www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Twitter @upourstreet Tel: 0117 954 2834 Post: Beacon Centre, City Academy, Russell Town Avenue Bristol, BS5 9JH contact@eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Twitter: @upourstreet Facebook: Up Our Street Charity no: 1081691 Company no: 04023294 Neighbourhood Facilitator Lorena Alvarez Tel: 0117 954 2835 Finance and Office Manager Tracy Parsons Tel: 0117 954 2834 Manager Stacy Yelland Tel: 0117 954 2836 Chair of trustees Sally Caseley Vice chairs Dominic Murphy Jane Westhead Trustee board Gez Bentley Joyce Clarke Matt Fulford Amy Harrison Alex Milne Walter Nunez Mike Pickering Anthea Sweeney Aisha Thomas Up Our Street is printed on recycled paper with vegetable inks and can be composted. It costs 45p to produce every copy of Up Our Street. It is hand delivered to 14,000 homes in the local area. The opinions and information contained in this publication are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of Up Our Street. Advertisers are not endorsed.
Our new address is
Beacon Centre City Academy Russell Town Avenue Bristol BS5 9JH Main office number 0117 954 2834 officemanager@eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Lorena Alvarez 0117 954 2835 lorena@eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Stacy Yelland 0117 954 2836 stacy@eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Listen to Up Our Street on BCfm 93.2 and Ujima 98 every Wednesday at 8.45am Follow us @upourstreet or find us on Facebook
Inside this issue Up Our Street news.........................page 3 Neighbourhood Forum..................page 4 Thank You Awards 2014................page 5 How to be a good neighbour......page 7 Empire Fighting Chance.................page 8 Food review........................................page 9 Chocolate Factory..........................page 10 2
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Cycling projects......................................page 13 Community interview - Soad Ali......page 14 Easton Leisure Centre...........................page 16 Harwood House......................................page 17 Police’s Bright Outlook........................page 18 Black History Month..............................page 19 Advertising.........................................page 20-23 Christmas events....................................page 24 www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
A word from our chair “As we reach the end of another year it’s time to stop and reflect on what’s been achieved. Our Thank You Awards in October are a great opportunity to do that and take a break from our busy schedules to come together and recognise all the amazing things that local people do for our community. This year’s event was a fantastic evening and we hope everyone enjoyed themselves. You can see some photos of the night on page five. We also have some short clips from the awards on our website. At our Annual General Meeting we were pleased to welcome new board members Jane, Amy, Aisha and Walter and we look forward to them being part of our work in the future. We also said goodbye to Jo and Richard Curtis who decided to step down from our board this year. Many of you will know them as hard working members of our
Watch it today! www.happyeaston.co.uk
Sally Caseley, Dings resident and Chair
Stapleton Road survey 2014 We spoke to 310 people in September about whether they thought the road had got better or worse in the last year. 52% said better 22% said worse 20% said same
Annual report 2013-2014 Following our AGM in October, our annual report is now available. In 2013-2014 we: Knocked on 2,251 doors and spoke to 287 people in 7 locations. We attended 15 events and met 433 people. We visited 41 groups and met 681 people. We had 41 local street reps. We handed out over 40,000 flyers. We delivered 56,000 newsletters. We talked to 1,880 people about the Neighbourhood Forum. We collected 87 issues from local people. Contact 0117 954 2834 for a copy of the report or visit www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
community who care a great deal about their street. We’d like to say a big thank you for all their years of support and wish them the best for the future. I’d also like to thank the staff team, Stacy, Tracy and Lorena for their dedication to Up Our Street. We hope by now that you will have seen the Happy Easton film that we helped put together. If not you can still watch it on www.happyeaston.co.uk - over 7,000 people already have! 2015 marks the start of a new period in the life of Up Our Street. Five years ago we began our journey from being a big regeneration programme (Community at Heart), joining up with Easton Community Partnership and working with Bristol City Council’s Neighbourhood Partnership. Now we are in the process of writing a new Business Plan to see us through to 2020. We have sold our office on Church Road and moved to smaller premises and are working out how we can make the most impact in the future. From March 2015 we will have a new plan in place and we’re excited about what the future holds.”
