Henleaze & Westbury Voice September 2023

It's No to retirement village

Schools hail A-level successes

Students across the area, including Dan from Bristol Free School, pictured with head Su King, are celebrating excellent A-level results.

PAGES 20-33

Sparks fly over EV charging

St Christopher's Action Network campaigners at City Hall for the St Christopher's planning meeting MORE than two years after they were unveiled, plans for a luxury retirement village on the site of the former St Christopher’s School have been turned down.

Bristol City Council’s development control A committee unanimously voted against the scheme for 116 flats, which they said would be

Councillors vote down scheme

- but will developers appeal?

overdevelopment.

Many local people opposed the scale of the proposals and were concerned about parking problems. The developers, Fore

Partnership, have up to six months to appeal. If they do, an inquiry could take place next year.

Reports: Pages 4 & 5

Residents are calling for longer charging times to be permitted at Waitrose in Westbury Park for electric vehicle users

PAGE 3

'Ghost buses' on the increase

A survey by MP Darren Jones indicates that the 'ghost buses' problem is getting worse.

PAGE 13

Giant mast wins go- ahead

A 20-metre-tall 5G phone mast is coming to Westburyon-Trym after a refusal decision was overturned on appeal. MBNL, a mobile telecommunications operator, now has planning permission to install the phone mast on a corner of Passage Road and Greystoke Avenue.

The phone mast will reach 65 feet, equivalent to the height of four giraffes. It will provide 4G and 5G coverage for both EE and Three, and will replace the existing 11.5-metre-tall phone mast, pictured. Bristol City Council refused permission for the new mast last September, but a government planning inspector overturned that decision on appeal. Updates were given during a development management A committee on Wednesday, August 9.

The council had initially refused permission due to the height of the new mast which would introduce “an unacceptable amount of incongruous, unsympathetic, obtrusive and highly prominent street clutter”. But in the written decision, the planning inspector said larger phone masts are becoming increasingly common.

H Davies, the inspector, wrote: “The proposed monopole, with antennae towards the top, would be significantly greater in height than the existing vertical structures as well as being wide. Despite this, such telecommunications installations are an increasingly common and expected sight in built up areas and on verges of well-used roads such as this.”

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporter

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October deadline

Bid to cut waiting lists

A DIAGNOSTIC centre will open at Cribbs Causeway next year to help cut NHS waiting lists.

It will offer endoscopy, MRI and CT scans, ultrasounds, blood and lung tests and more to thousands of people in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

The centre is one of a number being opened by private sector providers in a bid to help the record 7.5 million people who are waiting for diagnosis and treatment.

Mobile units are currently running at Southmead and Cossham hospitals to provide additional endoscopy and imaging capacity for patients until the fixed centres open.

Health chiefs say siting more diagnostics in communities and at accessible sites mean hospitals will be able to focus on more complex cases and on urgent and emergency care, with less chance that people see appointments postponed at times of high demand.

Dr Joanne Medhurst, chief medical officer at NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, said: “We are really excited to be investing in our diagnostic capacity, which will support thousands of people across the area to be seen more quickly - this means that if you do have a serious illness it can be identified and treated earlier – which can mean, in the longer term, less impact on overall health and wellbeing.”

North Bristol NHS Trust chief medical officer, Tim Whittlestone, said: “Providing additional diagnostic scans and tests will be incredibly positive for the experience of our patients. We are already seeing benefits for patients who have used our mobile units for endoscopy, MRI and CT scans since May and are looking forward to being able to deliver even more for the population when the Cribbs Causeway site opens next year.”

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It's the charge of the Westbury Park EV brigade!

PEOPLE in Westbury Park are urging Waitrose to extend the time limit on the electric vehicle charging points in its car park.

A group of residents who own EVs were initially delighted when the store took notice of their request for charging points and installed eight last year.

But their joy turned to dismay when they discovered these could only be used for one and half hours at a time – the period shoppers are allowed to use the car park. They say that most of the chargers are the cheaper, slower kind and need to be used for three or more hours.

The campaigners believe this is why it is rare for all the chargers to be in use at any one time. For example, at 11am on a Monday in August, only one vehicle was being charged.

Some users have already been issued with £70 fines for exceeding the 90-minute limit.

The campaigners, who have won the backing of Westbury Park Community Association, say that ownership of electric cars in the area is at least 3-4 per cent, even though many homes do not have off-road parking and trailing charging cables across pavements is illegal.

One of them said: “The WPCA area is well known for people with a high level of environmental concerns, so it seems clear to us that lack of local access to charging points is

discouraging more people from going electric; something that we should all be working towards.

“Being able to charge electric cars cheaply for a few hours, ideally overnight, is the obvious solution to this but the costly 90-minute-only limit at the Waitrose car park prevents this.”

Kevin Chidgey, chairman of the WPCA added: “It does not seem to us to be ‘rocket science’ to put in place some procedure whereby those charging their cars can get an exemption from the 90-minute limit.”

The Voice spoke to some users of the charging points, who agreed with the campaigners.

Kam Gorman, from St Andrew’s, said she had bought an electric vehicle just ten

Rugby honour for city

BRISTOL has been named as a host city for the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Ashton Gate is one of eight venues for the contest, which will take place between 22 August and 27

Sixteen teams will compete to be world champions.

Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, said: “It’s amazing for Bristol to be chosen to be a host city of the 2025 Rugby World Cup. We set out a number of years ago with sports partners from across Bristol to be a place that can bring world-class sporting events to the city for people to share in and this is the fulfilment of that vision. This is another opportunity to showcase Bristol to the world."

“We want young Bristolians to be inspired by watching Rugby World Cup matches in our city and to start playing themselves."

days earlier and had been disappointed to find she was having to make repeat visits because of the short charging time and the lack of alternative chargers.

“I was here yesterday but have had to come back to charge it up before I drive to Devon. I am livid. I am trying to do the right thing by having an electric vehicle but I am having to drive round in circles to find chargers.”

Jonathan Jones, from Durdham Park, who drives an electric VW ID4 provided by his employers, was using the fast charger at Waitrose. He is unable to install a charger at home, even though his firm would pay, because it is a private road.

“It can be a hassle to find

public chargers,” he said. “The 22kw chargers aren’t that useful. More fast chargers would be better.”

Mr Chidgey said Waitrose had told WPCA that “we are putting in more rapid chargers, which are quicker to charge than 'fast' chargers and should help future sites”.

But, he pointed out, these chargers were still not the long use ones and the store’s comment suggests that Waitrose does not intend to add them at the Westbury Park store.

Waitrose told the Voice that 90 minutes was the limit. A spokesman said: "We are offering a convenient way for customers to charge their cars with us while they shop. We're in the process of improving signage so customers can be absolutely sure about how long they're able to access these charge points."

Parking at Waitrose is managed by an external company. The limit is set at 90 minutes, although people with disabilities can request additional time via the customers service desk.

What do you think about the charging time limit? Email news@ henleazeandwestburyvoice.co.uk

The fast charge point, right, and below, the bays

COUNCILLORS unanimously voted to refuse the plans for 116 apartments on the St Christopher’s site, saying it would be massive overdevelopment

The plans would have seen the historic school buildings converted into extra care flats, and several new buildings constructed too. Twenty five apartments would be built inside converted Victorian villas along Westbury Park, and 91 apartments would be in new buildings, the tallest of which would reach five storeys.

Councillors on Bristol City Council’s development control A committee voted to refuse planning permission on Wednesday, August 9.

Local people at the meeting expressed concerns over a lack of affordable housing, the loss of much-needed education provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and the increase in parking pressures on nearby residential streets.

But developers told the committee that their plans would benefit the local community.

Unanimous: St Christopher's scheme rejected

Sarah Trahair-Williams, associate director at the Fore Partnership, said: “We are proud to be delivering much needed, personally designed homes for our ageing population to live independently for longer. The project will be net zero in operation; respectively restore a listed building, Grace House; and provide a biodiversity net gain including 109 new trees.

“This large brownfield site in a sustainable urban location is a critical opportunity to provide desperately needed solutions.”

The plans included chopping down about 40 trees on the site, although the developers promised to plant more than 100 new trees in replacement.

Campaigners and council officers were also concerned that some of the new buildings would damage the roots of a large veteran tree, but the developers disputed this.

Mark Ashford, from St Christopher’s Action Network (SCAN), said: “The developers have failed to listen to what the community has been saying for the last two years. These plans are a complete mess and our community and city deserve much better.”

SCAN commissioned architects to develop an alternative, with two and threestorey buildings, 75 new homes including 40 per cent affordable, SEND provision in Grace House, and a community garden.

Kids back at school? on

St Christopher’s used to provide almost 50 places for pupils with complex educational needs and disabilities. The developers said they would pay £550,000 to the council to make up for the loss of SEND provision. This would have gone towards seven new places at the nearby Claremont School. Green Councillor Christine Townsend, shadow cabinet member for education, said: “It’s woeful that just over half a million pounds for seven places is replacing 45, that have been in existence since the end of the second world war “deficit, it is the biggest threat of bankruptcy. We need more

Other concerns included parking pressures and the concentration of elderly accommodation already.

Jean Ellison, a local resident, said: “Westbury Park is abundant with care homes and residential homes and is quickly becoming Costa Geriatrica. I speak as a practising geriatric and I object to all of this, because I would much prefer to live in a vibrant, mixed-age community.”

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

This site deserves better – campaigners

RESIDENTS face a wait to find out the future of the former St Christopher’s School site in Westbury Park.

Two years after proposals for a luxury retirement village were unveiled, councillors voted in August to reject the plans, which were criticised as overdevelopment.

The developers, Fore Partnership, have six months to decide whether to appeal against the committee decision. Alternatively, they could put forward a revised version of the 116-home extra care development, consider a different use for the five-acre site bordering The Downs, or try to sell it to another developer.

Speaking to the Architects’ Journal, Fore Partnership managing partner Basil Demeroutis said: “We’ve worked hard on this scheme for two years and still believe in its core strengths, which were

Alpine

acknowledged by a number of the committee members.

“We are deeply disappointed that the full benefits of this much-needed development — which tackles the climate crisis head on, supports Bristol’s net zero targets and provides urgently needed housing for the city — were not fully recognised. While we do not believe that the refusal accurately reflects the true potential and merits of our

Campaigners outside City Hall, where they attended the planning committee meeting at which councillors voted to reject the plans

proposal, we respect the process and will now take time as a team to consider our next steps.”

Jeff Bishop, from Westbury Park Community Association, which opposed the scale of the proposed development, told the Voice: “Let’s hope the developers have the common sense not to appeal, otherwise we’ll all be living with the uncertainty for at least another year.”

St Christopher’s Action

Network (SCAN), in a statement after the committee meeting, said: “We are delighted with the sensible decision to reject the insensitive plans for St Christopher’s.

“The developers behind these plans were always interested in profit ... not people. They never showed any real interest in discovering what the community thought, and they cared even less about the rudiments of good design and the importance of developing a landscape-led, sustainable solution for this wonderful site. Their oversized, overcrowded, and overbearing plans show this clearly. We know much better is possible!”

Until it closed in 2020, St Christopher’s was an independent school for children with special needs and disabilities (SEND) and SCAN wants to see the site used again for SEND provision, which is much needed in Bristol.

n ADVERTISING FEATURE

Abbeyfield celebrates new show apartments

ON Saturday September 16, Abbeyfield House on Westbury Road, Henleaze, is celebrating its new show apartments with a community party and open afternoon.

With flats for 25 elderly people, the house is the largest of the Abbeyfield Bristol & Keynsham Society’s independent living homes. Residents rent either a one bedroom, or studio, flat and enjoy communal dining and social activities. There’s also the reassurance of a 24-hour team member, should a resident need some additional support.

Abbeyfield House has recently enjoyed a refurbishment, which included three fully furnished show

apartments. “I’m delighted with the house’s new look,” said manager, Suzanne McKenzie.

“Our residents are so friendly and sociable. They enjoy doing activities together, such as gardening or going on day trips, so an open afternoon, combined with a party, seems like a fitting way to celebrate the end of the redecoration”.

Doors open 12-4pm. If you, or someone you know, would like to find out more about life in Abbeyfield House, please come along and enjoy live music, a free BBQ and a tour of the new show apartments. Email e-mail@abbeyfield-bristol. co.uk or just turn up.

n NEWS

Harvest Fiesta and church service

ST Matthew's Church in Kingsdown will be celebrating harvest this year with a weekend of activities in September.

On Saturday September 23 is the Harvest Fiesta, with activities, refreshments and fun for all ages. On Sunday September 24 St Matthew's will hold an all-age service at 10.30am. All are welcome to either day - or both days!

St Matthew's has been awarded EcoChurch Silver Award (a national award scheme for churches) due to the church's care for the environment. Come and see their gardens, including a wildlife garden, and low-carbon heating system.

The church meets weekly at 10.30am on Sundays.

For more information about St Matthew's and the harvest weekend, please see the church website: www.stmatthews-bristol.org.uk.

Icelandic choir to visit St Alban's

THE choir of Víðistada Church from Iceland is giving a concert in St Alban's Church in Westbury Park on Friday September 29 at 7.30pm. The concert will also feature St Alban's Choir. The repertoire will include spiritual and secular choral music. The choir director is Sveinn Arnar Sæmundsson.

Family Food Action set for open day

FAMILY Food Action, which provides community support for Bristol families and children in food poverty is holding an open day at The Ardagh on Horfield Common on Tuesday September 19 from 10.30am to 1.30pm.Find out what they are doing to tackle food inequality.

PARTY

Have your say on city's future

BRISTOL City Council is looking for feedback on the proposed strategies for the long-term regeneration of the city centre.

The draft City Centre Development and Delivery Plan (the Plan) sets out a vision for the future of the city centre and high-level principles to guide regeneration.

It also identifies key changes required in the coming years to the city centre streets and spaces and the way land is used for development.

With a focus on the Broadmead and Castle Park areas, the Plan sets out key changes that will help transform them into more inclusive, sustainable and connected places and create a green, safe and vibrant city centre.

Overall, the Plan will help ensure future investment, development and regeneration is co-ordinated.

of our city must provide decent jobs and varied retail and contribute to tackling the challenge of Bristol’s housing crisis, all against a background of climate and ecological

Dog show date

WARDS Solicitors hold their annual charity dog show on Sunday October 8, at the Avon Centre in Henbury, BS10, raising vital funds for Bristolbased youth charity 1625 Independent People.

Family fun activities include a prize raffle, prizes and treats for all, with 15 different classes to enter. £2 per class or £10 to enter as many as you like.

Tickets are free with class entry payable at the venue.

Chance to sing

A CHORAL workshop takes place at St Monica Trust, Bristol, BS9 3UN, on Saturday 9 September 2-4pm.

Join members of Bristol Bach Choir and enjoy an afternoon of singing Bach's Magnificat led by musical director David Bednall Registration, which includes music loan, is £10 online or by phone: 0117 214 0721

Bristol's first new station since the 1920s opens

BRISTOL’S rail network has received a double boost with the opening of the Portway Park & Ride station and significant progress towards opening Henbury Station.

It’s all part of the MetroWest programme, spearheaded by the Metro Mayor Dan Norris.

He was joined by the Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper and Bristol City Council's transport lead Don Alexander for the launch of the £5.8 million Portway station, between Shirehampton and Avonmouth.

The single-platform station between Shirehampton and Avonmouth is mainly funded by Mr Norris’s West of England Combined Authority. It connects the existing park and ride site, which has been expanded from 555 parking spaces to 792, with the Severn Beach railway line.

Passengers will be able to access half-hourly services between Bristol Temple Meads and Avonmouth, and an hourly service to Severn Beach.

Mr Norris said Portway was the first new station to be built in Bristol since the 1920s.

He said: " This is undoubtedly a good day for Bristolians and the West of England region,

"Delivering for local people is what our multi-million-pound 'Reverse Beeching' programme is all about.

“We need to press ahead with work to give even more residents access to new stations as we strive to meet our ambitious West of England net-zeroby-2030 targets.

“I urge locals to come and catch a train from the brand-new Portway Park and Ride Station.”

Mr Harper added: "The opening of Portway Park

and Ride Station is the latest example of this Government's plan to invest in infrastructure and grow the economy. It will provide a boost to Bristol and its surrounding area by improving local transport links while connecting passengers to business hubs and thousands of high-skilled job opportunities.”

Work is under way on a station at Ashley Down and plans for a station at North Filton, to serve the Brabazon development on Filton airfield, have been given the go-ahead.

