Emersons Green Voice May 2024

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School’s

got talent

A pupil at Emersons Green Primary School performs in the school’s Musical Extravaganza with teacher Katarina Sliacka. Full story: Page 12

Helping others in Tyler's name

THE parents of a young man who was killed in a crash on the Avon Ring Road are working to help other families in their position.

Tyler Carley, who was 20, died in December when the lorry he was a passenger in overturned on the A4174 Avon Ring Road near Mangotsfield.

The former Mangotsfield School pupil's family

have set up a foundation in his memory, to help charities that offer help to bereaved relatives, after finding it hard to find support following his death.

In their first major fundraising event, a team of runners is coming together to race in Tyler's memory at this month's Great Bristol Run.

Turn to Page 3

At last! Work starts at schools site

Construction is under way for the two long-awaited new schools in Lyde Green.

PAGE 5

Shocking toll of sewage spills

Raw sewage was flushed into streams in Pucklechurch for more than 1250 hours last year.

PAGE 7

Emersons Green’s dinosaur garden

Meet Dinomite, a new willow structure in the park that’s central to this year’s Earthfest.

PAGE 9

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DEADLINES

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LOCAL INFORMATION

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general enquiries: 101 Emergency: 999

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Emergency: 999

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Anti social behaviour team asbreporting@southglos.gov.uk 01454 868582

Man admits killing footballer Scott

A MAN has admitted killing former Mangotsfield United footballer Scott Hendy.

Avon & Somerset police said George Baylis punched 46-yearold Scott, who also played for Clevedon Town, Bath City and Yate Town, in the car park of the Kings Arms pub, off Redwick Road, Pilning, in the early hours of March 2.

Scott, a father of three children, died the following day of a head injury, in Southmead Hospital.

Baylis, aged 30, of Redwick Road in Pilning, pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter at Bristol Crown Court on April 8. He has been remanded in custody until a hearing on May 29.

Streetcare/litter/vandalism etc streetcare@southglos.gov.uk

Environment/trading standards 01454 868001

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Emersons Green Voice is independent. We cannot take responsibility for content or accuracy of adverts, and it is advertisers’ responsibility to conform to all relevant legislation. We cannot vouch for any services offered. Opinions are not necessarily those of the editor. Emersons Green Voice is distributed each month to local residents. If for some reason you do not get a copy, please get in touch or collect one from local pick-up points. Feedback is welcomed, call Gary Brindle on 0117 907 8585 or news@emersonsgreenvoice. co.uk.

COMPLAINTS

Despite our best efforts, we sometimes get things wrong. We always try to resolve issues informally at first but we also have a formal complaints procedure. If you have a complaint about anything in the Emersons Green Voice, contact the publisher using the details below. We aspire to follow the Code of Conduct of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists), which holds journalists to a high standard of behaviour.

Further details of the complaints process can be found on the Voice website, or can be obtained by contacting the Publisher.

A member of the

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Almond, of the police major crime investigation team, said: "This incident has had truly tragic consequences, and our heartfelt thoughts and sympathies go out to Scott’s family.

"We have updated them of the guilty plea and specially trained officers will continue to offer them support."

In March around 900 people remembered Scott, who was living in Pilning when he was killed, at a charity match at Mangotsfield United's Cossham Street ground.

The former central defender, who made almost 400 appearances for the club, had been due to play in the match on March 17 but after his death it was transformed into a memorial event, raising more than £5,000 to support his family.

Scott leaves behind sons Lewis and Harvey, aged 24 and 14, and daughter Holly, 13.

His children and his parents, Bob and Jen, were among family members who attended the memorial game.

After Scott's death the club's board and committee issued a statement, which said: "Scott was someone who was held in very high regard within the club and his loss is felt by all who knew him and enjoyed watching him play.

"More than just a great player, he was a great person and was well thought of by fans, managers and teammates alike."

Scott's friend and former team-mate Geraint Bater, who played alongside him at both Mangotsfield and Clevedon Town, organised a Gofundme donation page to support his family, which had raised more than £16,000 by mid-April.

It can be found online at tinyurl.com/36b6mpaa.

Geraint said: "Scott was loved by everyone who met him; he was funny, genuine and the life and soul of any party. His sense of humour was legendary and his loss will be felt from all over Bristol, such was the reach of his infectious personality.

"I know the word legend is banded around a bit, but he comes firmly into that category."

n George Baylis

n Scott Hendy

Family's foundation will keep Tyler's memory alive

From Page 1

Tyler's dad Mark said he, Tyler's mum Gemma and siblings Kylan, Skye and Ronni-Irene, had founded The Road Forward – Tyler Carley Foundation to support road accident victims' families in the light of their own experience.

He said that in the immediate aftermath of Tyler's death: "We literally had no support.

"The police give you a green book and send you on your way. You come home and get an email about six hours later from your police liaison officer, and that's it. There was nothing at all for Tyler's sisters, brother, aunts and uncles."

The family eventually found two charities which offered help.

The first, SCARD (Support & Care After Road Death & Injury), provides a phone helpline, free counselling, legal and practical support for families affected by road deaths and serious injuries.

The second, 2Wish, supports the families of children and young people who have passed away, offering counselling, home visits and 'memory boxes'.

After supporting SCARD with donations from mourners at Tyler's funeral, the family started considering a more permanent way of honouring his memory.

Mark said they decided to go ahead and set up The Road Forward after people who knew Tyler contacted them offering to run the 10k at the Great Bristol Run in his memory.

Already more than 20 people

have volunteered to run, with an initial target set of raising £5,000 through sponsorship and online donations.

Mark said every penny raised would go towards charities supporting other families in a similar position, and to raise awareness of their work.

Eventually he hopes that the foundation will be able to offer help direct to local bereaved families struggling with funeral and burial costs, or living expenses after having to take time off work.

Mark, who and grew up in Kingswood, also hopes to organise sessions to teach CPR at Kingswood Boxing Club, where he is a volunteer coach, after learning that passers-by tried to revive Tyler at the scene of the crash that claimed his life.

Mark said: "It's surprising the number of people who don't know any first aid."

Tyler lived in Kingswood before moving to Mangotsfield and then Thornbury, attending St Stephen's infants and juniors

before going to Mangotsfield School and then the Castle School. He was working as a scaffolder when he died.

Mark said Tyler had a big group of friends from Kingswood, Mangotsfield and Thornbury, and also from playing football for Deerswood, Longwell Green and Bristol Rovers' development squad. He was a big Rovers fan, following the club home and away, both with his dad and with friends.

People from all areas of Tyler's life are supporting the fundraising, along with Mark's colleagues at gas supplier Flogas – the company is supplying running tops for the team running the 10k on May 19.

More details on The Road Forward can be found at the charity's Facebook and Twitter accounts, or by emailing info@ tylercarley.org. A website is also being set up at tylercarley.org.

Anyone who wants to donate to the foundation online can do so via its JustGiving page at tinyurl.com/4aknubcs.

Adam will run 5k a day

AMONG those running to raise money in Tyler's memory is Adam Young, a fellow Bristol Rovers fan who got to know Tyler and Mark from attending away games together.

Adam, who grew up in Downend and now lives in Chipping Sodbury, has pledged to run 5km every day during May.

Adam, who works at Bristol Airport, said: "I knew Tyler through supporting Bristol Rovers. He was a polite, happy and friendly lad, who enjoyed his away trips with us, going to grounds that we hadn’t been to before.

"I saw everyone was going to do the Bristol 10k, but I can’t do it due to work commitments. I still wanted to raise money for the foundation, so I came up with 5k a day for May.

"The routes will vary and I will try to mix them up – even when I'm away in the Canaries, I’ll still be running over there every day."

Adam has already received pledges of more than £450 – his JustGiving page can be found at tinyurl.com/dffmwdbz.

• A 37-year-old man was arrested in connection with Tyler's death and later released under investigation. Police say their enquiries into the circumstances of the incident are ongoing and as yet, no one has been charged. Anyone with information should call the police on 101 and give the reference number 5223 297 300.

Tyler Carley (right) with dad Mark at the Memorial Stadium

Adam Young pictured with a young Tyler Carley

A WOMAN who was caring for her father has been prosecuted by South Gloucestershire Council for continuing to claim payments after he died.

Natalie Newcombe, of Emersons Green, was employed by her father as a personal assistant under a care plan he received via the council, which allowed him to appoint his own carers.

She was paid by the council for the hours that she cared for him.

However when Mr Newcombe died in April 2020 the council was not informed.

A spokesperson said that four months later his daughter was contacted and asked whether she was continuing to support him.

The spokesperson said: “She replied confirming she was, and claimed funding from April 2020 to October 2020, which she was not entitled to.

“In November 2020 the council became aware of Mr Newcombe’s death and prevented any further payments.”

Carer prosecuted after claiming allowance for dead father

“The council tried to contact Natalie Newcombe several times to discuss the matter, but she failed to respond.”

The council said that after its internal audit team identified fraud had taken place the case was investigated by its trading standards team, who identified her whereabouts in February the following year.

She admitted the fraud and made an agreement with the council to repay £6,507.

The council spokesperson added: “Newcombe was given several opportunities to resolve the matter informally and repay the money to the council, but she failed to do so.

“As such, she was interviewed under caution in May 2023, when she admitted she knew

what she had done was wrong.

“She claimed that she had used the money for her father’s funeral and was given the opportunity to provide evidence to support this, but didn’t.

“As a result, a charge of fraud was laid against her.”

Newcombe, aged 35, pleaded guilty to the fraud charge but failed to attend three sentencing hearings, and on March 18 this year, Bristol magistrates issued a warrant for her arrest.

She handed herself in and on March 28 she was given a 12week suspended prison sentence, ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work and repay the council £6,507.

Trading standards service manager Shaun Fudge said: “This result follows close working

between the council’s finance officers and Trading Standards team to investigate this matter.

“It’s important that the council’s limited funds go to those that are entitled to them and, where we identify fraud has been committed, we will take action to recover any money that has been wrongly claimed.

“A fraud conviction on your record will not be viewed favourably and can seriously harm your employment prospects.”

The council encouraged anyone who thinks someone may be misusing funds intended for care and support to visit the fraud prevention and detection pages on its website at tinyurl. com/mttjwwwb.

Ground works start for new schools

BUILDERS have started ground works on the site of Lyde Green’s two new schools.

South Gloucestershire Council says the schools are on track to open in September 2026, four years after originally intended, with building work expected to take around two years.

The site in Honeysuckle Road, which will house the new 900-place Lyde Green Secondary School and a 420-place primary school next door, had been fenced off by April, with heavy machinery on site and work underway.

South Gloucestershire Council published an update on the project, which said: “There will now be considerable construction activity on-site and lorry movements in and out of the site in the upcoming months.

“The construction company BAM Construction Ltd, will be managing these works and will be communicating with residents near to the site to update them on construction activities.

“Building the two schools is expected to take around two years. We anticipate them being handed over to Olympus and CSET Trusts for fit-out, and to be made ready for the start of the new school year in September 2026.”

The council says work is under way despite the final funding agreement for the secondary school not having been signed by the Department for Education, “because of the tight timelines to deliver the

schools in time for the start of the 2026/27 academic year”.

The schools’ sports facilities, which will also be available for community use and including pitches and a pavilion, are almost finished already. The council says it expects them to be “useable later this year”.

The secondary school will be run by the Olympus Academy Trust, which also runs Winterbourne Academy, while the primary school will be run by the Castle School Education

Trust as a sister school to the existing Lyde Green Primary School in Willowherb Road.

Last month the Voice reported that secondary schools serving the Emersons Green area were among the most oversubscribed in the district, with Downend School receiving 325 first-choice applications for its 210 advertised places and 192 children offered places at schools they didn’t apply for, including 71 at King’s Oak Academy in Kingswood. In April the council reported that it had been able to offer 94.2% of families applying for a primary school place for September their first choice, with only 1% of families missing out on all three choices.

