Up Our Street summer 2019 by Up Our Street

Barton hill activity club

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up our street Easton + Lawrence Hill + Redfield + St Judes + Whitehall + Old Market + The Dings + Barton HIll + Newtown + Greenbank

Stapleton Road station: What next? Page 6

the power of community gardens Page 10

Your free community magazine new home for supper club www.upourstreet.org.uk

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summer 2019 Up Our Street Summer 2019

up our street

Contact the team

Business Development Officer Emily Fifield Tel: 0117 954 2834 Email: emily@upourstreet.org.uk Communications Officer Tamsin Harcourt Tel: 07903 089 002 Email: tamsin@upourstreet.org.uk

Community Engagement Officers Khalil Abdi Email: khalil@upourstreet.org.uk

Patrycja Pinkowska Tel: 07986 949 493 Email: pat@upourstreet.org.uk

Finance and Office Manager Tracy Parsons Tel: 0117 954 2834 Email: tracy@upourstreet.org.uk Interim Director Brendan Tate Wistreich Tel: 0117 954 2836 Email: brendan@upourstreet.org.uk

Our Trustee board Ricardo Sharry (Chair) Amy Harrison (Deputy chair) Noelle Rumball (Treasurer) Saed Ali Sally Caseley Joyce Clarke Nic Ferris Thom Oliver Poku Osei Hannah Pepper

Stay in touch Join the Up Our Street Facebook group. 1,330 members and growing!

And follow us on Instagram! 2

welcome

to the summer 2019 edition of Up Our Street. While we all like a sunny day, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s becoming obvious that ever hotter summers are something to worry about. In the run up to our next Festival of Solution on the theme of sustainability, we talked to Rich Pancost, Director of the Cabot Institute about the facts of climate change. You can read the interview on pages 14 and 15. One piece of good news is that Up Our Street has been awarded Lottery funding. This means we are looking for local residents to join the team - read more on the next page...

HAVE YOUR SAY

Post: The Beacon Centre, City Academy, Russell Town Avenue, Bristol BS5 9JH Charity no: 1081691 Company no: 04023294

Find us on Twitter @upourstreet

Ricardo Sharry Chair of Up Our Street

Hear Up Our Street on the One Love Breakfast Show every Wednesday at 8.45am on BCfm 93.2 and online at www. bcfmradio.com

Up Our Street Spring 2019

pages 5 to 7

The stories in this section are all about having a Political Voice. That is not about supporting a particular political party, it is about having influence over decisions that affect your life or your community.

GET INVOLVED

pages 8 to 10

The stories in this section are all about Civic Participation. This means the different ways that people can and do get involved in their community.

WORKING TOGETHER

pages 11 to 13

The stories in this section are all about Social Capital. This means the way that people work together to share skills and experience and build strong networks.

Up Our Street would like to thank our funders for supporting our work in Easton and Lawrence Hill

The opinions and information contained in this publication are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of Up Our Street. Advertisers are not endorsed. www.upourstreet.org.uk

UP our street news

We had an amazing turn out for our Festival of Solutions: It’s All About Women in March. Thank you to everyone who came along and made it such an inspiring day. Lots of new connections made we hope! Photographs from the day, and a great short film by Irene Zikusoka, are available now in the gallery on our website, so do check them out. Our small grant fund, the Endowment Fund, has now closed for this year. We have had a great response from individuals and groups. All applications are assessed by a panel of local residents and applicants will find out if they have been successful by the end of June.

Sadly we have said goodbye to Saliha, who left Up Our Street in March. She was a great asset to the team and will be missed. We wish her well in her new job. Pat has picked up some projects that Saliha was working on, including our next Festival of Solutions on the theme of sustainability (more on page 15).

Join the TeaM

Who are we looking for?

Up Our Street is excited to launch its new placebased project funded by the National Lottery. We are recruiting Place Makers to work with residents in Newtown, St Judes and The Dings over the next two years to create more opportunities for people to get involved in their local community. We have three part time vacancies available, flexible hours - the equivalent of a day a week. Start date is 1 July 2019. Wage is £9.83 per hour.

How to apply

To apply you need to send us a personal statement of up to 800 words (that’s about a page and a half) explaining why this role would be perfect for you. Closing date: 31 May. There will also be an informal interview. Please contact tracy@upoursteet.org.uk to apply or if you have any questions.

Someone who is rooted in their local community and is passionate about making it a better place to live for everyone. You might already be involved in organising for your community in a voluntary capacity but are keen to develop skills and move into paid work in this area. You will be someone who likes to get things done, good at working with diverse groups of people, and most importantly an excellent listener. The hours are very flexible and part-time making it suitable for someone who is not in full-time employment, is a carer, or is involved in other voluntary activities.

