Pg 4
Logo competition
Pg 5
Neighbourhood Forum
Pg 6
Barton Hill Walled Garden
Pg 8
Lebeqs Tavern
Pg 9
St Luke’s Church
Pg 10
Where next for welfare?
Pg 11
Easton Arts Trail
Pg 12
Community interview
Pg 13
Diamond Jubilee
Pg 14
Many Headed Hydra
Pg 15
Fridays @ The Mill
Pg 18
Stapleton Road
Pg 19
Culture series
Pg 20
Mayoral election
Pg 22
Interview with May Gurney
Pg 23 Notice board
2
Up Our Street
Up Our Street
3
4
Up Our Street
You said, we did... Weeds removed from Mary Court fence Railings removed from trees in Bloy Square Action being taken to catch persistent fly tippers on Jane Street Graffiti removed from tunnel on cycle path near Hassell Drive Drains cleared on Stapleton Road and Easton Road Midland Road pedestrian crossing to be replaced by the end of the year
Next Forum meetings Wednesday 23 May 6.30pm to 8.30pm Hannah More Primary School New Kingsley Road, BS2 0LT Thursday 12 July 6.30pm to 8.30pm Easton Community Centre Kilburn Street, BS5 0AX Join the Neighbourhood Forum mailing list by contacting
What would you do if you had a noisy neighbour? The changes to our welfare system are going to affect thousands of people; do you know what it means for you? Have you noticed a change in the way our streets are being cleaned? Are you concerned about anything on your road? These are just some of the questions you could have answered by attending one of our community Neighbourhood Forums. These six weekly meetings are for residents to hear about important local news and to speak to people who work in the area and are responsible for things like rubbish, traffic and safety. You can raise an issue and it will be added to an action sheet which is then reported back on at the next meeting. You can keep track of the issue until it has been resolved. We can’t promise that every issue will be solved overnight; sometimes problems are complicated and take a lot of working out. Some things are ongoing and our job is to keep the pressure on until our services are at the standard we expect. “I go to my Forum because it is the best way to speak to people face to face who do the job of looking after our neighbourhood. I can put a face to a name and ask them in person about any issue I have.” Sally, The Dings “There are a number of reasons why attending Forums is a positive thing; you meet people from your area who are enthusiastic about getting things moving; personal input, so it’s not a case of simply moaning, you are part of the machine that could affect change; getting a sense of achievement when a change is put into place, you can sit back and watch the benefits!” Charlotte, Easton When the Forum can’t solve a problem it is passed on to the Neighbourhood Partnership. This is made up of residents and Councillors and makes decisions about how money is spent in our area. It has a budget for traffic schemes, green projects and small grants. The next meeting is on Tuesday 3 July at Unitarian Hall, Brunswick Square. You can find out more at www.innercitynp.org.uk
stacy@eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
or call 377 3638
Up Our Street on Facebook Follow us on Twitter @upourstreet
BIG SAVER
ADVERTS
Local convenience store Tel: 0117 952 1266 70 St Marks Road, Easton Open Monday-Friday 8am to 10pm Saturday 8am to 11pm Sunday 10am to 10pm Great value, Pay Point Fresh pastries baked onsite
UNIVERSAL
Travel and money transfer Tel: 0117 951 2005 101 St Marks Road, Easton Fax: 0117 951 3941 Email: utm@hotmail.co.uk Send money to Pakistan Best rate for PIA Excellent service Serving the community for three years Up Our Street 5
PEELY GOOD IDEA A built up area like the inner city can sometimes feel like a concrete jungle and many of you feel strongly about protecting our green space. A new social enterprise is looking to use urban green spaces for growing food, to bring healthy, locally grown food to our neighbourhood. The project is the brain child of Humphrey Lloyd, who is passionate about greening up the area. “My ideas are based a lot on the Cuban model of urban organic agriculture. I believe by using the space we do have, we can grow more food near where we live, which improves people’s health and the physical environment.” Humphrey raised some funds from the Council and Unlimited, which gives money to small social enterprise projects, and used it to buy fruit, nut and nitrogen fixing trees and soft fruit shrubs which he planted on Peel Street off Pennywell Road. In three years residents should be able to enjoy the fruits of his labour, literally! If you feel inspired to grow your own food in a community space then Humphrey would love to hear from you. “I hope this is just the start, I’d love to see food growing spaces all over the place!”