A council spokesperson said: “Overall, the availability of places in the primaries across South Gloucestershire is good, we can meet the demand from the local community, in the local community, and meet a high level of parental preferences, which has increased compared to last year.”

Builders have started work on the fenced-off schools site

TURNER'S VISION

Which is the best anti-glare option –polarised or transition?

Choosing the right type of sunglasses for the summer months can be a real headache for those sensitive to bright light. Think scrambling around for your shades when driving only to have to dig out your regular glasses minutes later when the sun’s gone in.

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Polarised lenses take the glare away

Polarised lenses were created almost a century ago by Edwin Land, the inventor of instant photography and the founder of the Polaroid Corporation.

They work by blocking certain types of light from reaching the eye. Normally, light blasts at our eyes in vibrating waves that move in every direction. Polarised lenses block out light reflected from horizontal surfaces – for example the glare from the surface of a lake on a sunny day – and only allow vertically polarised light to pass through.

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£200m prison contract

THE operator of Ashfield Prison in Pucklechurch has been awarded a £200 million contract to run the jail for the next ten years.

Contractor Serco announced the deal itself in April, saying the award had come “following a competitive procurement process”.

Serco has been responsible for managing the prison, which houses adult male sex offenders, since 2005.

The contract is now extended to 2034, with options for further extensions of up to two years.

HMP Ashfield is a Category C “training and resettlement” jail, holding offenders considered to be a low escape risk but unable to be held in an open prison.

When last inspected in October last year, it had 410 inmates.

Chief Inspector of Prison Charlie Taylor rated the prison ‘good’ for safety, respect and preparing inmates for release but ‘poor’ for providing purposeful activity.

Serco says the prison employs about 200 people.

Serco managing director for justice and immigration Mark Whittaker said: “We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to continue to run HMP Ashfield.

“We have managed the prison since 2005 and we are immensely proud of our track record there and our team that performs a challenging and difficult role with great professionalism and humanity.

“We believe that our approach and ethos can bring about positive change to the prisoners who are there and we look forward to continuing to make a positive impact on their lives.”

1,250 hours of sewage spills

RAW sewage was flushed into streams in Pucklechurch for more than a thousand hours last year, the Environment Agency says.

The agency published a map of recorded spills from combined sewer overflows (CSO), where rainwater and waste water from homes is combined and washed into waterways, and waste water treatment works. It showed that a CSO at Feltham Road in the village spilled 50 times, for a total of 441 hours, into a tributary of Feltham Brook, which in turn flows into the River Boyd, during 2023.

Pucklechurch Wastewater Treatment Works in Redford Lane spilled sewage into Feltham Brook 82 times, for a total of 815 hours.

No spills were recorded in Emersons Green or Lyde Green, although the River Frome, which passes between Downend and Frenchay on its way to Bristol’s Floating Harbour, suffered a total of 4,058 hours of spills from eight CSOs upstream in Iron Acton, Frampton Cotterell and Winterbourne. A total of 520 separate spills were recorded by monitoring equipment on the stretch of river.

As the Environment Agency announced that nationally, storm overflows rose by 54% over the previous year, partly due to wet weather, Water Minister Robbie Moore said sewage pollution in rivers and streams was “unacceptable”.

Bristol Avon Rivers Trust chief executive Simon Hunter said the figures did not provide the full detail needed to show the impact spills are having on the environment, as a concentrated discharge into a small stream would have a worse effect than more diluted sewage going into a large river.

He said: “An even greater concern for me is the treated “continuous discharge” from water recycling centres, which seems to have been missed in the discussion on water industry impacts.”

Wessex Water, which is in charge of the region’s sewerage systems, said “exceptionally wet weather” was the main reason for the increase in discharges. A spokesperson said the company was spending £3 million a month to improve CSOs.

Homes join plastic bag recycling scheme

HOMES in Emersons Green, Pucklechurch and Mangotsfield are among 20,000 which will be included in an expanded scheme to take plastic bags and wrapping as part of kerbside recycling collections.

South Gloucestershire Council is expanding its participation in the FPF FlexCollect project, a national scheme to recycle soft plastics, to cover around one in every five homes in the district.

The scheme started in 2022 with pilot collections from 2,000 homes in Chipping Sodbury, Bradley Stoke, Olveston and Alveston.

A council spokesperson said that since then, more than 19 tonnes of plastic bags and wrappers – enough to fill more than 7,000 standard council wheelie bins – had been collected across the district and sent to several different UK facilities to test recycling methods.

Packaging that can be recycled includes sweet, crisp and multipack wrappers, sleeves from plastic bottles, cheese, meat and microwavable food packets, bubble wrap, cling film and plastic net bags for onions, oranges and other fruit and veg.

The authority said it could not share a full list of the streets involved in the extension of the project, as not all homes on some longer streets would be included in the trial.

Those households which are included in the expansion were due to be given information leaflets over the coming weeks, followed by blue plastic bags to put their waste soft plastics in. The bags will be handdelivered, with residents encouraged to ask deliverers about the scheme if they have any questions.

The scheme does not affect the existing collections for plastic trays and containers.

The council aims to see how large-scale soft plastic recycling works, to help plan for future collections across the country. It plans to extend the service to all households in South Gloucestershire by 2026.

Another trial project, to collect grass cuttings and use them to generate energy, is being extended to Staple Hill and Mangotsfield this year.

The project, called Greenprint, involves collecting grass cut from verges, parks and other green spaces, rather than leaving it on the ground.

Blue bags will be used for plastic for recycling

It is then mixed with food waste collected from homes and taken to an energy plant to create biogas using a process called anaerobic digestion, where the waste is broken down in the absence of oxygen.

Schools and nurseries urged to back Raeyah’s legacy

A CHARITY inspired by a young girl who lost her life to cancer is inviting schools and nurseries to be part of a special day of fundraising.

Raeyah's Hands of Support has been set up by the family of Emersons Green girl Raeyah Evans-Rice, who was just four years old when she died last March from a rare form of cancer.

While she was undergoing treatment her parents Becky

Evans and Kevin Rice, who now live in Soundwell, decided to

set up a service to help other parents going through a similar experience.

It focuses on supporting children with autism who are being treated for cancer at Bristol Children's Hospital, and their families.

The charity is planning a 'Raising for Raeyah' day on June 7, where children can wear pink, purple or blue clothes to school or nursery in return for a £1 donation.

The aim is to raise funds and awareness of the charity's work.

Becky and Kevin have written to local settings asking them to take part in the event.

Anyone who would like to get involved should email admin@ raeyahshandsofsupport.org.uk. More information on the charity's work can be found online by visiting its website raeyahshandsofsupport.org.uk.

Raeyah Evans-Rice

ORGANISERS of this year’s Earthfest are promising a “truly extraordinary” start to the celebration of nature, with the opening of a dinosaur garden in Emersons Green Park.

The festival is expanding from its previous incarnation as a oneday event to include a range of activities over four weeks, from May 25 to June 22.

Founded in 2021 as the Three Greens Festival, the event organised by the Friends of Emersons Green Park was reborn as Earthfest last year.

The Friends have been hard at work installing a living willow dinosaur, named Dinomite, next to the park’s willow domes.

Modelled on a saltasaurus, one of the titanosaurs that roamed the Earth 100 million years ago, Dinomite will eventually be surrounded by trees and ferns from the same era, to create a ‘dinosaur garden’.

Earthfest lead organiser Chris Sunderland said: “This year we want Earthfest to be truly extraordinary and the opening of our dinosaur garden on May 28 will be a great moment.

“On the same day we will also

Look out for a dinosaur ...

have a special family show called A Little Bird Told Me in Lyde Green Community Centre, with storyteller Michael Loader and musician Fiona Barrow.

“Then the festival opens out into a range of events over the following month, culminating in a picnic in the park on June 22, featuring music by Flautet, Clube de Choro and a song written and performed by Emersons Green Primary school.”

The festival includes talks

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examined at an event with a geologist from Bristol Naturalists Society.

Organisers have also created an ‘Earth Trail’ in the park, with QR codes placed on six posts around the park for visitors to scan and listen recordings telling the history of the Earth, which will be launched on June 4.

Chris, who has helped create the trail, said: “For me this has been the most exciting part of preparing for this year’s festival.

from wildlife experts Ed Drewitt and Steve England, an evening for vegetable growers with ‘no dig’ advocate Charles Dowding, sensory walks among trees led by a team from Westonbirt Arboretum, and events on nature photography, renewable energy and the life of swifts.

A rock competition will encourage children to become amateur rock collectors and put their finds on display in Emersons Green library, to be

“I don’t think anything like the Earth Trail has been done before. It is a new attempt to bring science to life and make our relationship with the Earth truly meaningful. And, of course, it includes dinosaurs!”

More details of May’s Earthfest events are on page 24 of this month’s Voice.

A full programme can be found online at friendsofemersonsgreenpark. com. All events are free and many can be booked in advance.

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Sue Fenton, Graham Johnson, Chris Sunderland and Bobbie Sunderland finish work on Dinomite, the living willow dinosaur

MPs have called on the government to take action to reopen a maternity centre serving the Downend area, which has been closed for 18 months.

Kingswood MP Damien Egan has written to Health Secretary Victoria Atkins calling on her to provide "certainty" on when the Cossham Birth Centre will reopen its doors to expectant mothers – and to take action on the staffing crisis in NHS midwifery which is keeping it closed.

The midwife-led centre at the hospital in Lodge Road is part of the closest NHS-run maternity service to the Downend area, and was set up to provide a "home from home environment with birthing pools, aromatherapy, massage and a focus on active birth".

North Bristol NHS Trust, which runs the centre, announced in October 2022 that it was "temporarily suspending" services, citing "workforce challenges due to sickness and vacancies".

Last summer the trust said the suspension would remain in place until the spring of this

Call to reopen birth centre after 18-month closure

year, but it was "committed to providing maternity care from the site".

Since the start of this year, the Voice has been asking the trust whether it has been able to set a date for reopening the centre, but it has been unable to confirm one.

The suspension follows previous closures between October 2018 and 2019, and December 2021 to January 2022.

Mr Egan and neighbouring MP Kerry McCarthy, whose Bristol East constituency includes the hospital site, have sent a joint letter to the Health Secretary.

They said: "Unfortunately we have been told the unit is not in a position to reopen, as the trust is still facing difficulties with midwife recruitment and retention."

The MPs say the issue has

been raised repeatedly with Ms Atkins and her predecessors.

They said: "Since the refurbished birth centre reopened 11 years ago, it has been forced to close its doors for over two and a half years due to workforce challenges. It is not right that following a multimillion refurbishment, the centre has been forced to close its doors for more than a quarter of the time since."

The MPs said the high turnover and shortage of midwives was "putting staff, mothers and babies at risk", adding: "As Secretary of State will you do everything you can to address the workforce challenges within maternity services in the NHS?

"We would also be grateful if you could provide any certainty of when the Birth Centre might expect to re-open its doors, so

that it can once again serve the people of Bristol and South Gloucestershire."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "We are aiming to increase the number of nursing and midwifery training places to around 58,000 by 2031/32 through the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, which is backed by over £2.4 billion in government funding.

"We have invested £165 million a year since 2021 to improve maternity and neonatal care."

North Bristol NHS Trust continues to run appointments, breastfeeding support and other services from Cossham, as well as a midwife-led centre at Southmead Hospital and a home birth service.

A MANGOTSFIELD dad who made it his life's mission to honour the memory of his teenage son has died, after a long battle with cancer.

Gordon Clapp's son Jamie was just 13 when he was killed in a plane crash in 2007.

Mangotsfield School pupil Jamie and his friends loved skateboarding and BMX riding, and after his death Gordon worked with them to secure £100,000 to fund a skate park in Emersons Green, from local councillors, South Gloucestershire Council and the Big Lottery Fund's People's Millions partnership.

Gordon continued to fundraise for improvements at the park, next to Emersons Green retail park. He also met with Jamie's friends to remember him at the park every year around July 3, the anniversary of the day his son died.

