Campaigners who want a change to the way bus services are run staged a protest at South Gloucestershire Council.
PAGE 11
Ambitious plans to turn the whole of Emersons Green and Lyde Green, Blackhorse and parts of Mangotsfield into a nature reserve have been announced.
PLANS to spend £30 million on changes to five roundabouts on the Avon Ring Road, including two in Emersons Green, have been scrapped.
South Gloucestershire Council unveiled plans to build three more ‘throughabouts’ on the A4174 in the summer of 2021.
Roundabouts at Siston Hill near Mangotsfield, Deanery Road near Warmley, and Kingsfield, at Longwell Green, would all have been converted,
with six new lanes built to take through ring road traffic across the middle.
The Lyde Green roundabout, near the Bristol and Bath Science Park and the Rosary roundabout, next to Emersons Green Retail Park, would have had extra lanes added, with more traffic lights and entry lanes.
Turn to Page 2
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Chris Skidmore, Conservative MP for Kingswood since 2010, will not run for election again following boundary changes.
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A member of the
The council paused the proposals a year ago, shortly after the opening of the first throughabout at the Wraxall Road junction, near Kingswood, amid overwhelming opposition and fears the new layouts were dangerous.
At the time the council said it was postponing a bid for government money to fund the plans, and would review the situation after a year.
Now it has decided to abandon the plans, insisting there has been a “significant reduction” in delays on the ring road since they were first drawn up in 2018.
The council says the Wraxall Road throughabout, which cost £6.9m, has had a “positive impact”.
But it said further changes were no longer needed, because ring road traffic at morning and afternoon peak times had dropped by up to 14 per cent since 2018, when the proposals were initially drawn up, as travel patterns had changed following the pandemic.
Cabinet member for regeneration, environment and strategic infrastructure, Steve Reade, said: “We have made the decision not to submit a funding bid and to withdraw the proposals.
“We monitored the ring road and have the evidence that traffic patterns have changed.
“We have seen that there are now not as many delays, largely due to our new post-lockdown travel habits and journey time savings thanks to the Wraxall Road throughabout.
“Our data for the Wraxall Road junction improvement indicates that many of the congestion issues on the ring road between Siston Hill and Kingsfield have now been reduced.”
An overwhelming 84 per cent of the 880 respondents disapproved of the plans in a 12-week public consultation held after they were announced.
The council had hoped the Wraxall Road throughabout would serve as a template for improvements along a five-mile stretch of the A4174, to cut jams and stop drivers using local roads as rat-runs.
Land at the edges of the ring road would have been developed to provide space for extra lanes on and around the roundabouts.
But no dedicated bus lanes were proposed, and the scheme was by West of England metro mayor Dan Norris and the Green Party, who said road-building generated more vehicles.
junction saw residents asking for the performance of Wraxall Road to be better understood. Concerns were also raised about the impact of construction and roadworks,
And it would have meant motorists enduring three years of roadworks.
By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service
WHEN Dave Smith caught Covid-19 during the first wave of the pandemic, it was the start of an ordeal which almost claimed his life.
The retired driving instructor from Downend had been given the all-clear from leukaemia only a week before and, with an immune system weakened by chemotherapy drugs, he came close to death several times. He even arranged the music for his funeral service.
After ten months with the disease - the longest recorded case in the world at the time - he was finally given the all-clear after being given experimental antibody treatment, and began a long road to recovery in 2021.
Dave had suffered chest infections and pneumonia, and was left with pulmonary fibrosis, a form of lung disease which meant he had only half his previous lung capacity.
But he never gave up hope of going back to singing and playing guitar, having performed for 57 years, including a long stint in the house band at Bristol's Locarno club in the 1970s.
In December Dave fulfilled his dream of taking to the stage again, strapping on his red Fender Stratocaster guitar and singing in front of a capacity crowd at the Langley Arms pub in Emersons Green, where he has been hosting a weekly quiz for 23 years.
It was made possible thanks to a ground-breaking course called ENO Breathe, devised by the English National Opera in conjunction with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust to tackle post-Covid breathlessness and anxiety.
The six-week remote course was carried out over Zoom, with Dave joining a group of 20 people, including some opera singers.
It included a series of breathing and vocalising exercises, led by singing specialist and creative director Suzi Zumpe.
Dave said: "Suzy has been a very good teacher and explained the science behind it.
"If I'd known her exercises 60 years ago, I might have had a better singing career!"
Suzy came to the gig at the Langley Arms and performed a duet with Dave of a song
from the ENO Breathe course, Gershwin's Summertime, from the opera Porgy and Bess.
Dave and fellow musicians
Tony Ogden and Mike Cashley performed two sets of hits by bands including Dire Straits, The Eagles and Status Quo, before finishing with Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody.
Dave said: "The gig was absolutely brilliant - the place was full and it was a magical night."
The band played two setsthe first of 45 minutes but the second was shorter, as Dave felt the effects of performing.
He said: "I could hardly stand at the end - they had to help me into my car.
"I felt like I'd been hit by a bus the next day."
Suzi said: "It was an honour to get to share the stage with Dave.
"His transformation through the six weeks of ENO Breathe was incredible.
"Getting to see Dave's first performance after covid was just spectacular, and I found it so touching to see Dave doing what he loves most again."
Another special guest at the gig was Dr Ed Moran of Southmead Hospital, who had treated Dave during his battle with Covid.
The whole event was filmed by the BBC, whose presenter Jon Kay found out about the ENO Breathe programme and also arranged a surprise video meet-up for Dave before the gig with one of his musical heroes, Status Quo's Francis Rossi, who was preparing for his own show
at Wembley Arena.
Dave said: "I didn't recognise him at first, without the pony tail!
"We had a 15-minute chat, talking about the old days - back in the 70s we used to play lots of Status Quo." But having fulfilled
his ambition, Dave is not looking start gigging regularly again.
He said: "If Status Quo asked me to do a world tour, I might have to decline!"
For more information on the course visit www.eno.org/ breathe.
SUTTON Chiropractic in Downend helps you and your family get back to doing the things you love. As such, we love New Year’s resolutions. It’s a time when new hobbies emerge or you commit further to something you love. This could be walking those extra few steps a day, training for a race later in the year or taking up that dance class you have always been tempted by.
Whatever it is, we want you to excel at what you do, and enjoy it. So we thought we’d put together a few tips that can help you get the most out of your newfound hobby or achieve that long-standing goal.
The different aspects of your health support and strengthen each other when given equal attention. If one area is neglected whilst another is vigorously pursued, the whole picture can unravel. Simplicity and balance are the key. Here
are the five cornerstones of optimal health, address these and you’ll be able to make changes that last:
• Healthy spine and nerves
• Regular exercise and movement
• Joints and muscles in good alignment
• A varied diet of fresh natural foods
• Relaxation/mindfulness
In an effort to get healthier our exercise levels increase throughout January/February, however many people develop injuries from this as they have missed one of the fundamental components listed above. The most common issue is when the spine, neck or pelvis are out of alignment at the start of the get fit phase and injuries start to develop. It’s not uncommon for these to spread to the knees, elbows and shoulders too. This is why the body must be assessed and helped back to proper alignment. Ensuring that you can carry your fitness regime further into the year. A sound body can produce wonderful results in your overall health, especially when linked with the other parts of the optimal health approach.
We are creatures of habit and the quality of our habits determines the results. Essentially this means what you do today, sets you up for tomorrow. This could be preparing food for the week ahead, getting to bed earlier or planning an exercise slot
into your schedule. Keep consistent in the pursuit of your health goals and the changes will come. Getting support can really help keep you on track, and this could be in the form of a gym partner, running/walking groups or a local slimming world.
If you’d like to find out more about how we can help you
get back to doing the things you love, or setting the best foundation for activities you’re taking up, we’d love to help. We want you at your best and would love to see how we can help for 2023. Remember, keep it simple, start with a good foundation and be consistent.
A COMMUNITY nature reserve could be established covering the whole of Emersons Green and Lyde Green, Blackhorse and parts of Mangotsfield.
Emersons Green Town Council wants to turn the whole of the area it covers into a nature reserve, including private gardens and land under council control.
Announcing the plans, the council said: “This is an exciting new development.
“Everyone who manages a garden with wildlife in mind is invited to say what they are doing and register their patch of land as part of the nature reserve.”