On August 21 it was announced that a planning application had gone in to

South Gloucestershire Council for Henbury Station. It will be located on the eastern side of the A4018 dual carriageway and will eventually form part of the planned Cribbs Patchway new neighbourhood being built around it.

It will have a single platform on the northern side of the railway lines with a covered waiting area, cycle parking and ticket machines.

There will be 31 parking spaces at the station, which will be accessed on an approach road from Passage Road off the A4018.

Metro Mayor Dan Norris and Transport Secretary Mark Harper at the station opening

Upcycling group boosts hospice funds

RETIRED art teacher Liz Hillitt is putting her sewing and knitting skills to good use, making new clothes from old materials.

She’s a member of a craft group of four volunteers who work together to upcycle garments using remnants, sheets and jumpers from the St Peter’s Hospice shop in Henleaze High Street.

Liz says: “We do it because we enjoy sewing and meeting up. I like to make things that have a purpose and if you can do that while having a gossip with your friends and a bit of a laugh, that’s great. It’s been a wellbeing thing for me as your brain goes into a flow state if you enjoy it.

“The first thing I encourage people to do when they get a garment is to take it apart and iron it. I’m inspired by the material and find it’s fun thinking up different ways of using things. Curtains or garments can be worth more

made into other items – old cashmere jumpers can be broken up and made into fingerless gloves. Recent dresses we’ve made for the Henleaze shop have come from an M&S duvet cover, and we make hats and scrunchies out of oddments.”

Sarah Scaplehorn manages

the St Peter’s Hospice shop in Henleaze and is passionate about sustainability.

“I started upcycling in 2015 when I was volunteering in the Westbury-on-Trym branch as being creative has always been a passion of mine,” says Sarah.

“Upcycling led me to realise

how much stock is actually thrown away and by doing this we can reduce the amount being sent on and help to create an alternative income stream for the hospice.

“Here in Henleaze, we've become known for our upcycled items such as the cashmere wrist warmers and whenever we are approaching Autumn/Winter the demand seems to grow higher with each year as people request them for Christmas gifts.”

Liz recommends the craft group as a completely flexible form of volunteering which you can work around other things during the day. The Henleaze craft group is full, but Liz believes that anyone could start one of their own or with a friend and make items for the St Peter’s Hospice shop near them.

If you’d like to find out more, see: https://www. stpetershospice.org/support-us/ volunteer/volunteer-in-ourshops/

Residents cry foul as work on new stand at Mem starts without consent

HUNDREDS of fans have urged Bristol City Council to act quickly to allow Bristol Rovers to build a new South Stand at the Memorial Stadium.

The club put in a planning application for the development on April 11 but it was not validated until June 29, by which time neighbours had complained that work had begun without permission.

On the eve of the EFL season on August 2, Rovers issued a statement saying that “due to issues outside of the club’s control”, the South Stand would not be ready.

This meant that for the first home League One match against Barnsley on August 12, there were fans on only three sides of the ground, rather than the usual four.

The new stand will provide 3,414 seats and will enable the ground to return to its pre-Covid crowd capacity.

The club’s statement said: “As many of you will be aware, the club has pursued an ambitious plan to improve the facilities at the Mem and increase the number of seats heading into this season. This is following the recent reductions in the capacity of the terrace areas and a desire to increase the number of standard and disabled seating options, whilst getting the capacity back up to previous levels…

“We would like to apologise to both our supporters and those

looking to attend from Barnsley for all of the inconvenience.

“Moving forward we will continue to review the situation on a match-by-match basis and update supporters as early as possible as to the plans for each fixture.

“The club is continuing to work with local residents and the local planning authority regarding this application.”

Ward councillor Emma Edwards, leader of the Green group on the council, has “called in” the application, meaning it will have to go before a planning committte. This led to Labour accusations of delaying tactics, but Cllr Edwards, writing on Twitter/X, said she thought it would result in the scheme being dealt with more quickly.

In her online comment on the

planning application, she said: “I believe the club need time to sort all of this out and do this properly.”

One resident of Alton Road told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that work had started in June and the club and the contractors had shown “lack of consideration for residents”.

“They’ve removed trees and shrubs, and they haven’t spoken to any of the residents about what they’re doing or planning to do. When it rains, all of the mud and dirt has just been running down our street, which obviously shouldn’t be happening. It’s a nightmare.”

People can comment on the plans on the council’s planning portal at the reference 23/01441/F.

As the Voice went to print,

there were 1164 documents relating to the scheme, with about 200 objections. Many commenters said they were not against the stadium development but opposed work starting before permission had been granted.

One resident wrote:

“There has not been sufficient consideration to the impact on the community and infrastructure from construction and the increased capacity.

Beginning construction before even consulting neighbours is a clear indication that any concerns will be ignored regardless.”

Another resident added: “Due process has not been followed. The development was under way long before permission was sought. It has been a noisy process that has caused issues for neighbours. It would be a disappointment if due process were something that only has to be followed by individuals but not relevant to larger businesses.”

But hundreds of supporters said the works should be allowed to take place. Many pointed out that the Mem had been a sports ground for more than a century.

A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said: “A planning application is under consideration. The planning enforcement team have advised that works should not take place without the required planning permission in place.”

Includes reporting by Alex Seabrook LDRS

Workplace parking levy plan dropped

A PLAN for a workplace parking levy has been dropped due to inflation and a lack of “funding and ambition” for a mass transit system. Mayor Marvin Rees said “now is not the time” to create further costs for drivers struggling with the cost-of living crisis.

Details of the workplace parking levy plan were published on Monday, August 7, after a judge ordered Bristol City Council to publish its report into how it could work. The report found a levy could raise millions every year to invest in the city’s public transport network. Businesses would be charged for every employee parking at work. A levy in Nottingham introduced a decade ago has raised more than £83

million for improving public transport.

Writing on his blog, Mr Rees said: “With high inflation during a national cost of living crisis, now is not the time to create more costs for people. Others will say that today is an ideal moment to hit teachers, nurses and other Bristolians parking at schools, hospitals and other workplaces in central Bristol for hundreds of pounds, if not more. They are wrong.

“Bristol has in recent years, like the rest of the world, seen major changes in working patterns during and following the pandemic. These patterns will also have been impacted by the introduction of the Clean Air Zone, for which our

administration recently secured another £11 million to help people and businesses upgrade to compliant vehicles. A study was done into the idea of a workplace parking levy ... It remains incomplete and — with the stalling of the funding and ambition to take a mass transit system forward — we have no plans to introduce this charge.”

The council initially commissioned the report, at a cost of £30,000, in 2021 as a potential option for funding upgrades to Bristol’s public transport network. Since then the council has been battling a freedom of information request, made by Green Councillor Ed Plowden.

By Alex Seabrook, LDRS

The site of the proposed work at the Memorial Stadium

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Welcome addition to vibrant and cosmopolitan area

IN the spring of 2022, passersby noticed fitting-out activity in the former TUI travel shop at 87 Henleaze Road. Much of the activity seemed to take place in the evenings and at weekends. No one seemed to know what it was to be, but many fingers were crossed, hoping that it would be something useful to our community.

Then, just before Christmas, on December 10, a sign went up, ‘La Scala’. Surely not a branch of La Scala, Milan, a bit small for a theatre! However, the mystery was soon solved, No not a diminutive theatre, but Yes it was to be an Italian delight.

Brother and sister, Claudio & Valeria Mazza from Brescia, together with Xavier Ellis from Rome, realised their dream for an

authentic local Italian Deli/Caffe. Having acquired premises in Henleaze they were able to open just in time for the Christmas trade. Very quickly their range of homemade pastries and authentic Cannoli in a range of fillings and other sweets became a foodie’s 'must visit' delight and the place already has a real buzz to it.

With the hot summer, their introduction of gelato and wine aperitivo evenings has been welcome.

Having visited La Scala to sample their menu and congratulate them on their enterprise, I decided to interview them to find out what drew them to Henleaze and to set up here.

Xavier explained: “Given

Valeria’s experience in the hospitality sector she dreamt that one day she could create her own truly authentic local Italian food café and deli. Choosing the right location was vital and we couldn’t be happier with 87 Henleaze Road. The welcome we’ve received from local residents and our friendly neighbours has been a real privilege; we truly feel we already had our “regulars” from the second week of opening. As for myself, my skillset is focused more on the organisational financial side although I have had sommelier training, thus forming a natural partnership, complementing two essential sides of the same dream.

"We were drawn to Henleaze by the vibrant and

cosmopolitan local community, which meant that our addition would complement rather than compete with the other food outlets, such as your long-established Chandos Delicatessen. We were also pleased to see that in addition to all the interesting local shops you even have a local Henleaze Society notice board and we look forward to becoming part of the community. ”

Valeria added: “This summer we plan on adding new savoury options such as Arancini & fresh Italian salads”.

Something else to look forward to.

Julian Lea-Jones

'Ghost buses' problem is getting worse - MP

BRISTOL North West MP Darren Jones says buses are less reliable in Bristol since First promised improvements in April.

The city’s largest bus operator said services would become more reliable, but the results of a study led by Mr Jones suggest the opposite has actually happened.

The MP collected evidence from constituents to test promises made by bus bosses on improving reliability. He wrote an open letter to Doug Claringbold, the managing director of First Bus West of England with the project results.

The project asked bus passengers whose journeys start in the Bristol North West constituency to tell the MP if their journeys were on time, delayed, or if a service appears on an app or digital screen in a bus stop but never turns up — known as a ghost bus.

In the letter, Mr Jones said: “The data reveals that bus reliability has got worse: in March, passengers were unable to get on the bus they had been waiting for 39 per cent of the time, and this rose to 64 per cent in April and May. This includes cancellations, buses being too full to stop, passengers tiring of waiting for delayed services, and ‘ghost buses’.

“Of the First Bus services that did arrive, seven per cent were delayed by 15 minutes or

more in March, and this figure rose to 13 cent in April and May. The campaign also revealed just how prevalent the problem of ‘ghost buses’ is. About one in four of all First Bus journeys logged in March revealed a ghost bus, rising to about one in three journeys logged in April and May.”

From March to May, passengers logged 751 experiences of using the bus in the MP’s survey. 643 of those journeys were logged for First Bus services. Responding to the findings, First said reliability had “significantly improved” since April, with buses now more punctual.

First Bus, the city’s largest operator,

promised many services would become more reliable from April. Several main routes — including the 70, 73, 73, 75 and 76 — should now see buses running more frequently.

A spokesman for First said: “Like the rest of the bus industry, at the beginning of this year we were experiencing a driver shortage, which put pressure on the reliability and punctuality of our services.

"Following a successful driver recruitment campaign, we’ve significantly improved the situation in Bristol since we launched our latest timetables in April, with 1,500 daily journeys reinstated, a reduction of two thirds in journeys not operating some or all of their route due to reasons within our control, and nearly a 10 per cent increase in punctuality. We have also been able to increase the frequency of buses on several routes.

“We know more needs to be done to build on these improvements. We’re working with local councils and transport authorities to improve conditions on our roads for buses; we’re continuing to invest in our teams, services and technology; and we’re committed to providing passengers with the most upto-date information to make planning and making journeys as simple as possible.”

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Maria,

Army veteran set to take on 5,000 mile cycle challenge

PHIL Armitage, from Henleaze, is taking on a major challenge to help himself adjust to leaving the Army after 23 years.

He plans to spend three months cycling more than 5,000 milers around the UK mainland to raise money for five charities.

Phil joined up at 17 and served in the UK's Elite Airborne Forces with the 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, 14 Regiment Royal Artillery and the University Officers Training Corps. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan and trained in many different countries around the world.

He said: “It is a scary feeling not knowing what life is going to be like without the lifeline I have had for the past 23 years. Looking back at my career in the Army and life events, it

has sometimes had a negative effect on my mental health and wellbeing, which I am more than happy to admit and talk about.

“Having the ability to work through emotional pain and suffering and raising funds for the charities close to me, is going to be the driving force I need to complete my, (up to 5000-mile) cycle journey around the UK mainland.

“The five charities I am fund raising for all have a personal meaning and connection

Digging in for battle

CONTROVERSIAL plans by a private company to build 700 allotments in Abbots Leigh have been voted down — but could soon be back on the table.

Roots Allotments cofounder Christian Samuel said he was “very disappointed” in the decision by North Somerset Council to reject his organisation’s application for a certificate of lawful development.

Roots argued it should be able to have the certificate — which avoids the need to seek full planning permission — because the site, a field to the east of the A369 opposite the entrance to Clifton College sports ground, was simply changing from one type of agriculture to another.

Councillors unanimously rejected the application over a technicality about the matting used for the planned 80-space car park at the allotment site.

So now Mr Samuel says Roots will reapply for the certificate, this time without the planned car parking. He says 68 per cent of allotment holders have said they

will not drive to the site.

Six hundred people have already signed up for allotments at the site, which cost more than council allotments — at £9.99 to £34.99 a month — but include seeds, courses, and access to tools. Mr Samuel said: “We have just got to fight for these 600 people because we feel extremely let down.” He added that the company had given refunds to anyone who had asked for them.

Mr Samuel said he was very disappointed in the council.

The council sent the plans back to Roots when they first came before the planning committee in July to ask for more information about other activities on the site. Local councillor Jenna Ho Marris said: ”I’m relieved that this application was refused unanimously by the planning committee. Of course we support more people growing their own fruit and veg, but like any change of land use it needs to go through proper planning.”

By John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporting Service

to me. They all have similar goals, wanting to help people to withstand adversity and bounce back from difficult life events.”

The charities are FND, Mermaids, SSAFA, Pilgrim Bandits and wolfpackpilgrimage.

Phil is setting off on September 7. You can follow his progress on Instagram at resilience_ride_uk

To contribute to his fundraiser, visit https://tinyurl.com/2vn92wvv

Discover simplicity and s2llness with a ten week course in Prac2cal Philosophy, drawing from some of the world’s great philosophical tradi2ons, both East and West.

Ten weeks from Wednesday 4th October. 7pm to 9.15pm

The Mee2ng House

126 Hampton Road

Bristol BS6 6JE

Fee: £60.00

The aim of philosophy is to become free; free from pressure and worry; free to grow; and free to be yourself. The course offers group discussions with experienced facilitators, and simple prac2ces to develop s2llness and mindfulness. No previous experience is needed.

Email: bathandbristol@fses.org

Enrol/Info: bathandbristol.schoolofphilosophy.org

Courses na2onally, interna2onally and online www.schoolofphilosophy.org A branch of the Fellowship of the School of Philosophy and Economic Science. Educa;onal Charity No. 313115

25 years of graft and grafting at orchard

THE Apple Day community celebration is the highlight of the year for members of Horfield Organic Community Orchard (HOCO). This year’s event takes place on Sunday 22 October and also celebrates the 25th anniversary of an extraordinary community food project.

HOCO are tenants of Horfield & District Allotment Association. In 1998 the association needed to make sure more than half their plots were actively cultivated. The orchard project began when Avon Organic Group (AOG) took over several abandoned plots on the margins of the Golden Hill allotment site. Members of AOG cleared a jungle of brambles and bindweed, and in the process rescued a number of fruit trees already on the plots, including apples, plums and a pear. Before planting new trees, the soil was improved with compost made from unsold vegetables collected from local businesses.

“The time, energy, and love

that have gone into our orchard is awesome,” says Shannon Smith, a member of HOCO since 2008. Shannon oversaw the changes that led to HOCO becoming an independent project in 2011. “The orchard is here today because of care given by hundreds of active members over the years, combined with support from the wider community. Tens of

thousands of visitors have come to our fundraising public events since 1998.”

The sale of young trees at Apple Day is a longstanding fundraiser for the orchard. When a fruit seed is planted, the tree that grows will not be the same as its parent. Fruit trees are reproduced by grafting young wood from a parent tree onto a

rootstock. Earlier this year HOCO members, who are volunteers, took part in several grafting workshops, and have looked after the baby trees since then.

“Caring for 70 tiny fruit trees is a huge responsibility,” says Shannon. “They need protection from extremes of temperature and wind, along with regular watering. It’s amazing to think that small saplings can grow into trees that have the potential to be fruitful for at least five decades. More than a thousand trees grafted for HOCO have been planted in gardens and allotments in Bristol and beyond. I wonder how many apples they’ve given?”

Pre-ordering trees is recommended. More information will be on the HOCO website in early September.

Please contact HOCO c/o the website to sign up for up-to-date information: www.communityorchard.org.uk Phone: 0117 373 1587

Home's community ethos wins praise

THE St Monica Trust’s Garden House Care Home has been rated as ‘Good’ by the CQC Out of the potential five key lines of enquiry (KLOEs), three were inspected with Effective, Safe and Well-led rated as ‘Good’ and the service maintained its overall rating of ‘Good’.