We’re ON the move... The Up Our Street team is moving to a new office at Easton Community Centre. We hope that our new home will make it easier for you to drop in and visit us. Our email and mobile numbers will remain the same, but please bear with us while we get our systems fully up and running. As we go to print our planned moving date is Friday 31 May. www.upourstreet.org.uk

Is there something you’d like to see in Up Our Street magazine? Get in touch on 0117 954 2834 or

contact@upourstreet.org.uk

Up Our Street Summer 2019

do you know someone who deserves a big thank you? Do you know an individual or a local business who has gone above and beyond to have a positive impact in the Easton and Lawrence Hill community? Nominate them now for a Thank You Award before the deadline of 31 August. Every year Up Our Street holds the Thank You Awards dinner and awards ceremony to celebrate the local people and businesses who go above and beyond to make Easton and Lawrence Hill a great place to live, work and visit. Our ninth annual Thank You Awards will be held in October and attended by local residents, community organisations, business leaders and councillors. Local MP Thangam Debbonaire will present the awards during an evening hosted by Patrick Hart and Sherrie Eugene Hart, presenters on BCfm and the Carib Asian Cookery show.

The lucky winners will be recognised with a Thank You Award and invited to bring along their nominator and a guest to share in the fun at the event in October. You must be able to provide the full name and contact details of your nominee and describe in up to 100 words why they deserve to be thanked.

Nominate now! Nominate online at www.upourstreet.org.uk or contact Tracy on 0117 954 2834 for more information

TIDY BS5: the next generation Khalil is Up Our Street’s Community Engagement Officer with a focus on waste and streetscene. He recently delivered a workshop to 100 children and young people at Easton Jamia Mosque which had a great response. “The children are really concerned with the amount of plastic rubbish that they see on their streets,” says Khalil. “They have all seen the David Attenborough documentary which showed all the plastic in the sea and they are really aware of the problem.” The workshop ended with a litter pick of the surrounding streets where the group picked up 20 bags of rubbish. Khalil is currently talking to local schools and youth groups about running similar sessions. 4

Up Our Street Spring 2019

www.upourstreet.org.uk

HAVE YOUR SAY

Adblock Bristol

Image by Adblock: mock up of the proposed Fox Park billboard Can we imagine a Bristol without billboards? Up Our Street spoke to Leigh, who is a member of local campaign group Adblock Bristol. They are currently celebrating the defeat of a planning application to install a digital billboard near Fox Park in Easton, by the M32. Over 150 local residents responded to the planning application, which has now been withdrawn. Adblock would like to say a big thank you to everyone who commented - people power! But Adblock doesn’t want to stop there – they are currently campaigning to have all new applications for billboards across the city rejected. They are asking the council to write this into the Local Plan, which is currently under review (more details below).

Changes to LOCAL PLan

But doesn’t advertising provide income for cash-strapped councils? “We recognise that the council is in a difficult position with austerity budgets meaning cuts to services,” explains Leigh. “However, we believe that although the council gets money from advertising, there are hidden costs to the community. Looking at what’s on these billboards – ads for expensive cars, consumer products, junk food… we’re saying what are the real costs of this advertising on the health and wellbeing of local residents compared to the relatively small amounts of money councils get from advertising revenue?” Find out more about Adblock at www.adblockbristol.org.uk

Up Our Street worked with Barton Hill Settlement and resident-led planning groups to organise two public meetings about changes to the Local Plan. At the meeting on 30 April at St Philips Marsh Nursery (pictured) over 40 local residents and employees from St Philips Marsh businesses turned out to find out how the changes would affect the Temple Quarter and St Philips Marsh area. The Local Plan is a document by Bristol City Council which includes policies for deciding planning applications in Bristol. This will help shape where new housing and other developments are built in our neighbourhood and across Bristol. It also sets out which green spaces should be protected. The Local Plan review closed for comments on 24 May.