The town council will “actively seek to enhance nature-rich areas under their control” and work with South Gloucestershire Council on a local nature action plan.
Chris Sunderland, a member of the Friends of Emersons Green Park and lead organiser of the Three Greens Festival, is working with the town council, which has organised a meeting in January for people to find out more.
Chris said: “When Emersons Green was built, the developers left many of original lanes, commons, copses and hedges, and these have proved an extraordinary wildlife resource, continuing to support a whole range of insects, birds, plants and other animals.
“The developers also constructed a set of new ponds in the park, and the great Chain and Wheels Earth Sculpture next to the ring road, which are another resource to wildlife.
“Other parts of the town council area, like Lyde Green and
woodland and wetland, ponds and a lake. We have seen little egrets, heron, woodpeckers and jays.
“We know we have foxes, hedgehogs, deer and badgers. We have even filmed otters in our area!
“Becoming a community nature reserve will help us realise the potential of our own gardens, learn to value the wildlife around us, care for it and recognise ourselves as part of the great community of life.”
scheme in Bedminster.
Chris said: “Nature reserves don’t have to be out there, away from anything. They can be right here, next to your house, in your garden.
“We already have an amazing area for wildlife.
The launch of the Community Nature Reserve will be held in the Willow Room, Emersons Green Village Hall on Thursday January 19 at 7.30pm.
Emersons Green Town Council: Page 18
Blackhorse, have been developed with different features and natural resources, but the one thing that the whole town council area has in common is a network of private gardens.
“Such gardens may occupy around 50% of the land area of a neighbourhood such as ours, and they have extraordinary potential for wildlife.”
The community nature reserve would be on similar lines to a scheme set up in Felixstowe, Suffolk, in 2015, where residents have reported “substantial increases in wildlife” and developing wildlife corridors, and has inspired a similar
SOUTH Gloucestershire Council’s cabinet has agreed a raft of proposed cuts to go forward for next year's budget.
Green waste collections will nearly double in price from £30 to £55 a year, street lights will be dimmed and staffed library hours reduced if the plans to plug a £29.3 million shortfall are approved by the full council in February.
Among the raft of planned savings, which are now open for a public consultation, are premiums on council tax bills for second and empty homes, fewer guided escorts for home-to-school transport, scrapping taxi marshals in night-time economy hotspots and higher fees and charges across the board.
The council has also launched a consultation into a Clean Air Action Plan, to look at ways to tackle air pollution in areas including Staple Hill High Street, which can be found online at bit. ly/3uLJDMt
“We have meadows and commons, teeming with insects and wildflowers. We have
Lyde Green Open Space Group: Page 24
THE education watchdog has praised a school in Downend which provides many children with their "first positive experiences" of education.
Pathways Learning Centre in Overndale Road is a pupil referral unit, teaching children who have been permanently excluded from one or sometimes two other schools, who are at risk of exclusion or who have significant medical and mental health needs.
It takes children from across South Gloucestershire on either short or long-term placements, and had 138 pupils, aged from five to 16, on its roll when a team of inspectors from Ofsted visited in September.
Their report awarded Pathways an overall 'good' rating, and said pupils' personal development, behaviour and attitudes were 'outstanding' - the highest possible rating.
The inspectors said: "Pupils describe Pathways Learning Centre as ‘a family’.
"Pupils start at different points in their education and throughout the school year. Despite this, they agree that everyone is welcoming. They quickly feel part of the school.
"For many, this is one of the first positive experiences of education that they can remember.
"The impact of this is evident in pupils’ highly positive attitudes to their learning and the strong relationships between staff and pupils.
"Everyone has high expectations of behaviour. Pupils respond and behave
exceptionally well.
"Staff are calm, empathetic and unintrusive when supporting pupils who may be experiencing challenges."
The inspectors said school leaders and staff had high ambitions for all pupils, and used an effective induction process to provide a "bespoke and engaging education", covering the breadth of the national curriculum.
They praised the school's work on reading and achieving qualifications relevant to the next stage of pupils' education.
The report said staff prioritised children's social, emotional and mental health needs.
The inspectors said: "Parents are positive about the impact the school has.
"They appreciate how staff treat pupils as individuals with specific needs."
Inspectors said the personal development of pupils was a "strength" of the school and also praised help for children who were struggling with work, safeguarding arrangements and understanding of neurodiversity, which "empowers everyone to recognise and respect the uniqueness of each individual".
They recommended that the school improve the structure of its curriculum, understand pupils' prior learning better and more clearly identify what they want individual pupils to learn.
Head teacher Louise Leader said the school was "absolutely delighted" with the report.
She said: "To achieve a good rating is a great achievement for everyone in PLC, but to secure outstanding judgements in ‘personal development’ and also in ‘behaviour and attitudes’ is remarkable.
"I am so proud of the fabulous and dedicated team at PLC, who work tirelessly to support our students.
"Pathways' mission is ‘changing lives’, and we try to do that every single day, in some small way, to help our students persevere, overcome the challenges they face and go on to have happy and successful futures when they leave us.
"We are so pleased that Ofsted has recognised the work we do and the excellent progress our students make; but we are most proud that they recognised that Pathways Learning Centre is ‘a family’ and that for many of our students this is 'one of the first positive experiences of education that they can remember’.
"Our efforts are reflected in the relentless hard work and dedication that goes on in many PRUs and Alternative Provisions across the country.
"We will continue to work tirelessly to support our students and help to drive the crucial work of the PRUsAP sector nationally."
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EMERSONS Green’s MP has announced that he will stand down at the next general election.
Chris Skidmore, who has held the Kingswood seat for the Conservatives since 2010, made the announcement days after proposed Parliamentary boundary changes, which would see the constituency abolished, were opened to a final public consultation.
Mr Skidmore had not commented on the shake-up when it was first announced in 2021.
But after the commission’s latest version of the plans was published in November, he announced his intention to stand down in an interview with the Telegraph.
Mr Skidmore then released a statement, which said: “I was born and grew up in the constituency, as have generations of my family.
“There has been no greater
honour in my life than to have represented my home area in Parliament.
“I have loved every moment of serving as Kingswood’s local MP for the past twelve years and look forward to serving my community for the rest of my term of office.
“Parliamentary boundary changes will result in the Kingswood constituency ceasing to exist.
“With no alternative seat, I have decided that I do not wish
to fight another constituency elsewhere in the region or country, especially with a very young family who deserve to see more of their father in their lives.”
Mr Skidmore thanked constituents for “putting their trust and faith in me” and said he had had a “wonderful opportunity to serve widely in government”.
He said that as Energy and Clean Growth Minister he had been responsible for signing the UK’s commitment to Net Zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 into law, adding: “It is the delivery of this commitment that I now wish to focus my career upon after leaving Parliament.”
Mr Skidmore has been leading an independent review into Net Zero for the government in recent months.
He said: “It is clear to me that Net Zero and tackling climate change will be the greatest challenge, yet also the greatest
opportunity, of our generation.
“Rather than step aside, I hope that in the future I can step up to continue to play my own small part in helping to deliver on the energy transition that the world needs.”
Under the proposed boundary changes, parts of the Kingswood constituency in Emersons Green, Lyde Green and Downend will join neighbouring Filton & Bradley Stoke, as will the parts of Lyde Green currently in the Thornbury & Yate constituency.
Mangotsfield will join Staple Hill and the New Cheltenham ward, which includes Siston Hill, and two other wards in the new Bristol North East seat. The southern part of the constituency will become part of a new North East Somerset and Hanham seat.
The final consultation closed on December 5, with the Boundary Commission due to send its recommendations to Parliament by next July.
MP’s column: Page 20.
At the start of the New Year it’s the time we can feel refreshed and take the opportunity to look ahead to the coming New Year. It’s a long standing tradition, a necessity maybe, to make New Year's resolutions.
Where do New Year’s resolutions come from?
New Year’s resolutions are reported to have started as far back as Babylonian times. That’s around 4,000 years ago! Back then, the start of the new year was in March, when the crops were planted. People would reaffirm loyalty to the King and make promises to their gods to return borrowed items and pay their debts. In Roman times, just over 2,000 years ago, Julius Caesar changed the calendar and set the 1st of January as the start of the new year. The Roman people made promises to their gods of good conduct for the coming year. For early Christians the 1st day of the year became the time they traditionally thought about their past mistakes and resolved to do better in the future.
Who makes New Year’s resolutions now?