Contact Humphrey on 07702810555 or visit www.ediblefutures.org
Barton Hill’s beautiful urban oasis Hidden among tower blocks and tall buildings, a green urban oasis is nestled in the midst of Barton Hill. The Walled Garden is a green space with a difference. It’s a space for growing food, for cooking on an open fire, for children to explore and play and for everyone to socialise and enjoy being outdoors. If you live in Barton Hill and have always wanted your own garden then look no further than 60 Barton Hill Road. The garden has been set up by a small group of dedicated urban food growers. Tim Lawrence has been gardening in and around Easton for four years and when he saw the space on Barton Hill Road he saw its potential. “Last year was spent turning the garden into a food growing space and now we want to encourage more people to come and enjoy the garden and use it as their own.” In December the project won £1000 from the Council and the title of ‘Green Project of the Year’. The £1000 was spent on a wood burning stove, a clay oven and a BBQ to encourage people to grow and cook food on site. The garden is open on Wednesdays from 10am for women and families and on Fridays from 10am for anyone. During 2012 there will be a series of events and learning opportunities held at the garden. If you want to visit the garden, help out or just want to enjoy the space please drop by. Don’t be shy – the garden is for us all. Contact Tim on urbanvegtim@yahoo.co.uk or http://bartonhillwalledgarden.wordpress.com/
Bloomin Hill Free hanging baskets and planters for residents living in Barton Hill and fantastic prizes to be won for the best dressed home. Social landlords and the Walled Garden are inviting Barton Hill residents to come and make their own FREE hanging baskets and planters using edible plants, flowers or herbs to make the area look beautiful. If you live in a multi-storey block, contact your housing officer about having a communal planter fitted in your garden. Come and see the wonderful Bloomin Hill display at the Walled Garden on Wednesday’s or Friday‘s between 10am and 4pm. There will be three workshops where you can create your own hanging basket or planter on Friday 11 May, 2pm to 4pm, Saturday 19 May, 10am to 12noon and Friday 25 May, 10am to 12noon. For more information or to book onto a workshop contact Terry Black from Sovereign Housing Association on 317 0705 or terry.black@sovereign.org.uk
6
Up Our Street
Easton History Time Signs Plaques Millpond Primary School This plaque commemorates the founding of the Baptist Mills brass works which was established in 1702 by Quaker Abraham Darby I and was the forerunner of the brass industry in England. The plaque shows the buildings as they were in full production with six chimneys using 200 wagon loads of coal a week to keep the furnaces going. The brass works was powered by water from the River Frome. Pots, pans, plates and buckets were made here and sold for domestic use and for export to the British colonies overseas. The site closed in 1814 and later became White’s Potteries, a tannery and housing.
Pilates Wellspring Healthy Living Centre Beam Street, Barton Hill Mondays at 5.30pm Thursdays at 11.15am No drop-in, you must book a place Contact 902 4603
www.walktallpilates.co.uk
Up Our Street 7
Lebeqs Light Up The Leagues Not many people can say they are as dedicated to amateur football as Stapleton Road’s Owen Smith and Errol Thompson. The two local football fans have spent their whole lives in and around the sport, the last 15 years of which have been running the Lebeqs Tavern pub and football teams. “It all started when we were growing up in St Pauls” said Owen. “There was a group of us [Steve Taylor, Colin Mullins, Trevor Bailey, Mike Steel, Tony Billings and Howard Wright] playing together Lebeqs collecting their 15th Bristol and as New Cross. We changed our name to District Premier Division Title in May 2011 Forgemans, after the pub we drank in in Barton Hill, and we joined the Bristol and District League. The Forgemans closed in about 1985 so we started drinking in Lebeqs on Stapleton Road. We liked it but the pub kept closing and reopening and in the end Errol and me decided to buy it and use it to fund the team.” Since then, Lebeqs has become the most successful amateur football team in Bristol, winning countless cups and trophies in various local, regional and national leagues. In fact, they are now so well known that players come from across the city to play. “We’ve got seven teams playing at the weekends now and Carl Saunders [ex-Bristol Rovers] is helping coach” adds Owen. With over 300 players and supporters, the club has a huge following but it doesn’t come cheap, with Owen and Errol finding the money to pay for kits, balls and pitch fees through profits from the pub. Errol and Owen are helped by George Philipou, the club’s secretary. In 2007 the team played at Anfield in the national amateur finals. “Anfield was a real highlight. We didn’t win but we are trying to re-write history and get there again!” said Owen. It’s obvious that the team means everything to him and he gives up endless amounts of time and energy to make it a success. “The club’s my baby!” confirms Owen. One dream that the club is a step closer to realising, is having their own pitch for training and matches. The club had its eye on Sparke Evans Park in St Philips and approached the Council through the Neighbourhood Forum. At the time of going to press, the Council had agreed to work with Lebeqs to see if it is possible to create a high quality football pitch on the site. There are also plans in the pipeline to start a woman’s team as well. Up Our Street has been working closely with Stapleton Road Working Group over the past year, so we asked Owen what he thought about the reputation of the road. “The thing is, whenever there’s trouble it’s always people not from here. We know each other here and we look out for each other and we try and keep it that way. I’d say to people who only read about the road in the paper to come and see, come here to shop and find out for yourself.” Lebeqs is always looking for new, up and coming players, so if you love football and would like to play in a league, contact Owen on 951 0556. To find out more about what happens next with Sparke Evans Park, join the Neighbourhood Forum mailing list by contacting stacy@eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk or 377 3638.