www.upourstreet.org.uk

Up Our Street Summer 2019

HAVE YOUR SAY

STAPLETON ROAD STATION

Stapleton Road Station is finally fully open to to the public again. Heather from Severnside Community Rail Partnership got in touch with Up Our Street to update on progress at the station. “Network Rail recently completed works at Stapleton Road station to double the tracks between Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads stations and install ramp access to the new central platform for passengers to catch local south bound services towards Bristol Temple Meads. Completion of these works allows a new project to begin - much needed improvements to the space at the station between the entrances leading from St Marks Road and Stapleton Road which is owned and managed by Network Rail. Most of this work will be funded by Bristol City Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). The project will be coordinated by the Severnside Community Rail Partnership with support from Up Our Street. The project runs until August 2020 and the scheme of work has been drawn up following several community consultations, including a workshop at the Festival of Solutions. The emphasis of the transformation is on creating a welcoming gateway to the community and local businesses, and on wellbeing.” Plans for Stapleton Road station include: • Improved lighting • Creating resting spaces along the slopes from St Marks Road and Stapleton Road • Replacing large gates with low level barrier at Stapleton Road entrance • A mural to cover storage container to deter graffiti tagging • Landscaping of the slope leading from St Marks Road • Provisions of bins at each entrance • Welcome and wayfinding signage at each of the three entrances to the station • Painting of railings and handrails in bright, vibrant colours and better demarcation of steps to improve access for people with visual impairments • Planters for growing edible plants • Installation of a water refill point • Wall mounted puzzles for children • Suitable outdoor gym equipment

Up Our Street Spring 2019

Severnside are in the process of forming a steering group and would like to hear from people living locally who want to bring positive energy to this unique station transformation project. They are particularly keen to hear from local people to represent the following groups: children and young people, those with any form of mobility impairment, faith groups, and local businesses. They would also like to hear from people with a keen interest in: health and wellbeing, reducing litter and fly tipping, horticulture and creative arts. Please contact Heather at severnside@gmail.com if you would like to join the steering group. is a Community Interest (not for profit) Company. They work with local communities to encourage the use of local trains, to ensure that access to local stations is easy, and to enhance these stations so they provide a safe and welcoming environment. Find out more at www.severnside-rail.org.uk

CIL update

Up Our Street worked with local councillors to hold a public meeting on 6 March to help set priorities for the 2019/20 round of Community Infrastrucutre Levy (CIL) funding. Around 45 local residents attended and 15 projects were suggested at the meeting. As we go to print, Councillors are still deciding which projects go through to the next stage. You can read full notes of the meeting on Up Our Street’s 22 March blog at www.upourstreet.org.uk. www.upourstreet.org.uk

barton hill TEnants Hall

HAVE YOUR SAY

The former Tenants Hall has been under discussion again recently, particularly on social media. Up Our Street decided to find out what was happening with the building.

The Tenant’s Hall was listed as an asset of community value after it stopped being used as a club in 2015. Wellspring Healthy Living Centre originally wanted to develop a proposal to re-use it but there was concern about how dilapidated the building had become. In 2017, Wellspring considered a joint project with Bristol Community Land Trust, to refurbish the building with a mix of uses including housing and community facilities. However, surveys showed that the building had become so derelict that reuse was no longer a realistic option. Who are Bristol Community Land Trust? Bristol CLT is a land trust for the city of Bristol. It is a not-for-profit organisation that develops affordable housing and other community assets. It has now taken over the project from Wellspring and consulted the council’s planners about how best to re-use the site. It has already built 12 affordable homes on Fishponds Road and is just starting a project of 50 affordable homes in Lockleaze with its housing association partner, United Communities. Keith Cowling, spokesperson for Bristol CLT said

“So far, our projects have mainly concentrated on housing, but we can see that community uses are important in Barton Hill. The position of the Tenants Hall site means that it needs active uses at street level. So our team has been thinking about how the site could be re-developed with a mix of some affordable homes and some community uses.” Paul Simpson, spokesperson for Barton Hill Settlement and Wellspring said “Our main position would be to try to ensure that any community asset on the site would be gap filling rather than replicating the work being done by the community groups in the area.” Bristol CLT will be running a programme of events and interviews to find out what ideas local people have about this site. They have promised to share details in Up Our Street.

COLOURISM: students SPEAK OUT Team Unite is a group of 14 sixth formers at Colston Girls’ School. The group formed to raise awareness of colourism and empower individuals. Many of the girls live in Lawrence Hill and Easton and were keen to spread the word through Up Our Street. Team Unite got together as part of the Community Apprentice programme run by Envision, which aims to develop young people’s skills through working on community projects. The group explained that colourism is defined as discrimination against individuals from the same ethnic or racial group, typically against people with darker skin tones. “We’ve given out leaflets in the city centre, explained the issue to the public. We’ve also www.upourstreet.org.uk

done workshops and assemblies for younger years in our school, we did interactive activities with them and built an art display.” The group also has nearly 400 Instagram followers, where they share information about colourism and promote positive role models. Check them out @teamunite_. The group is unanimous about their key message “All skin colours are beautiful, and you should be confident in your own skin!” Up Our Street Summer 2019

GET INVOLVED

new home for supper club It’s Wednesday evening, and the kitchen at Baggator is full of action. A small group of volunteer cooks is busy turning waste food donated by local shops into a tasty three course meal. This is Supper Club, who recently moved from Café Connect. Up Our Street spoke to Rachel, one of the founders and key volunteers.