Well actually around half of us continue this traditional practice. These days we tend to make promises to ourselves - which often focus on self improvement (or self-efficacy - our belief in our ability to act in ways necessary to reach specific goals!). However surveys continue to show that despite 50% of us making these promises to ourselves only 10% of us actually manage to keep these.
What are our New Year’s resolutions at Turners Opticians?
For us as a practice we’re committed year in year out to looking after the eyecare and vision needs of our patients. We’ve also been quietly working towards becoming a more sustainable Optometry practice too. This year we’re making the resolution as a team to commit to sustainable optometryour new look website will have full detail on this very soon!
What else are we committed to at Turners Opticians?
Well, no New Year blog would be complete without mentioning glasses and our key focus - making sure you look & feel great in your glasses. One of our favourite frame collections for everyday luxury is Tom Davis. Time and time again our patient’s tell us that they love not only the look and feel of their new glasses but also just how comfortable they are to wear - all day.
Whether you make New year’s resolutions or not, we’re aiming to be in the 10% who actually manage to keep them! We’ll keep you posted on our progress.
If you’re looking for fab new glasses that not only look amazing but are also super comfortable then why not pop in and see our friendly team for a frame styling consultation?
You can contact our Henleaze or Fishponds practices online, by email or by calling 0117 962 2474 or 0117 965 4434. Have an amazing New Year everyone!
A MANGOTSFIELD nursery which opened during the pandemic has been praised by Ofsted in its first ever inspection.
The education watchdog visited Play Station @ Barley Close in October and found it to be good in all areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.
Inspector Holly Smith praised the nursery's wide variety of toys and resources, opportunities for children to be physically active and "positive partnerships" with parents.
The inspector said: "Children form strong relationships with the kind and nurturing staff who care for them. They are eager to begin their play, and separate from their parents and carers with ease.
"Children become completely absorbed in their imaginative play."
The report said staff also gave children "lots of opportunities" to be active in the outdoor play space at the nursery, which
stands in the grounds of Barley Close Primary School.
The inspector said: "Children learn to manage risk safely and display very good coordination as they skilfully climb steps on the setting's new play frame. Staff support young children to take turns."
Opportunities for children to create crafts, pick and learn how to prepare apples from a tree in the grounds and learn to swim in the school's pool were also highlighted.
The inspector said: "Managers and staff develop positive partnerships with parents. They gather a wide range of information about children's interests and care needs when they first begin to attend."
She said as well as talking to parents at drop-off and collection times parents were invited in to see and discuss children's learning journals and attend some group sessions, including an organised yoga session.
Staff also helped children learn about similarities and differences in people's lives, including where they live and their
HYPNOTHERAPY is a safe yet powerful psychotherapeutic tool which can be used to break the negative cycle of low moods and anxiety. It can help with anger, bad habits, blood pressure, weight control, lack of confidence, insomnia, IBS, relationship/marital difficulties, migraine, nail biting, nightmares, obsessions, panic attacks, struggling to leave the house, fears, phobias, stress and many more. Hypnotherapy uses the application of hypnotic techniques to bring about therapeutic change and is a very pleasant and relaxing experience.
Solution focused hypnotherapy was initially recommended to me by my Mum. Although I was happy with my life, my job and my friends, there were certain aspects of my life that I was unable to find contentment. I found myself becoming moody and snapping at loved ones unnecessarily. I could also feel my anxiety levels getting increasingly worse. The first time I met with my hypnotherapist it certainly surprised me, there was an immediate understanding of my issues and it was almost as if the hypnotherapist could read my mind, and this was just our first session!
The first time I realised the hypnotherapy was having a positive impact on my life was following a few sessions; I was on my way to the gym (something that I always intend to do but never found the energy or time to do so), I began singing along to my favourite song, something I had not done in so long! It felt fantastic! Hypnotherapy had given me the confidence and the motivation to change the parts of my life I was not happy with and to want to grow as a person. It made me realise just how many people could be helped with Hypnotherapy and I wanted to be the one to do just that! Since I started the course with Clifton Hypnotherapy practice in September 2017 I have not looked back and I have received so many fantastic positive comments
Hypnotherapy can help you see the good in each day and find the positives to live happier.
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appearance, and "acknowledge and celebrate these differences".
The inspector recommended that the nursery looks at further ways to enhance children's awareness of healthy lifestyles, and review assessment procedures.
Play Station opened at Barley Close in May 2020, shortly after the school's own nursery class closed.
It has 16 children aged between two and four on its roll, with places available for up to 30.
Manager Bernadette Braund said: "It took a long time for us to get to opening point, what with government changes and then Covid.
"We opened up during the pandemic, and it’s been a roller-coaster ride ever since.
"I am really proud of our team and what we have accomplished here so far, and we really look forward to continuing on our journey."
This January make a new year’s resolution to make sure you have an up-to-date Will in place.
To help you, our local legal experts in Wills – Simpson Solicitors – o er all our readers a genuine FREE review meeting. You will not feel rushed as they will take as long as you need.
• Not having an up-to-date Will can mean the inheritance you leave not going to the people you’d want and might be wasted on the cost of legal disputes or paying avoidable care home fees or inheritance tax.
• Not having up-to-date Lasting
Powers of Attorney that appoint those you trust to support you, can leave them feeling helpless and unable to support you in receiving the care and nancial assistance that you would want.
With Simpson Solicitors you have the reassurance of a locally based team who have just won the prestigious National Legal Customer Champions 2022 Award. This recognises how their Wills Service aims to make every client feel welcome, wanted and cared for.
The award-winning team are fully regulated, which also gives you the
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Benjamin says, “Make sure you are remembered for all the right reasons and not for leaving behind a legal mess for your family to sort out. We will guide you through all the issues you should think about to prevent problems for your family.”
Book your free January meeting now in either Chipping Sodbury or Kingswood by calling their friendly team and make use of the special o er of 20% o the cost of Lasting Powers of Attorney if you buy both a health and a nancial LPA. Email message@simpsonslawuk.com or call on 0117 960 8594
CAMPAIGNERS who want a total change to the way the area’s buses are run made a high-vis protest as they took their case to South Gloucestershire Council.
Supporters of the Reclaim Our Buses coalition, which brings together climate activists, trade unions, community groups and passengers, braved a freezing evening to stage a torchlit demonstration outside Kingswood Civic Centre, with many wearing reflective jackets.
They then came in from the cold to read out an open letter, signed by more than 1,500 residents of the region, to the council meeting on December 14.
The letter, drawn up by pressure group the West of England Shared Transport and Active Travel Network calls for the power to set fares, timetables and routes, to be taken from First and other private operators.
The current deregulated system would be replaced with a franchised bus service, provided under contract through the West of England Combined Authority in cooperation with local councils.
Franchising is already used in London, Jersey and many European countries.
The campaign has gathered momentum as First has made a series of cuts to services during the past year, citing driver shortages.
In April the frequency of the 48 and 49 services between Emersons Green and Bristol city centre was reduced, and metrobus m3 evening services
cut, while the Y2 route through Downend to Yate was axed.
In October the Y5 linking Pucklechurch and Shortwood to Mangotsfield, Staple Hill, Bristol, Yate and Chipping Sodbury was withdrawn, leaving Shortwood without any service as its “partial replacement”, the 47, did not go through the village.
And in November more than 160 journeys a week on the 48 and 49 routes were among 1,450 cancelled until April.
The cutbacks come as Bristol’s Clean Air Zone is introduced, with drivers of older diesel and petrol cars charged £9 a day to enter the city centre.
WestAct coordinator Emilia Melville said: “Buses are an essential part of a functional public transport system, and have to be part of the picture if people are going to be less dependent on cars. They are also a lifeline for people who can’t use cars - whether because of age (young or old), for financial reasons, or due to a whole range of disabilities.”
The protesters’ cause was given a lift when Bristol City Council voted to support bus franchising, the day before the South Gloucestershire meeting.
The move increases the pressure on Metro Mayor Dan Norris to explore how a bus franchising model could solve the wider region’s bus crisis.
Mr Norris has said franchising was still “on the table but not a quick fix”, adding that franchising would not solve the current shortage of drivers.
PEOPLE in South Gloucestershire are being let down by the continuing failure to deliver health services promised nearly two decades ago.
That’s the view of councillors who have now agreed to a new review of the impact of the reduction in hospital beds and shortage of minor injuries treatment provision across the district.