Next phase for community building In February Easton and Lawrence Hill Neighbourhood Management handed over the deeds of Wellspring Healthy Living Centre to their resident Board. This means they can use the building to help secure the organisation’s future of delivering health and wellbeing service to local people. Congratulations to all the residents involved. To find out more about Wellspring in Barton Hill contact 304 1400. 8
Up Our Street
Coffee, Crypts and Community
Below: Coffee Pot goers at St Luke’s Left: St Luke’s Church, Barton Hill
The skyline of Barton Hill has changed a lot over the years but the stone spire of St Luke’s Church has remained a constant for over 150 years. Built in 1843, the church has been a focal point for the community of Barton Hill since the days of cotton factories and chemical plants. Today the church’s role has changed but in many ways it has stayed the same. The church serves a congregation of both local people and those who travel from other parts of the city and it sits alongside the local mosque for the area’s Muslim community. Part of the church’s focus is helping both new and old communities to live together and look out for each other. Jean James is 81 and has lived in the same house on Napier Street her whole life. She has been involved in St Luke’s since she was a child. “I stayed in the area because of my family, my husband worked on the railways and I worked at the infant’s school” said Jean. “It just made sense to stay living here. I like my street, it’s quiet and I had the same neighbours for 40 years.” We caught up with Jean at the weekly coffee morning the church hosts for local people. They get a regular crowd of 15 people but they are always open to new faces. “We run Coffee Pot on Wednesdays from 9am to 11am. We have also started doing a Sunday drop-in from 11am to 1pm during the service. We open the Crypt up and have breakfast, play snooker and read the papers” adds Jean. During the drop-in you can also join in prayer or have prayers said for you. The church has played a lead role in making sure the Crypt Youth Club, attached to the church, stays open. Reverend Debbie Frazer has been the vicar at St Luke's since 2002. Over the past 12 months the church has been making plans to find funding to modernise the building. “We have been working with Aspire [local business which helps unemployed people back into work] to look at ways we can keep this building in use” says Debbie. “We feel it’s really important to keep this little part of the history of Barton Hill at the same time as welcoming the new. We have started a series of themed evenings, for example a curry and karaoke evening, to bring people together and our door is always open to anyone who would like to be part of the church and its activities.” Debbie will be leaving the church in April and will be replaced by Reverend Martin Gainsborough. To find out more about the work of St Luke’s Church in Barton Hill and its plans for the future contact Martin on 955 5947.
Meemo, maypoles and movements
Saturday 12 May
It’s time to dust off your dancing shoes as part of a new arts project to mark the end of Sovereign’s housing development in Barton Hill. Work started back in 2000 as part of Community at Heart’s masterplan for regenerating the area, and ends this year following completion of four shops and 151 new homes for families in the area. To celebrate the occasion, Sovereign commissioned an artist to work with residents on a memorable event and the Work As Movement Archive was born. The idea is the brain child of Serena Korda, an artist whose work includes sculpture, film and dance. Serena explains: “We wanted to create something fun and visual that people could be a part of and which would represent the history of the area. Barton Hill has a rich industrial heritage with the cotton mill and chemical factory and we wanted to use this for inspiration.” Serena carried out some research and found out about ‘meemoing’ which was the name given to the sign language used by workers in noisy factories. This gave her the idea of creating a dance for Barton Hill based on normal everyday actions. As well as this Serena has designed a maypole which will be installed at the Netham and will be the location of the dance performance in May. A choir of local school children will sing music especially commissioned to accompany the event. “I have designed some costumes for the performance which I hope people will wear. We need 16 people to dance in the performance but we hope everyone will come out on the street and join us in the procession.” Would you like to dance in the event? There is still time to register as a dancer during April. Or you can nominate someone to wear one of the large ‘icon’ costumes during the procession. The event is taking place on Saturday 12 May starting at 3pm in the Urban Park in Barton Hill with a procession leading to the Netham and a performance around the maypole with free refreshments afterwards. Contact Theresa Bergne on 07912208791 or wama@fieldartprojects.com to get involved. For further information go to www.fieldartprojects.com
Up Our Street
9
Whether you are claiming benefits or not, you will have heard in the news that the Government is planning big changes in the way our welfare state works. In fact, the Welfare Reform Bill sees the biggest shake up of the system since it began in 1945. The Government is looking to save £18 billion nationally, which amounts to cuts of £122 million for Bristol alone. What will this mean for you? If you are of working age (16 to 65) and claiming any kind of benefit, the chances are you will be affected in some way. Many people feel that the system is due an overhaul and that the Government is right to try and ‘make work pay’. However with fewer jobs around at the moment finding work is difficult for many of us. The full details of the reform are still being discussed in parliament and are too numerous and complex to go into here, but we have summarised the biggest changes and what you can do to prepare. It is likely that those most affected will be families with more than two children, families with parents in low paid work, adults with health conditions and disabled people.