Just under two years ago Gordon announced he had been diagnosed with oesophageal cancer and had been given months to live.

He died at his home in Mangotsfield, where he lived with his partner Jean, on March 15, aged 81.

Gordon's funeral was held at Westerleigh Crematorium

Time called on the Grapevine

MANGOTSFIELD pub and restaurant the Grapevine Brasserie is closing after six years of trading.

The owners of the business said rising costs and a lack of custom since the pandemic were behind the decision to cease trading on May 5.

The news was announced via a post on the Grapevine's Facebook page, which said it was being made "with a heavy heart", adding: "We would like to thank each and every one of you for showing your support over the years, but with the ever growing cost of goods, consumables and a lack of custom, we have not been able to fully recover since opening after Covid."

Customers who have

Tributes to Gordon, who kept son's memory alive

in April and Mangotsfield community pastor Clive Heath, who took the service, said it was "standing room only" in the chapel.

Clive said: "Gordon was very liked and respected by all who knew him.

"He was a larger than life character, who had a heart

of gold – despite his health problems he would do anything for anyone.

"Gordon was so appreciative to all of Jamie's friends and their families, who helped him raised the funds for the skatepark in memory of his beloved son Jamie

"Gordon was a fighter – he never gave up, no matter what life threw at him, and he made it his life's work to improve the skateboard park for all to use.

"His partner Jean and families would like to thank all for their support in this sad time.

"Gordon will be missed by so many people, friends and family alike – he was a true local

vouchers for the business are being encouraged to come and use them while the pub remains open, with refunds also available until closing day.

Staff also apologised to customers with bookings after the closing date, saying: "We are extremely sorry for having to do this but trust us when we say this is the last thing we wanted to do."

The Grapevine is part of a

Downend-based family business run by Mike and Denise Hoare and their children Mitch, Jade, Vinny and Baily.

The family also run the Mokka cafe, bar and lounge in Downend and another Mokka outlet in Keynsham.

They previously ran the Foresters pub in Salisbury Road, Downend, but moved on around a year ago.

Mitch said 12 people currently

character."

Married six times before he met Jean, his partner of 20 years, seven of Gordon's children attended the funeral, including one, Ryan, who read out a heartfelt tribute to him.

Clive said Gordon did not speak much about his early life, although he worked on the railways and on fairgrounds in his younger days. His last job was as caretaker of the old Mangotsfield C of E primary school, before it moved to Emersons Green.

Jamie's friend Ollie Nemeth, who chaired the fundraising committee for the skate park, said: "Gordon was truly one in a million, and his legacy will always be a tribute to his beloved son, Jamie.

"I'm deeply grateful to Gordon for his devotion towards keeping Jamie’s memory alive, and for his countless contributions towards enhancing our community for all to enjoy.

"May Gordon and Jamie find eternal peace together."

work at the Grapevine, and around half of those would be found work at one of the family's other sites, although the others would lose their jobs.

He said: "Mokka Downend has been running for three years and Keynsham now just over a year, so we are lucky that we have these to fall back on, and we now have to fully focus on these."

Before opening as the Grapevine Brasserie six years ago, the pub on St James Place was previously the Salutation, and has been a pub since at least the 19th century.

The building is owned by the Stonegate Pub Company, the UK's biggest pub owner with 4,500 sites.

Stonegate has already started advertising for a new landlord to take over the pub on its website, quoting a guide rent of £846 per week and a forecast turnover of £631,014 per year.

The company said: "Well known for its fresh food offering, the Grapevine is a strong business with a huge opportunity for a new retailer to develop an already strong business."

Gordon Clapp

Jamie Clapp

The Grapevine Brasserie in Mangotsfield

Centre saved

THE closure threat hanging over Pucklechurch Community Centre looks to have been lifted – for now.

The future of the centre in Abson Road, which is home to a social club and a playgroup and hosts activities including drama, short-mat bowls and badminton, was in doubt because several officers of the charity that runs it are standing down this month.

But now four people have put themselves forward to join Pucklechurch Community Association, including a new chairman, Dan Molloy.

Retiring secretary Peter Nunez told the Pucklechurch annual parish assembly the roles of secretary, treasurer and booking secretary had also been filled but there was still a need for more people to get involved to ensure the sustainability of the centre.

Mr Nunez urged anyone else who could volunteer to attend the PCA annual meeting, which takes place at the centre on Wednesday May 8 at 7.30pm.

School’s musical celebration

CHILDREN at Emersons Green Primary School impressed parents, staff and classmates alike with their performances at its annual Musical Extravaganza.

The school in Guest Avenue staged the concert at the end of March, with children playing instruments including guitars, violins and keyboards, and singing.

Head of school Soraya Young said children had been asking when they could perform ever since the inaugural event last year, and had rehearsed for weeks before the performance.

Mrs Young said: “From the moment the curtains parted, the stage came alive with vibrant energy.

“From classical compositions to contemporary tunes, every note was a testament to their hard work and passion.

“The audience was treated to a diverse array of performances, each one a unique reflection of the individual and collective talent of our students.

“What truly stood out was not just the technical proficiency of the performers, but also the confidence and poise with which they commanded the stage.

“It was evident that they had poured their hearts and souls into their performances, and their enthusiasm was infectious.”

Mrs Young said family members, friends and staff came along to support the performers, and

some other children who heard the performances had been inspired to take up instruments so they could take part next year.

She said: “In the end, it was not just a concert; it was a celebration of harmony – in music, in spirit, and in the bonds that unite us as a school community.

“The commitment of our dedicated music teachers to nurturing the musical talents of our students is truly commendable and has played a pivotal role in making this event a resounding success.”

Mrs Young thanked Ruth Altwasser, a parent who leads the school choir alongside teacher Caroline Mountford, and had “led from the front” in orchestrating performers and organising the event.

A pupil performs at Emersons Green Primary School’s Musical Extravaganza

School's community Ramadan celebration

NEWS DOWNEND School hosted an event for pupils, staff and families to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The school teamed up with Bristol Muslim Cultural Society to host its first community Iftar in April.

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset.

Iftar is the name of the sunset meal that breaks the fast, and is usually shared with family and friends, or at a mosque with members of the local Muslim community.

Specialist mentor Talal Khan, from the school's inclusion team, said: "This was a chance to acknowledge and celebrate Muslim students, staff and parents, whilst also giving the wider school community an insight into what makes this month so special.

"For the first event of its kind, the uptake was much larger than expected, with around 80 attendees, consisting of a

Pupils and parents attended the community Iftar at Downend School

nice mix of students, staff and parents, with both Muslim and non-Muslim members of the school community coming together in good numbers."

The evening started with a presentation from Rizwan Ahmed of Bristol Muslim Cultural Society, who highlighted some facts about Ramadan.

This was followed by a call to prayer by a student, and the breaking of the fast with dates and water. The communal prayer, also led by a Muslim

TURNERS HEARING CARE BLOG

Ear care, fact and fiction

Our ears can be funny things, they come in all shapes & sizes and are usually totally taken for granted - unless we have a pain, ache or hearing difficulty. “How can I safely care for my ears?” I hear you ask.

To start, an ear wax factoid:

Did you know that ear wax can be wet or dry. For most of us it’s often genetically determined, it’s considered to be the wet type in most people of Caucasians or African descent and dry in most people of East Asian descent.

What does safe ear care sound like?

Firstly there is a reason for the oft quoted Ear Doctor saying “don’t put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear”. The delicate structures inside your ear really, really don’t like being poked, scraped or wiped with rolled tissue paper or cotton buds. Such items are definitely not called earbuds despite many people referring to them by this name! These can actually push ear wax or debris further into your ear which can increase the risk of hearing problems.

Turn down the volume

Whilst perhaps a controversial thing to say, particularly in a house like ours with teenages around, regularly being in or around loud noise can be damaging to our ears and hearing. Wearing ear protection around loud noises such as drilling or concerts can reduce the risk of ear damage and hearing loss. When listening to music or the TV consider wearing ‘over the ear’ headphones rather than in ear devices such as ear buds so you place more distance from your eardrum and the mini portable speaker that makes up our headphones.

Keeping your ears dry

Prolonged exposure to water, such as if swimming regularly, can impact on your hearing and ear health if the water sits in your ear canal for too long. This is particularly risky if swimming distances in open water, and the water contains harmful bacteria. Tilting your head to one side then the other after swimming can help excess water drain out of your ears. For regular swimmers swim ear plugs are a good idea, you can even order custom fit ear plugs!

Staying Active

Regular exercise encourages good blood circulation which helps your ears stay in good health. Doing activities you enjoy, whether dancing (just turn the music down a touch eh!), running or walking can help you exercise regularly, which benefits more than just your ears.

student, was "impeccably observed" by non-Muslim attendees.

Talal added: "Once the prayer was concluded, everyone took their seats in the Sixth Form common room and enjoyed a delicious array of food, very kindly arranged by BMCS.

"Many parents chose to bring in cold food donations in the form of delicious desserts.

"The school looks forward to hosting another community Iftar next year."

Future options

SIXTH form students from Downend and Mangotsfield Sixth Form and their families had a chance to find out more about their options for the future at a post-18 careers event.

The event in March included workshops on applying for university places, student finance and apprenticeships.

It included guest speakers from universities and exhibitions from employers including the NHS, Heidelberg Materials and Bristol City Robins Foundation.

Head of sixth form Kate Long said: "We were delighted to have over 100 people attend the event, and take part in workshops and visit our careers fair in our sixth form common room.

"We are always delighted to invite outside experts into school to share information, and we look forward to hosting our event again next year."

If you think you have an ear problem, such as ear wax building up, you can now book an hearing care consultation with me, Debbie. I’m a fully qualified, registered and experienced Audiologist working at Turners Opticians in Fishponds. I’m passionate about people having access to clear effective hearing and being confident to seek further help where it is needed.

Debbie

Debbie Campbell is a qualified and experienced Audiologist, who has joined the clinical team at Turners Opticians in Fishponds having worked for many years in NHS Audiology clinics.

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ELIGIBLE people are being invited to have a top-up Covid-19 vaccination this spring. The NHS is offering Covid-19 vaccines to people who are at increased risk of serious illness from the virus – including those aged 75 and over (by 30 June 2024), residents of care homes for older adults, and those aged 6 months and over with a weakened immune system.

Eligible people can make an appointment at a GP vaccination clinic when invited. People can also book an appointment at a GP clinic, a local pharmacy or at a community vaccination clinic in the following simple ways:

• Download the NHS App and make an appointment

• Visit www.nhs.uk/get-vaccine to use the online National Booking Service

• Call 119 for free if you can’t get online (translators are available)

The Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) NHS area is also offering walk-in vaccinations in community clinics. For details

Top up Covid-19 vaccination on offer for high risk people

and more information about the spring campaign, visit www. grabajab.net.

Vaccinations for people living

in the community began on 22 April 2024 and local GPs have also started visiting adult care homes. Spring vaccinations will be available until 30 June 2024.

Bristol GP Dr Hyunkee Kim said: “Protection against Covid-19, either from catching the virus or from a previous vaccination, can fade over time and the virus can change, so if you are at higher risk of severe illness it is important that you top up your protection.

“For some, particularly older people and those with a weakened immune system, Covid-19 can still be very dangerous and even lifethreatening. If you or your child are entitled to a spring top up vaccination, I strongly encourage you to take up the offer. It’s quick and easy to recharge your immunity and will give you the

protection you need for the months ahead.

“Covid-19 vaccines provide protection against the virus and help reduce the risk of serious illness. The vaccine has saved countless lives, prevented thousands from needing to go to hospital and helped us to live with the virus without fear or restrictions. For local vaccination information, visit www.grabajab. net.”

Those invited should make sure their appointment takes place at least three months since their last dose.

Anyone who believes they should be eligible for a vaccine but does not get invited can check online. Alternatively, they can self-declare via the National Booking Service and then speak to a clinician on site.