South Gloucestershire’s Health Scrutiny Committee heard that the Bristol Health Services Plan, drawn up in the early 2000s, had envisaged acute services at a rebuilt Southmead Hospital in Bristol with intermediate care beds at new community hospitals in Frenchay and Thornbury, as well as minor injuries units (MIUs) around the district.
But the Frenchay facility has not been built and South Gloucestershire has just one MIU at Yate, which cannot meet the demand, while efforts to secure a second MIU at Cossham
Hospital in Kingswood have been unsuccessful.
Campaigner Barbara Harris - a former member of Frenchay Community Hospital Group which campaigned for hospital facilities on the site - said a total of 348 hospital beds were lost through Frenchay and Thornbury hospital closures, while many of the beds at Southmead Hospital were currently occupied by patients who could not be discharged because follow-up community care was not available.
She and fellow campaigner Daphne Havercroft told the meeting that the problem would only get worse as South Gloucestershire’s population continued to increase, having already grown from 250,000 in 2005 to 296,000 now.
Mrs Harris called on MPs Jack Lopresti, Chris Skidmore and Luke Hall to take action, describing the healthcare situation as “the biggest scandal” in their constituencies.
Opposition councillors successfully called for a working group to be set up to scrutinise the failure to deliver the BHSP and find out why plans for community hospitals were abandoned so that a case can be made to the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board for improved provision.
Staple Hill & Mangotsfield Labour councillor Ian Boulton said the original BHSP had been a good plan, but it had not been delivered, and it was time new measures were put in place to address changing needs.
Yate Liberal Democrat councillor Ruth Davis said the Yate MIU often had to turn away patients because of high demand from across the district.
People then had to travel to already over-subscribed emergency departments at Southmead Hospital, Bristol Children’s Hospital or the Royal United Hospital in Bath, which was especially difficult for those
who did not have cars.
She said: "We have got a system that is just broken. People are travelling all over the place. But the bus services that join up various places don’t exist any more."
A BNSSG Integrated Care Board spokesperson said: “We understand the committee is drawing up terms of reference for this working group and we look forward to receiving further details.”
A BLUNDER at a Covid testing lab that resulted in 40,000 being given false negative results may have caused more than 20 deaths, a report has found.
People using the NHS Test and Trace facility in Mangotsfield between September and October 2021 were among those whose PCR test results falsely said they did not have coronavirus.
An investigation by the UK Health Security Agency into "errors" at the private Immensa lab in Wolverhampton found threshold levels for reporting positive and negative results were incorrectly set. About 10% of people tested were told they didn’t have Covid when they did.
Experts on the investigation estimated the mistakes caused an extra 55,000 infections, 680 hospitalisations and 20 deaths.
Dante Labs, which owns Immensa, did not respond to our request for a comment.
AMBULANCE workers in the NHS trust covering the Downend area were set to take part in two strikes at the end of December.
UNISON, Unite and the GMB announced that members who work for South Western Ambulance Service were among 3,500 who would strike on December 21 and 28 in a dispute over an imposed 4% pay award pay and staffing levels. The dispute involves paramedics, emergency care assistants, call handlers and other staff.
GMB National Secretary Rachel Harrison said: "This is as much about unsafe staffing levels and patient safety as it is about pay. A third of GMB ambulance workers think delays they’ve been involved with have led to the death of a patient."
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust said it had "robust plans in place" for the strike days.
CHILDREN at a primary school have put values into practice by donating food and other items to families in need at Christmas.
Pucklechurch Church of England Primary School studies a different Christian value each term and the most recent subject was generosity.
Deputy head teacher Gemma Jones said: “To show our generosity to those around us who are struggling with the mounting fuel costs, our families dug deep to take part in the North Bristol Foodbank’s Reverse Advent Calendar.
“Throughout November, each day represents a different item that helps to make a Christmas dinner, such as gravy, Christmas crackers and stuffing.
“Families donated whichever items they chose - some families even donated every item on the list!”
The foodbank collected the school’s donations in December, to distribute them to families in time for Christmas.
TWO primary schools which joined in a formal partnership at the start of the academic year say they are developing an “ethic of excellence” for pupils and teachers.
Emersons Green Primary School and Blackhorse Primary School have been working together on a new approach to working.
Head of school at Emersons Green Soraya Young said: “We chose to call the coming together of both schools the Primary Excellence Partnership, so that we could stay focused on what we were wanting to achieve as two already successful and popular schools, working together.”
Head of School at Blackhorse Neil Fry said the idea came from methods developed in the 1990s by an American teacher called Ron Berger, who encouraged his students to hone and redraft their work until it was “truly excellent”.
The most famous example was of an eight-year-old boy
who was coached by Ron and his classmates to draw a butterfly multiple times until he did it brilliantly.
Emersons Green and Blackhorse have adopted the butterfly as the logo for the Primary Excellence Partnership, to represent the idea.
Mr Fry said: “The two schools have been trying this approach out with a special piece of work each term, focusing on creative writing in term 1 and humanities and science in term 2.
“Although it’s early days, we are already starting to see children aiming for academic excellence.”
Executive headteacher of the schools Simon Botten said the “ethic of excellence” also applied to how teachers worked to improve themselves.
He said: “Since September, the two staff teams have met regularly to train together on joint priorities, this year focusing on improving the computing curriculum, improving reading
fluency and developing children’s ability to remember what they’ve been taught, through a technique called retrieval practice.
“The two schools have also learned a lot from each other’s strengths. For example, the staff at Blackhorse have been learning about how Emersons structure their successful art curriculum, whilst the staff at Emersons have been learning from Blackhorse how they promote mathematical fluency.”
Mr Botten said that as both schools were among the most inclusive in the area, with resource bases for children with a range of special educational needs and disabilities, they understood that “excellence looks different for different children”.
Mrs Young said: “Some of our children have significant physical disabilities at Emersons, whilst at Blackhorse many children have speech and language needs.
“However, whilst children’s excellence may look different
The new logo for Emersons Green Primary School and Blackhorse Primary School’s partnership
depending on their needs, both schools strongly believe that we must make sure that we have high expectations for every child, no matter what their need.”
The schools are planning more ‘ethic of excellence’ projects in the coming year, including a joint public art exhibition at Emersons Green Village hall in the summer.
SCHOOLS teamed up with artists and craftspeople for a showcase of creative talent.
Mangotsfield School's Winter Creative Arts Day featured performances from choirs, musicians, dancers and actors, exhibitions by artists and a market selling goods from local makers.
The secondary school's art department teamed up with King’s Forest Primary, Christ Church Junior and St Stephen’s Junior schools to organise an illustration competition, with artwork produced by the primary pupils displayed alongside Mangotsfield students' work at the event.
Mangotsfield School head of art Dawn Beedle said: "The exhibition was a wonderful visual journey of creativity from primary school into secondary school.
"We were so impressed with the quality of work from the primary schools we awarded four students from each school with certificates and prizes."
The newly-established Mangotsfield Choir and the school's house choirs made their first stage appearances, and musicians including piani9sts and drummers performed a variety of solos.
Mangotsfield School's drama department and drama club members performed short
monologues and duologues on stage and there were also solo and group dance performances.
Free drumming and ukulele workshops and free craft areas added to the entertainment.
Head of music Leah West also organised a talk by historian and art critic Michael Ohajuru about the black art in Bristol, before,
during and after the slave trade.
Mrs Beedle said: "The talk engaged both adults, including teachers from Mangotsfield, and students, who were left reflecting and wanting more."
Another highlight of the event on November 27 was a market where more than 20 creative makers sold creations including prints, stained and fused glass, cards, woodwork, ceramics and jewellery.
Stall holders donated prizes for a raffle which, along with a refreshment stand, raised money for the school to spend on improving creative opportunities for students: money raised at previous events has been spent on artist workshops, canvases and specialist materials.
Mrs Beedle said the event was a "huge success".
She said: "The day had many creative elements to recognise the wonderful opportunities art, music and drama provide for the students, staff and the community."
LESS than half of South Gloucestershire residents consider themselves to be Christian - and more people in the district say they have no religion at all.
The decline in religious observance is one of the trends in the UK population highlighted in results of the 2021 Census published by the Office for National Statistics.