Benefits linked to illness
People out of work and claiming any sickness or disability related benefit will now have to claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and will be reassessed by a doctor. The health check is harder to pass than before and those who do not pass will be transferred to Job Seekers Allowance (JSA). There is an appeals process if this happens to you and many appeals have been upheld. If you have paid National Insurance, you will now only be able to claim ESA for one year if you are ill and off work, unless you are in the ‘support group’ (for those with the most severe health problems and impairments).
Those claiming housing benefit
The maximum housing benefit you can claim is the value of a four bed property, no matter how large your family. If you are single and aged 25 to 34 you can only claim the value of a room in a shared house. If you are in social housing and claiming benefits and have an empty room your benefit will be reduced after April 2013.
Tax credits Help with childcare will reduce from 80% to 70%. Benefits cap No family will be able to claim more than £500 a week in benefits, taking into account income support,
JSA, ESA, child tax credit, child benefit and housing benefit.
Grants There are increased restrictions on crisis loans, community care grants and budgeting loans. Disabled people Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will be replaced by a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) which
will be awarded on a stricter point scoring system. About a quarter of people who receive DLA now will lose their benefit.
Universal credit All benefits except PIP will be combined into one benefit which will be paid monthly not weekly. What can you do?
The Council’s Welfare Rights and Money Advice Service has produced a useful newspaper to help you understand the changes. If you think you may be affected by the changes you need to act NOW to make sure you can plan and prepare yourself. The Council’s paper also lists where you can get free advice and support. If you have not yet seen a copy of this, contact them on 352 1888 or welfarerights@bristol.gov.uk
Advice online
Advice in person
www.dwp.gov.uk
Citizen’s Advice Bureau 1 Quay Street, BS1 2JL Drop in to Quay Street to see an advisor and make an appointment
www.direct.gov.uk www.parliament.uk www.bristol.gov.uk/benefitchanges www.adviceguide.org.uk www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk www.advicewest.org.uk www.advicenow.org.uk 10
Up Our Street
St Pauls Advice Centre 146 Grosvenor Road, BS2 8YA Tel: 0117 955 2981 Call to make an appointment or find out about drop-in sessions
Easton Arts Trail Sat 30 June and Sun 1 July We all know our area is one of the most buzzing and creative in the city and proof of this can be found during Easton Arts Trail. The trail is now in its seventh year and sees people across the neighbourhood opening their doors to art lovers from Easton and beyond. 1000s of visitors browse and buy original pieces from as little as £1 and last year around 60 artists exhibited work. We caught up with one rising star, Laurence Briand, also known as Malobi, to find out what’s planned for this year’s festival. How did you get involved? Last year I displayed my work and I wanted to get more involved so I took on the role of Events Co-ordinator. The festival is run by a small committee of volunteers and is funded through the entry fees for artists, an annual fundraiser and a little bit of money from the Council. What is your style? Laurence at home and one I used to draw a lot when I was younger but I hadn’t done anything for years. I of her popular pieces wasn’t finding my job inspiring so I started drawing again as a hobby. I started drawing in pen and ink but have now moved on to digital work. Do you have to be a professional artist to exhibit in the trail? No, hardly anyone who takes part in the trail is making a living from art. Most of us are amateurs who do it as a hobby. When I took part last year it was the first time I had ever exhibited my work and it gave me the confidence to carry on. My work was spotted by an arts licensing company and I have now sold a few bits here and in the US. It was a real creative stepping stone for me. If you are a creative person and you want to sell or exhibit your work then get involved. There is no set standard for the work – anyone is welcome. We also do a front garden competition so people can make their gardens look beautiful to win a prize. This year we also have a bursary for an artist to create a live outdoor piece of art on the weekend of the trail. Do you have to be a serious art lover to come along? It’s a great weekend and you don’t have to be seriously into art. If the sun’s out then it is a lot of fun wandering about and seeing people exhibit work in their homes. There is such a lot of talent in the area that you just don’t know about any other way. Who are the rising stars of the Bristol art scene? I really love the work of the guys at Snap Studio on Park Row. These are people in Bristol doing really well. It’s more digital art and graphic design than traditional painting or drawing but that’s the sort of thing I like. Look out for Lucie Sheridan, Tom Frost, Ben Newman and Simon Tozer. What next? If you want to register your home as part of the trail, get in touch as soon as possible. You can register at www.eastonartstrail.co.uk It costs £20 to register as an exhibitor and it is free to come along. Maps of the trail will be out in May and will be delivered to local people.