As she encourages us to try some home-made cucumber pickles (delicious!) Rachel explains that as well as cooking the meal, they try and preserve as much food as possible. “We’ve made our own jam and chutneys – bellies not bins, that’s our motto!” And how is Supper Club settling in to its new home? “It’s great, much bigger kitchen, much bigger space to eat. It’s just not on a busy road, so we need to let people know that we’re here.” Every week, Rachel and the volunteers collect waste food from ten different shops and supermarkets and sort through it to pick out the food that’s still useable. It’s open to everyone in the community, the suggested donation is £3 per person - that works out at just one pound per course! All the money collected helps to pay for

how do you reduce the carbon footprint of a festival?

Inspired by the stories on this page? join us on Saturday 13 July for our Festival of Solutions on the theme of Sustainability and Hear from people taking action in your community. Book your free place on eventbrite now! more details on page 15 8

Up Our Street Spring 2019

the room hire and additional ingredients to fill the gaps in the donated food. We’ll leave the last word to Ed, busy chopping veg for tonight’s meal “It’s a chance for me to meet up with members of the community that I wouldn’t otherwise see, a chance for me to develop my cooking skills, and just to eat some nice food with people I get on with. It’s a lovely social occasion.” Supper Club meets every Wednesday at Baggator on All Hallows Road, Easton. Turn up at 5pm to help cook, or for the meal at 7pm. Redfest Bristol is entirely organised and run by volunteers, and is best known for the big day in St George Park in early August which attracts thousands of visitors. We chatted to Aisha, one of the volunteer team who has been looking at how Redfest can reduce its carbon footprint. Redfest have crunched the numbers and found that the biggest contributor to the festival’s carbon emissions is attendee travel, which made up over 80% of the festival’s carbon footprint with an estimated 1,641kg of CO2 emissions. Redfest has introduced other measures to reduce the carbon footprint such as a solar powered stage and banning single use plastics, but are keen to increase the numbers of people walking and cycling to the festival. “The good news is that we know that 62% of people walked or cycled to Redfest in 2018, but we want this figure to be even higher this year,” explains Aisha. “We’ll be seeing the return of the Redfest cycle hub, where you can lock up your bike, and get involved in some cycling related activities.” Check out volunteer opportunities at www.redfestbristol.co.uk/get-involved www.upourstreet.org.uk

BArton Hill activity CluB

GET INVOLVED

One Wednesday afternoon Up Our Street decides to follow the happy shouts of children playing and open the door of Barton Hill Settlement’s main hall. “Are you the news?” asks one of the children. The boys football club is celebrating a trophy win when we arrive, and the group quickly gets together for an Up Our Street photo. This is the Barton Hill activity club, which was started by Samira, Hodan and Nura, three local mums who were worried that there was nothing for children to do in the area. At the moment it runs as a stay and play, where parents stay with the children, which Samira says has been good for the parents too. “In some ways the mums benefit more than the children, it’s a break from being stuck at home, there are other people to talk to. They have a laugh and socialise.” She said they have had lots of support to set up: “Barton Hill Settlement give the room for free, we have had a grant from Wellspring to buy toys, and the Somali Resource Centre have always been there to help with printing and other admin.” Around 40 children and their parents come regularly. Samira says that although Barton Hill is a great area to live in, she feels that opportunities are

limited for the women who come to their group. “After simple ESOL classes, what is next?” she asks. To tackle this the group have invited in career advisors from ACH. The group is also working with Jane from Jumpstart, who runs cookery and healthy eating classes, which are proving very popular. The after school group runs every Wednesday from 4pm to 6pm in the main hall at Barton Hill Settlement. During the school holidays the group aims to run affordable day trips, and recently took a group to the SS Great Britain. Contact the group at bactivityclub@gmail.com.

Barton Hill Spring Clean

Barton Hill resident Vreni wants to hear from others who want to help keep the neighbourhood clean. Big thanks to local residents, Tidy BS5 and Tawfiq Mosque who came out on 6 April to give Barton Hill a good tidy up. In just an hour the group picked up ten bulging bags of rubbish and recyclables. The Barton Hill group meets regularly on the first Saturday of the month to litter pick together, and then enjoy a cup of tea (and maybe a slice of cake) afterwards. If you’d like to get in touch with Vreni, contact Up Our Street and we’ll pass your details on. The next litter pick is Saturday 1 June, meet at 10am outside Barton Hill Settlement.