The ONS said that for the first time in a census of England and Wales, less than half of the population (46.2%) described themselves as “Christian”, a 13.1% decrease from 2011, when the figure was 59.3%. In South Gloucestershire the number of people identifying as Christian was even lower, at 44.1%, with 'no religion' the most common response, given by 46.1% of residents.
Muslims made up 1.6% of the South Gloucestershire population, followed by Hindus (1%), Buddhists (0.4%), Sikhs (0.3%), Jews (0.1%), with 0.5% of respondents ticking 'any other religion' and 6% not answering the question.
In Bristol the majority of residents (51.4%) said they were nonreligious - a huge rise on the 37% who gave the same answer in 2011.
Analysis of local areas showed that the percentage of people identifying as Christian in Downend was higher than in Mangotsfield, Staple Hill, Emersons Green or Frenchay.
The number of people in the region describing themselves as non-religious is ahead of the national average, which was 37.2% - up from 25.2% in 2011.
Andrew Copson of non-religious group Humanists UK, said: "These results confirm that the biggest demographic change in England and Wales of the last ten years has been the dramatic growth of the non-religious. They mean the UK is almost certainly one of the least religious countries on Earth."
To see more details visit bit.ly/3Bzk592 online.
MORE than nine out of ten South Gloucestershire residents are white - about 10% above the average for England and Wales.
Figures from the 2021 Census on ethnic groups and national identity have been released as part of a programme by the Office for National Statistics to provide a detailed picture of the population.
Nationally, 81.7% of usual residents in England and Wales said their ethnic group was white, with 74.4% of the total population saying their ethnic group was 'White English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British'.
In South Gloucestershire 91.3% of residents said their ethnicity was white: 85.8% ticking the White English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British box, with the other white options on the census form being Irish (0.5%), Gypsy or Irish Traveller (0.2%), Roma (0.1%) or 'other White' (4.7%).
A total of 3.4% of residents
identified as Asian: the only option selected by more than 1% of respondents was 'Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh: Indian', which was picked by 1.7% of residents.
Another 1.6% of South Gloucestershire residents were 'Black, Black British, Black welsh, Caribbean or African', more than half of whom were African.
Another 2.5% of residents said their ethnicity was 'mixed or multiple ethnic groups': within that category the biggest group was 'white and black Caribbean' (0.9%) followed by 'white and Asian' (0.7%).
In neighbouring Bristol 81.1% of residents were white - close to the national average - with 71.6% describing their ethnicity as 'White English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British'.
The 2021 Census also asked people to describe their national identity - a more subjective question as it allowed people to choose between English or Welsh
only, English and British, Welsh and British or British only, as well as other combinations of UK and non-UK identities.
The ONS has not provided a breakdown of how people in South Gloucestershire and other areas of the country chose to identify within the various UK identities: its published figures say only that 92.1% of residents had a UK identity, 1.6% had a mixed UK and non-UK national identity and 6.3% had a non-UK identity.
However nationally the most striking change was a reversal in the numbers of people saying their identity was 'English' versus 'British'.
In 2011, 57.7% of people had only said their identity was English, with 19.1% saying British, 8.7% saying 'English and British' and the rest either saying Welsh, non-UK or another combination of identities.
But in 2021 54.8% of people ticked the 'British' box, with only 14.9% choosing 'English' and
13.6% choosing 'English and British'.
Numbers identifying only as 'non-UK' rose from 8% to 9.7%.
Census Deputy Director Jon Wroth-Smith said: "Today’s data highlights the increasingly multicultural society we live in.
"The percentage of people identifying their ethnic group as ‘White: English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British’, continues to decrease.
“But despite the ethnically diverse nature of society, 9 in 10 people across England and Wales still identify with a UK national identity."
In London just under twothirds of people identify with an ethnic minority group, he said.
Emersons Green Town Council are pleased to announce their intention to establish a Community Nature Reserve over the whole town council area, including Blackhorse, Lyde Green and parts of Mangotsfield. This is an exciting new development. The nature reserve will include both private gardens and land under local authority control. Everyone who manages a garden with wildlife in mind is invited to say what they are doing and register their patch of land as part of the nature reserve.
I AM all too aware of how tough 2022 was for residents and businesses up and down the constituency – and how those challenges will sadly continue into 2023 as well.
Whilst we have to focus on support here and now for struggling households and businesses, it’s important to also be laying the foundations for our economic, social and environmental recovery.
South Gloucestershire Council’s Linking the Greens project will continue to deliver travel and community benefits for the area.
New paths, highway resurfacing, landscaping and planting, as well as skate park enhancements, are just some of the improvements to our area that 2023 will see. With a consultation having recently finished, we can look forward to road safety improvements along Willowherb Road too, particularly around Lyde Green Primary School.
Our area has waited long enough for its new secondary school, and 2023 should be the year that building works starts, alongside Emersons Green Library’s anticipated new extension to provide more space for the children’s library, amongst other improvements.
I will be particularly proud to see the Institute for Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems (IAAPS) at
the Science Park go from strength to strength in 2023 in being at the forefront of technological innovation.
As the local MP, I worked closely with the University of Bath to lobby the government and others for the original funding to build it - and then as a government minister laid the foundation plaque of the building in 2019.
Another major new investment at the Science Park to “break ground” in 2023 will be Vectura’s new £58 million state-of-the-art “Inhalation Centre of Excellence” building.
Once complete, it will enable this local company to expand its operations, and provide new career opportunities for research and development scientists and engineers in pharmaceutical and device manufacturing.
Our environment will be further boosted through the second year of the exciting Common Connections initiative led by South Gloucestershire Council. This is a £1m, four-year landscape and habitat restoration project to improve links between registered common land, woodlands and other natural habitats to create a Wildbelt - an area of land where building is not allowed, so that nature can be protected and restored, stretching from Lyde Green southwards to Willsbridge.
I wish you all a Happy New Year.
THERE are some who neatly put away their Xmas lights every year, so that when they get them out the following year they don’t spend hours untangling them. Oh, how I wish I was one of them! Anyway, 160 metres and 1,600 lights on a tree at St James Church certainly look good.
"Really made me smile seeing this on the way home tonight" and "just got home after a long day, the tree looks amazing…cheered me up" are just two comments we’ve received.
Our Nativity Scene at the Dame School is now a regular Christmas feature and our carol concert on December 16 was well-attended again.
It was enhanced this year by members of the Phoenix Wind Band, who certainly added some depth and richness to the music.
I think the best way to end 2022 is to say a big thank-you to everyone who has helped
us over the past year, whether that’s through giving up their time, donating stuff, lending
are very grateful.
It all helps us in our main objective, to make Mangotsfield a better place to live.
On to 2023. We’ll be changing how we do things, with more focus on our 'Hour A Month' volunteering and making our get-togethers more social, with less focus on formal meetings. Hopefully that will encourage more people to get involved in their community - we can but try. Watch this space for more information in the New Year.
If you want to get in touch then please do so by email at MangotsfieldRA@gmail.com, via the ever-popular Mangotsfield Matters Facebook page, or telephone our Chair, Clive Heath, on 07507 168700 or me on 07918 701881.
I’ll sign off by wishing you all a very happy New Year.
us stuff or offering thanks and encouragement for the work we do: you know who you are, and weChris Amos The tree at St James Church. Picture: Andy Bly
INFANT pupils at Mangotsfield Church of England Primary School made their own stained glass-style window displays to celebrate the Christmas story.
The school’s Early Years Foundation Stage and Year 1 classroom windows were brightened up with the tissue paper artwork by the children, as they learned about Advent and the biblical events leading up to the birth of Jesus.
EYFS and Year 1 lead Jo Sihag said: “We have also been sharing our musical and creative learning with families through our nativities.”
Reception pupils performed a ‘Bethlehem Bake Off’, while Year 1 pupils performed a nativity play and sang for families at St James Church, Mangotsfield.
THE Winter Mini Challenge is an online challenge which runs from 1 December until 20 February 2023.
To take part in the Winter Mini Challenge, children join online at www.wintermini.org.uk and read three books of their choice to unlock a limited-edition virtual badge and a special Winter Mini Challenge certificate to print off and keep.
If you have read all of your Christmas books then we have 11000 childrens books across our three libraries - plus you can reserve titles from other libraries too!
The website has lots of games, book reviews, reading activities and content from the best children's authors and illustrators around. (If you cant get On Line ask one of our friendly staff to print of a reading log and other material for you).