International Women’s Day at Hannah More Primary School in The Dings Parents, staff and volunteers got together for a day of creative fun sewing flags for bunting which will go on display in the school. If you want to find out more about how the community can get involved with the work at Hannah More Primary School contact Ruth Cochrane on 903 9936. Up Our Street 11
Community interview Ricardo Sharry Ricardo Sharry is 23 and has lived in Barton Hill his whole life. He has been an active champion of young people’s rights for ten years and now works as a youth worker as well as doing a law degree at UWE. This year he hopes to go to Birmingham to do a Masters in Criminal Justice and Social Policy. What is your dream job? Wow, that’s a hard one. I keep changing my mind. I have done so much since I first got involved in the community. I was on the Board of Community at Heart [regeneration project], ran the Youth Forum, Ricardo with fellow Barton Hill resident Brian Perry worked as a Youth Worker and loads more. It’s all helped me think about what I want to do. I remember doing a role play where I was a judge and I think that’s what got me into the idea of being a lawyer. When I was at school I don’t think there was much support for encouraging young black men into professions but I think that has improved a lot now. I am interested in developing a research project looking at how young people’s family circumstances affect their opportunities. I guess I see myself working in Family Law eventually. I have family connections in Jamaica so I want to do a study comparing how young people and families work there and here. What is the best thing about working with young people? I think it has helped that I am still young too so I can relate to them but they always teach me something. In the future I want to work with young people who are at risk of falling out of society. What could we do to help prevent that? There is always going to be a small percentage of people who commit crime or can’t be changed, but there is a bigger percentage of people who could be helped. In some ways maybe all problems can’t be solved from ‘outside’ and that things break down to be built up again. I have learnt a lot through my experiences working with young people and being a young person growing up in a ‘deprived’ neighbourhood. I love the variety of working with young people. What has been your highlight over the last ten years? There has been so much! I guess it has been the transition for me as a ’user’ of the services here to being the manager of the Barton Hill Youth Forum and seeing a group of younger kids through the system. What do you like about our area? There is a great community feel here that you don’t get in other places. There is so much you can get involved in and the way the residents and community organisations all work together is really unique. People do slate the area and you hear people talking about gangs and crime but that is such a small percentage of the population. Anyway, there have been gangs in the UK since the 1700s and earlier, long before black people came to the UK! Ricardo runs the Barton Hill Youth Forum at Barton Hill Settlement. Contact him on 955 6971.
Our City, Our Money, Our Future The Bristol Pound Launch date 21 May 2012 By Jane Buttigieg On 21 May Bristol will see the launch of its own unique currency. Developed in the name of all things local, the Bristol Pound aims to strengthen the local economy and support the local businesses that give our city its richness and diversity. The currency will be spent using paper notes and secure mobile phone payments. You can get Bristol Pounds by exchanging them with pounds sterling or accepting them as payment. It will be the first local currency in the UK to have a fully regulated Financial Services Provider, which is the Bristol Credit Union. If you would like to support this by spending Bristol Pounds, or if you are a local trader and you would like to join the scheme and accept Bristol Pounds as payment, why not find out more at www.bristolpound.org 12
Up Our Street
Contact ELLE prowessfit@hotmail.co.uk OR www.prowess.co.uk OR 07870805242 for further info or about PERSONAL TRAINING Current classes in the community: BOXERCISE: Saturdays at Easton Community Centre, 9.30-10.30am: Kickboxing based workout to combat stress, strip fat and sculpt your whole body. BREATHE: Mondays meeting at the bandstand in St George Park, 9.15-10.15am: Outdoor bootcamp style workout to challenge your fitness, add strength and change your shape. Bristol City Council is organising a whole programme of events to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee including a large family fun day on The Downs in Clifton on Monday 4 June. Why not organise your own street party? The Council is making it easier than ever for you to organise your own party. Contact them on 922 3466 or www.bristol.gov.uk for a street party application form and more info.
Barton Hill Jubilee Street Party Tuesday 5 June, 12noon to 5pm Church Street, Gregory Street and the Urban Park
Organised by Housing Solutions They need to know numbers of children attending to plan the food and drink so please contact Tony or Lyn on 914 1481
Single Parent Action Network is on the move After more than 15 years on the site of Millpond Primary School, SPAN is moving. Their final destination will be the new Junction 3 building which will be finished in December. However, as the school is expanding, they need to move in to temporary accommodation in the meantime. From April to December, staff and services will be located at two different sites, Silai for Skills on Easton Road and Easton Community Centre on Kilburn Street. You will be able to find community based services, including adult learning, parent support, preschool and crèche services at Silai for Skills. The CEO and research and website development teams will work from Easton Community Centre. Contact 952 2712 for services at Silai for Skills and 951 4231 for those at Easton Community Centre.
