hanham&longwellgreenvoice February, 2021 Issue 52
www.hanhamandlongwellgreenvoice.co.uk
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Family's heartfelt appeal after losing dad to Covid THE family of a Hanham man who died early in the pandemic are pleading with people to take coronavirus seriously and follow all precautions to stop the virus spreading. Steve Gay lost his life in May at the age of 64 after five weeks in the intensive care unit at Southmead Hospital. During that time, none of his five children and stepchildren or ten grandchildren could visit. Steve, who ran Vinyl Graphics, a signwriting business in Hanham, and his wife Eve became ill in March after the 18th birthday party of one his grandsons. Eve recovered but Steve was admitted to hospital. His daughter Philippa Carey said: “ We didn’t know what to expect. We thought he’d just be in there a couple of days but the virus damaged his lungs beyond repair.” Eventually the family had to make the agonising decision to switch off the machines that were keeping him alive. Eve was with him but Philippa and the rest of the family had to watch on Facetime. The family channelled their grief into a fundraising appeal. They hope to raise £7,500
Rainbow stars spread joy Children at St Barnabas C of E Primary School have brightened the winter gloom in North Common by creating a trail of rainbow stars. PAGE 15
£50k raised to help Oscar, 4
Steve Gay with daughters Philippa, Helen and Lucy for a ventilator for the ICU at Southmead. Philippa said: "Dad was a really popular chap and he did like a good old party, so when we are able to we will throw a celebration of his life and use it to raise more money. We know that's what he'd have wanted." In the meantime, though, Philippa, who works for Sirona Care and Health and is currently
involved in the programme to deliver the Covid-19 vaccinations, urged people to abide by the restrictions. "You might be OK yourself but you can still carry the virus and infect others - so please follow the rules," she said. To contribute to the fundraising, visit: https://www. justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ steve-gay
Four-year-old Oscar Cridge from Longwell Green will have surgery this year to enable him to walk unaided after an appeal raised more than £50,000. PAGE 6
Artist's models close to home Artist Dr Marylane Barfield has painted 18 colourful portraits of residents at Magpie Court retirement complex in Hanham. PAGE 9
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Hanham & Longwell Green Voice contacts Publisher Emma Cooper 0117 908 2121 / 07715 770448 sales@hanhamandlongwellgreenvoice.co.uk Editor Follow us on Twitter Linda Tanner @ twitter.com/Hanham LWGvoice 0777 0700579 news@hanhamandlongwellgreenvoice.co.uk Erica Benson Advertising Sales 0117 908 2121 sales@hanhamandlongwellgreenvoice.co.uk Find us on Facebook Journalist www.facebook.com/ Jackie Novels hanhamandlongwell greenvoice 0117 908 2121 news@hanhamandlongwellgreenvoice.co.uk
March deadline Our March edition deadline is February 24. To ensure your news or letter is included, please contact us by then. Advertisers are also asked to contact us by the same date.
Your views Letters for publication can be sent to the above email addresses or by post to Letters, Hanham & Longwell Green Voice, 16 Ashmead Business Centre, Ashmead Road, Keynsham, BS31 1SX. The editor reserves the right to edit your letter.
Useful numbers South Gloucestershire Council www.southglos.gov.uk 01454 868009 Citizens Advice Bureau 0344 499 4718 Police www.avonandsomersetpolice.uk General enquiries: 101 Emergency: 999 Fire www.avonfire.gov.uk General enquiries: 0117 926 2061
Emergency: 999 NHS Health Call 111 Well Aware (health and social care information) www.wellaware.org.uk Freephone: 0808 808 5252 We are Bristol helpline Freephone 0800 694 0184 Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm Weekends 10am-2pm
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 Hanham & Longwell 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 here, or can be obtained by contacting the Publisher. PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Hanham and Longwell 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. Hanham and Longwell Green Voice is distributed each month to residents. If for some reason you do not get a copy, please collect one from local pick-up points. Feedback is always welcomed, contact Emma Cooper on 0117 908 2121 or sales@hanhamandlongwellgreenvoice.co.uk This month 9,500 copies will be distributed around Hanham and Longwell Green.
A member of the
February, 2021
n NEWS
Covid-19 infection rates remain high
PEOPLE in Hanham and Longwell Green are being urged to to continue to follow guidance as rates of coronavirus in the area remain high. The latest figures show that although the number of cases locally is falling, it is still above the average for South Gloucestershire as a whole. As the Voice went to print, the latest data from the Office of National Statistics showed a rate for Hanham of 423 cases per 100,000 residents and for Longwell Green and Oldland Common at 429, while the figure for South Glos was 376. The ONS's Kingswood North East area saw cases rise by 78 in the week to January 17, with the rate per 100,000 at Kingswood 1001.8 - one of the highest in the country. Other local districts saw a fall in rates per 100,000 during the same period and were around or below the average: Kingswood South, 372; Staple Hill South and Kingswood North West, 351; Cadbury Heath North and Bitton, 375 and Cadbury Heath South and North Common, 362. Kingswood councillor Andrea Reid appealed to local people to take seriously the huge spike in infections during January. “It’s so important we all do what we can to protect each other now. We all want normality back. Continually rising numbers will only delay it. Let’s work together to get these numbers down,” she said.
A rapid testing centre was due to open at Kingswood Leisure Centre on January 27. It will be open five days a week, (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday) from 9am-5pm for prebooked appointments only. Slots can be booked now at https://beta.southglos.gov.uk/ book-rapid-flow-test/ Rapid testing (also known as community testing) to find residents who have Covid-19 but are not displaying any symptoms is vital as those people can then isolate and prevent the virus from spreading. The test, which uses a sample of saliva to look for signs of Covid-19, returns results within an hour. Anyone living or working in South Glos will be able to get access to the tests, with those in roles that bring them into contact with the community being prioritised. These include health and social care staff, early years and nursery workers, funeral directors, crematorium and cemetery staff, bus and taxi drivers and staff in essential shops. Rapid testing is different from the tests already available to anyone who has symptoms of coronavirus. People with these symptoms – a new continuous cough, loss of or change in sense of taste or smell, or a high temperature – should continue to self-isolate and book a Covid-19 test at www.gov. uk/get-coronavirus-test or by LOW calling 119.