Sunday 1st January – Monday 2nd January : Open Access only available 8am – 7.30pm
It's the perfect weather for snuggling up with a book and the Gadgeteers are back for the Winter Mini Challenge!
January 7
n ALADDIN PANTOMIME AT EMERSONS GREEN VILLAGE HALL, Emerson Way. Unmissable show from Chaplins Pantos 4 Kids, suitable for ages 3 and over but especially aimed at children aged 3 to 12. Performances at 2pm (until 4pm) and 5pm (until 7pm). To book tickets visit www.egvh.org.uk/ events-tickets.
n MEDITATION SESSIONS IN FRENCHAY Come along to the sessions that run from 3rd Monday each month at 7pm Frenchay Unitarian Chapel BS16 1ND from 20 Sept for the Person-centred Group Meditation and 1st Wednesday at 7pm from 6th Oct for the Kundalini movement meditation. Blessings to you. For more information contact Andrea on 07791119658 homewards.ma@btinternet.com.
n MESSY SPACE AT BADMINTON ROAD METHODIST CHURCH, 10.00-11.30am. This is a term-time group for babies and toddlers with their carers: play, crafts, story, refreshments. More information: www.badmintonroadmethodist.org. uk or 0117 239 3875
n PUCKLECHURCH SHORT MAT BOWLS CLUB Meet every Monday, Wednesday evening 7.30 - 10.00 and Sunday 2.30 - 5.00. Refreshments inc. All levels really Welcome. Ring Kath 07517 1297
n LONGWELL LIGHTNING NETBALL CLUB is looking for members with experience of netball, aged 16 or over for seniors and over 10 for juniors. Training Monday nights at Wellsway Way School, in Keynsham. For more information call Maisie Nash on 07920 443820 for juniors, Sandra
Nash on 07479 015048 for seniors.
n PILATES CLASS 18:45 – 19:45 at Christ Church Parish Hall, North Street, BS16 5SG. Contact Kerry 07919 051019 or email kerry@ yogaandpilatesforlife.com
n YOGA CLASS 19:55 – 20:55 at Christ Church Parish Hall, North Street, BS16 5SG. Contact Kerry 07919 051019 or email kerry@ yogaandpilatesforlife.com
n RIDGEWAY BADMINTON CLUB meets every Tuesday Evening from 8-10pm at Downend Sports Centre for informal badminton doubles/ singles matches between adults of all ages. First visit free. More info from Graham on 07968 050320.
n PUCKLECHURCH FOLK DANCING CLUB Established over 40 years we meet at Pucklechurch Community Hall Absom Road every alternative Tuesday 7.30pm until 10.15p.m. All welcolme with a partner or solo to enjoy good music, dancing and refreshments. Call Alan Mobile: 07812508396 or Linda 07843240414
n BODY TONE 9:30 – 10:30 at Christ Church Parish Hall, North Street, BS16 5SG. Contact Kerry 07919 051019 or email kerry@ yogaandpilatesforlife.com
n THE WOMEN’S SECTION OF THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION We meet the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 2pm at the old school hall now known as the YOU Foundation by the car park in Page Road Staple Hill. Speakers, quiz’s and handy craft afternoon finish’s with tea. If you are interested please telephone Madeleine Bills Secretary. 0117 9560805.
n WEDNESDAY CAFE FOR SENIORS, at Badminton Road Methodist Church (BS16 6NU) every Wednesday 10am to 12
noon. All Welcome – just come along – make new friends over a cuppa and cake. Information: 0117 239 5984
n MANGO JAMS PARENT/CARER AND TODDLER GROUP meets every Wednesday at Lyde Green community centre, 9.15am to 11.15am. Warm and friendly group run by volunteers from St James Church.
n DOWNEND TANG SOO DO meets at Christchurch Parish Hall, North Street on Wednesday evenings from 7.30-9pm. Suitable for beginners and ages 10+. First class free. More details from Ian on 07817 744689 or at the Downend Tang Soo Do Facebook page.
n DOWNEND FLOWER ARRANGING CLUB: Would you like to arrange flowers? Friendly club meets at 7.30pm on the first and third Wednesdays, from September to June, at Lincombe Barn, Overndale Road. For information call Joyce 0117 956 8978.
n CLEEVESINGERS OF DOWNEND Enjoy singing, then come and join this four part choir who meet on Wednesday evenings at Lincombe Barn, Overndale Road 7.30 p.m. from September until July. For more information contact the Secretary on 0117 9561881.
n FRENCHAY PROBUS CLUB We meet at Frenchay Village Hall on the first Wednesday of each month between 10.00 and 12.00 hrs. For further details contact: frenchayprobus@outlook.com
n WARMLEY JAZZ CLUB, every Wednesday £5 on the door. Cadbury Heath Social Club. Doors open 7.30pm. More details at warmleyjazz.co.uk.
n BRISTOL SCRABBLE CLUB meets every Wednesday evening at 7pm until 10pm at Filton Community Centre, Elm Park, Filton BS34 7PS. New members welcome-
first visit free so come along and give us a try. For further information contact Sheila on 01179570792 or 07435316458 or email shinett@ blueyonder.co.uk.
n
We are a friendly group, we meet at 7.30pm on 1st & 3rd Wednesday each month from September to June at Lincolne Barn, Overndale Road, BS16 2RW.
Ring Genise on 0777 2451217 for more information.
n PILATES 10:15 – 11:15 at Christ Church Parish Hall, North Street, BS16 5SG. Contact Kerry 07919 051019 or email kerry@ yogaandpilatesforlife.com
n NEXT DOOR BOOKS welcomes new members. Book club meets on the last Thursday of the month at either 10am or 2pm, depending on numbers. Normally meets at Lyde Green Community Centre. email jessica.callaway@hotmail.co.uk.
n LONGWELL GREEN
ORCHESTRA meet each Thursday evening at Longwell Green Community Centre from 7:30 until 9:40. We have players of all abilities. Contact@longwellgreenorchestra. org.uk or 07972 844073. Please get in touch before to tell us what instrument and what level.
n PILATES 19:00 - 20:00 at The Sports Pavilion, Pomphrey Hill, Emersons Green, BS16 9NF. Contact Kerry 07919 051019 or email kerry@yogaandpilatesforlife.com
n YOGA 10:15 – 11:15 at Christ Church Parish Hall, North Street, BS16 5SG. Contact Kerry 07919 051019 or email kerry@ yogaandpilatesforlife.com
n TAI CHI FOR PARKINSON’S. Weekly beginners Tai Chi & Qi Gong class for people with Parkinson’s disease, their families and carers.
We meet for Tai Chi, tea and cake at Lincombe Barn, Downend. BS16 2RW. Time: Fridays (term times) 10.15 – 12.15 including tea / coffee break. Contact: Claire - Claire@ Taichibodyandmind.co.uk (07769 857672) or Sarah - buqiworks@ gmail.com (07815 662844)
n MANGO JAMS PARENT/ CARER AND TODDLER GROUP meets every Friday at St James Church Hall, Richmond Road, Mangotsfield, 9.15am to 11.15am. Warm and friendly group run by volunteers from St James Church: everyone welcome to attend.
n PAGE PARK UKULELE CLUB, Bean Tree café, Fridays at 1pm. All abilities welcomed. Places £4 each. For further details call or text ‘Ukulele’ to Ben on 07910 668258.
n RAINBOW TOTS PARENT AND TODDLER GROUP meets at Emersons Green Village Hall every Friday morning in term time, from 10-11.30am. All welcome - for more info e-mail church.egbc@ outlook.com
n MANGOTSFIELD AND CASTLE GREEN UNITED REFORMED CHURCH regular coffee mornings, held on the first Thursday of the month, 10.30am-noon at the
church in Cossham Street. Coffee, cake and a chat.
n BRISTOL SUGARCRAFT GUILD We are a small friendly group who meet every third Saturday of the month 2pm to 4pm at St Andrews Hall, Elm Park, Filton. Beginners very welcome. Please call Jean Kington on 01454 314178.
n PAGE PARK UKULELE CLUB, Bean Tree café, Fridays at 1pm. All abilities welcomed. Places £4 each. For further details call or text ‘Ukulele’ to Ben on 07910 668258.
n STAPLE HILL METHODIST CHURCH Coffee mornings in our beautiful building every Saturday 10.00-12.00 in aid of church funds or charities. Enjoy Fairtrade coffee, tea and cake, and stalls.
n EMERSONS GREEN BAPTIST CHURCH is now up and running again, after Covid, at the Emersons Green Village Hall every Sunday at 10.30am. Do come along. It would be great to see you. We look forward to having our regulars back as well as many new people.
n BADMINTON ROAD METHODIST CHURCH In-person Sunday worship continues weekly
Are you a caring person? Are you a carer for a family member?