Up Our Street 13
The Many Headed Hydra
Up Our Street heard a rumour that a mythical beast had taken up residence in our area, so we thought it best we paid a visit. Hydra is a new cafe and bookshop that opened its doors on Old Market back in November. The Hydra Bookshop team includes father and daughter Dave and Annie Cullum along with their fellow radical history enthusiasts Nick, Rosie and Matt. We popped in for a chat with Dave and to sample some of their famous homemade cake. Tell us about how Hydra came into being I’ve been involved in the Bristol Radical History Group since 2006. Last year some of us went to New York and visited the Bluestocking Bookshop. We were really taken with it. It was a cafe and bookshop but mainly a place to share ideas and meet people to discuss them. We wanted to open something like that in Bristol and here we are. We also host a wide range of events and meetings and you can hire the space here. The shop is run as a cooperative and we are pretty confident we are the only independent bookshop in Bristol now. What is radical history? It’s the history of people, not royalty and leaders but real people and their ideas and ideologies. Why is the shop called Hydra? The Hydra is a mythical Greek creature with many heads. When capitalism first came about there was a lot of resistance to it which was referred to as the ‘many headed hydra’ – each time you cut off a head, a new one would grow in its place. We also think that books are like brains full of ideas so the name fit. Anyone who wants to learn more about radical history should start with The Many Headed Hydra by Peter Linebaugh and Marcus Rediker, that’s the book that inspired me. What is it like being on Old Market? It was an affordable location and it feels like Old Market is a hidden gem which is on the up. We also like the fact that the 1932 riots took place right outside. What would you say to anyone thinking of paying the shop a visit? Come and try our coffee and cake! I reckon our homemade cake is some of the best out there [Up Our Street can confirm the lemon drizzle cake is particularly tasty] and come and try a ‘zapaccino’, our signature coffee. I suppose the shop is a cafe first and a bookshop second. We want people to have the chance to discuss ideas and learn new ones but also to relax or read. Hydra is at 34 Old Market, BS2 0EZ. Tel: 0117 329 7401 Web: www.hydrabooks.org Hydra is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm.
HYDRA BOOKS 34 OLD MARKET, BS2 0EZ TEL: 0117 329 7401 www.hydrabooks.org
ONE FREE SLICE OF CAKE WHEN YOU BUY A DRINK Please present this voucher UP OUR STREET
Easton and Lawrence Hill Neighbourhood Management
14
Up Our Street
If you are interested in finding out more about the up and coming neighbourhood of Old Market visit: www.oldmarket.org.uk www.oldmarketquarter. co.uk
Thinking about running your own business? Sally-Lee Phillips was claiming Jobseeker's Allowance and looking for work when she was referred to Outset Bristol. "I came to Outset Bristol to get a better understanding of starting up a business and the 'ins and outs' of what makes a business work," says Sally-Lee. "Essence Of Beauty is a mostly home-based business providing a wide range of beauty treatments and massage. The Outset Bristol programme has helped me with my confidence allowing me to realise that you don't have to be a genius to start your own business. I just had to have an understanding about what I wanted to do and the passion and drive to see it through. Outset has made me feel empowered, starting out with other individuals who are just taking their first step in the world of business, yet I felt confident about the level of support provided.� "Outset Bristol is very informative, yet structured to match each individual's needs, helping you to anticipate barriers and deal with them effectively. The whole programme was memorable!" Outset Bristol offers free workshops and support to people who are considering starting their own business in Bristol. It is funded by Bristol City Council and the European Regional Development Fund, and so is able to offer its training and support to residents of Bristol free of charge. To find out more about self-employment and the free business start-up workshops that Outset Bristol offers, please call 0800 032 2903, text JOB to 64446 to request a call back or visit www.outsetbristol.co.uk
Up Our Street 15
16
Up Our Street
For job opportunities and any further information contact Maz on 07887936918
Up Our Street 17
Stapleton Road Working Group is chaired by resident Pat Usherwood. Residents and traders meet once a month to discuss ways they can work together to keep the area clean, safe and welcoming for everyone.
Out and about - Stapleton Road Street Stall in February. Look out for more community action on the road throughout the year.
To get involved in any of the work to tackle issues on Stapleton Road contact Penny on 903 9879.
Stapleton Road Tavern Art Project Visit http:// stapletonroadtavern. blogspot.com
Sonny and Clare show a little love on Valentine’s Day Sonny and Clare from 1st Choice Florist raised over £600 for charity with their Valentine’s raffle. If you have ideas for events linked to your business, call Penny on 903 9879.