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February, 2021
n NEWS
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Strong start for vaccination programme HUNDREDS of people in the Hanham area have already had their first jabs during a fast rollout of the Covid vaccination programme. Seventy per cent of people aged over 80 in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire had been vaccinated by January 21, making the area one of the most successful in the country. Several local centres are now vaccinating over-70s and the clinically extremely vulnerable as well as over-80s and frontline health and care workers. GP practices have joined together in primary care networks to deliver the jabs. They are working alongside the hospitals and the super vaccination centre at Ashton Gate in Bristol. Another super centre is due to open at Bath Racecourse and some local pharmacies are also about to start running vaccination clinics. Kingswood Health Centre
n The team at Ellacombe Pharmacy are about to start running a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Longwell Green Community Centre. The plan is to start with a programme of nine to 12 hours daily. Appointments will be through the National Booking Service, so please do not contact the pharmacy - wait for an invitation. Volunteers will be needed to run the clinics so if you are able to help do get in touch. was the first in our district to start giving vaccinations, just before Christmas. It is working with Cadbury Heath Healthcare, Close Farm Surgery and Hanham Health in the 4PCN primary care network. Dr Neil Kerfoot, a GP and a member of the clinical team responsible for the Bristol,
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in the area who needs it. “We want to reassure our over 80s population that if you haven't yet been contacted please don't worry, we will be in touch very soon.” Priority groups have been decided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
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February, 2021
n NEWS
Schools 'go the extra mile' during lockdown SCHOOLS in the Hanham and Longwell Green area have pulled out all the stops to make sure children are safe, fed and learning during Lockdown 3. Teachers and leaders have set up online lessons and have worked to ensure that students working at home have the necessary technology. Some schools, including John Cabot Academy and Hanham Woods Academy, are still appealing to the community for donations of laptops and other devices. Schools have also been distributing food and checking up on vulnerable families. Headteachers have praised children and families for the way they have adapted to the sudden return to remote learning. More children are in school this time than during the 2020 lockdown but the majority are doing their lessons at home. Hanham Woods Academy has about 100 critical worker and vulnerable children at school, and about 700 logging in from home. The school has set up its own Covid-19 testing centre, creating booths from MDF and Perspex and training staff and community volunteers to test staff, all students on site and staff from neighbouring primary schools. Principal Stephen Kneller said: “All of the challenges could not have been overcome if it
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King's Oak Academy is keeping up with online and in-school lessons during Lockdown Three was not for the amazing staff who continue to ‘go the extra mile’ to ensure our young people are safe, fed and in learning every day. “It would also not have been possible without the support of our parents. “Most of all, the grit, determination and resilience shown by our amazing students has meant that, whilst this dreadful virus has impacted us all, we will come out the other side stronger. “This crisis has meant we have engaged more with our most vulnerable families,
established an online-learning platform that can be utilised for student absence in the future, reduced travel by holding virtual meetings and made online support for mental health and wellbeing more readily available. "Without doubt it has unified our community to support its most vulnerable members.” King’s Oak Academy says it has 17 per cent of primary children and nine per cent of secondary students on site, because they come from key worker families or are classed as vulnerable. The remaining students are following their usual timetable from home, with some live lessons via Microsoft Teams. The school has also been printing paper learning packs for those families that request them, as well as posting links to other online learning resources. Children eligible for free school meals are being provided with vouchers or food parcels. Principal Katherine Ogden said: “I would like to thank our staff, parents and children for their proactive and positive response to the situation. It has been a real team effort. “Our parents and carers in particular have been extremely supportive of King’s Oak Academy. I am looking forward to us continuing to work together to ensure that all children in our academy are learning safely and that they continue to thrive.”
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February, 2021
n NEWS A KINGSWOOD teacher has vowed to run 10k every day while his mother is in Southmead Hospital with Covid. Andrew Marshall-Aherne, who is assistant principal at King’s Oak Academy, has so far raised more than £2,000 for Southmead Hospital Charity. He wants to thank the hospital staff for the care they are giving his mother, Christine Marshall, 68, in the intensive care unit as she battles the virus. Although the whole family caught Covid around New Year, only Christine became ill enough to be hospitalised on 8 January. Andrew, 36, from Lyde Green, said he, husband Craig, plus sons George, seven, and Jacob, four, all caught Covid at the same time as his parents. He said: “I have to admit I was a bit blase about the virus until now. I’d seen it at school a lot with no serious effects. I was naive about the impact it can have. “We all got the virus and even my dad, who’s in his 70s, was completely asymptomatic. I thought we’d all get over it quickly. “But in the space of a couple of days my mum went from being a fit and healthy 68-yearold woman with no underlying issues, to someone with absolutely no energy, unable to stand or move. “She was fighting for breath as her lungs became more and more inflamed and her temperature rose to 40C. “My mum was an incredibly strong-minded, independent, proud lady until Covid struck her down with secondary pneumonia and an invasive, fungal infection
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'I'll run10k every day until my mum overcomes Covid' Andrew MarshallAherne and his mum Christine
in her lungs. This is going to be an extremely tough battle for her to fight, but it’s one we believe she can do and hold hope that she can get through this all. “The staff in Southmead Hospital have been so very caring, supportive, loving and dedicated to offering first-class care to my mum.” Christine, from Coalpit Heath, was a headteacher for 30 years before setting up a school improvement business. She is also chair of governors at Watermore primary school in Frampton Cotterell. Andrew, a former pupil at The Ridings in Winterbourne, said he set up the running challenge to feel he was doing something for his mum, despite being in recovery from Covid himself.