In their report following an unannounced inspection on 12 June 2023, the CQC said that the service was: “Consistently managed and well-led;” and that: “Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care.” The report also highlighted how the relationships the Garden House team has built with health and social care professionals, the local community and those living within the Cote Lane Retirement Village, promoted: “a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empowering, which achieves good outcomes for people.”

Noting the Garden House’s special relationship with the wider Cote Lane community, the CQC Inspectors said: “This was the ethos of people's care journey, so they could be supported in their own home

and transition into The Garden House or other homes within the St Monica Trust when their care needs changed.”

Garden House is a 102-bed care home offering general need nursing care, specialist dementia care, rehabilitation and enablement, and end of life care.

St Monica Trust’s chief executive, David

Williams said: “As any follower of team sports knows, the mark of a true champions is the ability to maintain consistency over a number of years, and retaining its overall rating of ‘Good’, with all the challenges the care sector has faced over the last few years, is an achievement that the whole Garden House team can be extremely proud of.”

Housing Forums for Bristol council tenants – get involved!

Afternoon: Thursday 7 September, 1–3pm

Evening: Tuesday 19 September , 6–8pm

Your opinions help us make decisions!

For September 2023, we are hosting online meetings focussing on issues we know matter most to tenants.

● Come along and hear about the ongoing work we are doing to ensure fire safety for residents in our high rise blocks of flats and how we have been engaging with residents. Find out about our plans for future engagement and how you can help us develop our approach.

● We will also be sharing an update on improvements we have been making to communal areas, and you can find out how to suggest changes you would like to see in your area.

● Places must be booked, you can do this online at: www.bristol.gov.uk/LocalHousingForums

● If you are not online but would like to take part, there is also a free dial-in option which you can join using your phone. For more information about how you can access the meetings contact Tenant Participation 0117 352 1444 or email  tpu@bristol.gov.uk

what is vision therapy?

What is vision therapy?

As children settle back into school this term, after a break from focused learning during the summer holiday, it can often be a time when vision issues become known. Go-to solutions for sight-related challenges are usually contact lenses or glasses, more rarely surgery. But could there be an alternative way to support a child or adult to see more comfortably? Vision therapy is a personalised programme designed to help individuals develop and improve their visual skills when the eyes and brain are not communicating properly. Unlike corrective lenses or eye surgery, vision therapy focuses on training the brain to interpret visual information more effectively.

Although suitable for adults and children, vision therapy is a common treatment for children as it is non-invasive and can be catered to a child's specific needs. Here are some of the conditions where vision therapy can deliver excellent results:

1. Dyslexia: Dyslexia can affect reading, writing, and spelling abilities. While dyslexia usually involves language processing challenges, it has been linked to visual processing issues.

Vision therapy is a specialised programme designed to help individuals develop and improve their visual skills

it can help with:

dyslexia - strengthening eye muscles and enhancing eye movement control

head trauma - refocusing after injury or concussion

behaviour issues - improving behaviour and concentration

If a child has vision challenges, vision therapy can help them read more comfortably, which can lead to improved contributions in class, giving children a better chance of fulfilling their full potential. Vision therapy could involve exercises to strengthen eye muscles and enhance eye movement control. The best course of action is decided after a thorough assessment.

2. Head trauma: Head trauma, such as concussions or traumatic brain injuries, can significantly impact vision. Children and adults with head trauma can develop blurred or double vision, light sensitivity, and difficulty focusing.

Vision therapy for head trauma focuses on retraining the brain to process visual information by targeting the brain's ability to interpret visual input. This can help ease visual symptoms and improve overall comfort. Some exercises might include improving visual tracking, reducing light sensitivity, and enhancing eye-hand coordination.

3. Behaviour : Behavioural vision therapy addresses vision-related issues that impact your or your child's behaviour and attention. Children and adults who struggle with attention deficits, hyperactivity, or poor focus might have underlying vision problems contributing to these challenges. This form of vision therapy aims to improve visual processing skills and eye movement control, which can lead to improved attention span and behaviour.

Behavioural vision therapy activities may include exercises that require focus and concentration on visual tasks as well as activities that enhance hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness.

Vision therapy can deliver highly successful outcomes in many cases, however, it should be viewed as a longer-term solution as it is not a quick fix. A typical therapy programme can take anywhere from 4-12 months to get the most out of it. At Turners Opticians, we are vision therapy specialists and are happy to offer advice on this solution for either yourself or a loved one.

Call our Henleaze team on 0117 962 2474 or Fishponds team on 0117 965 4434, or visit our website www.TurnersOpticians.co.uk for further information.

Peter Turner is an Independent Prescribing Senior Optometrist at Turners Opticians in Bristol, who also works as a Senior Medical Optometrist at Bristol Eye Hospital. Peter has a specialist interest in visual development and visual performance.

n FROM OUR MP

Let's keep on fighting that class ceiling

I HOPE you're all enjoying the last few days of summer before it's time for the kids to head back to school (and for MPs to head back Parliament!).

During summer recess, my wife and I welcomed our third daughter, Francesca Alice Symons-Jones, to our family. Thank you to the many people who have already been in touch to send lovely messages of congratulations. We're very touched by your kindness.

Watching Ophelia and Edith meet their baby sister for the first time, I couldn’t help but wonder what the three Symons-Jones sisters will become.

Growing up in a council flat in Lawrence Weston in the 80s and 90s, I didn't imagine that one day I would become the Member of Parliament for the area I was born and grew up in.

I was the first in my family to go to university which, back then, wasn’t normal for kids from families like mine to

do. Thankfully, though, I was in school at the right time to benefit from the now defunct ‘Gifted and Talented’ programme, which offered extra support for academically gifted students in state schools.

Nowadays, going to university is an achievable dream for many. But that doesn't mean the class ceiling has been broken.

An important barrier is that public speaking – a quintessential skill in politics – is not generally taught in state schools.

We need people from all backgrounds to enter politics if we want everyone to feel truly represented in Parliament. And to achieve this, we need to equip all children with the necessary skills for the job.

From October, I'll be heading into local secondary schools to share what I've learned from working in law and politics about crafting an argument and delivering it to an audience with confidence.

My aim is to inspire as many local schools as possible to enter the English-Speaking Union’s ESU-Churchill Public Speaking Competition. This is the largest public speaking competition for schools in England and Wales, for students in Years 9-11. (See esu.org/competitions/publicspeaking-competition for more information.)

What's more, I've been in touch with the organisers, and they have agreed to host a branch final of the competition right here in Bristol North West!

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We'll share full details of how to enter the competition in due course with schools that register interest. But, for now, if you're a teacher and you'd like me to run a public speaking session with your class, please email me at darren. jones.mp@parliament.uk

And if you're an enthusiastic student or parent, please share this article with your teacher.

In other news, NatWest and HSBC have closed their branches in Westbury-on-Trym in August. Elsewhere in the constituency, I have learned that branches of Lloyds banks in Shirehampton and Horfield will be closing in November, too. This will leave only two bank branches and one building society in Bristol North West.

My office has reached out to Lloyds and Barclays to enquire about the future of their Westbury-on-Trym branches, and they have responded to say they have no immediate plans to close them. There is already signage on display in the Nationwide branch in Westbury-on-Trym to reassure its customers it will remain open until at least 2026.

Whilst this part of the constituency is faring better than other areas for access to banking, I will be closely monitoring this situation. It is only proper for banks to use some of the profits from branch closures to contribute to the Post Office or other types of community access to banking services to prevent people who do not bank online from being digitally excluded. I

will be working with the banks to see what more they can do.

As always, if you need my help or have a question, you can get in touch with me on e-mail at darren.jones.mp@parliament. uk, by calling my office on 0117 959 6545 or by writing to me at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.

If you need my help or have a question over the summer, you can get in touch with my office on email at darren.jones. mp@parliament.uk, by calling 0117 959 6545 or by writing to me at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.

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Darren Jones writes for the Voice

Darren and Francesca

Clifton High pupils smash grade target

CLIFTON High School saw another year of record-breaking A-level results with 48 per cent of pupils achieving A*-A grades and a third of Year 13s achieving three A*-As.

A quarter of students exceeded their expected grades in all subjects by an average of at least one grade, maintaining Clifton High’s trend of significant added value.

Specific subjects also saw great success with 100% of English Literature, Further Mathematics, Chinese and Art students achieving an A*-A. Additionally in History, German, Photography and Music, 100% of students received grades A*-B, 79% of all grades awarded in Mathematics and Further Mathematics were A*-A, 80%

of Chemistry results were A*-A and 93% of Biology grades were A*-B.

Katherine Rich, Head of Sixth Form, said: “I am delighted with the achievements of this year group, within which there are some extraordinary individual successes to celebrate. We wish them every success in their exciting next chapters beyond Clifton High Sixth Form.”

These results have enabled Clifton High students to follow a wide array of passions in their higher educational journeys. One student has accepted a place studying Biomedical Sciences at St Anne’s College, Oxford, whilst others will study Medicine, Product Design, Art Foundation, Actor Musicianship and History to name but a few.

Wide horizons for Redmaids' High students

REDMAIDS’ High School says its A-level results are a reflection of its longstanding commitment to academic excellence and supporting students in their personal and pastoral development.

In the exams, 61.6 per cent of grades were achieved at A* or A; 84.7 per cent A*-B, 95.3 per cent A*-C and 100 per cent A*-D.

Seven students achieving all A* grades, while 42 per cent achieved all A* or As.

Director of sixth form Lisa Moyle said: “The fantastic A-level results this year are a true testament to the dedication, adaptability and extraordinary resilience of our students. These public exams have been their first, and I couldn’t be prouder of their ability to rise to the challenge, work hard and do so well.”

The vast majority of students have secured places at their first-choice universities. Some are looking forward to a focus

on the environment, including Inessa, who will now pursue her interests with Earth and Planetary Sciences, and Molly who is following her passion for Marine Geography. Others are going on to study a language at a higher level; Hermione with Modern and Medieval Languages at Girton College, Cambridge University, Rebecca with German and Linguistics at New College, University of Oxford, and Téa with Modern Languages and Economics at the University

of Warwick.

Beyond the more traditional university routes, the school is also celebrating students taking on other exciting pathways, such as Evie who will soon begin her Accountancy Degree Apprenticeship, Olivia and Cecilia, who will be attending Drama School having achieved 100% in their performance components, and

More students than ever are looking forward to their planned enriching gap year adventures, exploring different cultures and landscapes across the globe.

Mrs Moyle continued, “This year group’s final grades, together with the diverse opportunities awaiting them, speak volumes about their confidence and determination to be who they want to be and for that I am most proud. “I will miss them all greatly, but I know they are more than ready for their next chapter as they begin to make their mark in this

world and I am so excited for what their promising futures will bring.”

The school’s head, Mr Paul Dwyer, commented, “I am exceptionally proud of our students' outstanding performance in this year's A-levels. These results are a culmination of their unwavering dedication, inspired passion and the exemplary support from our teaching staff and wider school community.

“Our students have not only met the challenges presented to them, but have consistently exceeded our expectations. As they embark on exciting new beginnings, I am confident that they will carry forward the spirit and values they've developed here at Redmaids’ High, making a positive and significant impact wherever they go. I congratulate each and every one of our students for their remarkable achievements and wish them all the very best for their future.”

BADMINTON School students are looking forward to the future after receiving their A-level results. With nearly half of all grades at A-A* level and a 100% pass rate, over half of all students celebrated a hattrick of A-A* grades.

Three pupils have secured Oxbridge places studying Biomedical Sciences, Psychology, and Music.

Badminton prides itself on developing students' individual strengths, and this year’s A-level cohort are going on to study a variety of subjects, from Law to Graphic Design, Dentistry to Computer Science, Chinese to Fashion and Business & Management.

Meghna achieved four A* grades alongside her other commitments and said: “I am thrilled with my A Level results and I’m excited to be heading to Imperial to study Medical Biosciences. I have loved my time in the Sixth Form at Badminton, enjoying the fun sides of the Classics Society and my role as Head Girl, whist studying A Levels along the way!”

Julia, who is pursuing Psychological and Behavioural Sciences at Cambridge, comments: ‘My time at Badminton has provided me with solid preparation for the university application process. In addition

Brilliant! Badminton celebrates

to my A-level studies, I had a great time participating in the Psychology Club and volunteering at a local primary school.’. Badminton School’s recently appointed Head, Jessica Miles, was delighted with the success of this year’s cohort: “For a year group who were perhaps more affected than any other by the disruption caused to their education by the pandemic, not least because they missed the experience of sitting their GCSEs, they can hold their heads high and take real pride in these results.

"In my short time here, I have witnessed this year group’s excellent work ethic and I have also seen a group of young women who are fun, kind, brave and

clearly ready to move on to the next stage of their academic journeys, whether that be studying Neuroscience at Nottingham or Civil Engineering at Imperial. I know that they would want to join me in thanking all the staff at Badminton who have supported, inspired and encouraged them during their time here.”

Sixth

Bristol Grammar hails strong results

MORE than half of A-level grades at Bristol Grammar School were A* or A and 81 per cent A*-B.

Nine pupils achieved a clean sweep of three or four A* grades, and 35 per cent of the cohort achieved three or more A* and A grades. Nine BGS pupils will take up places at Oxford and Cambridge, on courses spanning the range of subjects on offer.

BGS head, Jaideep Barot, said: “I have enormous admiration and affection for this year group, and all they have done in their time at BGS. Quite apart from their stellar contributions to school life across so many fields, the way they have ridden the myriad challenges that have come their way over the last few years, speaks volumes for them – for some, just getting to this point has been a victory. More than this, though, they are just a thoroughly lovely group of individuals who have been excellent role models.

“I am delighted, therefore, to celebrate with them their results this year and to share their excitement for what comes next. It’s not just about today, of course, with our IB students having received their results in early July, the whole year group has much to be proud of with one in five of their grades awarded being at A* level.

Keen climber Izzy joined BGS in the Sixth Form and gained A*A*A in her A-levels. She has a place to study on a four-year Biological Sciences course at Sheffield, following a six-month ski instructor apprenticeship in

Canada.

She said: “I’m so glad I made the move to BGS. It has inspired independence and is such a warm and supportive community to be part of.”

Also heading overseas is Santiago who gained three As at A level and has a place to study International Relations at IE University in Madrid. He said: “Sixth form has been such an incredible experience. It sounds clichéd, but I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”

Michael gained four A* grades, as well as the two Grade 1s he required in the superchallenging STEP II and STEP III Mathematics papers and will now be taking up a place to study Maths at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

Michael said: “My time at BGS has taught me a lot about the type of person I’d like to be and how to work hard, which is an incredibly valuable skill. I owe a lot of who I am today to BGS and I’m very grateful.”

Deputy head (academic), Daniel Stone, said: “On top of the A-level results there are also the results our pupils achieved in subjects they took as part of the Electives programme we run alongside A- levels. 39 pupils – our largest ever cohort –completed the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) with over two-thirds of grades at A* or A. Ten students took the AFA Creative Writing qualification (which has been pioneered by David Briggs in our English department), with four of them achieving an A*, and 16 students gained their Level 3 Sports Leadership qualification alongside their A-levels.

“All of these fantastic results, at all levels, vindicate our decision – initially taken during Covid, but continued since – to make unconditional offers for entry to our sixth form, for both our own pupils and the large number who join our sixth form from state and independent schools across Bristol.”

n MEET THE HEAD

St Katherine’s is a thriving, diverse school community that has educated students from all over Bristol for many years. Year 7 students from over 40 primary schools are joining us this September. So why do so many parents and carers choose St Katherine’s for their child’s secondary education?

ST Katherine’s is a thriving, diverse school community that has educated students from all over Bristol for many years. Year 7 students from over 50 primary schools are joining us this September. So why do so many parents and carers choose St Katherine’s for their child’s secondary education?

Message from Justin Humphreys, Head of St Katherine’s School

I believe it’s because our approach is based on the principle that, as individuals, we all perform at our best when we feel confident, secure and valued.

I believe it’s because our approach is based on the principle that, as individuals, we all perform at our best when we feel confident, secure and valued.

Along with my committed team, I am passionate about giving every student an environment where they feel safe and happy so they can achieve their full potential and pursue their dreams. We do this through our exceptional pastoral care and absolute commitment to wellbeing which makes St Katherine’s such a happy, thriving school.

We take full advantage of St Katherine’s size to create a friendly atmosphere where every child is well known and cared for as an individual.