LOVE YOUR COMMUNITY FAIR February Full details to be confirmed Up Our Street and SPAN bring you a family friendly day of information, activities and workshops to find out all you need to know to love your community. Contact Lorena on 954 2835. Up Our Street 2015 to 2020 We have recently been working with a freelance consultant to help us plan for the future and to decide what we will be focusing on in the coming years. We will publish our plans in March 2015. Up Our Street
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Railway Path In September we discussed the path at a Neighbourhood Forum. There are plans underway to improve the junctions from Whitehall Primary School down to Hassell Drive. We also know that at peak times of the day the path gets very busy. We are really lucky to have such an attractive and useful route through our neighbourhood and we want to work with the council and residents to protect and improve it long into the future. Railway Path meeting Wednesday 26 November 6.30pm to 8.30pm The Venue, City Academy Setting up a ‘stewardship group’ of local people who use and care about the path. If you’re interested in knowing more contact Stacy on 954 2836 or stacy@eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk #TIDYBS5 TAKES TO THE STREETS! We say NO to dumping on our streets and treating our neighbourhood like a rubbish tip.
Meeting date calendar Neighbourhood Forum Thursday 11 December 6.30pm to 8.30pm, Barton Hill Settlement Wednesday 4 February 1pm to 3pm, Stapleton Road Chapel Neighbourhood Partnership Wednesday 3 December 6.30pm to 8.30pm, St Pauls Learning Centre
Ashley, Easton and Lawrence Hill Neighbourhood Partnership The NP makes decisions about how to spend some public money in our neighbourhood. It is made up of local residents and Councillors. The NP agreed a new member Matthew Collinson from Lawrence Hill. Green Capital The NP agreed to allocate its £10,000 through a small grants scheme in November. Wellbeing Fund The NP approved grants from 2014-2015. For more information contact Kurt James on 903 7365 or kurt.james@bristol.gov.uk
Easton and Lawrence Hill’s Neighbourhood Officer, Tom Penn, has moved to a new role in the council. Details about his replacement to follow.
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At the Neighbourhood Forum on 11 December we will be talking about taxis. Are you a taxi driver? Do you use taxis in our city?
www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Winners 2014 Louise Blackmore Laurence Briand Simon Birch Sami Ullah Iqra Mohamed Nasiim Ahmed Val Thompson Carla MacGregor Malcolm Hamilton Gavin Wilshen Steve Woods Claire Finbow Liz Jones Mandy Watson Ayannah Griffith Esam Amin
Ahmed Hussein Kai Paulden Andy Thomas Nick Durston Anna Sherratt Jane Bryan Nick Ballard Zoe Banks Gross Dominik Ljubic Katie HanchardGoodwin Joseph Morris Lil Stiddard Ayan Abukar Yusuf Ali Salah Alan Dando Janet Easley Carrie Camp
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Amy Creech Margaret Hickman Steve Baker Santokh Sandhu Sylvia White Alan Bowden Charmaine Tovey Bev Woodman Carrie Butcher Ben Walmsley Greg Chance Caroline Wright Lisa Coleman Rizwan Ahmed Dorothy Hechavarria Justin Turpin Nirmal Singh Ade Olaitan
Best Business Award Winner: Dig In, Church Road Runner up: 1st Choice Florist, Stapleton Road
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Age Friendly Streets and Green Capital 2015 This story is part of Streets Alive’s Age Friendly Streets campaign which encourages small acts of neighbourliness to create the street you want to live in. Many older people are now the ‘post box’ taking in parcels for younger neighbours. See Jenny’s story and others on: www.agefriendlystreets.org/storyhub
Small acts of neighbourliness They call me Auntie Jenny
By Chris Gittins, Streets Alive Say hello to Jenny from Whitehall who gets on well with her neighbours, so well in fact that they call her Auntie Jenny. Jenny has lived on her street for 20 years. She is in her 70s and lives alone but she does not get lonely. She knows everyone on her street by their first name. “I am their post box as many are out at work and I take in their parcels because I am in at home” says Jenny. “We feel very safe. If people are going to be away they ask me to keep an eye on their house and I have their keys. Though we are not in each other’s pockets we look after each other – one cleared the snow in front of my house. They miss me when I am away and some give me a cuddle. I got to know everybody at the Jubilee street party a couple of years ago. It was a lovely day, we played games” adds Jenny.