He said: “In the past I’ve used a treadmill at the gym regularly and have run 10k before, but I’ve never done this kind of distance every day. “The runs take around 45 to 50 minutes each night, in the dark once the boys are in bed. It’s actually a good time to get a bit of headspace and have a break from everything that’s going on. “We’re not allowed to visit my mum in hospital so I use the runs as time to think about and ‘talk to’ my mum. As I run, I listen to her favourite music, such as Annie Lennox and Phil Collins. “My parents have been married around 40 years and this is the first time my dad’s been at home without her, which he’s finding hard.
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“I will keep my pledge to do this distance every day until my mum is out of intensive care, even if my legs give up and I have to walk it. “I’ve been amazed at all the kind words from people who’ve donated money on the Just Giving page. My mum has had a positive impact on so many lives.” Andrew also rallied friends and family to light a candle in their windows on the evening of January 20 to give hope and support to both his mother and all the other families fighting the virus and living through a dark time. His children are still attending Blackhorse primary school in Downend while he works full-time heading up pastoral care at King's Oak and Craig helps Covid patients as an orthopaedic practitioner at Royal United Hospital in Bath. He said: “The school are being brilliant and the children don’t really know how serious things are. They just know that Granny’s had to go to hospital. “Hopefully my runs will not only raise money for Southmead Hospital Charity, but also raise awareness of the wonderful job that the NHS is doing under very difficult circumstances.” Andrew’s fundraising page is at justgiving.com/fundraising/ andrew-marshall-aherne
Email: sales@hanhamandlongwellgreen voice.co.uk
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February, 2021
n NEWS
Four-yearold Oscar Cridge, from Longwell Green, with his Rovers and City kits, left, and, right, with his fundraising hero Darren Sims A LONGWELL Green youngster will have life-changing surgery this year thanks to fundraising including donations from Voice readers. After Oscar Cridge, age four, appeared on our front cover last month, kind-hearted readers got in touch with his parents to offer financial help. Oscar has cerebral palsy and needs specialist spinal surgery at Bristol Children’s Hospital in order to be able to walk without a frame. The operation isn’t available to him on the NHS so parents Emma and Shaun, age 31 and 37, need to raise almost £100,000 to pay for the operation and associated rehab, hydrotherapy, new specialist splints whenever he grows, and adaptations to their house to allow Oscar to get around. Luckily a huge fundraising push over Christmas means they have enough to pay for the initial Oscar with parents Emma and Shaun
More than £50k raised to help Oscar walk unaided operation this summer. Fundraising musician Darren Sims, known as DAZ, heard about Oscar and decided to donate the proceeds of a Christmas single to his cause. Put The Fairy On The Tree made it to number 19 in the official UK download charts and the video, which included an appearance from Oscar, spent a week being played on MTV. Money from sales of the single, as well as donations from the public, mean that over £50,000 has been raised so far to help Oscar. This is welcome news to his family, whose Christmas was
spent helping Oscar deal with intense pain following a lumbar puncture. They now face several gruelling months of Oscar having his legs repeatedly plastered into new positions to try and straighten them, after which they’ll need to pay £3,000 for splints that will fit the new angle of his feet. Oscar, who is a pupil at Emerson’s Green primary school, may need to stay off school during this treatment to avoid the risk of missing hospital appointments if he or a classmate catches coronavirus. The operation would be life changing for the football-mad youngster, whose biggest dream is to have a kickabout with his friends. Once he can finally do so, he’ll have all the right kit. Bristol Rovers, Bristol City and Bath City football clubs have each given Oscar his own club strip with his name on it, and he’s been invited to lead the Rovers team out onto the pitch once public matches resume. In the meantime, he’s found fame elsewhere. Last month he appeared on The One Show as part of a surprise thank you to DAZ, as well as on Sky News. Shaun, who works in printing, said: “It’s such good news that we’ve come so far with the
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fundraising. It feels like we can relax a bit and focus on helping Oscar before we have to do another big push to raise money. “We are hoping to meet with the surgeon soon to discuss the operation, although he can’t have it until the summer when the Botox treatments Oscar has in his leg muscles have worn off. “We also want to wait until the Covid restrictions are reduced so that both of us can be with him in the hospital. “We’re so grateful to everyone who has helped us so far, with donations and letters of support. For example, my mum’s neighbour saw the story in Hanham & Longwell Green Voice and didn’t realise Oscar’s situation, so she kindly wrote a cheque for £100 as soon as she read it.” Once Oscar has had his surgery, Emma, a hairdresser, will finally be able to have her own surgery that’s on hold until Oscar needs less physical support. Reconstruction surgery following breast cancer treatment means she won’t be able to pick up Oscar for several months. Money for Oscar’s operation and rehab can be donated at www.justgiving.com/ crowdfunding/shaun-cridge-5
Email: sales@hanhamandlongwellgreen voice.co.uk
February, 2021
hanham&longwellgreenvoice
n PHOTOGRAPHY
HANHAM Bristol at night by Christopher Harris Finzels Bridge by Lloyd Pickup
n WHAT’S ON IN OUR AREA We offer free space to publicise non profit-making activities. Clubs, charities and societies can send details of events to the Voice by email at news@hanhamandlongwellgreen. co.uk. Businesses staging profit-making events and paid-for classes can advertise in the What's On section for a small charge, by contacting us at sales@ hanhamandlongwellgreenvoice.co.uk
7 Phot
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SOCIETY
n BRISTOL U3A: Have you reached a point in your life where you have fewer responsibilities and more time for yourself? Would you like to take part in activities where you can share skills, abilities or hobbies whilst having fun and making new friends? Why not become a member and find an interest group to join. Go to www. bristolu3a.org.uk for details. We, at Bristol U3A, are still very active and ‘meeting’ despite the lockdown. n BRISTOL Welsh National Opera Friends: The scheduled talk on Faust in February will not be going ahead as WNO has postponed its Spring production. We will keep you informed about our intentions as circumstances change. Staysafe! Contact Melanie David at melaniejdavid@btinternet.com or on 01934 842014 for more info.