Along with my committed team, I am passionate about giving every student an environment where they feel safe and happy so they can achieve their full potential and pursue their dreams. We do this through our exceptional pastoral care and absolute commitment to wellbeing which makes St Katherine’s such a happy, thriving school.

We take full advantage of St Katherine’s size to create a friendly atmosphere where every child is well known and cared for as an individual.

Like our students, our staff are energetic, passionate and committed professionals, who stretch and challenge our young people both inside and outside of the classroom - we all learn something new everyday and it enriches and improves us all.

Like our students, our staff are energetic, passionate and committed professionals, who stretch and challenge our young people both inside and outside of the classroom - we all learn something new everyday and it enriches and improves us all. Besides our track record of academic success - our GCSE, A level and vocational subject results continue to reach new heights, securing pathways for all our young people - our curriculum is broad, including our co-curricular

Besides our track record of academic success - our GCSE, A level and vocational subject results continue to reach new heights, securing pathways for all our young people. Our curriculum is broad, including our co-curricular offer shaped around SKYwards - St

Katherine’s Youth Award designed to ensure everyone enjoys new experiences, helping them develop into young adults equipped socially and academically to take on the opportunities and challenges of life.

offer shaped around SKYwards - St Katherine’s Youth Award designed to ensure everyone enjoys new experiences, helping them develop into young adults equipped socially and academically to take on the opportunities and challenges of life.

Above all, a St Katherine’s education is busy, inspiring, ambitious and great fun!

Above all, a St Katherine’s education is busy, inspiring, ambitious and great fun!

Come along to our September open evening (details below) to experience it for yourself. You and your child are guaranteed a warm welcome.

Come along to our September open evening (details below) to experience it for yourself. You and your child are guaranteed a warm welcome.

SGS College finds a winning formula

SGS College sixth-formers are celebrating a strong set of results in A-levels and BTECs, with an impressive 70% of students attaining grades A*-C.

Many students made outstanding progress at the college in Filton. Notable successes were seen in Maths (40% A*/A), Further Maths (67%A*/A) and Criminology (93% A*-C), with A*s across many other subjects. The overall pass rates were also strong, with (98%) achieving their full qualifications. There was also excellent performance in the newest BTEC course, Forensics and Criminal Investigations, with six from 10 achieving Distinctions.

Sixteen students achieved all A*s and As and many are poised to enter Russell Group universities.

SGS Sixth students pursue a range of extracurricular activities, with access to over 30 Academies and professionallevel sports facilities. This has

bred success stories such as Isobel Patel, who has secured a professional contract at Western Storm and has dreams of becoming one of the country’s leading female cricket players. She leaves college having achieved A*, A, B in PE, Biology and Chemistry and is studying Sport and Medical Science. Many others have benefited from additional activities outside of the classroom, with Maths and Science Clubs, STEM lectures, and university trips.

Head of SGS Sixth (Pastoral),

Gary Parsons, said: "Our students' achievements are a testament to their hard work and dedication, as well as the tireless efforts of our teachers. SGS Sixth takes immense pride in providing a nurturing environment enabling students to flourish academically and personally."

Head of SGS Sixth (Academic), Becky Riddell, also praised the staff: “I am profoundly grateful to each member of our dedicated staff at SGS Sixth. As we celebrate the achievements of our students, it is important to acknowledge the commitment, support, and professionalism our staff has demonstrated this academic year; the late nights, extra revision sessions and countless 1-2-1s have been the bedrock upon which our students' success stories have been built.”

Among the high performers is Bryce Gapper, who will study Maths at Warwick University after securing A* grades in

A-Level Mathematics, Physics and Further Mathematics. He was a participant in the college's Honours Programme, designed to foster a deeper understanding of subjects and encourage critical thinking.

Bryce comments: “I have loved studying here. I really like my teachers they are so kind and supportive. I have particularly enjoyed studying whilst doing the rugby academy and I would recommend the programme to anyone wanting to play sport whilst studying.”

Erin Martin secured a Distinction* in her Forensics Diploma and will pursue the subject at the University of Derby.

She said: “I have really enjoyed it here. Forensics is really fun and undertaking this course has confirmed the career route and university course I would like to take. I am nervous but excited to start university and I am so please and relieved with my results. “

Bryce Gapper

School's making a world of difference

FAIRFIELD High School is firmly established as the school of choice for its community, welcoming all young people whether they live on the doorstep in Horfield or arrive from the other side of the globe.

Students thrive during their five years at this inclusive secondary school, where diversity is celebrated and expectations of success are high.

FHS was confirmed as a Good school following an Ofsted inspection earlier this year. Inspector James Oldham said in his report that the school had a “calm and purposeful atmosphere”.

“Pupils are happy and safe. They feel that that staff are caring and respectful and ambitious for their futures. Parents say this too.

“Leaders have an ambitious vision for the quality of education that all pupils receive. They are determined that pupils gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life.”

The inspector found that

“pupils feel they have a voice in the school”. This is a theme that will be taken forward in the coming year as FHS participates in the highly rated Oracy Project led by Voice 21 that encourages young people to be confident in putting forward their views and empathetic in listening to and considering the opinions of others.

Interim principal Amanda Bridgewater said: “It is important for our students to develop the qualities they need to become creative and responsible global citizens. We are aspirational

for all and are proud of our wonderful school’s unique role at the heart of its community.”

Events such as the winter and summer galas draw in large numbers of families and neighbours and activities such as World Music Day and Refugee Week enable students to share cultural experiences. The school’s first Community Iftar since before the pandemic was a recent highlight, with speakers representing Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and Humanist beliefs coming together and sharing a meal.

Fairfield is a School of Sanctuary, committed to providing a place of safety for those who have fled danger in their own countries. The school has also been praised for its support of multilingual learners. Staff and students are passionate about equality, enthusiastically embracing events such as Culture Day, International Women’s Day, World Hijab Day, Anti Bullying Week and Pride.

Links with primary schools are well established. Specialist staff such as languages and PE teachers deliver lessons in local primaries and primary children visit FHS for taster sessions –including the popular Magic Mornings. They are also invited to performances such as the recent Night at the Musicals and use the Fairfield pitches for their sports days. Every child joining the school can attend a week’s summer school, part of an extensive support programme delivered by a specialist transition team.

Bristol Free School students excel

BRISTOL Free School is celebrating another terrific set of A Level and BTEC Results. Despite these students being significantly disrupted by the pandemic over a number of years, they demonstrated exceedingly high levels of resilience and dedication and have been amply rewarded for their efforts.

More than a third of students achieved at least one A* or A grade and all three students who applied for Medicine were successful.

It was an excellent year for performance in the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) with 100% of students achieving A*-B. Finally, a significant number of students will be in the first generation of their family to go to university or to study for a degree apprenticeship.

Some highlights include:

Gwen and Juliette – Gwen achieved three A* grades and Juliette three A* and one A. Both students are now off to Exeter to study Medicine.

Dan – Dan attained two A* grades and one A. He is heading to the University of Leeds to study Architectural Engineering.

James – James achieved two A* grades and two As. He will be going to Exter to study Computer Science.

Leaha – Leaha achieved Merit grades in BTEC Level 3 Applied Science and Health and Social Care.

Hebe – Hebe attained two A* grades and two As. She has secured a place at Birmingham University to study Chemistry.

Head of Sixth Form, Mr Smith, commented that 'Pupils from Bristol Free School will enrol at university courses from Exeter to Edinburgh in a diverse set of fields. A number of students are

Reception 2024 TOURS

Reception 2024 TOURS

Is your child starting school in September 2024? At Henleaze Infant School we are invested in our children and our families, and we want to meet you!

Reception 2024 TOURS

National education charity, Action Tutoring, works to level the playing field by offering free maths and English tutoring to disadvantaged pupils in Bristol and the surrounding areas.

Are you interested in volunteering, getting more involved in your local community, or doing something a little different with your time? By volunteering as a tutor for just one hour a week at a local school, or online, you can give vital academic support to pupils whose families couldn't otherwise afford it.

It’s a fun and rewarding way to spend your time and no previous teaching or tutoring experience is required. Action Tutoring provide the training and all the resources; volunteers don’t need to plan lessons or be curriculum experts. You are supported every step of the way.

Fill in their short online application form to get started actiontutoring. org.uk

Can you help for one hour a week?

Volunteers provide vital maths and English support

To book onto one of our tours, please contact the school office. Henleaze Infant School, Park Grove, BS9 4LG 0117 377 2442 / https://www.henleaze-inf.bristol.sch.uk

Is your child starting school in September 2024? At Henleaze Infant School we are invested in our children and our families, and we want to meet you!

school in September 2024? At Henleaze Infant School we are invested in our children and our families, and we want to meet you!

To book onto one of our tours, please contact the school office.

tours, please contact the school office. Park Grove, BS9 4LG https://www.henleaze-inf.bristol.sch.uk

Henleaze Infant School, Park Grove, BS9 4LG 0117 377 2442 www.henleaze-inf.bristol.sch.uk

Children from lower-income families are less likely to achieve academically than their better-off peers

Gwen and Juliette with headteacher Su King

'Exam stress' turns out to be heart condition

WHEN Rosie Gwyther became ill at school just before her mock exams, she thought it was stress - but it turned out to be an undiagnosed heart condition.

The student at Montpelier High School’s co-educational sixth form V6 had to undergo two operations before her A-levels, the first formal exams she had ever taken.

She emerged with an A in Sociology, Bs in Psychology and Geography and A* in her Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and is off t0 the University of Gloucestershire to train as a primary school teacher.

Rosie said: “I thought it was just a panic attack but my heart went crazy and I had to be rushed from school to the Bristol Heart Institute. It was quite scary. My teachers have been absolutely amazing in supporting me."

Rosie's mum Kate Gwyther said the family had had no idea about the heart condition.

“We are beyond proud of her. Her resilience and determination has not faltered throughout the two years. We really did not know what to expect for her results because she had not sat exams before but she has done brilliantly.’

Shayni Wickmaratne, from Shirehampton, was another student who

battled health problems during her studies. A lifelong asthma sufferer, she experienced lung problems after having Covid and missed several months of her first year at V6, which she joined from St Bede’s Catholic College.

Animal lover Shayni achieved A grades in Maths and Biololgy and a B in Chemistry and will study Veterinary Science at the University of Bristol.

Malou Brown, who achieved A grades in History, Politics and Spanish, will read Law at the University of Oxford. Malou, from Easton, who joined MHS in Year 9, said: “It has been hard because of all the different

disruptions but I had great teachers who helped me through. I have always wanted to study Law and I am looking forward to starting at Mansfield College.”

More than one in five grades awarded at MHS/V6 was an A or A*, while overall outcomes were broadly in line with 2019, the last pre-Covid figures.

Other notable successes include: Shumaila Muhammad (A*A*A); Philomena Murray (A*A*A); Abbie Clark (A*A*B); Maddie Britton (A*AAA); Rosa Bridges (A*AA) ; Farida Awil (AAB); Francesca Brocklebank (AAB); Nell Eustace (AAB); Maryam Hamrouni (AB,Distinction); Hazel Porter (AAB); Anya Reid (AAB).

Caroline McClean, Vice Principal and Head of Sixth Form, said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating the excellent achievements of our students today, many of whom have secured university places at impressive destinations. Their attainment is especially impressive as a cohort who experienced considerable disruption to their learning due to Covid and did not sit formal GCSE examinations. I am equally proud of those students who have made considerable progress in the sixth form, some of them in the face of adversity.”

Rosie Gwyther on results day

So well deserved

STUDENTS at St Katherine’s have achieved a great set of outcomes across both academic and vocational pathways.

Great progress has been made by the students with many individual successes.

A spokesman said: "Students deserve this personal success, reflecting their dedication and we celebrate this success together, with teachers who are rightly proud of the achievements within their classes.

"The results that students have received reflect their commitment and dedication to their studies, resulting in many students securing their first choice future pathway. Students are successfully progressing onto Russell Group universities, apprenticeships and great employment opportunities and we wish every one of our students much success on the next stage of their journey.

"Let us all remind ourselves our students are much more than a grade. They are all exceptional, inspiring, and talented young people and we couldn’t be prouder of each one of our students. A sincere thank you to the teaching staff and colleagues at St Katherine’s for their professionalism and compassion in tirelessly working in the best interests of our students."

Ten BCCS students win Oxbridge places

BRISTOL Cathedral Choir School headteacher Joseph Thurston offered a 'huge congratulations' to the Year 13 leavers at the school.

Mr Thurston said the students realised a very impressive set of results.

Highlights include:

39 per cent A*-A

41 students with three As or better

10 Oxbridge places confirmed

17 Medicine/Veterinary Science/ Dentistry confirmed

"We wish all of our leavers the best for their futures," Mr Thurston added.

Principal's pride

ST Brendan’s Sixth Form College saw 716 young people receive A-level and BTEC results. The A-level pass rate was over 95% including 780 high grade passes. The college has also seen another increase in its BTEC grades with 55 per cent of grades achieved by students taking Level 3 BTEC and Applied General courses being either Distinction or Distinction*, which is the highest grade possible.

Over 17% of this year’s cohort have achieved high grades across all of their subjects (A-levels &/or BTECs).

More than 450 students (63% of the cohort) applied through UCAS and most will be going to their first choice university.

A record number of students have secured apprenticeships in many different fields including accounting, law, business, computing and engineering. They will be taking up employment with companies all over the region including PwC, Burges Salmon, NHS, Ministry of Defence, Thatchers Cider and Grant Thornton.

Principal Marian Curran, expressed her pride and joy at the accomplishments of the students, saying: "their hard work, determination, and unwavering spirit have resulted in exceptional results."

stkaths.org.uk/admissions

Tuesday 19th September

Thursday 28th September

Music Aptitude Test

Saturday 30th September

trinityacademybristol.org/admissions

Thursday 14th September

Thursday 21st September

Music Aptitude Test

Saturday 30th September

bccs.bristol.sch.uk/admissions

Clifton College has lots to cheer

CLIFTON College saw some excellent A-level results, with 76 per cent of grades at A*-B. Head of School, Tom achieved four A*s and is going off to Sydney, Australia, to take a gap year working in a school, before studying Medicine at Exeter University the following year. He said he will miss everything about Clifton College and couldn’t have done it without all the support he received throughout his academic journey.

Alex, Deputy Head of School, also achieved four A*s in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry and is looking forward to studying Engineering at Cambridge University after a

gap year in Hamburg doing an internship with the renewable energy company, RWE.

Kei Ki, Deputy Head of School, achieved two A*s and 2 As and has been accepted to study Veterinary Science at her first choice of Edinburgh University.

Ella achieved two A*s in Maths and English and an A grade in Ancient Greek, and is excited to study Philosophy and Modern Greek at her first choice of Oxford University.

Max will be going to Exeter College, Oxford to study Chemistry after achieving three

A*s in Chemistry, Maths and Physics.

Ruby achieved a Distinction in her Music Tech BTEC and is going on to do a Commercial Songwriting course at The Academy of Contemporary Music.

Deputy Head Academic, Dr Gavin Turner said, “I would like to offer my congratulations to all our pupils that have received their A Level and BTEC results. There is much to celebrate in terms of success and achievement at all levels,“These pupils now leave our doors to go on to their next challenges, and it has

been hugely rewarding for us to support them in achieving their personal best.Nick Mills, Head of Sixth Form, said, “Seeing our leavers achieving their grade offers and getting into their universities of choice is always a wonderful moment. Very well done to all of them.”

Head of College, Dr Tim Greene said, “I warmly congratulate all our pupils. This success which sits alongside all that they have achieved during their time at the College is down to each individual pupil’s hard work, determination and the support from their teachers. ”

QEH scores highly

QEH celebrated strong A-level results, which compared well pre-pandemic statistics.

Twenty five students achieved straight A* / A grades with a number of those being straight A*s. The vast majority of students also gained places at their chosen universities.

Many students chose to undertake the additional Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) alongside their A-level studies and this year’s EPQ results were outstanding. A strong EPQ grade is highly thought of by universities as it is a self-directed qualification, meaning students are responsible for managing their own time and resources. A valuable experience that will help them at university and in the workplace.

Rupert Heathcote, Head of QEH, said: “We are extremely proud of the students and their achievements, both on results

day, and throughout their years at QEH. They should rightly celebrate all the hard work they have put in; it was wonderful to see so many delighted students and parents. I would also like to thank the QEH staff for all the support and guidance they have given the students, both inside and outside the classroom.

“I have very much enjoyed getting to know all this cohort during their time at QEH, whether that has been two years or 11, and I sincerely hope they will all stay connected to the school via our Elizabethan Society.”