Redfield Educate Together Primary Academy now open on Avonvale Road
Bristol 2015 This is a company which has employees and was set up to fundraise for things to happen during the year and to put on a programme of events. They also set up the grant funding schemes. For more information: www.bristol2015.co.uk Bristol Green Capital Partnership This is a collection of organisations that existed In 2015, Bristol will be Green Capital of Europe. This before the award. The partnership brings together is an award which the city won from The European groups that are working towards a ‘low carbon’ Commission and is recognition of its high city. This means we use less energy and produce environmental standards, its future goals to be a less waste and pollution. For more information: sustainable city and its ability to be a role model www.bristolgreencapital.org for other cities in Europe. During the next year there will be a programme of events and activities What’s going on in 2015? and there have been three rounds of funding open There will be a programme of events happening to groups in the city. As well as the council there throughout the year. There will be lots of arts are two groups involved in making sure Bristol puts projects and work in schools as well as a summit on a good show in 2015 but also continues to and debates on climate change, a volunteer improve its environmental credentials. They are: programme and a green technology festival. Keep an eye out online for details. 6
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www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Good Neighbour Guide and Tidy BS5
mit Litter sumvember
No Monday 24 .30pm 8 6.30pm to und ture Playgro n e v d A d a n Felix Ro the solutio Be part of
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Easton Book Club and Empire Fighting Chance Easton Book Club
We had around 18 people at the first meeting in September. We weren't sure what to expect but we Easton residents Hannah and Fran have set up a had a huge response and we were thrilled so many new book club based at The Greenbank Pub. people came. We are more than happy for new We got in touch to find out more. people to come along to discuss the books over a “I moved to Bristol from London in June and I drink. It's very informal, and a great way to read realised I was struggling to find time to read. I was some books that you may not have otherwise part of a book group and used to have an hour considered. It’s hard to pin down my favourite book commute so I got through lots of books! But but right now it’s Looking For Alaska by John Green. without the commute I just wasn't reading as much. What I love about reading is the escapism, entering Originally we were just looking for a book group to a new world and letting my imagination run wild!” join, but we couldn't find anything local. We are Contact Hannah or Fran from Easton Book Club both new to the area so setting up a book group on eastonbookclub@gmail.com was also a great way to meet people in Easton.
suffer from chaotic home life or lack of aspiration. We see so much unlocked potential as the young people are stigmatised and don’t have access to connections and opportunities. We want to help change that.” Last year the landlords of their St Paul’s building gave them notice so they had to find a new home. “We knew Bristol City Council was looking to find new tenants for the youth centres and we looked at The Mill and that felt like it could Jamie Sanigar from work. We applied for funding from Sport England Empire Fighting and the council and managed to get £480,000 to Chance outside The renovate the building. It’s been quite stressful as it’s Mill Youth Centre in a pretty bad state so is taking a lot of work, but eventually we plan to offer a wide programme of Regular readers of Up Our Street may remember we sports for young people from the building. We’ll reported on the changes to youth services which also have the gym and amateur boxing club based caused concern about possible closures of youth on the site and community space that other groups centres, including The Mill Youth Centre on Lower can hire. I see it as a multi-sport hub for young Ashley Road. Since then, a lot of hard work behind people from the inner city. I love boxing and sport the scenes means we are pleased to welcome St is such a powerful tool. We say we are about Paul’s based charity Empire Fighting Chance to The creating champions in the ring but also in life. We’ll Mill. We met founder Jamie Sanigar to find out be having an opening event sometime in January so more. “My family has been involved in Empire we hope people will come and support us.” Boxing Club since the 1970s. We run the gym and To find out more about Empire Fighting Chance club and we’d always done community work. I contact 949 6699 or remember about seven years ago, Martin Bisp, who info@empirefightingchance.org runs the charity with me, and I noticed some young people drug dealing in the park outside. We went Jamie and talked to them and recognised them and so we with cogot them into the gym and our youth community founder work just grew from there. We set up Empire Martin Fighting Chance and now see about 200 young Bisp and people a week. Last year we registered as a charity.” young Empire Fighting Chance offers weekly boxing people coaching and fitness activities for young people from who can be finding things difficult at school or Empire home. “A lot of the young people we work with
Empire comes to The Mill
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www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Food In October, Up Our Street’s Lorena and Stacy popped into Marka Restaurant and Cafe for a Somali lunch, and enjoyed a three course meal, all in the name of research of course! At 12pm lunch wasn’t quite ready so we had a breakfast meal which consisted of a lamb and vegetable stew served with salad, French bread and two tasty sauces, one tomato and one very spicy chilli. The food is cooked by the Somali chef who has come from Dubai and been working here for eight months. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming and encouraging us to try different dishes. As Stacy from Up Our Street with chef and well as the lamb we were brought a customers at Marka Restaurant tomato, coriander and kidney dish, plenty more bread, a pancake and a meat broth soup. All this was washed down with the typical tea Cafe latte - tea with steamed milk, sugar and cinnamon. review This cafe isn't for vegetarians but if you’re adventurous with your eating and like a bit of spice Marka Restaurant then it’s a bargain and well worth a visit! Food and drink for the two of us cost just £5 and everyone and Cafe wanted to welcome us back another time as well as 206 Stapleton offering catering for outside events and meetings.