Dr Hyunkee Kim

New Kumon Maths and English study centre opened in Emersons Green

Sarah Nutchey, Instructor of the Kumon Bradley Stoke Study Centre, along with Sonya Willman, have opened a new Kumon Study Centre in Emersons Green Village Hall. Sarah, a qualified teacher, began her Kumon career in 1998 with around 12 students, and over the last 25 years she has nurtured more than 1,400 students through the Kumon maths and English programmes.

Sarah has been awarded Elite status numerous times as Instructor of Bradley Stoke Study Centre. To earn the prestigious Elite status, Sarah has developed students who are able to study ahead of their school level, working independently with excellent study skills, and has also nurtured students who are able to complete both the maths and the English Kumon programmes.

Forming a partnership with Sarah is Sonya Willman, a Kumon parent and accountant. Sonya’s six children have all studied the Kumon programmes and she brings valuable experience from a parent’s perspective.

Kumon Emersons Green Study Centre offers maths and English study, both paper-based and via KumonConnect, using a tablet. Classes currently run on Mondays after school as well as Saturday mornings. Assessments are free, and without obligation.

If you would like your child to build confidence in maths and English and develop their study skills, book a FREE maths and English assessment today at www.kumon.co.uk/emersons-green or call 07863 248994.

Furthermore, to celebrate the opening of the new Kumon Emersons Green Study Centre, you can save £50 with FREE registration at both centres until 30th June.

Kumon Emersons Green at Emersons Green Village Hall, BS16 7AP.

Cup in memory of Jude

THIS year's annual Bristol Box Cup will be held in memory of talented boxer Jude Moore.

The former Mangotsfield School pupil, who also attended Christ Church infant and junior schools, died unexpectedly in March last year, aged 19.

Jude, who lived in Hillfields, had been set on turning professional and had been a previous winner of the box cup event, among many other titles.

Jude was a National Champion at Schools level in 2017, aged 14, and Juniors in 2019, and was Western Counties champion five times. He represented England in European championships and won a GB Three Nations championship.

He was described by former WBC world super middleweight champion Glenn Catley, who worked with him at Downend, as "one of the most naturally gifted boxers ever to come out of Bristol". The 10th Bristol Box Cup, which will be held on June 22 and 23 at Thornbury Leisure Centre, is organised and run by Jude's old club, Fishpondsbased Downend Boxing Club.

It is aimed at entry-level school-age boxers, providing a platform to compete in an international-style event and celebrate boxing at a pivotal stage in their careers.

Since its launch in 2014, the event has been a success, attracting 130 boxers last time, and this year's event looks set to be even more popular.

Organiser Joanne Turner said: "Within an hour of launching the participants' registration, we already had 100-plus applications from all over England, Wales and Ireland, so the number is going to be a record for us."

Boxing starts at 1.30pm each day.

For more information, email bristolboxcup@yahoo.co.uk.

Emersons Green Village Hall , Emersons Way Emersons Green, BS16 7AP

Jude Moore

Driveway firm fined for fly-posting

A DRIVEWAY company based in Pucklechurch has been ordered to pay more than £4,500 after posting hundreds of illegal ads on the streets.

South Gloucestershire Council prosecuted Everset Driveways Ltd and boss John Joseph McDonagh, of Meadow View, Shortwood Road, after 113 advertising boards were found posted on street furniture in the district between September 2022 and October 2023 alone.

The council said it operates a “three strikes” policy to flyposting and warned the company in January and July 2022 before issuing a £75 fixed penalty four months later, which was paid, and giving the firm a community protection warning to stop placing the ads, except those directly outside addresses where they were working.

In October and November last year street enforcement officers found six advertising boards and signs at a single road junction in Kingswood, seven at a roundabout in Filton, two at

a junction in Yate and several propped up some distance from an address they were working at in Kingswood.

The council said some were propped on boards and pallets, and “had the potential to have been knocked over or have fallen,

uPVC Windows, Doors, Conservatories & Bi-Fold Doors

causing injury or hazard to pedestrians”.

McDonagh was convicted in his absence of placing advertising boards on council-owned street furniture without permission, at Bristol Magistrates Court in

March.

He was fined £2,500 and told to pay £1,063 in costs and £1,000 in compensation, making a total of £4,563.

Magistrates said they would have issued fines for each of the 113 boards individually, had this been possible.

Council environmental enforcement team leader Robert Evely said: “After discovering such a vast amount of fly posted advertising material across South Gloucestershire we were left with no other option than to prosecute the business.

“The sheer number of offences discovered constitutes a significant use of council resources, as well as presenting a risk to pedestrians due to their placement, and a risk to highway users due to the obvious distraction they can present.”

To report a problem to the council visit www.southglos.gov. uk/report, call the StreetCare helpdesk on 01454 868000 or email streetcare@southglos. gov.uk.

One of the Everset Driveways adverts posted at the Soundwell Road/ Downend Road junction in Kingswood

Councillor steps down

SOUTH Gloucestershire councillor

Sandie Davis has stepped down from her role.

Cllr Davis had represented New Cheltenham ward, which includes the Siston Hill estate near Mangotsfield, since 2019.

The council’s Labour group announced her decision at the end of March, saying: “We’re sorry to announce Sandie Davis has resigned as one of our Labour councillors for New Cheltenham due to ongoing health issues.

“Sandie’s been a key member of the Labour Group on South Gloucestershire Council and we send our love and thanks for her service to Kingswood.”

Well known in Emersons Green for her work as a foster carer, Cllr Davis is also a governor at Soundwell Academy and Warmley Park School, and a trustee of charity Incredible Kids, which runs a play centre for children with additional needs and disabilities.

At the council elections in May last year she was re-elected to represent the two-seat council ward, increasing her margin of victory from 45 to 243 votes over the third-placed Conservative candidate.

Cllr Davis’s resignation led to a by-election in the ward, which was taking place on May 2 – the only election in South Gloucestershire aside from the poll for the Avon & Somerset Police & Crime Commissioner.

Her resignation and the date of the by-election was announced after April’s Voice went to print.

Scarecrows are back

THE popular Pucklechurch Scarecrow Competition and Trail returns over the first May bank holiday.

Visitors are invited to follow the trail around the village, seeking out the scarecrows in residents’ gardens.

This year all the scarecrows will have a name that starts with the letter C.

The event starts at St Thomas a Becket church in Pucklechurch and runs for two days: Sunday May 5 from 11.30am to 4.30pm and Monday May 6 from 10.30am to 4pm.

Refreshments, including sandwiches and cream teas, are available in the church on both days.

Entry is £1 for children, £2 for adults and £5 for a family, with prizes to be won.

The event, to raise money for the church, starts with a service at 10am on Sunday and ends with a short thanksgiving and blessing by the Rev Elaine Jones on the Monday afternoon.

Free Legal Stock Take meeting

Nowadays we all have so much life admin to sort out – it is easy for things to get out of date.

A FREE review meeting with our local, friendly team at Simpson Solicitors is like a Free Legal Stock Take meeting. Being a fully regulated law firm there is no pushy follow up as there is no obligation to instruct them. Just the peace of mind that you have received proper legal advice.

The Free Legal Stock Take meeting focusses on making sure your legal affairs are in order and if needed they can help you with a new Will or Lasting Powers of Attorney. It is all about making life as easy as possible for those that you care about - if you were to become seriously ill or die unexpectedly.

√ Checking any existing documents are legally valid: Checking your Will or Powers of Attorney are signed in accordance with the complex rules that apply, with advice to make sure they still reflect your current family arrangements.

√ Property ownership: Advice to make sure it’s owned in the best way to prevent problems. There is a £3 charge from HM Land Registry.

√ Reviewing what you own: Making sure those you trust can find and are legally able to access your bank accounts, investments, and life insurance if you were seriously ill or had died.

√ Inheritance Tax and Care Home Fees: Applying the current rules to your situation with advice so your family don’t receive an avoidable bill for tax or care home fees.

√ Free secure storage service: Offered for your legal documents and the information you might want your family to be able to access.

To arrange your Free Review meeting you can pop in to their Kingswood Office or email message@simpsonslawuk.com or call 0117 960 8594

Remember, they offer a FREE home meeting service if you find it difficult getting to their offices.

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Dimming lights lessens cuts to libraries

COUNCIL leaders have defended cutting library hours to save £273,000 from South Gloucestershire’s budget.

Downend and Staple Hill libraries are among eight which will be staffed for half a day less than before, while Emersons Green will close earlier each day, with staffed opening hours are limited to 10am to 5pm, plus three hours on Saturdays.

Cabinet member for communities Sean Rhodes (Lab, Kingswood) told a council meeting on April 15 that original proposals were to cut library spending by £473,000, but a £200,000 annual saving from dimming street lights meant that less needed to be taken from the library budget.

Lights will be dimmed to a quarter of their normal brightness from 11pm to 6am each night to cut electricity costs.

Cllr Rhodes said the budget for books would go down by

only half of the £50,000 initially planned and that all branches would have longer staffed hours than first anticipated.

But Conservative Frenchay & Downend ward councillor Liz Brennan criticised the Lib Dem/Labour administration for cutting library services in "priority neighbourhoods" with higher levels of deprivation.

Cllr Rhodes said: “We have to balance the issue around footfall in different neighbourhoods, and actually the footfall for libraries is higher elsewhere than in priority neighbourhoods.

“Disproportionately cutting hours at libraries with big footfall doesn’t necessarily make full sense.”

Trade union Unison had called the original cuts – which included cutting a full day of opening at Cadbury Heath, Patchway and Winterbourne libraries - “discriminatory”. It claimed they would leave the

council unable to meet its legal duty to provide a “comprehensive and efficient” library service.

Cllr Rhodes said council officers had been in regular contact with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to the authority complied with its legal responsibilities.

He said: "The crucial thing to acknowledge is that with the initial proposal, the potential impact of these changes was far greater, and officers have worked really hard to come up with a solution with us to mitigate this.

“There was clear opposition from the public consultation process to the budget reduction for buying books, so we’ve found mitigations in other areas."

Cllr Rhodes said the Open Access scheme, which enables residents to use libraries when they are not staffed, worked well but a quarter of people responding to the budget consultation were not aware of it.

The plan to dim street lights received broad public support –69% – during consultations, and trials over the winter led to only one complaint, that lights should be turned down further.

However one in 10 of the 783 respondents said the change would make them feel more vulnerable.

Cabinet member for climate and nature emergency Louise Harris (Lib Dem, Dodington) said dimming street lights was good for wildlife and people.

She said: “Sleep disorders, depression, diabetes, heart disease and indeed cancer are linked to artificial light at night. It affects our diurnal and nocturnal activities.”

It will take engineers two years to reprogramme all 31,500 street lamps individually to dim between 11pm and 6am.

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

David Gibbs

Bringing issues from the doorstep to the Commons chamber

I’M now two months into being your new MP for Kingswood. I have had a steady stream of emails coming into my inbox and am enjoying getting out and about, meeting community groups and doing visits around the constituency.

In Westminster there was a lot of speculation that we might have a General Election in May. In the end we didn’t hear anything from the Prime Minister, so now October or November looks like the most likely time. Some say June – either way, everyone is on stand-by.

Since my last column, I have delivered my maiden speech to Parliament.

From the day you arrive at Parliament people ask about your maiden speech and there’s a lot of pressure.

It’s the first time your new

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colleagues hear you speak in the chamber, and I wanted to make a good impression and represent Kingswood well.

I came in early to practice, because I was worried my voice wouldn’t be loud enough, but in the end, it was all fine and the microphones pick-up everything anyway.

As is traditional in a maiden speech, I spoke positively about the previous MP, gave a little history about Kingswood, including some quirky facts – did you know that the old Douglas motorbike factory in Kingswood was, at one time, the largest motorbike factory in the world?

For the substance of the speech, I spoke about the issues raised on the doorstep that politicians need to address.

I argued that the social media bubble that’s become

so dominant doesn’t represent mainstream Britain. People told me they want politicians to sort out access to dentists, the NHS, crime, cost of living, bus cuts, school funding, apprenticeship places, the decline of the high street, immigration and defence spending.