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n AVON & SOMERSET POLICE ON KNIFE CRIME
Knife crime: A new way forward
I THINK it’s fair to say that the past year has been full of ups and downs and has left many of us wondering where our ‘normal’ life went. 2020 challenged all of us in so many ways and this was especially true for us in the police, as we adapted quickly to new legislation to help manage the Coronavirus pandemic, and had to juggle this alongside our normal day to day duties to keep our communities safe. Whist the pandemic did mean some types of crime such as burglary and road traffic incidents reduced temporarily, other crime types, particularly those which affect the most vulnerable members of our community such as domestic abuse, did unfortunately increase. Despite the added pressure the pandemic has brought to our service, we haven’t taken our foot off the pedal when it comes to keeping our young people safe. Last year, we ran a successful project with a number of schools in Avon and Somerset which led to the creation of short, animated films exploring issues around knife crime. The films, produced by secondary school aged children in partnership with students at UWE Bristol, are all original and thought provoking, and explore a range of themes such as the role of social media, bullying, speaking out if you suspect someone is carrying a knife,
By Sergeant
Jamie Evans
and the cyclical, retaliatory nature of knife crime. The films can all be viewed at www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/ knifecrime and are a great starting point for conversations with young people about serious violence. Some of the young people involved in the above films also made a documentary, in partnership with a local film maker, which explores how agencies must work together and listen to young people if we are to break the cycle of violence and calls for sustained, long term investment in youth services. The film, called Knife crime: A new way forward, can also be viewed via the link above. No matter where they lived and went to school, the young people involved in this project told us time and time again that their main concerns were the lack of safe spaces for them to go to and their need for trusted adults to speak to. It’s no secret that engaging young people in activities that interest them is a successful way to divert them away from crime and anti-social behaviour and
we’re thrilled that our successful Crime Prevention Through Sport initiative has received the funds needed to continue throughout 2021. We have partnered with Somerset Active Sports Partnership (SASP) and West of England Sports (Wesport) who will help us to manage and administer the fund, meaning we benefit from their expertise and can join up with partners to ensure the smooth delivery of sporting activities for young people which will help to divert them away from unfavourable behaviours and into more positive and beneficial activities. In Hanham and Longwell Green, the neighbourhood police team never stop looking for opportunities to engage with the community, particularly young people. The pandemic has obviously made this more challenging as schools and other spaces where young people go to have been closed for a large part of it. However, I want to reassure you that we are still here and very much want to work with you to address any concerns you might have, so please do get in touch with us via the Avon and Somerset Police website if you have anything you want to raise. As we move into 2021, we remain committed to working with our local communities to find opportunities to support everyone, including young people, and to help to keep them safe.
hanham&longwellgreenvoice
February, 2021
n NEWS
The art show must go on ... WHEN lockdown stopped an artist from accessing her usual models, she decided to paint the people she was locked down with instead. Professional painter Dr Marylane Barfield, 83, lives in Magpie Court, a development of retirement flats in Hanham High Street. With her artistic impulses frustrated by the need to isolate, she began taking photos and making sketches of her fellow residents and staff. She has turned these initial sketches into a series of 18 colourful, acrylic paintings, which are now on display in the building’s communal lounge for all the residents and their visitors to admire. Dr Barfield, originally from the USA, moved to the UK in 1965 to teach art. During her long career she was awarded an honorary doctorate by Aston University and became a president of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. After the death of her husband, she moved to Hanham in 2019 to be close to her adult son and daughter who both live locally. In normal times she attends meetings at Bath Artists Studio to draw or paint life models in person, using pastels, acrylics and oil paints. She said: “I first started the project to keep me occupied during the lockdown period, while also continuing doing something I love. “I wanted to capture the energy and character of the
community around me and, as I worked on the project, I discovered the amazing stories each person had to tell. “It was truly fascinating to hear all their different experiences and the life skills they’ve acquired over the years. We’re a group of lively and active people, and I really wanted to get that message across in my work. “The other homeowners at the development have really enjoyed being a part of my project. It’s been fantastic to bring the community together in these truly challenging times and I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has got involved.” Even Tina, one of the care assistants, and Marcus, the chef at Magpie Court, took part and had their portrait painted. Dr Barfield also included paintings of the communal garden and nearby Magpie Bottom nature reserve. Nicki Beswarick from McCarthy and Stone, which owns the retirement development, said she hopes the exhibition can be opened to Hanham residents once Covid restrictions are
eased. She said: “We love Dr Barfield’s paintings. She’s really been helping to keep spirits high for other homeowners during this difficult time, so we’d like to extend a huge thank you to her.” Dr Barfield is hoping to exhibit the collection of paintings at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, of which she is an honorary member, in its Members and Associates Exhibition at the end of this year.
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Honours for police officers TWO Avon and Somerset police officers appear in the New Year Honours list. Superintendent for Bristol Andy Bennett and Assistant Chief Constable Nikki Watson have both been awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM) . Supt Bennett is recognised for his work tackling hate crime and improving diversity.. He said: "I am humbled to receive this award, particularly at a time when so many are working tirelessly to help others during the pandemic I also want to recognise those members of the community who have been prepared to take a step forward, to talk to us and help to break down barriers so we can move towards our goal of truly representing the diverse citizens of Bristol." ACC Watson is recognised for leading the policing response to the Covid-19 health crisis.