Do you want a flexible job, working from home?
Could you support someone to achieve their goals?
Do something amazing, become a Shared Lives carer.
Do you need support to live your life?
Find out if Shared Lives could support you: www.ategi.org.uk
at 10.30am and all are welcome. For information contact: Revd Samuel Uwimana: 0117 239 5984 or www.badmintonroadmethodist. org.uk
n MANGOTSFIELD AND CASTLE GREEN UNITED REFORMED CHURCH hold regular weekly Sunday morning worship at Cossham Street. Services start at 10.30 a.m.with different speakers each week. New members very welcome. For more details please
contact Peter Redding (Ch.Sec.) on 0117 9657075.
n STAPLE HILL METHODIST CHURCH, High Street BS16 5HQ Sunday services 10.30am + Sunday Club for ages 5-17. Holy Communion 2nd Sunday of the month – all invited. Taizé worship 6.00pm 3rd Sunday of the month. Contact Rev Dr Aboseh Ngwana 07482 550888, Philippa Church Liaison at staplehillmethodist@ hotmail.co.uk or www. staplehillmethodist.com
It’s a bit like foster care – but for an adult. As a Shared Lives carer, you will be paid to support adults who need a little extra help from your own home.You’ll help them to achieve their goals and support them to live independently, helping them live their life, their way. They could spend the day with you, stay overnight or even move in, it’s flexible to you.
What does it mean to be a Shared Lives carer?
“I’m proud to be a Shared Lives carer because I believe that everyone deserves to be happy and be themselves, regardless of who they are and that’s exactly what Shared Lives does -placing people in homes with families where they are cared for, loved and respected.”Kwame, Shared Lives carer
Find out more about becoming a Shared Lives carer on our website: www.ategi.org.uk or email us on carerapplication@ategi.co.uk
make when I walk to and from school. Maybe if we plant more trees and plants, we will have even more birds and more music?
You need to try this quiz: which of these animals live in Lyde Green?
Lions Elephants Hyenas Bears Deer Hippos
I AM Daniel. I’m in Year 3 and I go to Lyde Green Primary and live in Lyde Green.
I know climate change is destroying the planet, and I am writing to tell you how to help stop it, and to help wildlife to survive.
I recommend lots of trees and plants.
On my street and in my garden, there are lots of trees. I have two apple trees and a plum tree, and also an olive tree, and they help our planet.
Also, it gives a home to some animals like woodpeckers. I heard a woodpecker in Lyde Green before and my neighbours to the left have seen one in their garden, too.
I like to listen to the music that the birds
The answer is e):- deer.
Yes, it is true, in Lyde Green we have deer somehow!
To help the animals that also live here, I recommend you try and put rubbish in the bins provided, but if they are full to the top, or overflowing, then you can take it home with you, to stop littering.
Try to recycle always. If it can’t be recycled, then reuse and buy rechargeable things, like batteries for your Halloween decorations and your Christmas decorations. You can also buy light bulbs that are good for our planet, with less watts so you don’t waste energy and also save money.
Buy a hybrid car or an electric car if you can afford them, but also walk or cycle or scoot to school and work.
Cycling and walking and scooting is good for your body and it makes your legs stronger, but also it makes no fumes, so it will help stop climate change.
If you would like to be a guest writer or volunteer with Lyde Green OpenSpace, please feel free to get in touch with us on Facebook @lydegreenopenspace or by email at lgopenspace@gmail.com.
Thank you all for your continued support.
Laurence Binks Lyde Green OpenSpace Group
hear from our young generation about what nature means to them.
I WANT to thank all of the volunteers and supporters of the 2022 Poppy Appeal.
We always have a great deal of support from businesses, schools, and the rest of the community, and this year has been no exception.
Overall we are looking to have raised around £45,000, and this money goes to supporting the Armed Forces and veteran community.
Thank you again to my amazing volunteers - if you would like to help us in 2023, please let me know by emailing staplehillrbl@gmail. com, calling 07950 104450 or heading to www. staplehillrbl.org.uk.
IT’S likely that a majority of residents would freely admit, now and again, to criticising South Gloucestershire Council for their inability to maintain the services they are responsible for. However, recently there was an exception - and it’s not very often you get to sing the praise of one department.
The StreetCare grounds work teams have done marvellous work, not only trimming but cutting right back a lot of overgrown grass, bushes, hedges, trees along the pathways and dramways from Hanham to Staple Hill and
beyond. It makes so much difference, not only being tidy but the feedback from users has been one of positivity.
I believe this work has been made possible by a few new toys the team has!
Now SGC, you’ve set the benchmark highlong may it continue. Well done, and thank you team. Resident Rob
AS a baker, I love getting together with my family over Christmas for lots of good food.
These special moments really make me think about how lucky I am. That’s why I’m taking part in Mary’s Meals’ Big Family Christmas fundraiser – and I hope you will join me.
Mary’s Meals provides a daily meal to more than 2.2 million children every school day, in 20 of the world’s poorest countries.
Its nutritious meals attract desperately hungry children into the classroom, where they can gain an education and chance of a better future.
Every year, this amazing charity hosts a virtual Christmas dinner for supporters around the world. In return for a donation of £15.90 –enough to feed a child with Mary’s Meals for a school year – your name will appear online and you will receive a beautiful PDF placemat.
Until January 31, support for Mary’s Meals will go twice as far, thanks to its Double The Love campaign. During this period, donations to the charity will be doubled by a group of generous supporters, with up to £1.5 million available.
This means your kindness will go even further at this critical time: a donation of £15.90 will feed two children for a whole school year.
You can find out more at marysmeals.org.uk.
Giuseppe Dell’Anno, Great British Bake Off winner 202
MORE than 6,800 people in the UK are starting the New Year waiting for an organ transplant –and over 220 of these patients are children.
These mums, dads, wives, husbands, partners, daughters, sons can only be saved by someone giving them the greatest gift, the gift of life.
At a time of making resolutions to do good, let people know you want to save lives.
Signing up to be an organ donor is quick and easy, and makes it easier for families if they know what you want.
Give hope to the thousands of people and hundreds of children on the transplant waiting list:
join the NHS Organ Donor Register at www. organdonation.nhs.uk.
Please tell your family about your decision so that they know what you want.
Anthony Clarkson NHS Blood and TransplantSOUTH Gloucestershire Council is planning to seek new powers to crack down on antisocial behaviour in part of Mangotsfield.
The council wants to apply for a public spaces protection order (PSPO) to give it the power to ban the storing, dismantling and repairing of unroadworthy vehicles in the area of land behind Northcote Road, Rodway Road and Long Road.
Under the PSPO anyone who kept a vehicle in the area without a valid MOT, tax or insurance could face a fine or prosecution.
A four-week consultation on the order was running until Dec 21 online at bit.ly/3FrdsXB.
A council spokesperson said the plan had been drawn up following complaints about "incidents of perceived antisocial behaviour that have been having a detrimental impact on the quality of lives of people in the area".
A NEW year brings about the opportunity to renew oneself, to start over or simply build upon the foundations we already have.
At least that’s what we’re told.
However, to no-one’s surprise, I would suggest a great way to welcome in 2023 is with a video game!
But what games best encapsulate that feeling of renewal, of bettering oneself?
Here we have three recommendations for video games which will help jump start your journey:
The first game is Big Brain Academy for the Nintendo Switch.
This game focuses on training your brain in multiple activities based around five concepts: visualise, compute, analyse, memorise and identify.
One of the main appealing factors of this game is that it caters for all age ranges, so you’re able to still train your brain while having fun with family and friends.
However, if you prefer playing on your own then fear not, as you can compete in ‘Ghost Clash’ mode,
By Emersons Green-based gamer Conor McGeachie
which allows you to play with recordings of other players’ games.
The second game to get you revitalised for the New Year focuses on your fitness and creativity: Just Dance, which is available on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
This classic series has made a return with its latest instalment, unsurprisingly called Just Dance 2023.