I’ve been enjoying my community visits: I love meeting people, and welcome any invitations to damien.egan.mp@ parliament.uk.

Last week I went out with our local police to understand their challenges – it was a real eye opener and it’s a tough job.

Today, we have fewer police but more bureaucracy, which means more time behind desks and less police on the street. Levels of violence are higher, particularly with children, and highly organised criminal gangs

are taking full advantage of the situation, ruining lives long the way. It’s frightening how quickly things have turned.

On the plus side, a lot of the answers for how to improve come from our rank-and-file officers.

I left the visit with renewed respect and admiration for our local officers, but whoever forms the next government needs to listen and support the police, so they can do their job.

Theatretrain opens musical theatre classes in Emersons Green

Exciting news for young people aged 8-12 years old. Theatretrain, a trusted name in the performing arts education since 2003, is now offering musical theatre classes at Emersons Green Village Hall. These 90 minute sessions will cover popular musicals from stage and screen.

Theatretrain brings a wealth of experience to our community. Their classes are known for being engaging and inclusive, focussing on Singing, dancing and acting. It’s not just about putting on a show, it is about building confidence and teamwork skills in a fun environment.

Parents will appreciate the positive impact that Theatretrain has on their children’s development. From boosting self esteem to fostering creativity, these classes offer more than performing arts training. They provide a supportive community where kids can express themselves and make new friends.

These classes are taught by an industry professional with a wealth of experience, and at the moment Theatretrain are offering a FREE taster session.

So, if you have a young performer at home or know someone who loves to sing, dance and act, spread the word! Theatretrain’s musical theatre classes welcome everyone who enjoys musicals, no experience is necessary.

To book a place or to find out more information, email bristol@theatretrain.co.uk

Emma walks through the pain for Jack

AN EMERSONS Green woman with a debilitating health condition is taking on a walking challenge to raise money for the hospice that cared for her friend, who died aged 11.

Emma Bate, 20, has myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome.

The long-term condition is characterised by extreme tiredness, sleep problems, physical pain, sickness and dizziness, and difficulties carrying out everyday tasks.

It means Emma tires easily from walking – but she will walk the 13 miles from her home to Children’s Hospice South West at Charlton Farm in Wraxall in memory of her schoolfriend Jack Brookes, who was cared for at the hospice.

Emma is breaking down the walk into seven sections, each taking around an hour to complete, and has completed two so far with mum Philippa.

She hopes to finish the last leg of the walk, ending at Charlton Farm, in September.

Emma’s friend Jack, who had Ewing Sarcoma, was supported by CHSW for a number of years before he died in May 2014.

She said: “Jack was just lovely. He was fun and bubbly and nothing ever fazed him.

“He just got on with life and was a good friend.”

Emma has been training for her challenge by going out for short, regular strolls with her mum.She is using a rollator walking aid on her walks, which she has decorated in bunting along with a special pennant stitched by her mum.

Initially Emma aimed to raise around

£200 – but had passed £680 as the Voice went to print.

She said: “I am blown away by how much we have raised so far.

“It will be 10 years since Jack died this year and I wanted to do something special to remember him.”

Emma is also planning to hold a bake sale outside her home on May 12 to bolster her fundraising total.

She said: “The hospice was so wonderful with Jack and his family, and every penny I raise will help to ensure that the services it offers continue to be available to other families in need.

“I am pretty sure he would be thinking that I am mad as a box of frogs doing this challenge, but I also know that he would be there too, cheering me on and telling me to keep going.”

Children’s Hospice South West has been caring for children and young people with life-threatening conditions for over 30 years, providing children’s hospice and professional family support services.

The charity provides care and support to families living in the South West, who have children with life-limiting conditions.

To support Emma, visit her JustGiving page at tinyurl.com/r5jbsy56.

Emma Bate and mum Philippa prepare for their walks

Feed the bees, let the grass grow

WHAT a wet start to spring!

Plenty of spots around Lyde Green are feeling the pressure, none more so than parts of the common footpaths, which are particularly boggy – sturdy footwear is definitely recommended.

We will be looking at raising this issue again in the near future with the council team, to see if we can get more dust down as per other parts of the footpath.

This will make it more accessible in the wetter months and safer for all types of visitors to the area.

Have you seen all the spring colour around Lyde?

Our spring bulbs have been blooming well and our green spaces and verges are alive with early daisy and dandelion flower.

It’s the perfect time now for you to let them grow.

No Mow May helps our pollinators stock up on essential food sources, and leaving your lawns for a few extra weeks can really help.

You will more than likely hear more on this

from our neighbours at the community nature reserve and South Glos Council, who are great in promoting all things green.

It has been pleasing to see all the community planters along School Square starting to bloom again.

Massive thanks to Paul Flower in the autumn, for assisting with pruning and tidying them up: it is a great help to have our residents on hand, spending a few hours keeping things looking great!

We really do appreciate all the time and effort.

If you would like to help, we are looking at a spring sowing event in the community garden in May.

We hope you may have some fruit and veg seeds that you would like to bring along and plant with us in the beds.

Anything grown goes back into the community, and you are all welcome to help yourselves at anytime – if you know what you’re looking for, of course.

There are always a nice selection of herbs

available, if you fancy something to add to your cooking!

We had great success with the community garden last year: plenty of beans, marrow and chard for the local Slimming World group to make the most of.

We always need your help to keep Lyde thriving, so do get in touch with us for any information regarding the ‘behind the scenes’ work and many admin duties we have available for you.

You can reach us by email at lgopenspace@ gmail.com or visit our Facebook page at @ lydegreenopenspace.

We will be doing our best to keep active this year, so all help is appreciated.

Thank you all, for your continued support!

Laurence Binks Chair, Lyde Green OpenSpace Group

Craig Anthonys

HAIR DESIGNERS

To arrange a no obligation consultation pop in or give us a call.

Day Centre Activity Club

Here at Craig Anthonys we pride ourselves not only on the styles but also the advice that we can provide. Our award winning team with years of experience in colouring and cutting can provide a style unique to suite you.

A STAPLE Hill dad who underwent a new cancer treatment in Germany following a £160,000 fundraising campaign has shared some "brilliant" news.

David Gibbs was diagnosed with glioblastoma (GBM), an aggressive cancer of the brain and spinal cord, in September 2021.

After surgery to remove most of the tumour he underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy but was told they would not stop it from growing back.

His family discovered a new treatment, called a personalised cancer vaccine, which uses unique genetic information to help the immune system target and attack the cancer cells.

But the treatment is not available on the NHS and to receive it Dave needed to travel to Germany – and fund the cost.

Family, friends, colleagues and strangers alike supported the appeal, called Dave's Brain Fund, and he started the treatment in 2022.

After more than 18 months of visits to the CeGaT genetic laboratory in Tübingen, near

Dad has 'best possible news' after cancer treatment

Stuttgart, for treatment Dave, who is married with a young daughter, told supporters he had been given some "unbelievable" news.

He said: "The tumour has continued to shrink and is no longer visible. Yes, the most brilliant news but with the caveat that the scan (better than anything available in the UK), still can’t see everything, so there may be microscopic cancer cells hiding.

"But the best news we could possibly hope for!

"This isn’t over yet – there are still side effects from the treatment that I am having to deal with.

"Currently I am having injections in my eyes to try to stop retinal damage!

"We don’t know what the next steps are, we would love there to be a test that could tell us it is gone. For now we

plan to continue treatment and monitoring in Germany.

"We are currently trying to work out costs to get more vaccines manufactured in Germany and how often to receive them.

"A massive thank you to everyone who has helped us along the way, and for the continued love and support from our wonderful friends and family.

"The battle is not over but we will enjoy this stage while it lasts."

Dave, 39, said there is no test available that could prove that the cancer had gone completely.

He urged everyone who has been following his story to support cancer research.

After the campaign was set up by Dave's sister, Sarah Burford, fundraisers have cycled the length of Britain, run marathons, half-marathons and 10ks, staged

shows and events, held sales and bucket collections, and made online donations, with more than 2,200 coming via the appeal's JustGiving page and several coming from local organisations.

David Gibbs

May 5 and May 6

n PUCKLECHURCH SCARECROW

COMPETITION AND TRAIL

Theme for 2024 is ‘Someone beginning with C’. Last entry date for scarecrows is April 18. Event is organised by St Thomas a Becket church. Trails start at the church 11.30am on Sunday and 10.30am on Monday. Children £1, adults £2, family ticket £5.

May 11

n HISTORY WALK IN DOWNEND WITH CHAP (Community History and Arts Project), at the Scout Memorial outside Sainsbury’s Local at 10am. Free event – all welcome to find out more about our historic places, people and changes in society, and to share memories. Suitable for people of all ages and abilities. No need to book.

May 14

n SODBURY AND DISTRICT FLOWER ARRANGEMENT

SOCIETY practice class, the Old Grammar School Rooms, Chipping Sodbury, 7.30pm. Create a freeflowing design using tulips and wire. Also basket making on May 28, same time and venue. For further information contact Kate Bryant on 0777 353 7148 or email katebryant186@gmail.com.

May 27

n BAT WALK with Steve England, 8.30pm - gather by the Langley Arms, Guest Avenue, Emersons Green. Part of Earthfest. More details at friendsofemersonsgreenpark.com.

May 28

n STORYTELLING session at Lyde Green Community Centre, 10.30am, with Michael Loader and musician Fiona Barrow. Part of Earthfest festival. Blend of story, music and dance, suitable for adults and children over 5. Free event. Book tickets at tinyurl. com/2vhef8r6.

May 28

n OPENING of dinosaur garden at Emersons Green Park, 2-4pm. Part of Earthfest festival. Make a willow dinosaur or dinosaur footprint, hear stories, dance to the fiddle and accordion. No need to book.

May 30

n ROCK COMPETITION,

Emersons Green Library, 2pm. Part of Earthfest. More details at friendsofemersonsgreenpark.com.

May 31

n PUCKLECHURCH PLAYERS present comedy ‘Don’t Dress for Dinner’ at Pucklechurch Community Centre, May 31 & June 1 at 8pm. Tickets available through Eventbrite from April 1. For more information visit the group’s Facebook page.

REGULAR EVENTS

Monday

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

Tuesday

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 Pucklechurch Community Hall.Abson Road every other Tuesday from 7.30 to 10.15p.m. All welcome either with a partner or solo. Enjoy an evening with us. Call Sue on 07742114566 or Linda on 0784324014.

Wednesday

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

Whats On @ Downend, Emersons Green & Staple Hill

Libraries : May 2024

Saturday 4th May - Lego Club at Staple Hill Library, a FREE drop in session for 4-10 year olds, starts at 10.30am

Monday 6th May (Bank Holiday) – no staffed hours but Open Access will be available 8am –7.30pm Saturday 11th May - Lego Club at Downend

11.15am. Warm & friendly group run by volunteers from St James Church.

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 FRENCHAY FOLK DANCE CLUB meets alternate Wednesdays, English and American folk dancing to live music, 7.45-10.15pm, Frenchay Village Hall. New dancers always welcome. More details at www.frenchayfdc.co.uk or email FFDCSecretary@gmail.com.

Thursday

n NEXT DOOR BOOKS welcomes new members. Book club meets on the last Thursday of the month at 11am, depending on numbers. Normally meets at Emersons Green library, email jessica.callaway@ hotmail.co.uk.

n COFFEE, CAKE AND COMMUNITY MORNING at Emersons Green Village Hall, 11am1pm. Free tea, coffee and cake - all welcome. Supported by Emersons Green Town Council.

n WALKING WITH FRIENDS, free group walks at a gentle pace around Siston Commons. Start and finish at Kingsmeadow@ Madeforever Community Centre, Fisher Road, BS15 4RQ, 1-2pm. For more details email kingsmeadowmade4ever.org.uk or call 0117 301 8739

Friday

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 on term-time Friday mornings, 10-11.30am. All welcome. For more details email 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 LATER LIVE MUSIC, Resound church, Blackhorse Road,

Library, a FREE drop in session for 4-10 year olds, starts at 10.30am

We will be installing a new computer system including a new website for users and Libraries West App across all libraries from 23rd May. This will provide a better experience for library users. During the changeover staff will have a limited system to work with between 23rd May and 5th June.