Is there a community group doing great things that we should feature in up OUr Street? Get in touch with Tamsin at tamsin@upourstreet.org.uk or 07903 089 002

www.upourstreet.org.uk

Up Our Street Summer 2019

GET INVOLVED

Someone’s tending the grass roots

Louise, Nathalie, Ella and Di at Church Avenue Community Garden in Easton Have you seen the secret garden behind the Thali? That was the chance remark that set Up Our Street investigating… Who looks after this garden and all the other precious scraps of green in our neighbourhood? Tucked away behind the shops and cafes on St Marks Road, you’ll find Church Avenue Community Garden. The house that stood on the corner was bombed in WW2, and the site was overgrown for many years. Around 11 years ago Louise and some of the other residents got permission from the council who owned the land, and the community garden began. Over time the group has changed as people move in and out of the street, and they are always keen to welcome new gardeners. Ella moved in fairly recently, and has wasted no time in getting involved. She even persuaded her mum to spend mother’s day pulling out rampant bamboo! Ella tells us that the garden is also a popular place for workers in nearby St Marks Road to spend their breaks, as she says: “It’s just an ideal space to bring people together.” The group has informal garden tidy up sessions a couple of times a year, and are always keen to meet new gardeners. Search for Friends of Church Ave Community Garden on Facebook for details. Over in Barton Hill you’ll find Aiken Street Community Garden. This garden started around 12 years ago and has had its fair share of stops and starts and is now cared for by a small group of local volunteers. The group has changed over time but some of the original members are still involved. 10

Up Our Street Spring 2019

There is lots of space for vegetable and flower beds, fruit trees and bushes, a huge ornamental cherry and conker tree and a large grass area. Parts have been left to go wild for animals and insects and you’ll find a composting area for all of the grass cuttings and autumn leaves. The garden is evolving slowly with a mission to establish a functional space for growing food, enjoying wildlife, to socialise and relax, for children to play and provide a safe and pleasant outdoor space for the people of Barton Hill and surrounding area. Residents meet regularly on a Saturday morning, just for a chat or to do a bit of gentle gardening. They also have a Facebook group - look for Aiken Street Community Garden. Against a backdrop of tall office buildings, Dings residents make the most of every scrap of green in their neighbourhood. The Dings Gardening group meets on the first Sunday of the month at 10.30am at the Safe Ouse in the Dings Park. They cut back shrubs, do planting, weeding and litter picking, and generally keep the area looking well cared for. Clare from Age UK got in touch to tell us about a new community garden planned at Lawrence Hill Health Centre. The group is holding a launch event on Wednesday 5 June from 1.30pm to 3pm. Free tea and cake for all, plant a bulb and take one home with a pot for your windowsill. email Clare at fab@ageukbristol.org.uk to find out more. These are just a few of the community gardens in our area. We know there are more, we just couldn’t fit them all in! www.upourstreet.org.uk

WORKING TOGETHER

A warm welcome at Bristol Hospitality Network The bikes crowded onto the railings outside Easton Christian Family Centre are the first clue… It’s Monday so that must mean Bristol Hospitality Network drop-in. Inside it’s warm and welcoming, with a happy buzz of voices. There are games of pool and ping pong going on, a free barbering service, a whirr of sewing machines, ESOL classes, specialist advocacy services and an art club.

Bristol Hospitality Network (BHN) was founded in 2008, to provide housing for destitute asylum seekers, and is a registered charity. 17 families around Bristol host an asylum seeker in a spare room, and BHN also has a large house in Fishponds that is home to young single men, which has been made available by a local donor. The welcome centre has been running since 2015. Rachael explains: “The majority of our work is around housing, so the drop-in is the fun, sociable bit. This is a place for people to come and forget their problems for a while, have a bit of normal life.” Currently around 120 members

Up Our Street popped in to see the new women and girls cricket group at City Academy. The mixed age group, including several pairs of mums and daughters, was busy practising their bowling when we arrived. We spoke to Zainab (10, nearly 11!) who said “I like coming to cricket, it’s good exercise for your body. It includes legs, arms and strength. I have been coming for 9 weeks and I’ve really enjoyed it and made some new friends.” The group is run by trained coaches who play for Gloucestershire women’s team, and are some of the few qualified female coaches in Bristol. Sessions are open to all abilities. It’s completely free to take part thanks to funding from Gloucestershire Cricket Board and Chance to Shine Street. www.upourstreet.org.uk

attend regularly, and around half the volunteers at the drop-in are BHN members, others are from the local Bristol community.

The drop-in provides a big cooked lunch every week, using food donated by FareShare, a charity which redistributes surplus from the food industry. Rachel says they are really grateful for the FareShare delivery, but are always open to donations from the community. So what’s top of the shopping list? “We always need instant coffee, sugar and rice. Big bags of rice are amazing!” The drop in also has an informal free ‘shop’ with clothes and household items. Rachel says that they do not to take baby clothes as the nearby Baby Bank does such a good job, but they really need medium size clothes for young men. “If anyone has a teenager who has just had a growth spurt, we’d love to hear from them!” Find out more about Bristol Hospitality Network at www.bhn.org.uk. The drop-in runs every Monday from 11am to 3pm.