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Email: sales@hanhamandlongwellgreen voice.co.uk
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February, 2021
n ADVERTISING FEATURE
n NEWS
Introducing Kim Mousley, 37, who runs Lush Tums Pregnancy Yoga
Go-ahead for glamping - but no loud music
Kim has been a primary school teacher in Kingswood and Hanham for 13 years. She lives in Hanham with her husband and daughter, aged three. She started running LushTums pregnancy and postnatal mumand-baby yoga classes at Hanham Community Centre a year ago but after only six weeks she had to move them online. Kim says: “Anyone from across the city (or world for that matter!) is welcome to join me, but I especially welcome ladies from the Hanham area so that we can develop a support network in the local area that can be available to them when this lockdown eases.” Kim found yoga helped give her back control during her own difficult pregnancy. “I wanted to what I had learned with everyone and make sure that women felt empowered through their own journeys.” Pregnancy yoga classes teach you movements, breathing techniques and relaxation
strategies to prepare for labour and birth and to ease pregnancy aches and pains. Kim trained with LushTums, whose programme has been co-developed with a team of midwives and accredited by both FEDANT - the UK’s leading body for antenatal education, midwifery and doula services - and Yoga Alliance Professionals. You can find Kim on Instagram @lushtums_eastbristol_southglos, on Facebook at Lushtums Bristol and on the Lushtums website at www.lushtums.co.uk/Bristol Read her blog at https://www. lushtums.co.uk/blog/2020/5/14/ how-does-yoga-philosophy-relateto-pregnancy
Supporting your motherhood journey in Hanham
Pregnancy Yoga Classes Tuesdays 6.30-8pm
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A CAMPING ground east of Bristol has permission to expand – but only if it bans loud music from 8pm to protect the neighbours from rowdy hen parties. Boyd Valley Lake is a camping and caravaning site in the green belt between Bristol and Bath. It already hosts around 20 caravans and 30 tents and has two fishing lakes. Now it has permission to add three “glamping pods”, two lodges and 15 caravan sites, and to create a new fishing pond on a paddock to the south. South Gloucestershire councillors approved the scheme, but added a condition banning any noise amplification between 8pm and 8am to appease neighbours’ fears of more late-night hen parties at the site. As Cllr Sarah Pomfret put it: “I like the idea of tourists in the countryside. I don’t like the idea of hen parties and noise and annoyance to the neighbours, destroying the tranquillity and peace of the countryside. “It’s not a party place. Go and party in town.” The owner’s agent told committee members that the camping ground was a peaceful fishing spot for those looking “to escape the rat race”. The “quite minor” expansion would “barely be visible”, Stuart Miles added. But resident Jade Williams, who has lived next to the
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camping ground for 18 years, told the committee the “massive expansion” was unsuitable for the green belt and that visitors to the camp site “come to party” rather than to quietly fish. “The site is marketed as the perfect spot for hen-dos and glamping and that’s exactly what they do, late into the night with associated stereos, people shouting,” she said. Residents were also worried the expansion would generate extra traffic posing a danger for users of the local country lanes. A total of 99 objected, along with Bitton Parish Council, and there were 91 letters of support from people who use the camp site. The site lies in the green belt and just outside the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Upton Cheyney Conservation Area. Officers, who recommended the application for approval, said the development would have a “minimal” impact on the openness of the green belt and little impact on road safety. The existing camping ground is only busy on four weekends a year, the meeting heard. Officers assured the committee there would be enough parking spaces, toilets and showers for the extra visitors generated by the expansion. Members voted eight to one in favour of the application on January 21. By Amanda Cameron, Local Democracy Reporting Service
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n L OCAL HISTORY Blue Bowl, Hanham The photograph of the Blue Bowl in High Street, Hanham, dates from the 1970’s (photo courtesy of the John Snell collection). The Blue Bowl is reputed to be one of the oldest pubs in Britain. There is no conclusive evidence of its age, although St Lyte wrote that it was an old established hostelry in 1480. There may have been a hostelry in the area from Roman times onwards. The Roman road from Bath to the port at Sea Mills (Portus Abonae) is nearby, and Roman coins and other artefacts have been found close by, some of which are on display in Kingswood Heritage Museum.
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n NEWS
Kingswood gets £25m bonanza KINGSWOOD town centre will undergo a complete overhaul thanks to £25 million of government and council funding. The regeneration is set to include the pedestrianisation of Regent Street and the creation of a new public open space that could host markets, performance arts and cultural events. Funding will also cover rerouting traffic to promote cycling, walking and access to green spaces and local heritage sites. The area was awarded £12.5 million from the Government’s Future High Streets fund in December. This has now been matched with £7.56 million from the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and a further £5 million from South Gloucestershire council. It follows on from £10 million for Kingswood in 2018 from
WECA through the Love Our High Streets initiative. The money will allow the council to buy up property and commercial premises which currently lie empty, so they can be reopened. It will also pay for the full restoration of the historic Whitfield Tabernacle. Having lain derelict for three decades, the building will become a community venue offering family and evening entertainment. Chair of the Whitfield Tabernacle Trustees Anthony Hick said: “We don’t yet know the details of how this funding will be allocated to the various elements of the Kingswood bid, but we are hopeful that the funding will allow for further development of the Whitfield Tabernacle. “Our vision is to restore the
February, 2021 How the pedestrianised Regent Street could look
Tabernacle as a building that serves the whole Kingswood community, just as it did when John Cennick built it in 1741 with money raised by renowned preacher George Whitefield from the Kingswood miners.” The contents of the bid for funding were decided following two public engagement exercises in 2020. A new public consultation will take place later this year to discuss the details of the regeneration scheme. Once Regent Street is pedestrianised, traffic could by diverted either via Kimberley
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Road, Gilbert Road and Park Road, or via Blackhorse Road and Cecil Road. Buses may still be allowed through the pedestrian area, or could be diverted through the existing bus gate into Moravian Road. The controversial bus gate saw nearly 5,000 vehicles fined for driving through it last year, generating £113,000 for the council. A survey into the traffic proposals last year revealed that while 67 per cent of residents are in favour of the pedestrianisation of Regent Street, opinion was
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council leader Toby Savage said: “This would be without a doubt the biggest investment ever made into Kingswood and
divided over which traffic diversion option would work best. South Gloucestershire
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I am delighted we are in such an unprecedented and exciting position to breathe new life back into this historic town centre.