So, please remember to bring your library card during this period as we wont be able to look up user details.

Mangotsfield. Every second Friday monthly, except August & December, 8-10pm, £2.50. More details at facebook.com/ lateratresound.

Saturday

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.

Sunday

n BADMINTON ROAD

METHODIST CHURCH In-person Sunday worship continues weekly at 10.30am, 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

n EMERSONS GREEN BAPTIST

CHURCH services are held every Sunday morning from 10.3011.30am at Emersons Green Village Hall, Emersons Way. We also hold regular craft services. Contact Simon on 07765 201435, visit www.emersonsgreenchurch.org or Facebook page for more details.

n LYDE GREEN LITTER PICKERS meet at 10.30am on the first Sunday of the month outside Lyde Green Community Centre, Thistle Close. Spend an hour litter picking to help make Lyde Green look more tidy and beautiful! See www. cleanupuk.org.uk/groups/lydegreen-litter-pickers for information.

Also Open Access will NOT be available in any South Gloucestershire library between 23rd May - 5th June.

Monday 27th May (Bank Holiday) – NO staffed or OPEN ACCESS will be available – see above

Tuesday 28th May – FREE drop in craft activity at Staple Hill Library for primary school aged children, starting at 10.30am

Wednesday 29th May – FREE drop in craft activity at Downend Library for primary school aged children, starting at 10.30am

Bridge works close motorway

THE M4 has undergone the first of three overnight closures as part of work to replace the A432 Badminton Road bridge.

National Highways, which owns the bridge and is responsible for the replacement work, closed the motorway in both directions between the Hambrook and Tormarton junctions (19 and 18) overnight on April 18, and has announced two more closures, on May 16 and June 13, from 9.30pm until 6am each night.

Drivers heading east are being diverted via the M32 on to the A4174 Avon Ring Road, the A420 between Warmley and Cold Ashton, then the A46 to Tormarton, with westbound traffic diverted onto the same route in the opposite direction.

The closure is part of "investigations to determine utility connection points", as engineers work out how to reroute the cables and pipes which are carried by the bridge.

They are also carrying out "ecological mitigation" before vegetation clearance around the structure begins. Surveys at the site found that dormice, a protected species, live there, which means the contractors need a special licence from environment body Natural England.

The bridge, which carried 16,000 vehicles a day on the A432 between Bristol and

Yate, closed last July after engineers found "accelerated deterioration and cracking" in the concrete.

It meant motorists who travelled on Badminton Road between Downend and Frampton Cotterell had to find alternative routes, in part on narrow country roads.

In an update on its work National Highways said: "At present, we are on schedule to begin trenching works below the

M4 around mid-June, with an anticipated demolition date of September/October, subject to coordination with utility providers and other authorities.

"The bridge will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists until demolition takes place."

"Further overnight closures may be required before demolition of the structure."

Workers on the M4. Picture: National Highways

SHORTWOOD VILLAGE WI

HELLO again, as we all look forward to putting our wellies away.

In March we had a visit from Jo Richardson of Space Detectives, who gave a fascinating talk about Tim Peake’s expedition to the International Space Station and the scientific experiments he undertook to further our knowledge on earth.

For our April meeting we had a visit from Yvonne Cox, a founder member of the South Gloucestershire Hedgehog Rescue group. Sadly the population has declined massively over the years for various reasons, only one of which is road fatalities.

She explained the hazards and traps in our recycling alone, and how they can be avoided with just a bit of thought when disposing of our rubbish. We were shown how to make a hedgehog box for our garden and she left us with an adoption certificate for our very own hedgehog, Larry.

The evening finished with a quiz set by our resident quizmaster, Caroline. Held over from our March meeting, it related to ‘space’ in so much as we had

words with spaces in them, and had to determine the name of a drink to complete the word.

We have booked to go to Flourish at Glenavon Farm this month for some pottery painting, so we can see if we have any budding Picassos in our group! We’re also planning a trip to Kingswood Heritage Museum and Winterbourne Medieval Barn.

Our cream teas on the lawn event is on June 8.

Our meeting in May is to discuss and vote on this year’s WI resolution, ‘Dental Health Matters’, which we are sure will apply to many people.

We are a friendly bunch and give a warm welcome to new visitors, so just turn up for a complimentary visit, to see what the WI has to offer.

We meet on the second Thursday evening of the month in the vestry of the Chapel in Main Road, Shortwood, and our next meeting is on May 9, at 7.30pm.

For more information or a chat, email us at millhousejoinery@aol. com, with the heading Shortwood Village WI.

Lynne Miller

BEECHMERE BELLES WI

I THINK I can finally say spring is here: clocks have gone forward and the evenings are lengthening. I love this time of year – tulips are giving us a beautiful show of colours and the bluebells are popping through the earth all round us.

At our April meeting we chatted and crafted, making a lovely spring wreath from crepe paper. It always amazes me how we all start with the same crafty items, yet at the end of the evening no two finished items look the same. Our members are certainly creative.

Our March meeting was slightly less strenuous – we had a talk from Kathryn on First Aid, giving a fascinating insight into all the wonderful work that the Red Cross do. Who knew “Baby Shark” might save a life?

We have lots to look forward to this year: as well as hearing about bats at our May meeting, we have been organising some outings.In June we are going on a tour of the Province of Bristol Masonic Hall in Park Street, with afternoon tea provided. In July we’ll be heading out on a pirate walk, “a pleasant walk around the quays, discovering Bristol’s turbulent history”.

If you would like to know more about our WI, please contact us via email at beechmerebelles@gmail.com or follow our Facebook page, which is Emersons Green & Lyde Green WI Beechmere Belles.

Or come along as a guest for the evening - it’s free for your first visit, and we promise you a warm welcome, tea or coffee and cake!

ARE you free on Wednesday May 8, from 2.30pm onwards?

Why not come along to the Crafty Egg in Fishponds for an informal social? You’ll meet some existing members of Bristol u3a (you in your Third Age) and have a chance to find out more about us and what we’re up to in East & North-East Bristol.

Don’t worry if you can’t make that as we’ll be announcing more drop-in events around the area in future editions of The Voice.

We’re always looking to start new interest groups locally, and the Sociable Cycling Group has been established for just over a year.

It meets twice a month, on the first and second Thursday mornings, and rides will usually start somewhere along the Bristol to Bath or Ring Road paths.

The first ride of the month is fully accessible to all abilities - short, on cycle paths or quiet lanes at an easy pace. The second will be for the more confident cyclists - longer, on roads and more challenging.

Whatever the distance, there is always at least one stop for a cuppa and cake. It’s a highly participative group and routes are suggested by group members. Note that all participating cyclists are fully responsible for their own safety and the safety of others around them.

Bristol u3a is for anyone with some free time for themselves.

There’s no lower age limit, but most of our members are retired or semi-retired.

We come from all walks of life and have (at least) one thing in common: a zest for living and for trying/learning new things.

There are over 150 interest groups across Bristol for members to join – simply Google “Bristol u3a” to see for yourself, or contact me at learnlaughlive@bristolu3a.org.uk to find out more.

MANGOTSFIELD

Community Association's latest fundraising event had some help from a galaxy far, far away.

Volunteers dressed as Chewbacca and a stormtrooper from Star Wars were among those who spent two days completing a virtual 1,189 mile course on spin bikes at the Red Lion pub on Easter Saturday and Sunday.

The event, with a raffle and charity BBQ, raised more than £4,000 for the MCA's nominated charities, the MND Association and St Peter's Hospice, with donations still coming in.

MCA members Mike Heath, Karen Fox and Matt and Sarah Proud organised the event with the staff of the Red Lion.

Mangotsfield Residents Association chair and community pastor Clive Heath said: "All who took part or helped, including the Red Lion, should be proud of what they achieved for these two charities."

The next charity event will be a darts extravaganza on the next bank holiday weekend, on Saturday and Sunday May 4 to 5.

All are welcome.

Lindsay Gough

It takes work to look this good

HAVE you noticed how pretty the Dame School garden looks at the moment?

That’s all down to Mavis, Diane and Sue, three local residents and members of our group who, every Tuesday morning, are doing their bit to “brighten the place up a bit”. They deserve our thanks, and if anyone would like to help them then please let us know.

In March we held a litter pick around Burley Grove and Hillside.

It’s amazing how much litter can be collected in a little over an hour – or should that read “it’s depressing how much litter can be collected in an hour”?

By the time you read this, we’ll have had our first meeting in a long time, on April 25 in the Red Lion.

We are making it more of an informal chat rather than a formal meeting, and hoping that encourages more people to come along and get involved.

The next South Glos Council community engagement forum for Staple Hill, Mangotsfield and New Cheltenham will take place on Tuesday May 14, at 7pm.

The venue isn’t confirmed yet but is likely to be at Mangotsfield secondary school. It’s going back to being a face-to-face meeting, but with the option to join remotely.

It’s the first time this “hybrid” meeting has been tried outside of the council chamber, so it would be great to see lots of people there.

The police will cover, amongst other things, how to stay safe from scams, there will be a presentation on children's mental health and a conversation on Knife Crime.

All are important and relevant to our area.

It’s also another chance to meet and speak to your local police team, Avon Fire and Rescue

and members of the council about anything and everything local.

Did you know that there is a quiz night at St James Church every Wednesday, at 8pm? They raise funds for local groups – we’ve been grateful recipients, so why not go along?

Our next Red Lion coffee morning will be on Wednesday May 1 at 10 am, and all are welcome.

We are planning our next set of HAMs, 'hour a month' work sessions to improve the area –more info when we have it.

If you want to get in touch then please do so at MangotsfieldRA@gmail.com, via the ever popular Mangotsfield Matters Facebook or telephone our chair, Clive Heath, on 07507 168700 or me on 07918 701881.

Chris Amos

Find out about fostering with us at one of our upcoming information events:

Wednesday 15 May • 1pm - 1.45pm ���� Online event

Thursday 30 May • 6.30pm - 8pm � Emersons Green Village Hall, Emerson Way, Emersons Green, BS16 7AP

Thursday 11 June • 12pm - 12.45pm ���� Online event

Thursday 27 June • 6.30pm - 8pm � Lincombe Barn, Overndale Road, Downend, BS16 2RW

n Flowers at the Dame School garden n Litter collected around Burley Grove and Hillside.

560 at 10k

THIS year’s Frenchay 10k was “yet again incredibly well supported”, with more than 560 runners taking part.

The 42nd running of the race on April 14, from UWE’s Glenside campus in Fishponds, raised money for charities Freewheelers (blood bikes) and Suicide Prevention UK, who provided marshals along with members of Emersons Green running club.

Race Director Dave Guyatt said: “Both charities will receive a donation from the race committee, to the tune of several thousand pounds each.

“We were blessed with some lovely spring sunshine, which was greatly welcomed after such a wet period.”

Dave extended special thanks to Emersons Green Running Club, who provided volunteer marshals around the 10k course.

Many EGRC members also ran in the race and, with Ian Leonard coming in second place overall, with a time of 35m 45s.

EGRC’s Jolene Bereza was the third-placed female finisher and 18th overall, in 41m 13s.

Join our history walk

DOWNEND'S Community History and Arts Project is holding a free history walk in May.

Everyone is welcome to join this fascinating amble around the centre of Downend, to find out how our area grew from a wild and dark forest into a thriving modern community.

During the walk, on Saturday May 11, we will discuss some places which no longer exist, like Cleve Hill House, the Quaker burial ground, the Cottage Homes and the hat factory, as well as some which are still standing, like the Green Dragon, WG Grace’s birthplace and the King George V Playing Fields.

We will cover some local people and incidents, and recount changes in society over the centuries.