Let’s play cricket!

A Redfield mum who comes with her eight year old daughter said “You know what I really like? When we come here, it’s phones away and just focus on what we’re learning and being together. I’ve really enjoyed spending this time with my daughter.” Women and girls cricket runs on Thursdays at City Academy from 6.30pm to 7.30pm (sessions continue throughout Ramadan). Contact Maz on 07958 271 415 to find out more. Up Our Street Summer 2019

WORKING TOGETHER

sporting chances

When he’s not working at Up Our Street, Khalil is busy volunteering with Bristol Horn Youth Concern, which organises activities for young people. He got in touch with a sports report... “We organized a mini-tournament during the Easter holidays, where more than 70 young people aged 8 to 12 years from the Bristol area were present. The tournament was a success, the young people enjoyed playing together, made new friends, acquired new skills and the parents really appreciated the opportunity to see their children active.

The mini-tournament’s aim was to improve self-confidence, build new relationships and try different outdoor activities. The sessions focused on developing young people’s communication, leadership and listening skills. We would like to thank all the participants, the parents and the Albasera Mosque. We would also like to thank our sponsor, Charlene Richardson from Bristol City Council.” To get involved in Bristol Horn Youth Concern sessions for 11 to 19 year olds on Fridays email hornyouthconcern@hotmail.co.uk

networking for change

Black South West Network (BSWN) has launched a new network to aid collaboration and innovation amongst BAME entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs. This is in response to BSWN’s six month research project last year to map the BAME business community in Bristol and understand the barriers to growth and sustainability that it faces.

Among the main barriers identified most frequently was the lack of information and support when accessing finance and dealing with bureaucracy. Barriers in the forms of negative stereotyping, and conscious and unconscious biases were overwhelmingly identified as the most significant barrier to BAME business development. As one of the participants to the research commented: “Social networks definitely are an issue in terms of [achieving] success and it’s much harder to access those opportunities that exist in white middle-class networks if you are black.” 12

Up Our Street Spring 2019

The research also highlighted strengths within the BAME sector, namely innovation and resilience. Among the largest and most promising business sectors within the BAME community are food services and the creative industries. The research identified areas for growth including information technology and construction. The next networking event will be held on Wednesday 26 June at Engine Shed from 6pm to 8.30pm. The event will focus on access to finance. The event is free to attend, please register on Eventbrite. www.upourstreet.org.uk

WORKING TOGETHER

Volunteer organisers of Easton Arts Trail (left) say this year will be the biggest yet - with around 120 artists and creatives taking part on 15 and 16 June. The theme of this year’s trail is diversity and the team is delighted that Easton Jamia Mosque will be a venue on the trail for the first time.

Easton arts traiL will be biggest yet!

As well as all the individual artists opening their homes to visitors, there will be seven group venues, with lots of live music and performance throughout the weekend to keep people entertained. Kasia is volunteering with Easton Arts Trail for the first time this year, and her enthusiam is pretty infectious, “Everyone is welcome, we want the trail to involve all the different communities in this area. We have so many plans for performances and workshops, it’s going to be great!”

Pick up your trail map from the end of May from the following venues: Easton Community Centre, St Marks Baptist Church, Easton Jamia Mosque, The Greenbank pub, St Annes Church, All Hallows Church, Greenbank 5 Studios. Check out www.eastonartstrail.co.uk or find them on Instagram @eastonartstrail2019

in other Creative news... Delphine got in touch with Up Our Street to tell us about The ReUsery. This is a new not for profit organisation based in Redfield. They promote sustainable development through reduce, reuse, repair, upcycle, and recycle initiatives.

Capoeira in redfield We had a great time chatting to Rad and Lise for the Up Our Street radio show recently. They are part of Oficina da Capoeira Bristol, who train and run classes in Redfield for children and adults. Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, and music. The children’s classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays are so popular that they have added new sessions from 4pm to 5pm. You can find full details of all classes at www.capoeira-bristol.com or find them on Facebook.

You can find the ReUsery at their studio in Bethesda Methodist Church on Church Road. There is a free ReUse meet and craft group on Wednesday afternoons from 2pm to 5pm. No need to book, just drop in. The ReUsery is also planning a varied programme of events and workshops including eco cleaning and clothes upcycling. Check them out at www.thereusery.org.uk

Catch up with the Up Our Street radio show on BCfm on the third Monday of the month from 2pm to 3pm, or as a podcast on our website. www.upourstreet.org.uk

- Inspiring Sustainable lifestyle - Programme 2019 Up Our workshops Street Summer 2019 JENNICA LEE, THE

May

Climate change: what are the facts?