Contact Stacy on 377 3638 for your Love Easton window stickers and balloons
Truth About Youth theatre course 14 May to 1 June
Music, cabaret, comedy, animation, graffiti and children’s activities for residents in Easton, Redfield and Whitehall 2 to 4 August www.redfestbristol.co.uk 18
Up Our Street
Travelling Light Theatre is teaming up with Truth about Youth to run a FREE Experience Theatre course for 16-25 year olds not in education, employment or training. If you are aged 16-25, unemployed and interested in taking part in this course, please call or text Nicki Musgrave on 07538 936145 or email nicki.musgrave@princes-trust.org.uk
Would you like to receive Up Our Street fortnightly email bulletins? Contact stacy@eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
to subscribe. We need volunteers to help update our community notice boards. Could you spare one hour a month? Also, could you write for Up Our Street? We would like at least one long article a month to be researched and written by a local person. Contact Stacy on 377 3638 to find out more about any of the above.
CULTURE SERIES In this issue, Up Our Street talks to residents from another of the many communities in our area. In February Up Our Street went along to an end of course celebration of SPAN’s Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities (SFSC) course, which was attended by Roma women from Easton. SFSC is aimed at any family needing a little extra help and guidance with the difficult job of raising children. The course is particularly good for families who move here from abroad as it teaches parenting skills for life in the UK and helps parents deal with the challenge of raising children in two cultures. People who move here from other parts of the world bring with them their own culture including language, traditions and religion. When they have children, those children absorb their parent’s culture alongside British culture and this can be difficult for the family as a whole. The women attending the course at Bannerman Road Community School discussed these issues and more. Florenta Paun, Octaviana Barbu and Aurica Tanase are ethnic Roma who came to Bristol from Romania. Roma is not an abbreviation of Romanian and Roma people have more in common with Irish Travellers and English Romani Gypsies than with Romanians. Traditionally Roma people are quite nomadic and live in many different places. Although they are originally from northern India, they often come to the UK via Spain and also live in many parts of Eastern Europe including Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Throughout history Roma people have suffered persecution and they are considered to be one of the most deprived communities in Europe. They are also one of the oldest and largest ethnic minorities, with an estimated 10 to 12 million Roma people living within the 47 countries of the Council of Europe. Many Roma people do not attend school and have little formal education. A Roma family tends to include a working father with the mother staying at home to look after the children. There is a low divorce rate and people rarely mix or marry outside their own culture. The women we met have lived in Bristol for a number of years and seem happy here. “We like Bristol, we feel safe because there is no fighting and there are no revolutions happening. We have a church we can go to and it’s quiet” said Aurica. Aurica, Octaviana and Florenta are Pentecostal, the most common religion of Roma people living in Easton, and God plays an important role in their lives. When chatting together the women spoke their own dialect but we communicated through a translator who spoke Romanian, all three women would also like to learn English in the future. For Aurica, Octaviana and Florenta life in the UK is a big change and like any mum their first priority is for their children. “We came here for a better life for our children with schools and people who can help us and because there is no work in Romania.” said Octaviana. “The most important thing for us is the schools. We are so happy to have schools for our children, we want them to have the opportunity to learn.” said Florenta. There are many rules and social norms for these women to learn and this takes time, patience and acceptance of difference from both sides. For Aurica, Octaviana and Florenta this course has been another step towards a better life for them and their family. If you are interested in Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities training contact Annie at SPAN on 951 4231.
Ephraim, Madge and Gloria
Up Our Street
19
A Boris for Bristol? Election date Thursday 3 May On Thursday 3 May, Bristolians will be asked an important question which could have a major impact on the future of our city; do we want a directly elected mayor? This year, ten of Britain's key cities will be voting on whether they would like to be governed by a directly elected mayor. At the moment Bristol has a Lord Mayor who has ceremonial duties but no powers. An elected mayor would replace the leader of the Council (currently Barbara Janke). To try and find out what an elected mayor would mean for the city, Up Our Street attended a debate to hear arguments for and against. Here are some interesting points which came out of that debate: • The mayor would have the power to choose their own cabinet and appoint advisors who would not have to be elected. • They could take on some responsibilities currently with the Chief Executive of the Council. What other exact powers they would have is still unclear and undecided. • The mayor would be elected every four years and would be accountable to all of Bristol. • They could be anybody, they do not have to be part of a political party. • They could come up with their own strategic vision for the city and be a hopeful, positive voice for change. • A lot depends on the personality of the individual and their ability to form good working relationships with a wide range of people. • The boundary for the mayor’s responsibility would be the city of Bristol. They would have no influence over the old Avon area. Some people feel they would need this wider influence to make a difference for example on things like traffic and transport. • Having one clear leader could give Bristol a larger voice on the national and European stage. • Some people feel there is not sufficient information available to the public for them to be able to make an informed decision. • A mayor may not be able to fix all our city’s problems – they will come across the same constraints, differing opinions and conflict that the current Council leadership faces. To help inform residents in our area about the coming vote, the Neighbourhood Partnership is organising a debate. If you would like to know more about this or attend contact Stacy on 377 3638 or stacy@eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk For an objective comparison of the difference between the current system and an elected mayor, visit www.bristol.gov.uk/page/city-bristol-mayoral-referendum