Road
Look out for more cafe reviews next time.
What is a chow chow? If you love chow chow’s and want to tell us a favourite recipe contact Stacy on 0117 954 2836 Sajid Malik (right) with a breadfruit
How to eat.....breadfruit
flesh is yellow, and it can be boiled. Roast breadfruit over a fire or in an oven until it’s brown. Peel it and Origin Jamaica or Costa Rica serve with spiced meat. Maliks on Stapleton Road has been selling food After roasting you can also fry breadfruit slices to from around the world since 1980. make chips. Boiled breadfruit can be made into a curry with coconut and spices or eaten with spiced Breadfruit is a starchy, savoury vegetable, which meats or bacalao (salted codfish). tastes a bit like potato. When it’s unripe it’s green Next edition outside and the flesh inside is white and can be Did you know Malik’s sells eight types of yam? roasted. When it’s ripe it’s brown outside and the www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
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Wellspring Healthy Living Centre and Chocolate Factory A decade of healthy living
for ten years, is excited about the challenge. “The most important thing is that we always respond to In October, Barton Hill’s Wellspring Healthy Living what the local community need. We want to keep Centre celebrated its 10th anniversary as part of its the community at the heart of what we do and Annual General Meeting. The centre was built as make sure that we use the building for making part of the Government funded regeneration in the positive changes. As the population changes so area and has since gone from strength to strength. does the demand for services and the type of It is home to not only a doctor’s and dentist’s things people want to see at Wellspring. We need surgery but also a whole host of health related to make sure we understand that and can respond activities and services. Wellspring is a charity which and adapt.” raises funding to enable it to meet the needs of For more information about Wellspring Healthy local people. We met new Chief Executive, Elaine Living Centre contact 304 1400 or Flint, to find out plans for the coming year. info@wellspringhlc.org “I have been here for two weeks now and it’s been fantastic. It’s such a busy place and a great building. We have been developing our services and we are in partnership with ten other organisations called Recovery Bristol Partnership. We now need more space. We’re packed to the gills here and we could offer more for local people if we had the space. We are in conversation with Bristol City Council about using their building on Beam Street but in the meantime we may need to put a temporary portacabin on the caged area on Mildred Street.” So, 2015 will be a busy year for Wellspring. Elaine, who was Chief Executive of Social Enterprise Works Elaine (far right) with staff and trustees from Wellspring
Chocolate Factory redevelopment By Jane Minton
“Choc Box 2.0 Community Association has been following the progress of the redevelopment of the former Elizabeth Shaw chocolate factory, Greenbank, since initial public consultation began in June 2014. We’ve also just published a Community Plan for the site, based on our own consultation with residents, and which we hope will help represent the views of local people in the planning process. In September three of our group met on site with the developers and their architects to consider the outline proposals they’d put forward. We’re concerned about their lack of commitment to a genuine mixed-use development as the current development plan is mostly residential and will increase the local population
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significantly without any supporting infrastructure or amenities. Other concerns raised include: 75% of residents who contributed to the Choc Box 2.0 Community Plan wanted to keep at least some of the Victorian factory buildings, but the developers plan to demolish them and replace them with two new residential apartment blocks with no allocated parking. Plans to extend the roofs of other more modern buildings on the site will cause loss of light and privacy to homes on Turley, Camelford and Greenbank Road, and severely reduce sunlight to a proposed open space. A new access road would divide the residential development from the Railway Path, creating a potential hazard. Local residents only received official postal notification of the developer’s second public consultation event on the actual day of the consultation.” Copies of the Community Plan are available to view in various places in Easton or from Choc Box 2.0 website: https://sites.google.com/site/ chocolatefactorybristol/home www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Vice and Virtue and Bristol Central Football Club Uncovering the history of Old Market