Ahead of our next Festival of Solutions, we interviewed Rich Pancost, Director of the Cabot Institute at the University of Bristol. He has spent many years studying climate change.

how do we know that climate change is happening and that we are causing it? “We have known for over 150 years that burning fossil fuels adds carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere and that this causes some degree of warming. People started studying it in earnest about 40 to 50 years ago when it became evident that human activity had profoundly upset the carbon cycle and that concentrations of CO2 had increased significantly. Very few dispute the fact that the modern increase in CO2 is due to fossil fuel burning, deforestation and other human activity. Since then, we have fine-tuned our understanding and gathered much more proof. Warming has continued as CO2 has increased by 50% compared to pre-industrial revolution levels. Numerous records from Earth history reinforce the greenhouse gas warming relationship. Most importantly, however, we have worked very hard to understand the consequences of that warming. From sea level rise, melting of alpine glaciers and the Arctic sea ice to extreme rainfall events and impacts on food production and ecosystems such as coral reefs. There is now very strong evidence for the dangerous impact of rapid global warming on these diverse physical, chemical and biological systems.”

What can I do about climate change? ”All of us live our complex lives in very different situations, and so I am not inclined to advocate 14

Up Our Street Spring 2019

any particular policy or impose any particular lifestyle choice. However, a good rule of thumb is consume less and consume more efficiently. Fly less. Drive less. Minimise food waste and eat less meat. Buy less; and make what you buy last longer. Like any huge challenge, start small, with something that is natural and appropriate for you, and then keep pushing yourself further.”

Do small things like using reusable coffee cups actually make a difference? “Individual action is very important; climate change and wider environmental challenges ultimately arise from our consumption - how much we consume and how we consume. Our individual acts do matter. Every action counts even if we fail to achieve the 1.5C target set in Paris; 2C is still better than 3C, and 3C is better than 4C (the business as usual scenario). Perhaps more importantly, individual action can also provide a sense of purpose and agency; it helps us invest in a common cause and can serve as the foundation of a shared movement, especially as we learn from one another. Having said that, the main solution must be larger and systemic. Fossil fuels are outstanding sources of energy, and there is a good reason why we have built nearly our entire society upon them. Not only do you use fossil fuels when you drive, but fossil fuels were also used to make your car, and your bicycle, and your shoes. They are used to make wind turbines and solar panels. Achieving the complete decarbonisation www.upourstreet.org.uk

of our society, in which fossil fuels are so comprehensively woven, will require national and global governance and leadership.”

Is being involved in green issues just something for white middle class people? ”It has this perception because it is partly true. We explored this via the Green and Black programme, and a number of themes emerged. First, there are many people from marginalised groups leading on this challenge, but those efforts have not always been recognised. Second, environmental challenges will always attract those who are middle class and somewhat more comfortable because it is a chronic, long-term challenge; if you are poor and worried about work, housing and putting food on the table, tackling climate change is a luxury. Third, that middle class group is often the largest, loudest and most visible constituency. So it becomes the in-crowd, dominates discussion and sets the agenda; and it has not always set that agenda in a fully inclusive manner. The solution then is to adopt a sense of urgency around this challenge, but to understand that the urgency does not trump inclusion. We need to engage, consult and include. We need to invest in BAME leaders and sacrifice our privileged platforms to them.”

This all seems a bit terrifying, How do we deal with climate change without despairing? ”It is terrifying. But we are still in control. We have not made sufficient progress over the past 30 years, but progress has been made. And new movements have successfully opened the window of what we consider to be politically feasible. No matter how much decarbonisation we achieve, climate change will come. It is already here, but how bad that climate change will be is still largely in our control.”

Want to find out more? The Festival of Solutions is a FREE event open to all residents in Easton and Lawrence Hill. You don’t have to be an expert to come along! We don’t have all the answers, but we are trying to find them together.

festival of solutions building a sustainable future together

Saturday 13 July Easton Community Centre

11am to 3pm Hear from inspiring local speakers who are already doing practical work in their community to tackle issues such as plastic packaging in the food industry, sustainable travel, clothes repair and more. Plus a tasty vegetarian lunch. Book your place now on Eventbrite or call Up Our Street on 0117 954 2834 www.upourstreet.org.uk

Up Our Street Summer 2019

HELLO SUMMER! Representing Bristol’s diverse community Listen at 93.2FM, on DAB or online at www.bcfmradio.com

St Judes Community Fair Great Ann St reet Sat urday 29 June 1pm to 6pm

Also on 29 June.... The Dings Fun Day, all welcome!