As well as sharing the history they have found, CHAP members are also keen to collect people’s own reminiscences, as the group’s aim is to gather and share local history. So please come along with your memories and stories from the past, or questions if you are keen to know more.

The event will be supported by Historic England’s Local Heritage Education Manager Michael Gorely.

The walk is open to people of all ages and abilities and will not include any hills. There is no need to book. Meet at the Scout Memorial at 10am.

CHAP is a not-for-profit voluntary organisation that aims to produce a community history resource and create a coherent identity for Downend and Emersons Green, built around interesting or significant places, people and events from the past.

For more information visit www.downendchap. org, email big.gin@talktalk.net or write to CHAP, 49 Overnhill Road, Downend, Bristol, BS16 5DS.

Helen Rana

n Janet Biggin and Nick Smith of CHAP with Michael Gorely preparing for the history walk

Bee a part of No Mow May

IF you peer over your garden fence this May, you might think your neighbour’s lawn is looking a little scruffy.

A few more dandelions than normal, or (horror!) patches of grass growing at different lengths. But don’t tut – that may be on purpose. And it’s a good thing!

Yes, it’s that time of year again – No Mow May, where people keep their lawnmowers and strimmers in the shed for 31 days, and give space back to nature.

It’s a simple idea. Giving the mower a breather means spring plants getting a chance to set seed before the first cutting. This means your lawn becomes a haven for insects, birds, hedgehogs, and more. And it allows wild plants to get a foothold in May, to feed bees, and other pollinators, through summer.

I’ve backed this campaign

COMMUNITY NEWS

since it started in 2018 and every year, I’m always fascinated speaking with residents about the different plants they spot in their backyards.

I’m not just talking daisies or buttercups either, but plants we’d not often see in our gardens – one resident told me she’d even started growing wild strawberries!

Worryingly, future generations won’t see these either if we continue down our current path. Tragically we’ve lost 97% of our wildflower meadows since the 30s.

That’s why I’m again urging readers to take part by doing, well, nothing! Leave the mower alone, and watch the flowers fill your lawn.

Check out plantlife.org.uk/ campaigns/nomowmay for more information.

If you can’t imagine allowing your entire patch to run wild, then how about leaving a circle

MANGOTSFIELD DOLLY MIXTURES

OUR afternoon tea at J’s Café in Lyde Green saw 16 of our dollies attending.

The café is part of a complex with all sorts of facilities. Jackie, the owner, greeted us and asked if we would like tea or coffee. Our tables had been dressed with individual salad dishes and crisps, and the afternoon teas were displayed in lovely swan-tiered stands.

It was a wonderful afternoon, and we also spent some time chatting with the residents, who love to engage with new people.

Our next meeting in the hall will be a quiz, with quizmaster Bryn. There will be much discussion about the following meeting, which is a cold water swimming experience in Clevedon.

In January our speaker, Sophie, gave us an insight to the safety aspects of cold water swimming, and she will be there to meet us in Clevedon to help, guide and keep us safe.

Tickets are going well for a 50s evening of rock n roll, jump jive and swing with Cadillac Xpress. The event will be held at St James Church Hall, Richmond Road, on June 8: doors open at 7pm, music starts at 7.30pm, finishing at 10.30pm. Tickets cost £16.

There is plenty of room for dancing and it is BYO evening, with a raffle. For more information contact carol@applause.co.uk

June will be a fun skittles evening at Mangotsfield United Football Club. Looking further ahead, we are now planning a trip to Blenheim Palace for their Christmas market and lights.

Carol Coombs

of grass in the centre of the lawn to bloom? Or why not stagger it – so that you have one area that’s mown once a month, one area mown at the end of summer, and so on.

For those without a garden, fear not! I’m urging everyone to check in with their local church, school or anywhere with grass or fields, and ask if some space can be left for nature this year.

Ultimately, the momentum behind No Mow May shouldn’t stop with May, and thanks to the West of England Combined Authority I lead, it won’t.

An incredible 620,000 square metres of land is being transformed for the region’s pollinators thanks to bee-rilliant bee projects we're funding.

This is double the target I set when launching a £1 million Pollinator Fund for projects that support bees, and other pollinator superheroes.

Projects like the creation

LYDE GREEN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

Making community connections

Hello! My name is Stacy Pearce and I am the new Community Connector for Lyde Green Community Association.

I have lived locally for 13 years with my husband and three daughters.

In my spare time, I enjoy swimming, crafting and have lots of experience of volunteering across Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

Part of my role as Community Connector is to find out what matters to the community and how I can connect like-minded people.

I want to help Lyde Green be a great place to live, work and play. I am excited to help plan and support some community groups and events.

I would like to thank the organisations that have supported this role with funding, to ensure that the LGCA’s

of mini nature reserves in ten primary and secondary schools across the West, including in Coalpit Heath, Temple Cloud, and Bristol.

Alongside my annual Bee Bold Awards, we're making the West the bee and pollinator capital of the country.

But I know we can go further.

So, this year, please give No Mow May a go. Who knows, you might like it so much you give the lawnmower a permanent shunning. The bees will certainly thank you for that.

vision has become a reality. Thank you to Livewest, Sovereign Network Group, Clarion Futures, Emersons Green Town Council, Brighter Places and Green Square Accord for jointly funding this post for a year.

If you are involved in a community group, get in touch and tell me about it.

If you are looking for a community group, then let me know what you are looking for.

If you have an idea for something new and are not already involved in the community, then let’s talk about it!

I am available during my working hours at Lyde Green Community Centre: message me on the Lyde Green Community Association Facebook or email me at community@lydegreenca.org or stacy@lydegreenca.org. Stacy Pearce

DOWNEND FOLK & ROOTS

CAN it really be 10 years? Back in 2014, Ant Miles and a team of like-minded individuals decided to put on a few folk concerts in Downend. By their own admission, they didn’t really know what they were doing, but muddled through, made it work, and 10 years later it has grown into a monthly fixture on the calendars of music lovers from Downend and beyond. 10 years deserves a special event to celebrate, and Downend Folk & Roots are thrilled to reveal details of their 10th Anniversary

Celebrating our 10th anniversary

Celebration, which will take place over the weekend of 19-21 July this year. They’ve assembled a lineup of the very best folk, roots and acoustic music artists, including many who have played a big role in their story over the last decade, and have teamed up with their regular venue, Christ Church Downend, for some communityfocused events which will really

make it feel like a little festival!

The weekend will kick off with a ceilidh and ploughman’s supper on Friday 19 July, with Bristol favourites The Molecatchers providing the music.

On Saturday 20 July, there is a full day of the very best music. The day will start with a lunchtime performance from Katie Grace Harris. Under-18s will go free for

this part of the day, which is also individually ticketed, and there will be activity sheets and free squash for younger children.

Attention then turns to the Saturday afternoon concert. Jim Moray, patron of the club since the beginning, a will headline the gig, He will be joined on the bill by Janice Burns & Jon Doran, and Road Not Taken, the four-piece that was formed out of Downend Folk & Roots.

The celebrations continue on Saturday evening. Lady Maisery headlined back in November 2016, and returned triumphantly in December 2018 with their Christmas show Awake Arise. Inviting them back to headline the 10th Anniversary Celebration was a no-brainer… it’s been far too long! The trio will be joined on the bill by Downend Folk & Roots newcomers Bryony Griffith and Alice Jones, while local favourites Gavin Osborn & The Comment Section will open the evening.

In addition, there will be events taking place in the Parish Hall throughout the afternoon, including crafts and games.

Sunday will be a bit different. The club are teaming up with Christ Church Downend, and the day will kick-off with an optional, and very short, church service, before the musical regulars and members of the church head down to Lincombe Barn Park & Woods, where they’ll spend 90 minutes weeding, clearing paths and cleaning railings. It’s then back to the church for a soup, bread and cake lunch (all complimentary), before a closing concert, which will feature the fantastic Bristol-based folk choir Heartwood Chorus and a very special guest headliner, who will be revealed soon. You won’t want to miss it… and all of Sunday is COMPLETELY FREE!.

All events will take place at , and seats are unreserved for everything. You can buy a WEEKEND TICKET for £55 per person, or you can just get a SATURDAY TICKET for £45 per person (the ceilidh is not included). You can also buy tickets individually for the ceilidh, Live at Lunchtime and both Saturday afternoon and evening concerts, if you can’t make it for the whole weekend.

It promises to be a special weekend, so book now as places are limited. Go to downendfolkandroots.com or find out more on social media.

Guides celebrate

PUCKLECHURCH Guides invited parents to a badge ceremony and “trash fashion show” at their headquarters.

The event was to celebrate the first Guides from the unit achieving their silver awards: Aimee Hill, Lexie Hatherall and Katie Marshall were presented with their badges by Guide leader Ros Abbott.

Many other Guides are working towards bronze and silver awards while Aimee, Lexie and Katie set their sights on gold.

Dozens of interest and skills builder badges were handed out to the girls, who have been working hard, learning and having fun.

New advice service

NEW face-to-face drop-in advice sessions in Lyde Green have been launched by Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire.

Sessions funded by Emersons Green Town Council are being held on Mondays from 10am to noon at Lyde Green Community Centre.

The charity offers free, independent and confidential advice to anyone who needs it, in areas including debt, benefits, housing, relationship breakdown and employment.

Residents will be able to go to the community centre without an appointment and be seen by an experienced adviser.

If the situation is complex and a follow-up is needed, an appointment can be booked with the charity.

The charity also holds drop-in advice sessions at Emersons Green Village Hall on Thursdays, from 10am to noon.

Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire Chief Executive Officer Chantal Watts said: “We are delighted to be able to start a new advice session in Lyde Green.

“We are looking forward to meeting new clients who may not have been able to get to our other sessions in South Gloucestershire.

“We will work together to overcome your issue – no matter how big or small.

“We are committed to reaching out to the community in South Gloucestershire and spreading out our drop-in sessions to new parts of the county is a key part of achieving that.”

The charity, which is based in Yate, can offer help to people who don’t live in an area where it holds advice sessions by calling its free local advice line on 0808 278 7947 or visiting www.southgloscab. org.uk.

Pucklechurch Revel seeks volunteers

ORGANISERS of the Pucklechurch Revel are looking for volunteers and sponsors to help make this year’s event a success.

Revel Day this year is June 15 and the theme is ‘All Creatures Great and Small’.

A parade of local groups to the village Recreation Field will be led by the ‘royal family’ chosen at the event’s family disco in May.

There will also be live music from band Decibels, sporting activities, balloons, craft stalls, games and food.

Omie Flook, one of the ‘Pixies’ organising the event, said: “We are still looking for sponsors and volunteers to help fund and run our variety of events, from selling raffle tickets, selling beer and cider tickets, to helping with the waste management and helping to set-up and take-down structures on the weekend of Revel. Any offers of volunteering will be gratefully received.

“Likewise if you are interested in sponsoring, we have a variety of offers available for discussion which could see your brand and logo on all Revel adverts – banners around the marquee and village as well as social media.”

Ahead of the main event there is a Revel family disco at the Pucklechurch Village and Sports Club on May 18 and a Revel quiz at the Pucklechurch Community Association Club on June 11.

The Revel Beer and Cider Festival starts on the Recreation Field on June 14 – a ‘family-friendly’ night with music from You, Me and the Dance Floor – and continues the following day, when the headliners are Stupid.

For more information on volunteering or sponsorship email Pucklechurch.Revel@gmail.com or call on 0778 970 7278.

Details of tickets for the beer and cider festival will be available on the Revel Facebook page.

Guides Aimee Hills, Lexie Hatherall and Katie Marshall

Mangos finish in mid-table

MANGOTSFIELD United finished the league season in 13th place – but still have at least one cup final to play.

The final three home games of the season were all played by the end of March and turned out a mixed bag, beginning with a 4-2 home defeat by Roman Glass St George, who have become a bit of a bogey side this past couple of years.

After a goalless first half, Josh Jenkins and Shea BenningtonMannings scored early in the second half to put the visitors 2-0 up, before Jack Nunn (68) and Jaydn Crosbie (75) brought the scores level. Roman Glass clinched the win with late goals from Jonathan Walker (86) and Loui Ward (89).