long tradition of liberal and political protest with riots in 1932, black GIs protesting in 1943 and an active Trade Union movement in the 1980s. “One thing we were shocked to discover was that the Edson Burton, project Secret Service had been keeping a close eye on the coordinator for Trinity area because of its political protesting” says Edson. Centre, tells us about “Today Old Market is seeing another revival with a big increase in its residential population as more Vice and Virtue, his new flats are built. The high street has a lively mix new Lottery funded of independent businesses and busy nightlife. “In project to discover the 1980s, Old Market was brought to life by the and record the Edson Burton from interesting history of LGBT community who opened businesses in an Trinity’s Vice and Virtue Old Market and West area with cheaper rents and more accepting project attitudes. There was a sex industry here and often Street. “We’ve been digging into the past marginalised groups feel safer together so Old and collecting stories, interviews and artefacts that Market became home to more gay friendly tell the story of Old Market. The area has seen a lot businesses.” Old Market’s story is an optimistic tale of change from its medieval roots to the impact of of change and revival. In spring, Vice and Virtue will become an exhibition followed by a book and an the war, slum clearance, the retail community, online timeline charting the history of the street. religious communities and then the sex workers and more recently the LGBT communities. It’s such Anyone with a story to share or who’d like to a rich and poignant story; it felt like Old Market’s volunteer can contact Edson on 935 1200 or was a story that should be told.” The area has a story@3ca.org.uk Derek and his son Amir
Friends through football
young people registered and lots of parent coordinators. We have kids who just want to play for the club but we’ve also had four players go For more than ten years, professional which makes me really proud that we Derek Scale has been giving helped give them that start and to see them doing young people from our area so well.” The team is funded through membership the chance to come together and some business sponsorship but they are always to play football, learn new looking for more help. “We need more volunteers skills and make friends. In and coaches. We’d also love it if more local 2000, he co-founded Bristol businesses supported us. We have to provide a Central Football Club and minibus to get to matches and we’d love to get today runs 13 teams for over uniform for everyone to look part of a team.” 200 young people. It’s hard For more information about Bristol Central work and takes real dedication and commitment to Football Club contact 07752245010, give up every weekend and countless sleepless bristolcentral@hotmail.co.uk or nights but Derek is a passionate believer in the www.bristolcentralfc.co.uk importance of sport, in particular football, to give Derek with players from Bristol Central Football Club young people opportunities and a sense of belonging. “I used to play semi-professional football and was an apprentice at Bristol City but my passion has always been to develop young people in the sport and that’s why I set up the club. We run weekly training sessions and play matches in two local leagues and also run a summer football festival. We try and invest in our young people and we offer coaching training. Five of our coaches started out playing with us as under 9s and now they coach with us. We’ve got 26 coaches, 226
www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
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Cycling
Kidical Mass
Parents take to two wheels Parent’s from Hannah More Primary School in The Dings have been taking free ‘bikeability’ cycling lessons. Muna, Asawq, Iman, Fatamata, Manal, Salwa and Dee are all mums who have been taking part in a six week course to learn how to cycle and gain confidence on a bike. Many of the women haven’t cycled for years, if ever, and all want to feel able to get around on a bike. A dad’s class is also taking place and if both prove popular the school will run them again in the future.
Learning to ride with your children Local resident Zoe Banks Gross shared an idea from her home in Oregon, USA, which helps parents get to grips with cycling with their children. “I used to cycle all the time but when I had my son Felix I was really nervous about riding with him on the bike too. When I met other mums we’d have coffee and cake and I wanted to have an active alternative. I’d heard about Kidical Mass and I applied to the local sustainable transport fund to buy some child seats and a trailer. I then got together with Wellspring to organise free group rides at weekends. It’s been really fun. It gives you much more freedom to be able to cycle with your child” says Zoe. You can join a family ride at 10am on 6 and 11 December. Meet outside Baynton House off Lawrence Hill. You can contact bikes@wellspringhlc.org to book on future rides.
Learn to ride Free one to one personalised adult lessons. Lessons with a trained instructor at a time and place to suit you. Contact LifeCycle UK on 353 4580 or Bristol City Council on 922 4383. 12
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Fancy giving it a go? Contact Bristol Bikeability on 922 4383.
Better By Bike For lots of information about cycling including advice on buying a bike, bike repairs, bike loans, group rides, bike security and much more visit www.betterbybike.info Need help? Contact the Inner City Health Team on 922 4793.