Thank you to our Litter Busters from Whitehall Primary School. If you would like to join our Litter Buster campaign call François on 377 3640. 20
Up Our Street
Simon and Tim in the cafe
LEUNG AND CO SOLICITORS & NOTARY PUBLIC ****NEW BRISTOL OFFICE**** Specialists in ALL aspects of Immigration and Asylum law, including: • Visits • Deportation / Removal • Family members • Overstayers / Illegal Entrants • All Tiers • Asylum • Long Residency • Change of name • Human rights applications • Judicial Review • For Businesses / Educational Institutions • Fresh claims / further representations • Statutory declarations • EEA applications If you would like assistance for any of the above, or any other immigrations issues, then please do not hesitate to contact us! Albany Solicitors Park House Business Centre 10 Park Street Bristol BS1 5HX
www.albany-solicitors.co.uk info@albanysolicitors.co.uk Tel: 0117 915 4541 Fax: 0117 915 45421
Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, Recognised Body No: 440517
(REGULATOR SRA & FACULY OFFICE) (SRA No 221772) Amelia Leung (Cantonese) Sophia Liu (Mandarin) Amber Liu (Mandarin) Baljinder Bhopal (Punjabi) Expertise Business Affairs-Immigration-NationalityResidential Properties-Wills & Probate-Food Safety-Notarial Service 111 Victoria Street, Bristol, BS1 6AX (Near Dynasty Restaurant and Opposite Novotel Hotel) Tel: 0117 920 9230 Fax: 0117 920 9239 Email: info@lueng-solicitors.co.uk Up Our Street 21
What a load of rubbish! Up Our Street meets new waste contractor May Gurney More than 400,000 people live in Bristol and 34,000 of those live in Easton and Lawrence Hill. That means a lot of rubbish and thousands of bins and recycling boxes to empty every week. Planning how to do this requires organisational skills of military precision. At the end of 2011, a new company took over the job of getting rid of our rubbish and that means changes for all of us. We went to visit May Gurney at their Hartcliffe Depot to find out what has happened so far, what went well, what went wrong, and most importantly, what next. Kam Bhakerd is the Senior Operations Manager for May Gurney. He grew up in Easton and has worked in the city since 1989. In 1994 he joined SITA, working his way up to Contracts Manager, and when May Gurney won the waste contract for Bristol in 2011, Kam moved across with them. Getting the standard of service right for everyone is not an easy job but he is committed to getting it right and is open to hearing from residents when it’s not. “It has been a challenging few months,” says Kam. At midnight on 1 November, the company took control of 160 vehicles, 450 staff and three depots and had to start delivering the service at 6am. “It was a lot of work to get it right and we did get most of it done. The Council had asked us to deliver a service which meant changing the routes One of May Gurney’s 450 staff who help and street sweeping schedules. We also had the extra rubbish that keep our streets clean comes with winter and Christmas as well as managing the bank holiday collections very soon after.” Now, four months into the contract the organisation is able to review some of the major challenges it faces. One of the problems has been on ‘high footfall’ streets like Church Road and Stapleton Road - in the past these were swept more frequently. “We recognise this was a problem” says Kam. “We hadn’t fully taken into consideration the streets which get a lot more use. We have looked at this again and from February we started sweeping these streets more often, some on a daily basis. I hope residents will have seen the beginnings of an improvement.” The other major problem has been public litter bins not being emptied enough. As we went to press this was under review so that May Gurney can schedule when bins need emptying. Also coming soon are smaller waste bins and new recycling boxes (you will be able to recycle plastic and tetrapak).“We want to continuously make improvements and therefore constantly review litter bins, the street sweeping routes, weed spraying, mechanical brushers and leaf collection. We want to get it right for Bristol and without trying things and making further changes we won’t know what works best” explains Kam. May Gurney is committed to improving the reporting system so that when you make a complaint it is logged and dealt with quickly. More importantly though, they want to get to the stage where resident complaints are the last resort. The sweeping crews have to take photographs of their work to show it is at the standard that we expect. So, it all sounds good and we will be keeping an eye on the situation. “We would like to thank residents for their patience during the roll-out of this major service change and would ask them to give us time to bring in all the changes we want to make and see what works, what doesn’t and to get to the stage where every street looks clean, tidy and welcoming. We are also committed to attending Neighbourhood Forums to listen to local residents so that their concerns can be taken into consideration” said Kam. “We’ll continue to work closely with the Council to make sure they are providing waste and recycling services that meet residents’ needs, boost recycling, and help with ambitious targets for reducing household waste.” he added. And the rest is down to us. We all need to do our bit by making sure we act responsibly. Don’t drop litter, put your bin out on the right day and think about ways to reduce the amount of rubbish you produce. To report any issues with rubbish, waste collection, litter bins or recycling call 0117 922 2100. 22
Up Our Street
Up Our Street 23