Five days later came a 1-1 home draw against Highworth Town. An even game saw Daniel Grieve put the Wiltshire side

ahead after just nine minutes, but the Mangos kept plugging away and Jaydn Crosbie levelled on 65 minutes to share the points.

The Mangos completed their home programme for the season on March 26 – possibly their earliest home finish of all time –with a deserved 3-1 win against Tytherington Rocks in the GFA Trophy Semi-Final.

Jaydn Crosbie (14) and Henry Ikeije (38) gave the hosts a commanding 2-0 half time lead, and although Toby Waterman gave the Rocks some hope in the 79th minute, Rohan Nelson netted in stoppage time to wrap up a good win for the Mangos. An appearance in a cup final is always a nice way to end a season!

The Mangos were supposed to meet Cinderford Town in the final, but the Foresters were

thrown out of the tournament, having fielded an ineligible player in the semi-final. Beaten semi-finalists Cheltenham Saracens will now take their place.

Mangotsfield had no games whatsoever over Easter, and weren’t in action again until April 10, when they drew 1-1 at play-off chasing Slimbridge.

The hosts led at the break through George Neill, but Mangos deservedly levelled on 55 minutes through Stuart Tovey, to secure what turned out to be the final point of the season.

With league Saturday fixtures finished but matches being played on midweek dates, as teams caught up on postponed games as best they could, next up was a 1-0 Monday night defeat at Cinderford Town, whose late winner came from Chris Knowles.

The final league game, at newly-crowned champions Worcester City, turned out to be a lively affair.

At half time, it was 2-2, which the home crowd hadn’t anticipated, with Jaydn Crosbie (10) and Will Ashton (44) scoring for the Mangos.

But the sending off of Stuart Tovey on 41 minutes meant they played with 10 men for the entire second half, and such pressures led to them conceding three second half goals. Worcester’s goals came from Jordan Lymm, Jamie Insall, Elliott Hartley, Elliott Keighley and an own goal.

As the Voice went to print the Mangos were still waiting to find out their opponents in the semifinals of the Marsh Challenge Cup, while the GFA Final against Cheltenham Saracens was due to be played at Almondsbury on April 25.

Cleve sign off with home win

CLEVE'S last home game of the season was a well-deserved win in a well-contested game versus Clevedon.

The visitors had beaten Cleve the previous season and appeared confident. Cleve, however, were particularly good in contact, led by Matt Lynch who made some great drives into Clevedon’s 22.

Clevedon got onto the scoresheet first, winning and slotting over a penalty. Cleve went on the offensive and, after a period of pressure, Freddie Richardson was released into the corner and went over to make it 5-3. Another penalty was awarded to Clevedon after a forward drive, to take them back ahead as the game became an end-to-end competition. After a driving maul, Will Warman cut to the line. Harry Goodfield finished the move off, with a conversion making it 12-6.

The visitors responded, and after a catch and drive they scored a try to pull back within a point. Cleve then moved the ball well and scored in the corner, to pull 17-11 ahead and, on the restart created another good move, with Theo Garnett going inside to score again.

During the second half Garnett was again on the end of a good move, using skilful footwork to score again. After five minutes of sustained pressure Clevedon scored a converted try to make it 27-18. They continued to pressure near the line but were held up, and a break by Lynch put Cleve near the line. He passed to fellow forward Will Bartholomew, who went over, with the try converted.

Cleve were not finished: after good ball movement Freddie Richardson went over again to make the final score 39-18 to Cleve.

*Cleve are holding a Sevens tournament on June 28-29. As well as men's and women's elite and social competitions, there will be music, food, bars and entertainment at the Hayfields. For more information email office@cleverugby.co.uk

Steve Bateman

Flyers catch up

SPRING is here and the rain has finally stopped long enough to get some games on for Downend Flyers' three women's and 21 girls' teams!

However the club is still playing catch-up. The adult first team has four league games to play, with two points needed to be mathematically safe in the sixth tier for another year.

The reserves can enjoy their last three games, having secured their status in Gloucestershire Division 2 for next season. Our girls' teams are completing their league programmes before their switching to the tournament season, especially our event in June!

Duncan Gardner

ON THE TREATMENT TABLE - WITH TIM BUTTON CLEVE CHIROPRACTIC MANGOTSFIELD

Hip arthritis

SO, to say this month’s blog took me down a rabbit hole would be an understatement. It all started with Mr Gary Brindle, our illustrious publisher of The Voice, who has given me permission to tell his story here – let’s face it, he has the power to edit it anyway!

A short while ago Gary called and asked if we could help him with a few mechanical pains that he had been experiencing. Some of these were simpler than others to pin down but, as we managed to improve his symptoms, it quickly became clear that Gary had a hip problem.

He was suffering with a combination of hip pain and reduced mobility and function so we decided to take some X-rays to investigate. Luckily, we have a high quality digital facility on site at Cleve Chiropractic – it’s the gold standard for diagnosis of hip osteoarthritis (OA), otherwise known as “wear and tear”.

Sure enough, we found Gary had some mild to moderate OA in his hip, which was clearly aggravating the problem. With this firm and quick diagnosis under our belt, I promptly referred Gary upstairs at the clinic to see our Olympic Games physio Keith.

Keith is an all-singing, all-dancing, prescribing physiotherapist who can also do ultrasound guided injections alongside his regular duties – indeed, this makes up the majority of his work these days. Keith injected Gary with a

steroid to try to confirm that the problem was originating from the hip. If he started to feel better, with the symptoms reduced or disappeared, then the hip could definitely be identified as the culprit – otherwise, we would have to keep looking. However, as night follows day, Gary’s hip pain disappeared, so we were confident of the diagnosis.

At this juncture, it’s important to mention that we’re now in the world of trying everything to at least delay, or hopefully avoid, a hip replacement. Whilst these operations are very successful, they involve major surgery and a significant recovery period that most people would rather not rush into.

After a steroid injection, the window of “painless opportunity” is often short-lived, maybe lasting only a few months, or even weeks. For Gary, we began a thorough rehabilitation programme of exercise and treatment but, as his hip function returned, so eventually did his pain.

So the plan was to take advantage of our shiny brand new traction machine, which we introduced to the clinic in January mainly for the purpose of decompressing spines for those painful neck and lower back disc injuries that we treat nearly every day. This machine is unsurpassed as a device to relieve disc injuries and helps the majority of patients avoid surgery.

I have only ever tractioned

hips manually (using my hands) and, practically, it’s very hard to do. It’s tricky to generate the force required and to be consistent, so we don’t really use it much as a treatment option. I dare to say that traction is not in widespread use for OA hips for this reason.

However, because we have this new capability, I embarked on a review of the written evidence for traction of OA hips and what I found was enlightening. The research goes back a long way and shows that traction of a stiff OA hip is more effective than rehab, though a combination approach is best.

The thinking is that machinebased traction provides a consistent outcome and is therefore better than the varying experiences of therapists. It can reduce pain and increase mobility and function. The more traction you have the better the effect – and the more traction is combined with your treatment, the less treatment that you need!

One study showed that 10 treatments of traction provided excellent outcomes in the majority of patients at 12 weeks – at least in the short to medium term. What’s more, none of the research that I found showed any negative side effects of hip or even knee traction. Also, hip traction can significantly reduce any referred knee pain.

At the clinic, we get very good outcomes by injecting hyaluronic acid (HA) into OA joints, including hips and knees. HA acts as a long lasting lubricant and reportedly slows down the progression of OA whilst improving pain levels

and function. So there’s no reason why we cannot combine these approaches safely.

If you think that you may have wear and tear in your hip, Cleve Chiropractic and Physiotherapy Centre offers a personalised combination of care including:

• An X-ray of your hip for immediate diagnosis

• Confirmation with an ultrasound guided steroid if appropriate

• Providing a rehab plan that includes hands-on treatments and use of the anti-gravity treadmill

• Traction of the hip

• HA injections to lubricate the joint, which can last for many months or even more than a year

Some or all of these approaches may be appropriate for you or someone you know –speak to us about a tailored care programme. Book a consultation with any of the physios, chiros or sports therapists at our Mangotsfield clinic – we can help find the right route back to a healthy you.

Gary’s treatment, including traction, is in its early stages but he will tell you that he’s already getting some much-needed relief from pain. Fingers crossed, if we continue down this path, we will get him back to his old self in no time.

SPORT

BRISTOL & West Hockey Club's women's 2nd team has replicated the success of the men's 4s in completing an unbeaten leaguewinning season.

B&W Jaspers 2s finished 6pts clear in their division, with 16 wins, 2 draws and no defeats, scoring an impressive 72 goals and conceding only 15.

Although promotion was already in the bag, the title was secured with wins over Yate 3s (3-0) and Wick 2s (0-5) in their final games.

From start to finish they played attacking hockey and generally dominated play in every game; they will head into Berkeley Division 1 next season.

The Ladies 3s battled to secure their league title. With two games to go, they dispatched Keynsham 3s 6-0 to put their goal difference to over 20+ ahead of their nearest challengers, three points behind. They came through a tough final fixture with a 1-0 win, ending a stellar season that saw them win 19 and only lose 1 game, scoring 91 goals and conceding only 8.

Unfortunately, the Ladies 1st team were not able to establish

Jaspers finish the season in style

themselves in their new league in their first season after promotion, finishing last with two wins for the season, albeit one was against the side placed

2nd at the time.

Nonetheless, they rallied week-in, week-out and are already preparing their campaign to go straight back up next season.

Elsewhere, the Men's 1s competed in the West Premiership for the first time in the club’s history, securing a more than respectable 7th-place finish, with six wins, 10 draws and six defeats.

Slightly disappointed to finish a single point outside the top half, they are more than capable of competing and will challenge for a top-5 place next season.

Men's 2s struggled to find consistency and had to help bolster the 1st team when needed, but finished 5th in their division and will certainly be looking to push for the title next season.

Men’s 3s had a fantastic season, finishing second in the league: they were the only team to beat runaway winners Old Bristolians 2s.

The Junior section of the club continues to grow, and secured the title in the local Badgers League. Not only that, the club hosted Italian club Galatea, with youngsters of all ages competing in a mixed friendly tournament. Our Sicilian visitors thanked us for being the only club in Bristol prepared to host them, and issued an invitation to Sicily for all ages – another great tour (holiday?) awaits!

If you are interested in joining us for some casual or competitive hockey in the summer league from May onwards, visit www. bandwhc.org.uk for more information.

Harry Bryant

Ruby commits to padel

DOWNEND youngster Ruby Mathias has quit tennis to concentrate fully on padel - a similar sport played on a smaller, enclosed court where the ball can be bounced off the sides.

Ruby, 11, tasted success in a Lawn Tennis Association padel tournament in London where she won the under-12 and under-16 titles with her partner Elizabeth Vellacott.

She also won the Avon Cup, an adult competition based at Surge Padel in Fishponds and has competed in an adult LTA event with French coach Kevin Graff that included adult GB players.

Ruby is now number 3 in Great Britain for her age group, and number 5 for under 16s - she is encouraging more girls to take up the sport.

Bristol & West Jaspers 2s celebrate their title

Rain hits cricket season

THE season for Carsons and Mangotsfield Cricket Club has got off to a slow start, with four of the first five games cancelled due to

poor weather.

They won the one game played, against Shaftesbury Road, by 24 runs, with Matthew Clatworthy’s 50 (retired) and Kieran Gallagher’s 47 accounting for more than half their total of 189.

The weather meant players have been unable to start using outdoor nets, but the club will run two adult sessions per week, one with former Gloucestershire professional Damian Forder.

The club is also running the national All Stars programme for children aged 5-8: search for the club on the All Stars website if you have a child who is interested in

having a go at cricket.

We also have spaces in our Under-9 age group.

The club is also looking to develop their links with local businesses through match-day sponsorship.

For more information about the club email iancoles7@sky.com.

Ian Coles