“It is timely in so many ways as we do everything we possibly can to support our town centres as they face the extreme challenges of declining high-street retail, internet shopping boom and the Covid-19 pandemic. “I have been delighted to see urgent stabilisation works already happening to the Tabernacle alongside the Masters Church redevelopment and I am extremely excited about the opportunities we have to lead regeneration by acquiring empty and underused properties.” It is hoped most work on the Tabernacle will take place this year, while the rest of the Kingswood scheme will be rolled out in phases once public consultation has taken place. Kingswood MP Chris Skidmore said: “I am absolutely delighted to see the Government back our vision for Kingswood High Street. “There is so much local ambition for a positive future of Kingswood town centre that respects our proud heritage.”
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February, 2021
n NEWS
Crowns will have you scratching your head All stars! SUPER sleuths around Kingswood will be able to follow a trail with a difference this month. Children at Courtney Primary School are decorating cardboard crowns to display in the windows of homes and businesses for people to spot while out walking. But instead of issuing a location map for all the crowns, participants will receive a bizarre list of words such as broom, satin, dumplings and hamsters. They will need to enter the words into the What3words app to find out where the crowns are hidden. What3words gives every 3m square in the world a unique address made up of three random words. For example, the front of Courtney primary school has been assigned the words “papers lock yard” while Tesco on Westons Way is “flame storms undulation.” Entering the three-word address into the app brings up a map showing where it is. The free app can be used by emergency services to find people who may need help when in a wooded area or fields, where a postal address won’t help locate them. It is also useful for
friends to locate each other at busy events, to locate hardto-find addresses or simply for fun. Children homeschooling, as well as those still attending school, will all be able to use a template to decorate a crown with whatever they have to hand, including crayons, pens, glitter, paint or stickers. The school hopes about 20 homes and businesses will volunteer to stick a crown in their window for the trail, which runs from February 6 to 21 and includes half term week. Rachel Andrews is helping organise the trail on behalf of Friends of Courtney Primary (FOCP) She said: “We are using a crown because it is one of the symbols on the Courtney primary school logo. We will be emailing the list of locations and instructions to everyone. All the crown posters will be in a public location so anyone would be able to take part.” This is the first time the school has arranged a trail and the FOCP hopes many of the families taking part will be able to give a small, voluntary donation to help fund activities at the school.
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RAINBOW stars have appeared in windows across North Common to lift people’s spirits during lockdown. Children at St Barnabas primary school have been busy fashioning colourful stars out of paper, card, woven wool and have even made stained-glass effects. The stars have been positioned in the windows of more than 50 homes, as well as St Barnabas church, Pandamonium nursery and on the parish noticeboard. The school has produced a trail map for pupils to follow to find the stars while walking in the area for their daily exercise. Children at home have been making the stars as part of their home learning, while their classmates with keyworker parents have been spending time on their designs at school. Deputy headteacher Sally Cornelius said the project was designed to keep strong links
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Pupils create trail Some pupils from St Barnabas Primary with a rainbow star and, left, some more stars on display between the children in school, “It’s a way of keeping the where around 30 per cent of the children at home in touch with usual numbers are attending, and their friends in school and they those at home. can practise their map-reading She said: “In the first skills at the same time. lockdown a lot of the children “The children have been were inspired by the rainbows in fantastic at adapting to lockdown people’s windows. and are doing some brilliant work “We wanted to do something at home and at school. We’re similar this time and settled on really proud of them.” rainbow stars. We’re encouraging The school hasn’t yet decided the children to take photos of on an end date for the star trail: their favourite stars while they’re they may well remain on display out and about and share them until the children can be reunited Winter Voice ad.qxp_Layout 1 19/09/2020 23:14 Page 1 with the rest of their class online. together back at school.
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February, 2021
n NEWS FROM OUR MP
Thanks to scientists and medics 2021 has started with the incredibly positive news on Covid-19 vaccinations and that three vaccines – Pfizer/BioNTech, Oxford AstraZeneca and Moderna – have been approved by the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Necessity being the mother of invention and all that, the awesome power of Research & Development and the human capacity for innovation has been unleashed in full and doubles down on the UK’s international reputation when it comes to cutting edge science and research. Despite the dangerous claims of the “anti-vaxxers”, these vaccine approvals follow months of rigorous clinical trials and a thorough analysis of data by experts at the MHRA who have
concluded that the vaccines meet strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness. Vaccination sites across our region have been inviting people in the highest priority groups to be vaccinated. As the first phase of the programme is rolled out, additional data will become available and will provide the basis for consideration of vaccination in groups that are at lower risk of dying from Covid-19. These sites include hospital hubs located at Southmead Hospital, Bristol Royal Infirmary and Weston General Hospital, a super vaccination centre at Ashton Gate Stadium (which is vaccinating people from 8am – 8pm, 7 days a week) and three vaccination sites run by GPs in our local area: • Kingswood Health Centre,
Kingswood • Christchurch Family Medical Centre, Downend • Lodgeside Surgery, Kingswood Remember that the NHS will contact you when it’s your turn to receive the Covid-19 vaccine. It’s important not to contact your GP surgery for a vaccination before then as GPs are still trying to maintain services for other health needs. As the son of an NHS nurse, I am again in awe of the staff who are working tirelessly to ensure the necessary measures are in place for those most at risk to get their vaccine first. As tough an ask it is, we need patience and understanding – staff are doing everything they can to stick to timelines, however they may need
Chris Skidmore writes for
Hanham & Longwell GreenVoice to cancel or amend appointments depending on delivery of the vaccine. Other Covid-19 vaccines are in development, with some in late stage trials, so supply will only grow. Please be assured that no one will be left behind, this is the start of the vaccination programme and there will be enough for everyone.
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Vinyasa flow yoga to help stretch and strengthen the body whilst calming the mind. Suitable for all levels. Booking currently essential, please contact me for info.