A sixth form parent said: "I believe attending QEH has significantly improved my daughter's life. QEH has helped her grow in confidence and character, as well as academically. Teachers and support staff have guided my daughter to develop her true potential."

NORTH Bristol Post 16 Centre recorded a strong set of A-level results this year as students overcame the challenges of the ‘postCovid’ era.

Directors Aimi Potter (Cotham School) and Owen Tiplady (Redland Green School) said: “We could not be more proud of this year group. Against a national backdrop of uncertainty and disruption they have worked hard with their teachers to achieve amazing results.

"As always, we also celebrate the immeasurable personal achievements of our young people over the past two years. This cohort of students leaves us not only with their hard earned qualifications, but also a developed and confident sense of themselves and their place in the world.

"Every set of grades represents a personal challenge overcome, from our seven students who move on to Oxford and Cambridge Universities, to those moving into competitive apprenticeships in law, business and engineering - everyone has something to be proud of".

RGS head Ben Houghton added: "This was a year group whose secondary school education was significantly impacted due to the Covid pandemic and for them to achieve the results they have done is testament to their hard work and perseverance.

"Well over half of all grades achieved by RGS students were at a B or above which is stark contrast to the national trend for a drop in students achieve top grade passes this year.

"Being part of the North Bristol Post 16 gives our students the advantage being able to study a wide range of courses across two high performing secondary schools."

Pupils are happy, but school must do better

BRISTOL Steiner School in Redland has been downgraded by Ofsted following an inspection.

The small independent school was judged as Requires Improvement overall, although it was said to be Good for pupils’ personal development and their behaviour and attitudes. In 2019 it was rated Good overall.

The school, which has 73 pupils aged three to 11, wants to extend its upper age limit to 14, but the two inspectors said its leaders did not currently have the capacity to do this.

The Ofsted team, who visited on June 13-15, acknowledged that headteacher Lorraine Swords, the proprietor Waldorf School (Bristol) Ltd and other leaders had in recent times ”needed to resolve a number of complicated issues relating to the school’s operational systems, staffing and curriculum.”

“Leaders are working with success to bring about steady school-wide

improvement,” their report said. This included new policies, higher expectations of pupils’ behaviour and academic achievements, a revamped curriculum and a whole-school assessment system.

Ofsted noted that pupils felt happy and safe and were proud to attend the school, and that parents and carers were very positive.

“There is a strong family feel at this small, inclusive school. Pupils enjoy drawing, weaving, woodwork, forest school and extra-curricular activities such as chess club.

“In the main school, pupils usually learn a broad range of subjects. However, over time, some pupils have not learned everything they should have. Some gaps in pupils’ knowledge persist. In the kindergarten, many children enjoy the regular daily rhythm, with a blend of childled and teacher-led activities. However, the experiences children have in kindergarten vary in quality.”

Westbury on Trym C of E Academy

The school aims to provide a curriculum that is in keeping with Steiner education principles. The inspectors said the children enjoy the specialist curriculum on offer.

“A highlight for many pupils is eurythmy, which is an art of expression, involving stylized movement in response to music. They say it develops their coordination, physical and mental fitness and inner confidence.”

The Ofsted report, published on August 16, also said children were well taught about equalities and diversity, including the protected characteristics and there was a strong focus on teaching about seasonal and cultural festivals.

But they said improvements were needed in the implementation of the curriculum in the main school, support for children with special educational needs, teachers’ subject knowledge and the quality of children's experience in the school's kindergarten.

Nursery's staff struggle

A NURSERY boss has spoken out over the struggle to recruit staff. Samantha Packer, director of the Daisychain Nursery in Clifton, told Bristol Schools Forum in July that the early years sector was facing tough times.

Demand for places for preschoolers is high but increased government funding for “free” provision does not cover the costs. This is likely to worsen with the planned expansion of childcare entitlement.

Speaking about the impact of the proposed changes and the current issues, Ms

Packer said: “A situation that many of us face at the moment is — and I’m going to use myself as an example — we’re 60 per cent full with a waiting list of children, who we can’t take because of staffing. We have just taken some measures to improve that, we’ve taken the route of sponsorship licences. I think it

Ofsted: St Bon's remains Good

could help many of us with our recruitment.”

Companies struggling to hire staff can sponsor visas for new recruits coming from abroad.

Simon Holmes, headteacher of St Philip’s Marsh Nursery School, told the meeting: “We’re already having parents coming in and registering for what they’re expecting the new entitlement to be next year, from what was promised by the government. We don’t really have any information to give to people on that. It’s all a bit unclear.

“There’s obviously a big issue around sufficiency going forwards, if the offer is extended to the degree that it’s been promised. While the uplift in funding is very welcome, most nurseries are struggling to balance the books and not have an in-year deficit.

By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

PUPILS at St Bonaventure’s Catholic Primary School in Bishopston receive an education that helps them grow to be confident and curious.

That’s the verdict of an Ofsted inspection in June that confirmed that St Bon;’s continues to be a Good school.

“Leaders have developed an education that is based upon the school’s strong vision and values. They are ambitious for all pupils,” the report said.

“Relationships across the school are warm and supportive. Parents feel valued and are included in all aspects of their children’s education. Leaders have created a sense of community and shared responsibility.

“Spirituality underpins the work of the school. Pupils reflect on their own faith and that of others through links with the local church and in-school prayer stations.

The inspector, Steph Matthews, said leaders had designed a curriculum that was broad and aspirational for all pupils. They had identified three themes, love thy neighbour, seek the truth and caring for our common home, which underpinned pupils’ learning.

She said that to improve further, the school should ensure that its curriculum was well sequenced in all areas and that assessment in all subjects enabled teachers to identify what pupils know and modify their teaching accordingly.

SOME birds could still be breeding, maybe on their third family, but many will be off to their winter sites. Swifts will already be gone but flocks of Swallows and Martins will feeding as they travel south.

Look up and you might see an Osprey. I saw one on the M5 just south of Bristol (it was in the air not on the motorway!) and they often stop at Chew Valley for several days to take advantage of the fish in the lake.

Your garden or local park may well be visited by the unexpected, Reed Warblers, Whitethroats,

Grasshopper Warblers. These are all LBJs (little brown jobs) and hard to identify. They will sometimes give a little song which helps.

Even our ‘resident’ birds can migrate. Lots of Blackbirds move to Southern England and are replaced by birds from further north or from Europe.

A Peregrine Falcon was over St Andrews recently. Up to fourteen pairs nest within Bristol city. You never know what you might see.

Alastair Fraser Bristol Ornithological Club Avonbirding.blogspot.com

Osprey

Whitethroat

Reed warbler

n NEWS FROM S us WoT

Five Years Cleaning the River Trym and Hazel Brook

On Friday 4 August 2023 the cleaning of the River Trym and Hazel Brook in Bristol was ‘completed’. Cleaning started in July 2018. It is estimated that 200 tonnes of mainly fly tipped rubbish have been removed from the river itself and the surrounding Open Spaces.

SusWoT alone has run about 300 sessions over the five years, one or two per week in the last three years, but there have been many organisations involved including groups from Sea Mills, Southmead, Brentry and Henbury. The Friends groups in Blaise Castle and Badock’s Wood keep their areas clean and the Westbury Wildlife Park look after their section with help from Henleaze Lake members. Bristol Parks Department have worked closely with the cleaning groups to remove the rubbish as soon as it has been collected.

Most rubbish was found near bridges often things like cans,

bottles, food wrapping more interestingly motorbikes, bicycles, and shopping trolleys. Away from the bridges the rubbish in the river was very old, much of it at least 20 years old, little recent rubbish probably because these stretches of river are hard to access now.

The perimeters of the Southmead Trym Valley Open Space and the Crow Lane Open Space were particularly richly littered with monumental quantities of rubbish going back thirty years at

least. One of the reasons it was often possible for six or so people to collect almost a tonne of rubbish in a couple of hours was that there was so much rubbish in small areas around the edges of the Open Spaces. In fact, on one occasion there was a bit of trouble because a lorry arrived at Avonmouth to unload but had more than a tonne of rubbish, the limit was half a tonne. After that two lorries were sometimes needed up to take the rubbish.

Cleaning the Trym and

Hazel Brook is not finished. On returning to the parts of the river cleaned first, Coombe Dingle and Sea Mills, the removal of the top layer of rubbish, five years ago, has allowed the river to wash away the silt and mud that was covering older rubbish. Sure enough, about eight barrow loads of very old rubbish was removed from the section of the Trym near the Mill House Pub in one Friday session in August. Most of it were extremely rusty metal items. There will need to be another sweep through the whole system through the next year to make sure all the freshly exposed rubbish is removed.

The final challenge will be keeping the whole system clean when the fun work of removing lots of old rubbish is over! If you would like to help with this, either by collecting litter from the ground or reporting rubbish in the water, please be in touch, email: suswot2050@gmail.com, so that we can build a team of people to keep the river clean.

The Carpet Shop

QR code aids Jack's ethical microbusiness

A BIG Issue seller in Bristol is pioneering a new way for vendors to raise awareness and increase income and support.

Jack Richardson, who sells the magazine outside Bird & Blend Tea in Park Street, is one of the first ten vendors in the country to offer a new digital initiative to his customers. A personalised QR code on his lanyard allows customers to share details of his pitch and his story to boost his earnings.

Big Issue sellers buy magazines for £2 and sell them on for £4. Customers can also subscribe with a vendor online, which provides vital additional regular income.

Jack said a lot of people thought vendors were given the magazines free.

“They ask how many you can get a day and that. But that’s definitely got better than it used to be, there’s a lot more awareness. I very much see it as a business in fact. I’m an ethical microbusiness – and I believe in the product which is a real advantage.”

Jack spoke about what selling the magazine means to him: “A lot of the help that you’re given when you’re in a powerless situation is by its very nature infantilising. The Big Issue isn’t like that, you are given support but in an empowering way!”

He added: “I like being given the flexibility and ownership that selling the Big

Issue gives me. I have various mental health problems which means it really helps to be in control of the work I do. With the Big Issue I can decide what hours I need to work.”

Speaking about his customers and his pitch, Jack said: “My little spot on Park Street has become my niche. People there can be incredibly generous, there was an older lady who I knew from there, who unbeknown to me was very ill, we used to speak to each other quite a bit. Over the lockdowns, I lost track of her, but about two months after the last one had finished, her daughter came and found me to explain she had sadly died during lockdown, but that she looked through her diary, and in between many sad entries there were these happy ones where she

Care

explained she had spoken to me that day.”

He continued: “I had told her my wife was agoraphobic and loved playing computer games and right at the end of her diary she had left an envelope with £200 in specifically so I could by my wife a PlayStation 4. I was blown away, it’s amazing to have been a part of someone’s life like that. Her daughter has stayed in touch with me since too!”

On the digital initiative, Jack explained: “I’m always in favour of trying out new technologies and seeing how they work. I’ve already had a couple of customers who’ve put it up on their social media. That’s the thing about QR codes, they are so easy to share and I have a lot of young customers here who very much engage in these new technologies.”

He concluded: “But yeah, this last eight or nine years, I’ve been the most settled and definitely the happiest of my entire adult life. And that is in no small part down to the stability that the Big Issue gives me. I mean I even met my wife through the Big Issue.”

Lord Bird, Founder of the Big Issue Group, said: “We are urging you to help boost your local vendor’s income by scanning their personalised QR code to share the vendor’s story and subscribe.”

To subscribe visit www.bigissue.com/ boost-vendor-earnings

Care in your own home

Care in your own home

Big Issue seller Jack at his pitch on Park Street

Buying a Home?

the buyer is entitled to have possession of the property and the seller must vacate it.

Advertising Feature

Buildings Insurance

How

Do you know who is responsible for the building’s insurance after exchange of contracts? Laura Wilkinson Solicitor from AMD

with the lender that they will arrange the property insurance for you. However, if you are insuring the property yourself the lender will inform you of the sum you should insure it for.

Solicitors

explains...

The Process

By Shelley Faulkner, solicitor

with AMD Solicitors

In a conveyancing transaction there are two key stages. The first is known as exchange of contracts and the second is completion. Contracts are exchanged once the buyer and their solicitors are satisfied as to the Property’s Title, its physical condition and that necessary purchase funds are available. At exchange of contracts a 10% deposit is usually payable by the buyer and a legally binding contract comes into existence meaning that neither party can legally withdraw from the deal without incurring severe financial penalties. Completion takes place on the date agreed in the contract and on that date

WHILE most of us support a number of charities in our lifetime, it is perhaps not surprising that a smaller number choose to remember a charity in their Will. Clearly the priority for most is to provide for a surviving spouse or children, or to ensure that the family wealth can be passed on to benefit the next generation.

However, government policy is clearly to encourage giving to charity, and a recent development in the law is intended to promote gifts to charity being made by Will. This change may also, on occasion, serve to save Inheritance Tax, or even to create a gift which literally pays for itself.

Reduced rate of Inheritance Tax

Where somebody dies after 6 April 2012 the rate of Inheritance Tax applied to the estate can be reduced from 40 % to 36 % (in other words by 10 %), provided that at least 10 % of the estate passes to charity.

Clearly it is not possible to determine in advance exactly what value the assets you leave by Will will have on your death for Inheritance Tax purposes, or what 10 % of the total value

Under Common Law the responsibility for the risk of damage or destruction of the property passes to the buyer on exchange of contracts unless the contract provides otherwise. The seller has no obligation to insure the property after exchange of contracts except in certain circumstances, eg where the property is leasehold and insured by the Management Company or Freeholder or the contract provides the responsibility will remain with the seller.

The gift that pays for itself

Inheritance Tax

will be. However a Will can be worded to provide that a gift of 10 % of the value of your estate at that time is given to a charity or charities of your choice. The effect of this will be that the rate of Inheritance Tax payable on the whole estate is reduced from 40 % to 36 %.

In same circumstances, it has been calculated that this reduction in the tax bill can serve to leave the estate, even after payment of the gift to charity, with a value as high as if the gift had not been made. Thus the gift can in some cases quite literally pay for itself.

The buyer is therefore responsible for insuring the property from exchange of contracts. It can often come as a surprise for a buyer to learn that they must insure the property before they can even move in!

for the distribution of the estate, and the estate can then be divided as if the Will had been made in these terms. A Deed of Variation could therefore provide that 10 % of the estate is to pass to a chosen charity or charities, making the estate as a whole eligible for the reduced rate of Inheritance Tax.

The property may be in an area classified as being at a raised risk of flooding or it may have a history of subsidence or be an unusual construction, which may

Even where a Will has not been prepared in these terms, it may be possible to take advantage of this tax break. If the beneficiaries of the estate agree, it is possible to effectively amend the terms of a Will within two years of the date of death. A ‘Deed of Variation’ can be drawn up which sets out the family members’ agreed arrangements

This change in the law is clearly very good news both for charities, and potentially for some estates as well. However the detail of the application can be complex. For example, the estate is divided into different ‘components’ depending on how the property will pass to the beneficiaries, in order to calculate whether the 10 % test has been met. Taking specialist advice on the implications for your particular circumstances is therefore essential.

Know the position

A prudent buyer should make enquiries as to whether they will need to insure the property they are buying well in advance of exchange of contracts to avoid causing unnecessary last minute delays.

members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, the leading professional body in this field. We offer a free initial consultation for new clients.

require further consideration from the insurer before they agree to insure it. The buyer should therefore make enquiries at an early stage to ensure that buildings insurance can be obtained for the property.

For advice on administration of estates, trusts, wills, powers of attorney and all private client issues, contact Shelley Faulkner, Florence Pearce and the other members of the team on 0117 9621205, email probate@ amdsolicitors.com or call in at 15 The Mall Clifton, or 100 Henleaze Road Henleaze.

Whether you are purchasing or selling a property, it is important that you understand the conveyancing process as well as your liabilities and responsibilities. AMD Solicitors Residential Property Service can advise you on these matters and will proactively support you to ensure your transaction is as stress free and cost effective as possible.

What if I am taking out a mortgage?

If you are taking out a mortgage on the property, you can agree

AMD’s team of experienced private client solicitors and practitioners includes full

AMD Solicitors takes pride in sponsoring local, Bristol based charities and this year is very pleased to be supporting the Bristol branch of the Alzheimer’s Society, the local branch of this national charity which works to improve the quality of life of people affected by dementia in Great Britain. For full details of our fundraising activities visit our website www.amdsolicitors.com.

If you would like any further information please call the team on 0117 9735647, email info@ amdsolicitors.com or visit one of our four Bristol offices.

Copyright AMD Solicitors

n NEWS FROM THE METRO MAYOR

Birthday Bus passengers enjoy the benefits

OVER the Summer, I’ve been meeting some of the first ‘Birthday Bus’ passengers - West of England residents enjoying free bus travel throughout the month of their Birthday.

