheets are given to the Council so they are aware of problems with fly tipping. We can collect smaller items if we’re given permission. If we are collecting bags we’ll open them to try and find out who dumped it. Why are streets sometimes missed in the street sweep schedule? Sometimes we are pressed for time because we get held up by road closures, urgent jobs elsewhere or it’s unsafe to do a road. Also in Autumn the jobs take longer because of all the leaves. When we have wet leaves they are heavy so we have to go back to the tip more often which adds to the time. If we have to miss a street we will always make sure it’s a street that is swept more than once a week, so we know we will be going there again that week. Why do some recycling things get left behind, like pieces of cardboard? Sometimes people put things out after the collection or it has been blown about. How long is a shift and how many streets must you do in that time? I work Monday to Friday from 6.30am to about 3pm. Our route has between 30 and 40 streets to clean every day. What is morale like? Sometimes you can be under pressure and it’s quite stressful but our team gets along really well and we all want to make sure we do a good job on our route. How can the local community support you? If everyone kept their garden and front steps clean that would really help. Years ago people used to sweep their own bit of street but that seems to have died out now. If that came back it would make the place look better and stop things blowing everywhere.
Street cleaning The Council pays a private company called SITA to do the cleaning and rubbish collection across the city. Your street should be swept and cleaned regularly by SITA. We have got maps of the area, which tell us how many times a week and on which days each street should be cleaned. You can find these on our website or by calling us on 0117 377 3640, we can send you a copy of the map. If you do not see your street being swept when it should be you can contact the Council on 0117 922 2100 and report it. The more of us who report any problems the more likely it is that the Council will take the issue up with SITA to improve the service. Communal bins Another idea being tested by the Council is communal bins as there are too many bins in a small area. By having communal bins this will reduce the amount of bins cluttering up the pavements. This has been tested elsewhere in the city and has worked well so is going to be trialled in some parts of Easton in the New Year. Enforcement When it is obvious that a business or home is causing a problem with rubbish they can be fined. They will receive a warning followed by a fine. At the meeting there was agreement that the Council should be quicker to fine people who are causing this problem. If residents regularly report a property then there is more chance that enforcement action will be taken. The enforcement team is issuing warnings followed by a fine to people leaving bins out all week. New pilot scheme The Council realises that this is a problem area and has got a dedicated member of staff running a special pilot scheme to try and find new ways to tackle the rubbish problem. ource Somali Res m o fr rs e the te Volun litter pick in ou a g in o d e y Centr er. If last summ Urban Park the community by lp want to he k call us a litter pic g in organis 3640. on 0117 377
Environment Task Group 12 January, 6pm to 8pm, Neighbourhood Shop, 212 Avonvale Road Contact Matthew on 0117 377 3640
What can we do? REPORT IT If you see dumped rubbish, bins left out all week or general litter in public spaces then report it to the Council on 0117 922 2100. Not only will this mean it’s cleared up but the Council will know about trouble spots that need extra attention. You can also call to find out what day your rubbish should be collected. JOIN US All residents of Easton and Lawrence Hill are welcome to join us at our environment meetings to discuss problems and deliver the solutions. Call Matthew on 0117 377 3640 if you’re interested in this. We also run a scheme called Street Monitors in Easton and Neighbourhood Champions in Lawrence Hill. This means you get a freephone number to call the Council and you take responsibility for reporting any problems on your street. LITTER PICKS We can also lend people litter pickers if they would like to tidy up their street. We do not want to encourage residents to do this instead of the Council but sometimes community action is the best way to get things done as an addition to the Council’s services. If you’re interested in this call us on 0117 377 3640. SAY HELLO Take two minutes to say hello to the people who sweep your street. We all feel more motivated if we feel we are doing a job that matters to people and it’s noticed when things are better.
Contact us
Cut out and keep USEFUL NUMBERS
Penny Germon Neighbourhood Manager penny.germon@communityatheart.co.uk 0117 903 9879 Matthew Cheney Neighbourhood Facilitator matthew.cheney@communityatheart.co.uk
0117 377 3640 Stacy Yelland, Communications Officer stacy.yelland@communityatheart.co.uk 0117 377 3638 Tracy Parsons, Office Manager officemanager@communityatheart.co.uk 0117 903 9975 Neighbourhood Shop - 0117 353 2020
Community at Heart 212 Avonvale Road, Barton Hill, Bristol, BS5 9SX Charity no. 1081691. Company no. 4023294 Easton Community Partnership Easton Community Centre, Kilburn Street, Easton, BS5 6AW
Bristol City Council Customer Service Centre
0117 922 2100 Open Mon-Fri (8.30am-8pm)
Use this number for reporting: Abandoned supermarket trolleys Abandoned vehicles Assisted waste collections Bulky item removal Clinical waste collection Dead animals Debris and spillages on the highway Domestic refuse collection queries Drug and sex litter Flooding of the highway Graffiti and fly posting Gullies - damaged or flooded Highway obstruction Litter – missed street sweep/overflowing bins
NEW ADVERTISING RATES As of April 2010, Up Our Street will be changing its advertising charges. This is to make sure we are not running at a loss and to keep the newsletter going as long as possible. NEW RATES Delivery of an insert
£50 per 1000
Large organisations and businesses Full page Half page Quarter page
£250 £150 £75
Small organisations and community groups Full page Half page Quarter page
£200 £100 £50
Lost or stolen bins Private homes - excess rubbish in garden Recycling queries Pavements and highway repairs Rubbish - dumped or fly tipped Street care and cleaning Street furniture - theft or vandalism Street name plates/signs – theft/vandalism/confusing Street lighting faults Vegetation - obstructing Verges - obstruction (out of hours emergencies only - 0117 922 2050)
Other numbers: Abandoned / burnt-out vehicles - 0117 945 5419 Bus shelters maintenance - (Adshell) 0800 731 3699 Dog warden - 0117 977 6004 Emmaus (free furniture collections) - 0117 954 3567 Fair Comment (council complaints) – 0117 922 2000 Noise (pollution control) – 0117 922 3810 Parking services - 0117 922 2198 Police Community Support Officers - 0845 456 7000
This newsletter is printed on 100% recycled paper. Please dispose of it responsibly after you have finished with it.
Roadwork safety issues – 0117 903 1212 Sofa project (furniture collection) - 0117 954 3567 SPACE Trust (free furniture collections) - 0117 328 3992 Traffic light faults - 0800 854 229 Untaxed vehicles – DVLA - 0800 0325 202