Easton Community Bike Loan Scheme Six bikes are available for hire from Easton Community Centre. If you live in BS5 become a member for £5 and borrow a bike for free (£10 for those outside BS5). Non members can use a bike for one day for £50 deposit. Contact 954 1409 or bikeloan@eastoncommunitycentre.org.uk
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ADVERT
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Community interview - Soad Ali Hassan
Soad (middle) with friends Negat and Hadia
Women working together Soad Ali Hassan is an impressive woman who’s lead an interesting life and sets a great example to those of us thinking about supporting others in our community. Born in Kuwait, she moved to Bristol as a refugee in 2006 and quickly realised that she could do something to help others. “When I arrived I saw Bristol was multicultural but not integrated” she says. So Soad set up Bushara, which means ‘good news’ in Somali, to help Somali women to feel at home here. “After that I wanted to bring women of different cultures together so I set up Heroes group which meets in St Pauls. We go on trips, do shopping together, hear information from organisations - we are all from different backgrounds. English, Jamaican, Somali. When I first got people together they were a bit unsure and nervous about what we’d talk about but we soon realised we have lots in common. We care about the same issues and we began to trust each other. It’s hard to integrate with other people at first. We are from a different culture and when you don’t speak the language it’s difficult but we have to try and it’s great when it happens.” Soad is one busy woman. As well as running two women’s groups, she also volunteers with other ROSEMARY EARLY YEARS IS 90 Thanks to a Heritage Lottery Grant, St Jude’s based Rosemary Nursery will be researching the history of the nursery to mark it’s 90th year in 2015. The nursery has a long and interesting past which will be collected into a booklet and exhibition through interviews and storytelling. 14
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organisations. “When I was younger I played basketball so I set up a weekly women’s basketball game. I also volunteer for Imayla taking people on trips and I am a trustee at SPAN. The trips are so much fun - lots of women from different cultures camping for the first time! I think when we get out into nature we all feel better. We can breath more easily and it makes us peaceful. A lot of women on the trips never get to go out of the city.” It takes a lot of confidence and courage to organise so much and get involved in the community of a new place but Soad is an amazingly strong woman. “I grew up in Kuwait and there were English people around and we had English TV so I knew a bit before I came here. When I was 19 I was in a refugee camp on my own before coming to Europe and I moved to the UK with my three children. When people ask me where is home I say everywhere! My parents were from Somalia and so is my husband but I have never been there. I lived in Holland and Kuwait and now Bristol and lots of other places in between! I talk to my children about our culture and religion. They have lots of different influences in their lives - their home life, school and what they see and do when they are out of the home. I think it’s very important to talk to our young people and for them to ask questions. Especially now when there is so much bad stuff happening in the world. I do think we need to work more with our teenagers and help them to make the most of opportunities in life. I tell my children that we are like a tree. Our culture and faith are the roots and if they are strong then we can withstand all weathers. For us the connection to our tribe or clan is strong - it’s a bond of recognition and respect that you have with others. Your full name is like your passport - when you tell someone they know where you are from. It is something that connects us. I like the fact that this neighbourhood is full of lots of cultures. I like the food I can buy from around the world.” And there’s no rest for Soad for a while yet. “I hope to do a course in childminding soon and more exercise classes and learn to teach exercise as well!”
This project is a fantastic opportunity to discover the history of the nursery and the community it has served within the context of national and world events over the past 90 years. If you have a memory of Rosemary Nursery or would like to find out more contact 903 1467 or rosemary.n@bristol.gov.uk www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Roma art project and ADVERT by Bristol City Council's Creative Seed Fund. To date they have had two fantastic art workshops where they documented their activities through photography and film. Respect is at the heart of the project. The aim is to demonstrate that Roma migrants and the people of Bristol are working together to create something positive that enriches our city. The project will culminate in an open exhibition in June 2015. If you wish to find out more contact Rachael James and Ramona Amuza on 304 1400 or ramona.amuza@wellspringhlc.org
Getting to know ...... Bristol's Roma community A series of workshops are taking place at Wellspring Healthy Living Centre in partnership with community artist Rachael James and funded
www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
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Easton Leisure Centre and Friends of Albion Road Park 25 years of sport on Stapleton Road Easton Leisure Centre has been a focal point of Stapleton Road since the 1970s and today it is one of the busiest and most interesting centres in the city. We caught up with General Manager, Cameron Bate, to find out what goes on in a normal week. “I’ve been here for a year and I have been so impressed with the diversity of activities and people we have here. It’s a really busy centre and there’s always something happening” says Cameron. The centre opened as a traditional leisure club and bar until 1989 when the swimming pool was built. Until seven years ago, the centre was run by the council but in 2007 they contracted it out to Everyone Active, the private company that now runs Bristol’s leisure centres. Today, Easton is home to a hall, two pools with a flume, a gym, crèche, class studio and courts. The centre organises a range of classes and clubs and attendance is up 15% on last year. “We see around 30-45,000 visits on an average month. Last year we spent around £180,000 improving the centre and it’s been great to see more people coming and using the facilities.” The centre runs popular swimming lessons, football and basketball coaching, martial arts, boxing and events like its recent ‘aquathlon’ when 50 people competed. The centre is at the heart of Easton’s changing community and has had to grow and adapt to meet the needs of local people. “We get such a range of people here and it’s fantastic that everyone gets on. When they
Sadiya, Debs, Sara, Polly, Mary and Sucdi
Action for Albion Local residents living near Albion Road Park have been getting together to make the small play area 16
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come through our doors they are all here to enjoy it and use the centre. We work closely with the Inner City Health Improvement Team to try and improve the health of all our residents as well as catering for specific groups like asylum seekers, refugees and on Sundays when our women only swimming is nearly always full. In the future we want to do more for children to encourage a healthy lifestyle. At the moment we have a large swimming lesson programme and over 1,300 children come each week but we’d like to make the centre even more family friendly. Lots of people pop in and sit in the foyer to chat. We’ve got the new sea scooters (see page 23) and are putting on more new events like our Halloween party when we turned the water in the pool orange! People should definitely make a New Year’s resolution to get active as it’s better for your body and mind.” Contact Cameron and the team at Easton Leisure Centre on 955 8840.