You can sign up too at www.birthdaybus. co.uk.

I have to say, people are really buying into the benefits of this scheme.

People like Helen, who works in a chocolate shop. I got chatting to her a few weeks ago and she told me she’s been using her Birthday Bus pass to travel to work when she’d usually take the car.

She said it’s given her a reason to leave her car at home and try the bus, and she’s really loved helping the planet.

Or people like Pauline, who told me Birthday Buses was a really good way to help ease a bit of financial stress during this frightening cost-ofliving crisis.

The verdict is clear, so for those who haven’t already done so, please do apply for your free month of birthday travel at www.birthdaybus. co.uk today, and tell your friends and family too. There’s nothing to lose and lots to gain!

When I was coming up with the idea for Birthday Buses, I knew we needed a plan that

Motivation

‘There’s no point as I just can’t stick to regular exercise - there’s something wrong with me’

You aren’t going to feel motivated all the time but if you’ve developed a habit around doing something positive like exercise or removed the prompt that leads to negative behaviour, it becomes much easier!

Do you know the type of people who are great at will power? It’s those that don’t have to use it much.

It’s not about your lack of motivation or that there must be something wrong with you; it’s your environment that you need to change.

Some things that can help when motivation is low:

● A structured plan - when you have something written down and in the diary you don’t have to wait for motivation, it’s in the plan

● A coach to help guide you through, keep you

ticked lots of boxes. There are so many crises at the moment, with the cost-of-living crisis and the environmental emergency always at the forefront of my thinking.

Birthday Buses ticks that cost-of-living box, with a whole month of bus travel for free. That’s one twelfth off your annual transport bills.

It’s also about tackling the climate emergency. A huge 44% of our carbon emissions currently come from transport, with fewer than one in ten regional commutes made on public transport. Shockingly, there are 300 preventable premature deaths due to air pollution every year. That’s why we need new ideas to encourage people out of their cars and onto public transport.

Like many regions, our buses are struggling to match pre-pandemic performance. While most people who used to use buses are doing so again, they are travelling less.

Delve in and this makes sense. It reflects changing demand, as working from home practices displace commuting patterns and many face-to-face meetings, like GP appointments, move online. But with people making fewer journeys, there is less fare income coming in. That means cuts, and a downward spiral.

Other places have tried free travel for a day or a week, but this is a whole month. Why? Because if you try our buses, I think you might like them - maybe even love them. And after a whole month, you might never look back.

We have to try something new.

Just throwing taxpayers money at subsidising buses isn’t sustainable. You spend the money and it runs out. And then you need more.

Instead, I’m determined that we invest to encourage new passengers to use our buses. It is the only long-term solution to grow a thriving bus network.

So to Helen, Pauline and especially to you: many happy returns - and singles!

accountable and give you that little push when you need it!

● Surround yourself with people who are also on a similar journey to you, people who want to make positive changes to their life

● Choose activities you enjoy doing - there’s lots out there! If it’s enjoyable, it will feel a lot less like a chore.

Accept that sometimes you just won’t be feeling it, and that’s ok. Megan came to me frustrated with her lack of motivation.

“I was perimenopausal and experiencing many related symptoms. I had been steadily gaining weight over several months despite no real change in diet. I was also feeling really unfit.”

For Megan, having something in the diary twice a week made all the difference. I set her exercises to do at home so that when she came to it, she knew exactly what to do.

“I wanted to lose some weight but more importantly, I wanted to become fitter and stronger.

I certainly have achieved both of those! I have also developed a healthier relationship with food, not calorie counting, but eating better, which has helped me maintain my weight loss.

For me, accountability has been key. Polly has encouraged me to try new things. Who knew I could lift weights and actually enjoy it! “

‘I know I need to do some exercise/change my diet but I’m just not motivated’

Metro Mayor Dan Norris writes for the Voice

Youth campaigners demand better buses

COMMUNITY and activist groups will be marching on Saturday September 9 to demand a better bus network for the West of England.

Led by two youth climate groups, Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate (BYS4C) and Extinction Rebellion Youth Bristol (BYS4C), the coalition will be holding a rally at 1pm on College Green. A march will then proceed through the city centre at 2pm, finishing at the combined authority offices in Redcliff.

BYS4C and XRYB are demanding the following:

• Free - for under 25s, students, and apprentices

• Fair - access for riders and conditions for drivers

• Franchised - for people not profit.

The campaigners say that we need to take public control of our local buses through ‘franchising‘. With a franchised bus network, local governments would decide routes, timetables, and fares. Bus companies would compete to operate routes would have to meet the criteria set out by the local/combined authority.

This would prevent cuts to routes and frequency, help reduce fares, integrate different companies’ routes and tickets, and hold bus operators to account.

In the Greater Bristol/Bath area, this could be done by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), led by Metro Mayor Dan Norris.

A world of good

Bristol-based student Sam, 20, said: “Our local buses are in a dire state. Dozens of route cuts have also isolated some people without cars from local services, education, jobs, and socialising, especially in rural areas, affecting the young, elderly, and working classes.

" On top of this, young person and student fares have continued to rise, despite a cap on adult fares.

"It’s time we took the common sense step of delivering a bus network that works for all our communities, with public control being the best way of achieving this goal.”

Youth climate activist Josh, 18, said: “We all know that we’re in a climate emergency, with all the local authorities in the Bristol/Bath area committed to net-zero by 2030, but we also face a significant challenge with air pollution locally.

"That means a large shift towards public transport, walking, and cycling is needed, but to do that we need a reliable, cheap, and sustainable alternative to driving.

"Our current bus system doesn’t deliver that, with delays, cancellations, and route cuts being all too common.”

Local campaigner Hannah, 22, said: “Public control works well for London and is being adopted by both Manchester and Wales - we need Metro Mayor Dan Norris to take action now to fix our broken buses.”

HOLY Trinity Church in Westbury-on-Trym is holding its third familyfriendly Environment Fair ‘A World of Good’ on the morning of Saturday 16 September, from 10.30am to 1pm, with lots of stalls, activities, information and fun for children and adults alike.

You can meet a local beekeeper, have a go at making seed bombs and simple bird feeders. You can browse interactive stalls run by the Woodland Trust, Trymwood Studios, Bristol Energy Network and Wessex Water. You can go on a nature hunt in our beautiful churchyard, try your hand at various art-and-craft activities, and have your face painted, as well as viewing a wonderful art exhibition created by Westbury-on-Trym C of E Academy. We hope to have some garden produce and flower seed packets to give away. Refreshments (and toilets!) will also be available.

Entry to the event and most activities will be free, though we would welcome donations to help support our church’s mission charity, Operation Noah. Come and help celebrate our wonderful world!

Ros Saunders

n FROM THE MAYOR’S OFFICE

Parking up the wrong tree

Bristol’s transport challenges require bold action. Big ideas. We need to continue to transform the way that Bristolians can move around our city, by giving people an affordable, reliable alternative to their cars.

Portway Park & Ride, Bristol’s first new railway station in almost a century, opened recently. We’re already on site at Ashley Down station and pushing forward new stations at Henbury, Filton North, Ashton Gate, and St Annes.

This major investment in rail is important, not least as we continue to tackle the climate crisis. But, compared to similarly sized cities, all those stations opening would still fall short of what Bristolians need and deserve: a mass transit system fully segregated from other modes of transport to ensure its reliability.

As two fully published feasibility studies set out, this is both deliverable and affordable in Bristol. As with all modern, major projects, this would require a mix of funding sources including from national

n BOOK REVIEW

government. But the productivity pay offs would be enormous, and the system would be profitable for operators and investors. There has been some sensationalist coverage of a flawed, leaked report that suggests that the cost of a mass transit system for our city region is £19 billion. In reality, a properly costed plan, where underground is only used in densely populated areas suggests more like £7 billion.

When we looked at investing in a mass transit scheme, we identified one potential income stream as a Workplace Parking Levy. This would essentially serve as a surcharge on all drivers parking centrally while they’re at work. It has existed in Nottingham since 2011/12, where the money goes into their tram system (delivered at a time when Bristol could have had one too, had local leaders not fallen out in our region around the millennium).

Some politicians continue to put the cart before the horse, just as they did when they called for

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

by Ocean Vuong

Review by Bob Deacon of Bishopston Library

OCEAN Vuong is a Vietnamese American poet and novelist. This novel is dedicated to his mother. The author draws on his own life to tell the story of Little Dog, the son of Vietnamese immigrants to the United States.

His grandfather Paul is a white American soldier, posted to Vietnam in 1967, where he meets Lan, a Vietnamese sex worker, who is running away from an arranged marriage to a man three times her age. They marry and have three children including Rose, the author’s mother. At the age of two, the author is admitted to the US, following a spell in a refugee camp in the Phillipines. He grows up in Hartford, Connecticut with his mother and grandmother.

The narrative shifts back and

forth in time, as we discover the back stories of Lan, Rose and Little Dog. We hear about the racism faced by Rose, growing up as a mixed race child in Vietnam, where she is called a ghost girl and has buffalo shit slapped on her face to make her brown again. She watched her schoolhouse collapse after an American napalm raid and grows up unable to read.

We find out that when Lan meets Paul that night in a bar in Saigon, she is already four months pregnant by an unknown father. One of Little Dog's earliest memories is watching as the police arrest his father for one of the many incidents of violence against his mother. His mother is in turn violent towards her son, until he finally says stop at the age of 13.

Rose finds a job in the US, working in a nail salon, which provides a welcome refuge for the Vietnamese immigrant community, a place where children are raised, with the backroom turned into a kitchen, where

the whole city to be covered by a charging Clean Air Zone before our administration had secured tens of millions of pounds of support for people. They were wrong then and they are wrong now.

With high inflation during a national cost of living crisis, now is not the time to create more costs for people. Others will say that today is an ideal moment to hit teachers, nurses, and other Bristolians parking at schools, hospitals, and other workplaces in central Bristol for hundreds of pounds,. They are wrong. Bristol has, in recent years, like the rest of the world, seen major changes in working patterns during and following the pandemic. These patterns will also have been impacted by the introduction of the Clean Air Zone, for which our administration recently secured another £11 million to help people and businesses to upgrade to compliant vehicles.

A study was done into the idea of a Workplace Parking Levy,

which is lacking any modelling incorporating those major factors for its potential effectiveness. The council considers it, therefore, to be just a draft – a position endorsed by the Information Commissioner when we declined to publish it while it is still yet to be completed. This position has unfortunately since been overturned on a technical argument of law and so we are today publishing that draft report. It remains incomplete and, with the current stalling of the funding and ambition to take a mass transit system forward, we have no plans to introduce this charge.

and illustrating the lasting impact of war on successive generations.

If you are not already a library member, please visit us at 100a Gloucester Road and obtain a library card giving you access to over two million books

Opening Hours

Henleaze Library 0117 9038541

Mondays 11am-5pm

cauldrons of pho, simmer with aromas of cloves, cinnamon, ginger and mint. We hear about Little Dog's first job age 14, working on a tobacco farm, earning nine dollars an hour, in cash, as he was too young to be legally employed. The farm is the setting for his first sexual encounter, with Trevor, the owner's redneck grandson.

This is a very moving coming of age memoir of an immigrant and his family, forging a future for themselves in a strange country,

Tuesdays 11am-5pm

Wednesdays 1pm-7pm

Thursdays 11am-5pm

Fridays 1pm-7pm

Saturdays 10am-5pm

Westbury Library (Staffed) 0117 9038552

Mondays 2pm-7pm

Tuesdays 11am-4pm

Wednesdays 11am-4pm

Thursdays 11am-4pm

Fridays 11am- 4pm

Saturdays 11am- 4pm

Marvin Rees shares his views with the Voice

5 September

n NON-FICTION BOOK GROUP: Do join our group at Westburyon-Trym library for our first meeting. All welcome. We plan to meet monthly, with books chosen in turn by members of the group. Contact: nonfiction.bookgroup2023@gmail.com

12 September

n THE ARTS SOCIETY BRISTOL lecture on The History of the National Gallery in Ten Pictures is at 8pm at Redmaids' High BS9 3AW on 12 September. We welcome new members and guests. For more information on our lectures and membership application see our website www.theartssociety-bristol. org.uk

12 September

n A WORLD OF GOOD, an Environment Fair at Holy Trinity Church, Church Rd, Westbury-onTrym,from 10.30am to 1pm. No entry charge, lots of stalls and free activities for children and adults alike. Refreshments and toilets available. All are welcome, come and have a morning of fun!

21 September

Learn to meditate. A six-week course starts at the Well Centre in Westbury, 4-5pm. For info and a copy of the flyer call Shelagh on 07983 594182. The course is rooted in the Christian tradition of meditation but is open to everyone from any tradition – or none!

16 September

n AUTUMN FAIR 10.30 am –1.30 pm. Newman Hall, Grange Court Road, Westbury-on-Trym BS9 4DP. Shopping stalls, games, refreshments, raffle, tombola, As New. All proceeds to BRACE Dementia Research.

25 September

n HENLEAZE SENIOR FILM CLUB Save the Cinema (12)

Based on the true story of a hairdresser who campaigns to save the village cinema that is being threatened with closure. Starring Jonathan Pryce and Samantha Morton. Tickets: £4.00 including refreshments. Carers welcome, easy access. For more information, please call 0117 435 0063. St. Peter’s Hall, The Drive, Henleaze BS9 4LD

Regular events

Various days

n WEST OF ENGLAND BRIDGE CLUB based at RAFA Club, 38 Eastfield, Henleaze. Five sessions every week, catering for different standards. Thursday afternoon is Improvers. Monday and Friday afternoon is for more capable players; this is an EBU recognised session. You may come alone to any afternoon session; a partner will be found. The evening sessions are on Wednesdays and Fridays, and are open to pairs. www.woebridgeclub. co.uk or contact Secretary, Chris Frew, on 0117 962 5281.

Monday

n PLAY BOWLS at Canford Park in a friendly, social atmosphere. Qualified coaches and equipment provided. Contact: Les on 07305695579

n WESTBURY SINGERS: if you enjoy singing, we invite you to join our friendly, non-auditioned, 4 part choir, in term-time on Monday evenings

7.30p.m. - 9.30p.m.at Reedley Road Baptist Church. Please email the Secretary: gwenalwakeel@yahoo.co.uk.

n DICKENS SOCIETY. 7pm, at Leonard Hall, Henleaze URC, Waterford Rd, Bristol BS9 4BT. Talks, costumed readings, book club and social events. New members welcome. See www. dickens-society.org.uk or phone Roma on 0117 9279875 for further details.

n WESTBURY AND CLIFTON AREA DISCUSSION GROUP meet at Westbury on Trym Baptist Church every Monday 9.45am to challenge ourselves with topical debate on what’s happening in the world. If you would like to help to solve some of today's challenging issues with good company, tea and biscuits - contact James Ball 01454 415165 or Ian Viney 0117 9501628.

n WESTBURY ON TRYM WOMEN'S INSTITUTE meets on the third Monday of the month in the Westbury Village Hall, Eastfield Road, BS9 4AG, from 2.00 - 4.00 pm. We have interesting speakers, and extra activities of crafts, lunch club, skittles and outings. Our lively, friendly and inclusive group welcomes visitors at any meeting. For more information call Sascha on 07961619806 or Traci on 07766073917

Tuesday

n WESTBURY PARK WOMEN’S INSTITUTE meets on the first Tuesday of every month in the Girl Guide Hut on Westmorland Road from 7.009.30pm. We are an active and friendly group with a varied programme plus extra sessions for craft, coffee, book clubs, walks etc. Visitors are always welcome and for more information do call Sue on 07813795936 or email westburyparkwi@gmail.com

n SCOTTISH DANCING to GET FIT and HAVE FUN with Westbury Scottish Country Dancing Club. Classes for beginners (Email: maggiekirkup@gmail.com) and more advanced dancers (Tel: Cheryl 0117 4012416) at St Peter’s Church Hall, Henleaze, Tuesdays 7.30 to 9.30 pm. Details at www. westburyscottish.org.uk

n COMPANION VOICES BRISTOL is recruiting new members We are a 'threshold choir' actively looking for new people to join us. We meet in Easton on the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 7 to 9 pm to learn soothing and uplifting songs by ear and build skills in sensitivity/compassion/ loving presence to sing at the bedsides of people nearing the end of life. To join or support us in this work, contact Valerie on bristol@companionvoices. org. Visit www.facebook.com/CompanionVoicesBristol and www.companionvoices.org.

n WOMEN'S FELLOWSHIP meet on Tuesday mornings at Westbury-onTrym Methodist Church, 10.30amnoon. An interesting programme of speakers; come along to make friends. For more details, ring Kate 07905 064720.

n BRISTOL HARMONY WEST GALLERY CHOIR AND BAND sing and play lively church and village music from the 18thcentury. St Edyth’s Church Hall, St Edyth’s Road, Sea Mills, 7.30 pm on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday each month. All voices (SATB), string, wind and reed instruments welcome. No auditions but ability to read music helpful. www. bristolharmony.wordpress.com or call Fritjof 0117 924 3440. Contact before attending.