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n NEWS
17
'Classes are even more accessible now'
RESIDENTS strolling near Kingswood High Street might not realise that behind the facade of a normal-looking house lies a martial arts dojo. Gina and Chris Hopkins have converted their dining room into a martial arts studio so they can carry on teaching pupils with disabilities despite lockdown restrictions. Around 50 children and adults, ranging in age from seven to 45, rely on the Zoom classes broadcast from Honey Hill Road to Bristol and beyond. Classes cater for students with a wide range of physical, mental and neurological disabilities, including cerebral palsy, autism, ADHD and Down’s syndrome. CEO Gina, 35, who is disabled herself, runs the coaching side of things full time while Chris, 36, juggles his work as a financial adviser with looking after the admin side of the business. They founded Adaptive Martial Arts in 2016 because existing martial arts training was very segregated. Gina said: “If you do judo, you just learn judo. You don’t learn self defence or boxing. But if you mix all the martial arts styles together you can tailor it to each person,
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Teaching martial arts via Zoom depending on their abilities.” After completing a Masters in Sports Science and competing in martial arts and strength events around the world, she was also dismayed at how little regulation there is of martial arts teaching. She said: “Often as soon as someone gets a black belt they start teaching. There’s no proper training.” Before Covid, she and a team of qualified coaches offered regular classes and one to one sessions in Bristol and Bath, as well as outreach lessons in specialist schools and social clubs. When the first lockdown hit, they quickly adapted by streaming their classes. They
feared it would be the end of the business they'd spent four years building up. Instead, they saw a rapid increase in customers. Gina said “Lots of our clients might not be comfortable to attend face to face classes, or their disabilities might make it difficult for them to leave the house. “We’re able to reach more people now via Zoom than we ever were doing classes in a hall. Even when restrictions are lifted, we’ll continue to offer some classes online because it’s accessible to everyone.” Many of the online classes are offered free of charge, thanks to funding from Children in Need and other charities. The main downside to online classes was not everyone had a partner at home to carry out moves with, or they lacked essential equipment. AMA have got around that by adding an equipment rental service to their offering. For £20 a month, students can hire “all the fun stuff”: £850 of equipment including a life-size grappling dummy for those who don’t have a willing partner to practise their moves on at home, boxing gloves and bag, kick shields, slam balls and more. internationally. www.adaptivema.co.uk
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February, 2021
n PHARMACY BLOG Jess Williams from Kellaway Pharmacy answers your Covid vaccine queries Are Covid-19 vaccines safe? The development and subsequent rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination programme have created muchneeded optimism. However, with unsubstantiated claims of ill intent, pharma-company conspiracies and government deception; what is one to make of Covid-19 vaccine? Questioning, no matter how unpopular, is part of logical decision-making processes. Is it safe to have the Covid-19 vaccine and as was developed and approved so quickly? The secret of the Covid-19 vaccine sprint is the global collaborative working and focus of worldleading scientists, supported by unprecedented levels of funding – lots of money; £6bn spent by the UK government alone. China sharing details of the fully sequenced virus gene on January 10 2020 set off a race to develop testing processes and vaccines. This openness, coupled with the
ongoing sharing and scrutiny of the research process by the regulators, has helped to speed things up. Approval is by no means the end of the safety process. Every piece of emerging evidence and experience remains important and openly monitored. Is it true that the vaccine will modify my DNA? This is entirely false. The licensed Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and other vaccine candidates use modified RNA (mRNA) technology. Unlike a standard vaccine, RNA vaccines work by introducing an mRNA sequence (the molecule which tells cells what to build) which is coded for a disease-specific antigen. Once produced within the body, the antigen is recognised by the immune system, preparing it to fight the real thing. The part of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (Covid-19) that has been coded to develop the vaccine is the easily recognisable spike proteins covering its surface. The mRNA cannot mix with your DNA. It does not alter our genetic code, and it does not cause unusual allergic reactions. As Dr Tom Frieden, American infectious disease and public health expert
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put it: ‘‘Think of this process as an email sent to your immune system that shows what the virus looks like, instructions to kill it, and then like a Snapchat message – it disappears." What about new mutations? Analysis of the new UK mutated variant has identified changes to the spike protein – the building blocks of our vaccines. No evidence suggests that any of the three leading vaccines will be made ineffective by this mutation, although this will be monitored. How long after the vaccination are you protected, and do you really need multiple jab doses? It typically takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity after vaccination. It is, therefore, possible a person could be infected with the virus that causes Covid-19 just before or just after vaccination and gets sick. This is because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection. It is not unusual for vaccines to require multiple doses – like the Meningitis B vaccines we provide. Developmental research determines the time interval
0117 9322293 24 Ellacombe Road, Longwell Green, BS30 9BA between doses that will produce a sufficient immune response. The Covid-19 mass vaccination programme is ongoing. I recently spent a lot of time in the Bristol Children’s hospital, a reminder that the most vulnerable are depending on us to protect them from this virus. Seeking answers from reputable sources and having open discussions without boxing anyone into binary choices is the only way we respect each other’s choices. Kellaway Pharmacy is part of the NHS, ever ready to play our part and save lives.