While having some of the current most popular music, it also includes classic tunes that all will recognise.
By using your whole body, you’re tasked with dancing to the max in order to get a high score and also work up a healthy sweat.
The final game to assist in your self-improvement journey is another fitness title: Ring Fit Adventure, for the Nintendo
PHIL Bater’s much-lauded return to Cossham Street as Mangotsfield United manager lasted just three matches, as he sensationally resigned two days after a 5-2 home loss against Worcester Raiders.
The Mangos started life under Bater with a 4-2 win over Tuffley Rovers, but this was followed a week later by a 4-0 thumping at Clevedon Town in the FA Vase.
The next home game should have given the players the chance to put things right. It proved to be a disaster, with Worcester leading 4-1 at the break and running out 5-2 winners, with both Mangos goals netted by Owen Ridler.
Bater’s departure two days later came as a complete shock to supporters and officials, with no apparent public reason given.
The team were due to to play a Gloucestershire Cup tie against Chipping Sodbury Town within 24 hours.
The club opted to concede the tie rather than face the "impossible" task of bringing in a new manager in time.
Later in the week, Glyn Ashton returned to the dug-out as interim manager once more.
His first game back was a 4-1 away loss at Brimscombe & Thrupp, with Jadyn Crosbie getting the Mangos' goal.
However, things improved the following week, with a well-earned 1-0 away win at Fairford Town, Jeffrey Barimah scoring to give Mangotsfield three vital points in their bid to stay clear of the bottom two.
This was followed by a tough midweek Wiseman Lighting Floodlit Cup away trip to Royal Wootton Basset Town, who had already beaten the Mangos twice in the league - but a very determined performance saw Mangotsfield win a penalty shoot-out 4-2, after the match finished 0-0, putting them into the last eight.
The team's new-found confidence brought an excellent 3-1 away win at Hereford Lads Club.
THE first game of December showed how the Cleve RFC first team are making improvements under the coaching of Nathan Huntley.
The 22-15 away win against Old Bristolians was the first time Cleve have beaten Old Bristolians in the last two years.
Dave Smale
Simon Prangley netted after 10 minutes and Jaydn Crosbie doubled the lead on 25 minutes, then made it 3-0 in the second half with a skilfully taken one-on-one around the keeper. The Mangos stood firm after a late goal from the hosts, to claim another well-earned three points.
December 27: Bradford Town (H)
January 2: Longlevens (H)
January 7: Lydney Town (A)
January 14: Malvern Town (H)
January 31: Thornbury Town (H)
The team are now working well together. The forwards are winning ball and producing the right conditions to allow the backs to thrive.
The result followed a 32-17 win over Cheltenham North and came before a 22-12 home defeat to Burnham-on-Sea on the club's Reunion Day, to encourage old players to come back to the club and socialise with new and old friends.
The last game of 2022, away to Longlevens away, was expected to provide a challenging end to the year.
Cleve are due to start 2023 with a home fixture against Midsomer Norton on January 7 at 2.30pm.
Steve BatemanCARSONS and Mangotsfield Cricket Club has big plans for the coming year.
After a gap of three years Mark Pitt has returned as chair for the 2023 season and told the club's recent AGM at Pomphrey Hill he is looking forward to building on the foundations that have been set over the last few years, to continue to move the club forward both on and off the pitch.
After a successful league season Sam Brayley, Mike Wallage and John Douglass will continue to take charge of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd teams respectively.
There is a change at 4th team level, with youth coordinator Tim Ravenscroft and Phil Clatworthy leading the 4th Xl, with the club keen to have a link in leadership between the youth and senior teams.
The club would like to thank those local companies who have sponsored us - the support they have provided has been appreciated by the club.
One of the changes the club is looking to develop in 2023 is the commercial side, under treasurer Cam Lippiatt, who is being assisted by Andy King.
The club will also be starting pre-season training in January. Anyone who is interested in either playing or sponsoring the club should email iancoles7@sky.com. Ian Coles
DOWNEND Flyers first team started December with a fine victory away at league leaders Frampton Athletic.
Faith Flynn dramatically scored the only goal of the game in the last minute - but equally importantly, Aimee Glover, in goal for the Flyers, made several great saves at the other end to cap a really good team performance.
This could prove to be a springboard moment in what will be a very competitive South West regional league northern division this season.
The team's final game of 2022, a home match against St Vallier Ladies in the league, was postponed due to the weather, denying them the chance of a win that could have seen them climb two places into third place in the table.
The reserves' two remaining fixtures in Gloucestershire County league division 2 were also postponed, frustrating their aim to start 2023 in the top half of the table.
In Division 3 the newly formed A team saw their road trips to Andoversford and Southmead before the Christmas break postponed.
The club is looking forward to receiving a sports camera to analyse their games.
Utilising some of the prize money received from their fine Women’s FA Cup run, Dean Giles and his coaching team are looking forward to the benefits of professional recording of their games to drive the teams forward in the coming months and years.
The teams have also welcomed a new shirt sponsor - so many thanks to Cake Box, Fishponds!
All three teams welcome new prospective players of any age or ability and we are also looking for a new coach for our A team and assistants for both the reserves and A team, so if you are interested please get in touch.
For more information email info@downendflyers.com.
Duncan GardnerAT Cleve Chiropractic, we love to showcase the very best talent available to look after all our patients – and we have another top quality new arrival to help us see in 2023.
I’m delighted to announce that we have recruited superstar physiotherapist Jack Haines from the highly competitive world of elite rugby union. The very sad demise of the illustrious Premiership side Wasps has created an opportunity for Cleve Chiropractic. The unexpected and sudden folding of Wasps led to not just availability of world-class players, but also the staff who found themselves without a job.
The reputation of Cleve Chiropractic as one of the best sports injury clinics in the UK has clearly made waves across the country. Jack had heard about us and set up a chat with me to see if we had space for another Premiership standard physio – and you know we love a star practitioner! So we jumped at the chance for an interview and to show Jack around the clinic.
Jack loved our ethos of providing Premier League quality healthcare to all. Why should such high standards of care, experience and equipment be limited to only the best athletes and players? He even said he thought that we had more kit and facilities than most top clubs in the country, which was music to my ears. For 20 years, I’ve been striving to reach these high standards and provide the best possible service to our
#Clevefamily.
Jack has worked at the highest levels of rugby union with Wasps and also for Australia on their recent tour of the northern hemisphere. Jack has loved working for Wasps and the Wallabies and can’t wait to bring all that knowledge and insight to Mangotsfield.
We know that he has ambitions to re-join another top-flight rugby club and we both hope that this might somewhere in the south west. He loves Bristol and would be delighted to stay working with us long into the future.
Now here’s some more good news for all our patients. The British Chiropractic Association (BCA) has launched a new Patient Charter to its members and the general public, continuing its mission to be ‘the home of chiropractors who put patients
first’. As proud members of the BCA, Cleve Chiropractic and Physiotherapy is delighted to share this news with our patients and give you more information about the significance of this document, which you can see displayed in our clinic.
The Patient Charter is a pledge, from BCA chiropractors to their patients, to remind them of the quality care they’ll receive when receiving treatment from us. It’s laid out in such a way that any patient can use the charter to start a conversation – and any chiropractor can easily explain it to them.
Created by the BCA to provide people with reassurance, the Patient Charter clearly shows why BCA chiropractors, like ourselves, are different from any others who operate in the same field. It acts as a transparent agreement, ensuring that patient-centred, evidence-informed care is always provided by BCA chiropractors.
In a bid to end misperceptions and myths about chiropractic, the Patient Charter highlights that the profession is strongly regulated, helping to provide consistency, such as the standard of education and training required. Chiropractors are regulated by law and required to adhere to strict Codes of Practice, in the same way as dentists and doctors.
As you know, the President of the British Chiropractic Association is our very own Catherine Quinn, who commented, “The Patient Charter
is a pledge that every one of our BCA chiropractors can be proud of. It reiterates the reputation of BCA chiropractors as being credible, evidence-informed, ethical experts working within the modern healthcare sector. Every BCA chiropractor recognises their role as a healthcare professional, helping empower the patient to make an informed decision about treatment that is based on individual needs. This patientcentred approach is at the core of everything we do at the BCA.”
As Vice-President of the BCA, I am incredibly proud to see the charter that we have been developing as part of our repositioning over the past few years come to life and be able to share it with you.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2023!