Wednesday

n BCCS (BRISTOL CATHEDRALCHOIR SCHOOL) CHORAL SOCIETY meets at Henleaze Bowling Club, Grange Court Road, Wednesdays 7.30 to 9pm. A small, unauditioned choir singing varied music. New members welcome. For info, contact Kathy, 0117 949362 www.bccschoralsociety. org.uk/

n BLAISE COMMUNITY GARDEN, behind Blaise Museum, open Wednesday and Saturday 10-2. Originally a walled kitchen garden. Free to enter. We’re looking for volunteers. Our Café (+ homemade cakes) open 10-2, 18 March and 8 April.

n KNITNATTERSTITCH meet on Wednesdays (term time only) 10-12 @ Henleaze United Reform Church’s cof-

fee bar. For more information contact Paula at knitnatterstitch @gmail.com

n HEALING SESSIONS run by accredited healers take place 2 til 3.30pm at Westbury Park Spiritualist Church, Cairns Road BS6 7TH. Just turn up, or for info contact Marian Bishop 0117 9771629 or visit www.westburyparkspiritualistchurch.org.

n WELCOME WEDNESDAY Friendly and free coffee afternoon on the last Wednesday of the month, 2-3.30pm at The Beehive Pub, Wellington Hill West, BS9 4QY. Meet new people, have fun, and find out what’s happening in your local area. Call 0117 435 0063 for more information.

n BRISTOL SCRABBLE CLUB meets every Wednesday evening at 7pm until 10pm at Filton Community Centre, Elm Park, Filton BS34 7PS. New members welcome- first visit free so come along and give us a try. For further information contact Tania by email at tanialake@yahoo.co.uk

Thursday

n LOCAL CHOIR ACTIVELY RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS. We meet at Stoke Bishop CE Primary School, BS9 1BW on Thursday, 7.45 - 9.15pm. We are a well-established mixed choir performing both sacred and secular music. See website www.henburysingers.org contact secretary at secretary@henburysingers.org.

n HENLEAZE FLOWER CLUB welcomes new members for the start of their exciting 22/23 Programme of floral design demonstrations. Annual membership £52. Demonstration meetings on 2nd Thursday of the month 2pm Bradbury Hall,Waterford Road, Henleaze and begin at 2pm. Plus optional Practice Classes on 4th Thursday. Visitors welcome. We meet every month except December and August. Please contact Jenny York, Club Chair yorkjenny2@yahoo.com or phone/text 07880 700270.

n HIGHBURY BADMINTON CLUB: Pete Stables 0117 950 1524 or www. pete4458.wixsite.com/highburybadminton Thurs 7:30pm mid September to End April, Westbury-on-Trym Village Hall

n HENLEAZE LADIES’ CHOIR Come and join us as we fill St Peter’s Church Hall in Henleaze with a diverse selection of music. We are a friendly choir and meet on Thursday afternoons in term time from 1.45 to 3.45. There are no auditions, and the ability to read music is not necessary. Contact Jeanette on 9685409 or Jane on 07752 332278.

n OPEN DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE For those interested in developing their spiritual awareness and mediumistic ability. 7.15 for 7.30pm start at Westbury Park Spiritualist Church, Cairns

Road BS6 7TH. Just turn up, contact Marian Bishop 0117 9771629 or visit www.westburyparkspiritualistchurch. org

n LADIES KEEP FIT 10am at St Peter's Church Hall Henleaze £7. A full body & mind workout & with a dance element :- a great class to keep you fit, healthy & mobile. Suitable for all. Email laili@tiscali.co.uk to book. Full information on the website :- www. exercisewithlailibrooks.com

n FOLK NIGHT every third Wednesday of the month at the Victoria inn Chock lane, Westbury on Trym 7.30-10.30pm. All musicians and singers welcome or just pop in and listen. Call 0117 959 0834

Friday

n HENLEAZE BOWLING CLUB. Come along at 5.45pm on Fridays to see if bowling could be the sport for you. Coaching available. Experienced bowlers welcome. Situated in Grange Court Road, by Newman Hall. This is a friendly Club with good bowling facilities and social events throughout the year. Phone, Tom Logan, on 0117 962 1669 or email hbcsec@henleazebowlingclub.org.uk for further details.

n U3A SCRABBLE GROUP meets at the Beehive pub , Wellington Hill West, on Fridays from 2 to 4pm. For more information, contact Heddy 07534717254

Singing for a worthy cause

PEOPLE in Westbury-on-Trym are part of a network of choirs that enjoy singing in the afternoon – and raise money for good causes as a bonus!

There are 24 Good Afternoon Choirs across the West Country and already in 2023 they have netted more than £14,000 for good causes. Each choir chooses its charity for the year in January.

The Bristol Good Afternoon Community Choir concert in May featured the Bristol Military Wives Choir and, in July, featured Bath based folk duo, Jiggedy. These concerts and other fundraising events have raised over £1,080 for their Bristol based chosen charity, Gympanzees, so far this year.

More concerts are planned including an open Christmas celebration which will take place at Westbury Methodist Church on Monday December 11. Everyone welcome.

The Bristol Good Afternoon Choir is led by John Sandford and meets every Monday at Westbury-on-Trym Methodist Church from

Garage Conversions

2-4pm. Following their summer break the choir starts back Singing in the Afternoon on Monday September 4. There are no auditions, everyone is welcome – come and meet us, there’s no charge for your first rehearsal.

Many of the members will be looking forward to attending the annual Good Afternoon Choir ‘Big Sing’ which will take place in Wells Cathedral on Wednesday November 15. Over 500 singers will take part.

Across the West of England the 24 Good Afternoon Choirs have already raised £14,415 for many local charities. Choir Founder Grenville Jones said:

“Last year our total was over £22,000 and with the fantastic support of choirs like the Bristol members and with Christmas concerts ahead, I am hoping we can reach £24,000 by the end of the year.”

See www.goodafternoonchoir.org for more details.

Storytale festival

CHAPTER 5 of Bristol’s Storytale Festival will take place over the first weekend of October half term.

Colourful Minds will open the festival on Friday October 20 with a session for pre-schoolers at The Bristol Beacon, while author Ian Brown will bring inspirationand story ideas to The Southville Centre in Turtles, Dinosaurs and More! Brian Frederick and his sausage dog Siggy will be in the Tobacco Factory’s snug for after school soccer and songs before children’s entertainer Mr Brown’s Pig brings to life Halloween themed stories in Windmill Hill City Farm’s The Garden Theatre.

Saturday 21will see We the Curious at Junction 3 library, while author Juli Frances Taylor and illustrator Paul Carlon will mix fantasy with reality in their Amazing Albert session at Bedminster library. In the afternoon children can create their own adventure with The Animal Lighthouse author Anthony Burt at St

George Library or a fictional masterpiece with Orla and the Wild Hunt author Anna Hoghton at Max Minerva’s.

Join illustrator Karen George on Sunday 22 at St Werburgh’s Community Centre for music making inspired by her picture book Mr Mornington’s Favourite Things. Emma Reynolds will be hosting a double bill of sessions at The Small City Bookshop in the afternoon. Day two will end at Waterstones with Shiver Point author Gabriel Dylan.

Curious Universe will deliver a book cover workshop on Monday 23 at St Paul’s Learning Centre, followed by a family friendly session with author and educator Vie Portland at the Central Library. Author Emma Read will close the festival at Bookhaus with an event inspired by her latest novel, The House Trap.

The full programme of events, information and details about how to book can be found at www.storytalefestival.com

Bristol Care Homes supports staff development

DEVELOPING your career as a carer to becoming a nurse has always been a challenge to those who need to earn a living. Nurses require a degree in order to register for practice, however going to university to achieve this is not for everyone. Fortunately, a local social care provider has implemented a pathway which supports employed care staff to develop into nursing professionals while maintaining their employment.

Bristol Care Homes has four high quality care homes in north Bristol and South Gloucestershire. They pride themselves on the quality of care they provide, and the investment they put into the development of their staff team. Their latest investment has come in the form of a pathway to support care staff to attend the University of the West of England and qualify as a Nurse Associate. The Nursing and Midwifery Council describe the Nurse Associate role as “a member of the nursing team in England that helps bridge the gap between health and care

assistants and registered nurses.”

Bristol Care Homes has four members of the team who have followed this pathway so far. Elena from Glebe House, Sarah from Quarry House and Shahira from Field House have all successfully earned their foundation degrees from UWE Bristol. Jemma from Beech house is still on the course and due to qualify in the next few months. Elena, Sarah and Shahira have all decided to progress onto a top up course with UWE which will see them achieve their full Nursing Degrees and become Registered Nurses and Jemma will do the same once she has completed her Nurse Associate studies.

“Here at Bristol Care Homes, we care about our staff just as much as we care about our residents," says Richard Crocker, CEO of Bristol Care Homes.

“It is important for us that we can identify talent within our organisation and support them all to achieve their maximum potential. As part of this latest investment, we decided to fully support our Nurse Associates to

attend university once a week for study, attend their required placements and achieve the required off the job hours within their overall contracted hours all whilst paying them their full salary. This support continues for them as they progress on to the degree. We are very proud of the achievements of this dedicated group, and we look forward to supporting many more of our team through the same route in the future.”

Bristol Care Homes is committed to providing excellent lifetime care to residents and great career opportunities to staff. Two of its homes have CQC ‘Outstanding’ rating, whilst its resident fees remain extremely competitive

and good value. The career development pathways ensures that people who join or work in the company strive to provide that excellent standard of care to residents while also growing professionally within the company. Other staff benefits expected when joining the Bristol Care Homes teams are:

• Up to £250 welcome bonus

• Up to £250 refer a friend bonus

• Great rates of pay

• 10% enhancement salary rate on hours worked on weekends

• Time and a half at Bank Holidays

• Profit share bonus scheme

• Excellent induction programme

• Excellent training and development opportunities

• Valuable career development pathways

• holiday, retail & leisure discounts

• Employee assistance programme

• Cycle to work scheme

• Free meal on +8 hours shifts. If you are keen to work for an employer who invests in staff support and development visit www.bristolcarehomes.co.uk to see the latest opportunities.

News and views from our city councillors

St Christopher's School

I attended a planning committee meeting on the 9th August where the planning committee refused consent for developers to build a large retirement village on the site of the former St Christopher’s School in Westbury Park. The application was refused on two grounds, first that the design was just too big and inappropriate for the site, and secondly that it would cause damage to important protected trees. We also raised concerns about the impact on traffic and parking which the committee agreed with, but these weren’t formally included in the reasons for refusal.

The applicant now has the right to appeal against this decision, so this could run for a while yet but this decision is a vindication for local campaigners after a very long process. Congratulations to everyone who’s been involved in the campaign.

Planning Delays

We continue to hear from residents who are facing very long delays getting decisions on simple planning applications. We are

seeing applications being decided in August that were initially submitted in September / October 2022, suggesting delays of around nine months.

I’ve been in touch a lot over recent months with the Council’s new Chief Planner, who has inherited a real mess and is working on trying to fix it. The essential problem is a lack of qualified planners to do the work. The Council is trying to recruit more, but at the moment has only been able to recruit more junior newly-qualified graduates. They are optimistic that they will be able to turn the situation around, but it is likely to take some time.

Meanwhile I have been promised that the information available to people waiting for their applications to be decided will improve considerably. I’ve heard too many stories of people just getting no answers at all about where they are in the queue or how long they might have to wait, which is just not acceptable.

Stay in Touch

We hold regular monthly community forum meetings via Zoom, which are an

opportunity for you to hear a little about what we’ve been doing, but more importantly to ask questions, raise any concerns and share local information. The next one will be on 5th September. Please visit http://tiny.cc/ WandHSep23) to register in advance.

You can contact me by email on cllr.steve.smith@ bristol.gov.uk, or phone on 07769 285266. I also try to post regular updates on my Facebook page at fb.com/CouncillorSteveSmith. We publish regular email updates – please contact me if you’d like to be added to the mailing list for these.

Steve Smith (Westbury-on-Trym & Henleaze)

Building Excellence

News and views from our city councillors

The threat to charge for parking in Westbury Hill car park hasn’t gone away. The Mayor has promised the final consultation during the autumn. Please register with us to receive notification when the consultation takes place as it will be for a limited time -wotcarpark@ gmail.com We will add you to our growing list.

The planning committee decision to refuse the St Christophers application is very welcome. See Steve’s article for more detail.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed time and money to the Westbury Village flowers this year. They are amazing and very uplifting.

Traffic congestion around Westburyon-Trym is getting worse, and that is before the 1000s of new homes are built at Cribbs Causeway. After the

disaster of the City Council traffic proposals, a group of local residents have put a lot of work into suggesting some possible solutions. You can see these suggestions at https://www. westburytransportplacegroup.org/ news

The group would like to hear your views, and so would I! Whilst I don’t agree with all the proposals, I welcome these ideas from residents who know the area rather than someone from City Hall who doesn’t.

The City Council is now consulting on the proposal make up to 23,000 of the most financially vulnerable families in Bristol pay more in council tax by withdrawing £3m of support. It is important that people take part. Please give your views by 20th September: go to Ask.Bristol.gov.uk and look for Council Tax Reduction Scheme.

We are disappointed at the Mayor’s very unhelpful response to our three meetings with him discussing van dwellers and the Downs. See Sharon’s article for more detail.

Our next online Zoom Forum is on Tuesday 5th September at 7pm, http:// tiny.cc/WandHSep23. The next date will be on 10th October. If you need help on any matter to do with Bristol City Council, email me Cllr.geoffrey.gollop@bristol.gov.uk or phone me on 0117 9039946

Geoff Gollop (Westbury-on-Trym & Henleaze)

News and views from our city councillors

Van dwellers on The Downs

The issue of van dweller encampments is a growing concern to many residents. What originally started as a small group of vans has now grown dramatically in size. We are extremely frustrated by the lack of action from the Council. It is completely unacceptable that the Downs is being littered with rubbish. As well as unsightly litter, black bin bags, furniture and other general rubbish, we have concerns about gas canisters and human waste which constitutes a serious health hazard.

Geoff, Steve and I as well as Councillors in Stoke Bishop ward wrote to Mayor Marvin Rees in January to seek urgent assistance in dealing with this matter. Since then, we have had three meetings with the Mayor and his team to try and find a solution to solve this crisis. One of the solutions we put forward was a ‘No Overnight Camping’ by-law across the Downs and the rest of the city, which will make it illegal for van

dwellers to camp on the side of the road. The Mayor previously stated that he would take action if the encampments were found to be having a ‘high impact’ and in our view the Downs is definitely in this category, both in terms of its environmental impact on the Downs/local communities and its adverse impact on the van dwellers themselves. The vans/ caravans don’t have onsite facilities such as electric hook up, running water or places to dispose of human waste. During the colder months occupants have open fires/ log burners which can’t be good for their health, and also seems to go against the cities desire for clean air! We have also received emails stating there are children living in these conditions. It’s inhumane and a failure of our civic duty.

As the City is still controlled by the Mayoral/cabinet model, the Mayor is the only person who has the executive power to solve this issue. We urge residents, if they haven’t done so already, to email the

Mayor directly at mayor@bristol.gov. uk with any concerns you may have.

Staying in touch

Our next Westbury and Henleaze zoom meeting is at 7pm on Tuesday 5th September; go to http://tiny.cc/ WandHSep23 to book in.

If you need any help on a matter to do with Bristol City Council, you can contact me by email on cllr.sharon. scott@bristol.gov.uk – I also have a facebook page where I post regular updates: Scott-10433537851413www.facebook.com/Cllr-Sharon-

Sharon Scott (W-on-T & Henleaze)

n ADVERTORIAL

We have a laugh together

Macmillan Buddies Story: Linny (volunteer) and Jan

When Macmillan buddy volunteer, Linny Josham, first met her buddy, Jan, they hit it off. “Within five minutes of being introduced and chatting, I felt at ease,” says Linny.