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n LOCAL HISTORY
Handel Cossham: A fortune mined from beneath our feet His name can be found on roads, a hall and even a hospital – but how much do you know about Handel Cossham? Mangotsfield Residents Association member and historian David Blackmore looks at how he became one of our area's leading industrialists Part 1: HANDEL Shepherd Cossham was born on March 31 1824 in Thornbury High Street, the son of the town's carpenter and joiner, Jesse Cossham, and his wife, Sarah. It was often said that Handel – named after the composer it is said his father greatly admired – was born in the same house as his father, grandfather and great grandfather, and it now carries a plaque proclaiming it as the birthplace of this "non-conformist Preacher, Industrialist, Geologist, Politician, Educationalist and Public Benefactor". After moving to Ryeford, near Stroud, when he was a year old, he returned to Thornbury in 1830, attending the local Dame school and Sunday school. Documents drawn up when he later donated a hall to the people of Thornbury stated that he left the town in 1845, "to fight the battle of life", moving first to live near a colliery in Yate, where he worked as a clerk, and gained knowledge of mining and geology. Although he studied mining, working “almost night and day”, he found time to preach at the colliery. In January 1848 Cossham married Elizabeth Wethered, his employer's daughter, going into partnership with her father and brothers. They set up business at Parkfield – between Pucklechurch and what is now Lyde Green – and Shortwood in 1851. Over the coming decades, as coal fuelled the industrial revolution, the business prospered. In 1863 Speedwell and Deep Pit at St George were acquired by the partnership and in 1864 the Kingswood Colliery followed. They
also took out a lease on Brandy 'Parkfield Rank' in Pucklechurch. Bottom, near their Parkfield mine, After Cossham's death in 1890 in 1871, sinking the New Pit shaft his mining interests were held in and building its horizontal engine trust for his wife, who died in 1896. house. His coal interests in the area The shaft at Brandy Bottom were acquired in an auction in colliery had been first sunk in 1900 by the Bedminster, Easton, 1837, with much of the work done Kingswood and Parkfield Collieries by young children, whose small Ltd, which had been specifically size enabled them to get along formed for this purpose. the narrow passages, where they But the company was soon would pull heavy tubs of coal along struggling, with all of the region's using chains. mines on the decline after the Coal hauled up at Brandy opening of the Severn Tunnel in Bottom was loaded on to wagons, 1886, and consequent availability initially on the Dramway, a horse of cheaper coal from South Wales, and gravity railway that delivered it making them uncompetitive. to barges on the river Avon for use By the First World War, Brandy Portrait of a young Handel in Bristol and other cities. Bottom had closed and the other Cossham, in 1848 Cossham connected Brandy pits were being operated by a Bottom underground to his nearby receiver, before being bought by Parkfield Colliery and at some time Somerset Collieries and renamed buildings and around 20 acres of renamed the complex as ‘Parkfield the East Bristol Collieries Ltd. land. South': as a long-standing member The Parkfield Colliery was In Part 2 next month: Cossham of the Temperance Association, the almost exhausted and closed the preacher, educationalist, name Brandy Bottom had to go. in 1936, by which time just 80 politician and benefactor In 1864 Cossham purchased men worked there. The site was *Thanks to www.thornburyroots.co.uk the bulk of the 210-acre Hill House auctioned the following year, Estate, in Staple Hill. It was broken including the manager's house, up and auctioned ten years later, divided into some 60 building lots and auctioned off. The fields sold off are now bounded by present day South View, Park Road, Salisbury Road and Burley Crest, with other roads now standing at the edges of the estate including Park Road, West protect your your family’sfamily’s inheritance Park Road and Clarence Avenue. A Will Willlets letsyou you protect inheritance and decide youryour assets are shared out – if out you – if you In 1879 his in-laws decided to and decidehow how assets are shared WEB-CAM don’t make a Will, the law says who gets what. sell up, and Cossham snapped up don’t make a Will, the law says who gets what. nearly all of their shares, forming a limited liability company, the Please feel free Kingswood & Parkfield Colliery to call us during Company Ltd, which came under his control along with Charles S office hours on: Wills, of the tobacco family. He was soon a wealthy man, 0117 952 0698 having also bought the mineral rights of the St George area in or email 1875. The company now controlled info@elm-online.co.uk almost 3,000 acres of freehold www.elm-online.co.uk minerals, yielding a daily output of nearly 1,000 tons of coal and info@elm-online.co.uk We have teamteam of We havea aBristol-based Bristol-based of trained employing over 1,500 workers. trained Willawriting consultants whocan now We have Bristol-based team Will writing consultants who Mirror Wills Single Or www.elm-online.co.uk can now provide the same personal Unusually for a mine owner, of trained Will writing consultants provide the same personal face to face face to face meetings via our Couples FROM £99.00 Cossham was concerned for who provide a and, home visiting serviceand, meetings via our Web-Cam-Wills Web-Cam-Wills subject to health the welfare of his workers and and safety, canto take your instructions in can the still subject safety, we and wehealth can stilland provide a homevisiting service to take your instructions in We have ayour Bristol-based comfort own home. team provide aofhomeintroduced many safety measures, Mirror Wills Single Or the comfort of your own home. visiting service to writing take of trained Will consultants such as stone or brick-lined shafts, Couples FROM £99.00 your instructions the visiting Making Secure Plansservice for Uncertain Futures before legislation made them who provide a inhome comfort of your own compulsory. and can take your instructions in the home. He was held in high esteem by comfort of your own home. A Will lets you protect your family’s inheritance his colliery workers, building ranks and decide how your assets are shared out – if you of local pennant stone cottages don’t make a Will, the law says who gets what. Making Secure Plans for Uncertain Futures for them in what is now Cossham Please feel free Street, Mangotsfield, and the
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February, 2021
n NEWS A CHURCH has closed its doors for the final time. The Sanctuary Church, on Staple Hill High Street, was founded 25 years ago. As well as church activities, the building also hosted community groups, including the Powerhouse youth club, Streetvibes dance group, Happy Hands toddler group and a mature adults keep fit, and supported events including Christmas on the Hill. Members of the congregation are joining other churches in the area, while the future of the building has yet to be decided. Minister Nigel Farmer, who helped found the church, said: "It is always sad for
AERIAL SPECIALIST
Church closes after 25 years
a church to close. As an independent church, that doesn't run with any outside support, we are even more dependent on the members who attend to run all the many aspects of a healthy church." He said the church's longer services may not have been suitable for "a generation that is in a hurry" Nigel had decided it was time to step down as the minister, and the high costs of
maintaining and heating the building, which is more than 100 years old, were another factor in the trustees deciding to close. Nigel said: "The trustees had looked at options to employ another minister, from both within and outside, but it was felt that there was more to be done than simply replacing the lead person. Therefore the other options were not viable. Now they are looking at all options, so that the charity can benefit from a sale, and use the funds to the very best for charitable work, both home and abroad. Other churches have shown an interest, and of course there is always the possibility of building developers."
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