and garden into a lovely haven for children and adults alike. Since spring, a group residents have been tidying, planting and coming up with creative ideas for using this popular spot. We met up in autumn to find out more. “At first we got together to plant some flowers. One day we got some paper and pens and let the kids draw and it was great so we decided to try more craft activities. We got in touch with Friends of Bellevue Park and at Halloween we did pumpkin carving and a walk. The children have drawn posters which we will put up asking people to look after the park and not litter or leave dog poo. It’s been really nice coming together. It’s a small park so people chat when they are here and we wanted to make it a welcoming space for everyone. We will be planting herbs and have plans for an event over the Christmas holidays” says local mum Sara. To get involved contact Friends of Albion Road Park on Facebook or Up Our Street on 954 2835. www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Helping out at Harwood House and Ward Boundary Review Saying hello in Harwood When Barton Hill Settlement’s Community Organiser Steve Crozier started knocking on doors in Harwood House he didn’t know what to expect. He soon found that the Barton Hill block was home to a welcoming and friendly crowd who were ready to come together for change. We met Steve with residents Rose and Chris, to find out more. After Steve’s door knock, a group started to meet to talk about what could improve the block. A new washing machine, a bike shed and sorting out the communal storage areas came out top. Chris then helped Steve to knock on more doors. “It took us ages as we kept getting invited in for cups of tea!” she says. Residents got together and worked with the council on a plan for freeing up the storage area which will mean that from January they will have more space. The simple process of residents talking to each other to find out who owned what means they got it sorted. The next challenge is a new washing machine. “We were told that it was possible but we’re still waiting” says Steve. With three machines serving 87 flats, many of which are home to families, you can see why it’s a priority. “Let’s hope it happens - we’re still talking to the council.” “Harwood is definitely the best block! We always say hello to people, it creates a better atmosphere and it’s friendly. It makes it feel like a community” says Chris. Rose has lived in Harwood House for 47 years and has seen a lot of things change. “We are all nice to each other so it’s a nice place to live” she adds.
Easton and Lawrence Hill In the summer the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) carried out a citywide consultation in Bristol to review how the electoral ward boundaries may change in the future. At the moment our wards are Easton and Lawrence Hill. This is where you vote for your Councillors who represent you with Bristol City Council. At the moment we have four Councillors (Margaret Hickman and Hibaq Jama in Lawrence Hill and Afzal Shah and Faruk Choudhury in Easton). The population of Easton and Lawrence Hill is over 30,000 people. There are other wards in the city with a lot less people but they still have two Councillors. This means there is poor electoral equality as Councillors should represent roughly the same number of people. The LGBCE asked for views on how new boundaries in Bristol could create more equality and more meaningful neighbourhoods for communities. The first draft of the results will be www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Rose, Steve and Chris in Harwood House laundry room
If you live in Barton Hill and want to know more about organising your community to action contact Steve on 955 6971 or stevec@bartonhillsettlement.org.uk
available for comments from 9 December to 16 February. You can view ideas online and have your say on http://consultation.lgbce.org.uk We will also be talking about it at the Neighbourhood Forum on 11 December, 6.30pm to 8.30pm, Barton Hill Settlement - so why not come along and find out more.