“The best thing about being a Macmillan buddy is that once a week for a couple of hours I chat with, laugh with, and share experiences of life with a brave, determined woman. What’s not to like?”

Laughter is at the root of why Linny’s support has been such a success.

bigger, locally each week to help local community? someone’s home, become a Macmillan Buddy in

Could you volunteer a few hours each week to help a person living with cancer in your local community?

Macmillan Buddy volunteers provide direct support in someone’s home, or they offer a listening ear over the phone.

Visit our website for more information and to sign up to become a Macmillan Buddy in

If you would like to discuss this role, please contact

“We laugh so much and discuss so many topics. She’s a good person. She doesn’t give unwanted sympathy. She’s just very supportive,” says Jan. They even laughed when Jan told Linny about a near miss – her friend accidently let her roll down the hill in her wheelchair when bringing her home from hospital!

Jan lives in Lawrence Weston. She was referred to the Macmillan Buddies service after visiting the Macmillan NGS Wellbeing Centre at Southmead Hospital. She was first diagnosed with Lymphoma six years ago and then early in 2023, she found herself admitted to hospital with a tumour in her lung.

She has been supported weekly by her Macmillan buddy volunteer, Linny from Totterdown. While Jan’s been going through her chemotherapy, Linny’s weekly visits at home have been invaluable. Macmillan Buddy volunteers offer a listening ear and support people living with cancer at what is a really challenging time.

“Giving time brings so many rewards,” says Linny. “I get to spend a few hours a week with someone who is positive and resilient in everything she faces.”

Jan’s also had a positive experience: “I really have benefited so much from Linny’s visits. I feel she has supported me so much. Her kindness and care is totally appreciated.”

Macmillan is looking for more volunteers to join Linny and our Bristol team. If you’re a good listener and clear communicator we’d love to hear from you. To find out more visit https://www.macmillan.org.uk/volunteering/macmillan-buddies or call 07866 202537

FINANCE

With Richard Higgs BA (hons) CFP FPFS

Harold Stephens

50 High Street, Westbury on Trym, Bristol BS9 3DZ

T: 0117 3636212

Being charitable: A strategy to reduce your inheritance tax bill

Inheritance tax (IHT) rules in the UK can have a significant impact on the value of assets passed on to your loved ones. Currently charged at a rate of 40% on assets above certain thresholds, IHT can take a substantial chunk out of your estate. However, there are legitimate means to minimise or even eliminate the potential IHT liability.

Let's first understand the basic IHT rules. Each individual has a "nil rate band" of £325,000, which means that up to this amount of assets in your estate will not be subject to IHT. For married couples

and civil partners, any unused portion of the nil-rate band can be transferred to the surviving partner, potentially doubling the tax-free allowance to £650,000. Additionally, if you leave your main residence to direct descendants (children, adopted, fostered, or stepchildren, and grandchildren), you are entitled to a residence nil rate band of £175,000 each.

One effective strategy to reduce IHT is legacy giving, also known as charitable bequests, which involves designating a portion of your assets, property, or financial resources to

a charitable cause or organisation upon your death. This deliberate and thoughtful decision is typically included in your Will, ensuring that your values and passions continue to make a difference even after you are gone.

Not only does legacy giving help the causes you care about, but it can also reduce the IHT burden on your estate. When you donate at least 10% of your estate to charity, the rate of IHT on the remainder of the estate (above the thresholds available to you) is reduced from 40% to 36%. This reduction can

have a significant impact on the tax your loved ones will have to pay from your estate, making legacy giving an integral part of inheritance tax and estate planning.

If you're interested in learning more about legacy giving or other strategies to mitigate your IHT burden, don't hesitate to get in touch with us. As experts in later life financial advice, we can help you gain clarity and confidence in your inheritance tax and estate planning. Call 0117 3636 212 or email office@haroldstephens.co.uk to arrange a relaxed chat about your circumstances or to request a complimentary inheritance tax review.

To explore more financial planning tips for later life, search "Harold Stephens IFA" on YouTube.

If you want a relaxed chat about how to manage your assets in later life, then we are on hand to deliver it the good old-fashioned way – face to face right here in your local community

n MESSAGE FROM AVON & SOMERSET PCC

Together we can make policing better

I HAVE launched a campaign called Together We Can… to raise awareness of the work being done by my office to improve, change and challenge policing.

Together We Can… is a call to action for residents to get involved in policing to ensure our communities are safe.

The campaign is also an opportunity to highlight how the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) continues to work for local people.

My Police and Crime Plan, launched in 2021, includes four priorities – preventing and fighting crime; engaging and supporting communities and victims; leading the police to be efficient and effective; and increasing confidence in the criminal justice system.

Many people are not aware of the work that the OPCC carries out and, crucially, when they can turn to us for support to address issues or concerns they have with policing.

We work hard to tackle so many varied issues that may affect all our lives at some point – from violence against women and girls and racial disproportionality to fraud and anti-social behaviour.

My job is to hold Avon and Somerset Police’s chief constable to account and to keep striving for policing that serves everyone equally, so we all feel safe and supported in everyday life.

For more information about Together We Can… and my police and crime priorities visit the OPCC website, www.avonandsomersetpcc.gov.uk.

I would also like to take the opportunity to highlight the recently-opened preventing victims fund. The fund is an opportunity for any Avon and Somerset-based group that already provides services to victims of crime to apply for a grant of up to £20,000.

The Preventing Victims Fund is being delivered in partnership between the OPCC, Somerset

Community Foundation and the Quartet Community Foundation. The fund aims to complement groups providing services to victims of crime, enabling them to explore different approaches that could prevent people from becoming victims in the first place. This prevention focus is one of the Police and Crime Plan key priorities.

Finally, I urge local people to remain vigilant over an emerging scam involving fake emails purporting to be from mortgage lenders.

It has come to my attention that Action Fraud received 538 reports in just a two-week period relating to these emails that claim to offer limited-time deals to low-rate mortgages.

Heartless criminals are taking advantage of people’s concerns relating to mortgages to lure them into phishing scams. The websites set up by criminals disguise themselves as a trustworthy source in order to steal personal and financial data for their own gain.

We need to let as many people know that such scams are circulating, to ensure we prevent people from falling victim.

Remember if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you have doubts about an email or message, contact the organisation directly before sharing any personal or financial information. Do not use the numbers or addresses in the email – use the details from their official website.

With Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford

Methodist church community survey

WESTBURY-on-Trym Methodist Church is more than a place of worship; over 1,500 people across all age groups visit the premises each week for the activities provided.

As the church looks to the future, we recognise we need to be responsive to the changing needs of the local community as we continue to practise friendship, to care for others and to be a good neighbour to those in need.

We are keen to understand what is needed in Westbury-onTrym that is not already provided and whether we should be playing our part in delivering this. We would be very grateful if you would help us by completing a short survey.

To take part, please email: vi-

sion@westburyontrymmethodistchurch.org.uk with the word SURVEY and we will email the survey to you for completion by the end of September.

Thank you to all who will help us with this.

John Taylor – Chair, Westbury-on-Trym Methodist Church Vision Team

Home Library Service

BRISTOL Home Library Service is available for anyone over 18, living in Bristol and who is unable to get to their local library for reasons of age, disability or responsibility.

Its DBS checked volunteers offer a free monthly service. They will fetch you a specific book or bring suggestions for your pleasure.

If you know someone who might enjoy this service, please tell them about it.

If you would like to join our team of volunteers, please get in touch with the service manager, Ken Luxon, by email BHLSVisits@ royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk or phone 07714 898 558

A WOMAN who survived domestic abuse is taking on the London Marathon to raise money and awareness of the charity which has supported her.

BRISTOL pharmacist Ade Williams received an honorary degree during UWE Bristol's summer graduation ceremonies at Bristol Cathedral.

Amy Yapp is sharing her story to help charity Refuge – and to encourage other women in abusive relationships to seek help.

He was one of seven people with expertise and leadership across a variety of areas, including health, climate change, science communication and architectural education, to receive the accolade.

Amy, a former Downend School pupil who grew up in the area and now lives in Fishponds, found herself in a relationship where she was subjected to physical, psychological and emotional abuse over four years.

The recipients were all recognised for outstanding achievements in their chosen fields, and for their significant contributions not only to the university, but to the wider Bristol region.

She was beaten, isolated from her family and friends and lost control of her finances.

Amy runs to help other domestic abuse survivors

NHS vaccine hero gets honorary degree

Designer, who has led UWE’s provision in Sri Lanka.

support groups and a 24-hour helpline offering advice.

While Amy never needed to stay in the charity's accommodation, its helpline provided invaluable support when she needed to talk to someone outside her family and friends.

was a chance to both tick off a challenge from her 'bucket list' and "turn something that was negative into something positive".

Amy said: "When I look back, I do not recognise the person I had become at all. I was conditioned how to behave and even speak. Living by rules which I was not allowed to break.

The others were:

• Simon Nelson, founder and owner of Same Difference, an equality, diversity and inclusion training and workplace mediation service;

"Compliments turned into insults, then eventually insults turned into physical abuse.

since been convicted of assault for beating her.

She said: "I never realised when I was in that situation that there was so much help out there – during those critical moments, having someone to reassure you is so important."

Ade Williams left with, Lord Lieutenant Peaches Golding, and Professor Emmanual Adukwu at the degree ceremony

A student paramedic studying at Gloucestershire University, Amy also works for supported living provider Aspire in Downend, Staple Hill and Fishponds.

Amy said: "I would like to repay my gratitude to Refuge for the much-needed help and support they gave me.

"And if just one woman recognises the warning signs of domestic violence and finds the courage to get in touch with Refuge, then that is potentially one life saved."

Ade is the superintendent of the multi-award-winning Bedminster Pharmacy in Bristol and Lead Pharmacist at the Bristol Travel Clinic. He was named an NHS Vaccine Hero for his work promoting access and increasing uptake. Awarded an MBE in 2022 for service to the NHS, he is a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Society for Public Health. He is a Royal Pharmaceutical Society Fellow and the profession's Patient Champion.

Amy aims to raise £2,000 for Refuge at the marathon, which takes place in October.

To support Amy's appeal visit www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/amyyapp98.

• Malcolm Love, an independent producer, radio host and lecturer in Science Communication;

"You say 'oh, that will never happen to me' but after experiencing all that, it showed me how anyone can be affected."

• Jane Hadfield, a nurse leading

Amy left her abuser, who has

an NHS England project to widen access, participation, and inclusion;

• Andy Marsh, former Avon and Somerset Chief Constable and head of the College of Policing;

A friend who had been through a similar experience told her about Refuge which, as well as providing emergency accommodation for women and children fleeing abuse, runs local

Decluttering does wonders for mental health

PHYSICAL environments influence emotions, cognition, and behaviors. Cluttered environments can be uncomfortable, embarrassing, depressing and stressful. They can cause friction between household members and create feelings of not being in control.

Clutter causes negativity. If your hallway has become a dumping ground, every time you come into your home it will feel negative rather than positive. If the clutter continues into the kitchen these negative feelings continue, and so on and so forth.

I have been running the declutter service for over 10 years and thankfully have seen many positive changes in recycling. It is a great resource, and if an item can be recycled it is far easier to let it go.

There is no harm in asking for help and people find that once they’ve tackled their clutter, they feel that a weight has been lifted, their mood improves and they enjoy a sense of freedom.

Reorganising and decluttering and your home is not about making a ‘show home’. It is about managing your belongings and making your home an inviting, pleasurable place to live in and somewhere to feel proud of.

Whether you have hoarding tendencies or are just fed up with general mess and clutter, help is at hand to get you motivated.

FM DeClutter Services provide a friendly tailor made service that works with you, at your pace, with empathy and understanding.

For further information, help, advice and solutions, call Fay Gregory at FM DeClutter Services

Tel: 078 2107 8526 or 0117 955 0713 www.fmdeclutterservices.com

• Elizabeth Parkes, who leads the Environment Agency’s work on climate change and public health;

• Professor Lal Balasuriya, a Chartered Architect and Urban

She has run in a number of distance races but has never taken on a marathon before, and when she discovered that Refuge had places for fundraisers in the London Marathon it

For more information about the work of Refuge visit the website www.refuge.org.uk.

The charity's free national domestic abuse 24-hour helpline is on 0808 2000 247.

UWE Bristol's ViceChancellor, Professor Sir Steve West, said: "It's been an honour to welcome these distinguished individuals to celebrate their achievements alongside all our outstanding students graduating this summer. Their contributions are many and varied, and I hope they will inspire our graduates as they take their first steps into their chosen careers."

Amy Yapp taking part in a Bristol 10k

Each row, column and square (9 spaces each) needs to be filled out with the numbers 1-9, without repeating any numbers within the row, column or square.

NOTE After feedback from readers, we have made The Fiend SLIGHTLY easier!

Autograph Homes unveils

at The Haw Wood

Autograph Homes has opened the show-home for its lowcarbon development The Haw Wood on the edge of north Bristol.

Featuring ultra-efficient, net zero technologies, new homes at The Haw Wood, have already had an impact with buyers, with 75% being sold of plan.

With Autograph’s aim of being greener because it’s the right thing to do, the Bristol house builder is determined also to stay competitive in the market with the family homes starting from £480,000. Affordable homes with the same high eco credentials are also being built at the development and will be launched later this year.

Simon Taylor, managing director Autograph Homes says,

“We’re delighted to have opened the show home, and be able to demonstrate to buyers exactly how they can reduce their energy usage with the technologies we’ve installed. The reaction from potential buyers has been so positive, they really appreciate the opportunity to choose a home that not only looks good, is built to exacting standards, but is importantly kind to the environment.

“These are homes built for the future. We know that the energy crisis has forced a rethink amongst many buyers, and they are bringing low carbon energy to the top of their buying requirements. What we’re able to do at The Haw Wood means potential net zero energy costs and net zero carbon emissions.

“With these homes we have gone above and beyond building regulations requirements for insulation and airtightness; we have

incorporated timber frames with significant PV panels, air source heat pumps and underfloor heating. The homes are fitted with electric car chargers, smart heating controls and wired for optional battery storage.”

The Haw Wood is a ground-breaking, eco-friendly community of 22, 3 & 4 bedroom luxury family homes, and a further 8 affordable homes, all SAP A rated for energy use and environmental impact.

Features include:

● High output PV panels

● Air-to water air source heat pump, powering ground floor zoned underfloor heating, first floor flat panel radiators and hot water.

● Optional home battery.

● Low energy LED lighting.

● Oversize, thermally insulated windows for more natural daylight, reducing reliance on artificial lights and helping warm the house through solar gain.

● Designed with an effective thermal envelope, bringing together high standards of insulation, airtightness, and a precision built timber frame (FSC accredited timber) to minimise heat loss. Homes are made more durable, minimising dampness caused by moistureladen air leading in and condensing.

● Efficient water fixtures, such as aerators on taps and showers, will help reduce average household water use by up to 25% a year.

● Heatmiser app based remote smart heating controls.

● Electric car charging.

In addition, there will be a community allotment area, and habitats for wildlife and an extensive native planting programme with trees, shrubs and plants to encourage pollinator species.

n VINEYARD NEWS with INGRID BATES

Golden days as grapes start to ripen

WE’VE reached the last phase of the growing season which is characterised in grapes by a process called veraison.

You can tell when Veraison is happening because it’s very visible! In the red grapes it’s more obvious because they begin to turn from green to red but the white grapes also change from green to a more translucent, golden colour. Because we have a heavy crop of white grapes it’s quite lovely to see a sea of gold appearing along the bottom of the vines.

The colour change doesn’t mean the grapes are ready. The process of ripening takes around six weeks in total but it’s just a sign that the grapes have stopped swelling and that sugars are slowly increasing. The colour change makes the red grapes much more visible to birds who seem to know exactly

the grapes are ripe! We’ve got a few more weeks to put the nets on and protect the red grapes but thankfully they don’t seem to notice the white grapes in the same way.

The swallows are still with us for a little while longer. I’ll be sad to see them fly south for another year but look forward to their return next spring. By chance the weather has been perfect for the

grapes this year, dry and warm when we needed it and wet when the vines needed it. For these last few weeks it’d be great to get some warmth to help the big crop ripen in time for harvest.

In a quick wine update, we’re down to our last few bottles of red and white fizz so make sure you pop along to local shop or get in touch if you wanted some for, dare I say it, Christmas! We

have lots more fizz back at the winery and we’ll try and prep new supplies for Christmas but can’t guarantee at this stage if it’ll be ready.

hello@dunleavyvineyards.co.uk

www.dunleavyvineyards.co.uk

@DYvineyards (Twitter)dunleavy vineyards (Facebook & Instagram)