The ‘Art’ of caring Installation created by family carers, with workshops, to celebrate Carers Week

Tuesday 11 – Saturday 15 June 2019

Tues – Fri, 10am – 5pm; Saturday, 10am – 3pm SPACE, 6 West St, Bristol, BS2 0BH See Facebook for events or call 0117 958 9989 www.facebook.com/CarersBSG/

Carers Support Centre Bristol and South Gloucestershire

Up Our Street Spring 2019

New home for Bristol Pride The Pride Day Festival will be on The Downs on Saturday 13 July. Full line up at bristolpride.co.uk

www.upourstreet.org.uk

June 2019 Redfest returns: Saturday 3 August Check out Dave Beech’s great photos from 2018 at redfestbristol.co.uk

Easton and Lawrence Hill Wards Local Councillors’ Drop-Ins 2019 If you have a problem with Council services or other local issues and wish to raise it in person with your local councillors, please come to one of our monthly drop-ins (no appointment necessary): Saturday 1pm - 3pm at: Easton Community Centre, Kilburn St, BS5 6AW on: 12 January, 9 March, 11 May, 20 July, 14 September, 9 November. (Drop-ins for Easton ward residents only e.g. Easton, Greenbank, Whitehall and Redfield) Saturday 1pm - 3pm at: Barton Hill Settlement, 43 Ducie Road, BS5 0AX on: 9 February, 13 April, 8 June, 10 August, 12 October, 14 December. (Joint drop-ins welcoming anyone from Easton ward and also Lawrence Hill ward e.g. Barton Hill, Old Market, The Dings, St Judes, Upper Easton and St Philips Marsh).

Ruth Pickersgill RuthEaston Pickersgill Easton (Labour) (Labour)

Afzal Shah Easton (Labour)

Hibaq Jama Lawrence Hill (Labour)

Margaret Hickman Lawrence Hill (Labour)

07584 480583

07775 026 384

0778 6732945

0778 3532216

cllr.hibaq.jama@ bristol.gov.uk

cllr.marg.hickman@ bristol.gov.uk

(no texts)

cllr.ruth.pickersgill@ bristol.gov.uk

(text only)

cllr.afzal.shah@ bristol.gov.uk

Printed by Bristol City Council Labour Members’ Services

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A month-long programme of arts, cultural and educational events, bringing together incoming and host communities across the city. bristolrefugeefestival.org

Other dates for the diary... 15 and 16 June Easton Arts Trail 6 July St Pauls Carnival

4 August Islamic Cultural Fayre

17 JULY Up Our Street deadline for next edition Up Our Street Summer 2019

Where are you from?

A Year In BS5

Written for Bridging Gaps by Shani Whyte

by Johnny R from Whitehall

Your hair is so curly can I touch it Oh my god it feels so soft What did you expect it to feel Iike a wire brush

Spring fever meets flu bug Crocuses coming up on Lawrence Hill roundabout Foxie dodges the cars Squirrel’s getting busy

Why are you here, where are you from Why is the dress you wearing so long What kind of food is that Oh my they eat with hands I don’t see nothing wrong with drinking beer from cans Bangers and mash But we can’t eat pork The proper way to eat is with a knife and fork They take our jobs But I have my indefinite leave to stay And I studied at university everyday Mum, Omar’s having a party, it’s the place to be at Are they Muslim I guess we have to think about that Dumplings are a traditional dish for Chinese, Polish Jamaicans have it with ackee and salt fish We all use henna not just for parties But it’s my bindi spot that defines me We ran from war to live in a safe space So why do you look at me with shame and disgrace My mum’s a nurse and she lives to save life But her hijab causes a lot of strife

Summer in St Georges Park Evening stroll on the railway path Shirts off Blackthorn cider and roll ups all round Autumn gets slippery Bikes skid under Devon Road bridge Kids in bin liner Halloween costumes Spent fireworks on the pavement Winter. Town and shops. Let’s take the bus. Begging for change outside Aldi Two snow days. Wetherspoons for breakfast The Plough’s open late Black? White? Sugar? Sunday night meetings, still sober Recycling? Sorted.

My neighbour has never spoken to me not ever Even tho our children go to school together We eat Sunday dinner around a table too We just add rice and peas we eat roast lamb too The United Kingdom with United Nations So let’s learn and share don’t be scared to ask questions

Thank you to Shani and Johnny for sending in your poems to Up Our Street Great to hear different voices from our neighbourhood! Should we make this a regular feature? 18

Up Our Street Spring 2019

www.upourstreet.org.uk

CATCHING UP WITH THE NETWORK