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Bright Outlook, Bristol Playbus and St Marks Community Cafe Giving a Bright Outlook When young people start getting into trouble with the police it’s often a slippery slope into a life of crime that is hard to escape. After nine years working in the Easton neighbourhood policing team, Beat Manager John Shaddick decided it was time to rethink things. He recognised he was seeing the same young people, causing the same problems time and time again and that something needed to change. With colleague Chris Green, he started Coffee with a Cop in local primary schools to talk to parents, and out of that the idea of Bright Outlook grew. “This is a pilot in Easton and Lawrence Hill and by March 2015 we will have seen 150 young people take part in the programme. All of them were referred to us by a school, community organisation or parent” says John. The scheme gives young people a real life taste of what might happen if they take a certain path, with the idea that it is better to prevent crime than to deal with the aftermath. The programme takes up to 20 young people aged nine to 20 each month through a three stage process. First they are taken to a custody cell and ‘processed’ as if they had been arrested. They have their fingerprints taken and are then taken to a cell where they can talk to an exoffender. The second stage happens in the court room where they stand trial and are sentenced and taken to a cell. Finally they spend six weeks taking part in workshops with a mentor. So far the programme has proved to be a great success. “Sometimes as police it feels like we are putting a
Police Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens and PC John Shaddick with young people taking part in Bright Outlook
plaster on a problem when in fact it is much deeper. This project is more holistic, looking at what’s going on in a young person’s life and why they might be getting into trouble in the first place. I’ve been so pleased with the response and how many organisations are working with us like the NSPCC and Prince’s Trust. If we work with young people early on we can hopefully change their minds about their own future which will lead to them staying away from trouble and ultimately that means a safer community for everyone.” Adam from Barton Hill who was on the programme in October said: “Coming on this programme has helped me understand the impact my behaviour is having on my family and I feel sad about that.” To find out more about Bright Outlook contact John on 07919628305.
BRISTOL PLAYBUS
VOLUNTEERS WANTED St Mark’s Community Cafe is at the heart of the vibrant St Mark’s Road. They sell hot and cold drinks, homemade cakes and healthy, tasty lunches, all at very affordable prices. Everyone is welcome and there is a family room with toys and the cafe is wheelchair accessible. The cafe is staffed by volunteers and neither the church, nor any individual take any profit. They are looking for more people to help.
Open Weds and Thurs 11am to 3pm, Fri 11am to 2pm and Sat 10am to 2pm. Contact 07804733827 if you’d like to know more about volunteering.
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Up Our Street
Free 15 hours a week for two year olds aboard the Bristol Playbus. For children in Easton and Lawrence Hill. Bristol Playbus will be outside The Mill on Lower Ashley Road on Fridays from 9.30am to 12.30pm. Contact them on 955 1561 about free places or pop along on Fridays.
www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
Black History Month and ADVERT Remembering black history In October, City Academy held an event to celebrate Black History Month with over 100 people listening to talks and watching inspiring films. We caught up with the school’s Equalities Manager, Aisha Thomas, to find out more.
Aisha (left) with Bristol Bus Boycott legends Roy Hackett, Paul Stevenson and Guy Bailey
Why is Black History Month important?
Young people need to know where we’ve come from. In the 21st century there is a disconnect with history. Young people have heard about Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks or Mandela but don’t know about the everyday people who made a difference to black people’s lives.
What did young people think about it?
Some said to me they were really pleased to learn about black history as that isn’t the story they most often hear. Others questioned why there was a special month for black history and not Jewish or Asian history. My answer to that is that it’s a month about celebration not separation. What is it like working at such a multicultural What did you enjoy most about the day? school? I love it! I get to learn so much everyday. Seeing the young people’s reactions was really Where else could you be around 46 different powerful. Seeing the generation that fought cultures and 26 languages? discrimination together with today’s young people. Contact Aisha at City Academy on 941 3800.
www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk
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ADVERT
ADVERT
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City Academy Bristol celebrates best results ever The City Academy is celebrating its best ever results at both GCSE and A-Level. The pass rate at A-Level was up for the third year in a row with the number of students achieving 3 good A-Levels doubling. Nouman Ahmed achieved 5 A grades at A-Level. This is remarkable considering he arrived in the country from Pakistan with no formal secondary education. 95% of students at the City Academy achieved the grades required for their first choice university. The City Academy achieved it best set of GCSE results ever. Over a third of students achieved at least 1 A* or A. Dominick Stevens Thompson achieved 7A*s and 2 As as well as an A in AS Level Maths. Ewan Byrne obtained 2A*s and 5As whilst Elise Bradley Middle achieved 2A*s and 5 As. Year 11 students continued their amazing performances in languages with 24 students sitting an AS Level in a language a year early with 20 achieving A grades. Acting Principals Paul Skipp and Caroline Down are incredibly proud of the results. Caroline Down said “This is rich reward for all the hard work by both students, staff and parents. The City Academy wants students to achieve more, more than anywhere else and more than expected. These results show the progress being made towards this goal. Students are being pushed to realise their dreams and the number of top grades is exceptional.�
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