ISSUE 10 March 2004
YOUR NEWSLETTER Spring is on its way to Knowle West With the daffodils poking out bravely through the snow and the days getting longer, we say goodbye to winter. Our first newsletter of 2004 focuses on health issues, and also highlights the continuing regeneration of our community through arts projects. What a pleasure to see how many pieces – both journalistic and creative – have been written by local residents. Tracey’s article on Filwood Hope, the poems, Ted’s report from Inns Court and in particular, the excellent report about the Plymouth visit from 13 year old Shaunna Wright.
In the April/May issue, we will be reporting on environmental matters and clean-ups. Do you have anything you would like to write for us about this, or any other topic? Please contact: An A n ii tt aa P P ee aa rr cc ee Neighbourhood Renewal Participation Group Filwood Community Centre Filwood Broadway Knowle West Tel: 908 4248 anitapearce.nr@knowlewest.co.uk
WWW.KNOWLEWEST.CO.UK SILVER SURFERS
SWIM TOTS
As the picture here and on our front cover shows, parents, babies and young children who belong to Sure Start have a great time playing in the water at Florence Brown School on Monday lunchtimes. One parent said, “My child gets very excited when he arrives. He starts to bounce up and down as he enters the school.” Another parent reported that she Local resident Joyce Jenkins learns new skills and liked coming because there were lots of things to do and people to help her children. finds a mouse at a computer training session For any more information please telephone funded by Neighbourhood Renewal's People Power. FFi contact: Denis Buchan tel: 908 4229 903 9781.
XMAS LIGHTS COMPETITION Due to the high standard of Xmas light decorations and the considerable amount of effort and thought put in by a lot of residents this year, we decided it would be unfair to just give a prize to one house as overall winner. So, we have agreed to share the prize between 5. These winners will receive £25 Asda Vouchers:
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9 St, Whytes Rd 79 Exmouth Rd 30 Hartcliffe Rd 66 Throgmorton Rd 26 Novers Rd
C oo nn gg rr aa tt uu ll aa tt ii oo nn ss tt oo yy oo uu aa ll ll !! C
THE STORY OF FILWOOD HOPE TT rr aa cc ee yy PP oooo ll ee ll oo oo kkss bbaa cc kk aa tt hh oo w w aa nn ee aa rr ll yy cc oo m mm muu nn ii tt yy ccee nn tt rree w aa ss ss ee tt uu p w p ii nn KK nn oow w ll ee W W ee ss tt On December 2nd 1996 the doors of Filwood Hope opened to the public. On April 29th 1997 the Official Opening and Blessing was held, with the Bishop of Bristol and the other church present alongside the Lord Mayer of Bristol. The Service of Dedication was held at Christ the King. This was a very special day for all and a very colourful one as I remember. After the service we carried multi coloured banners from the church to the centre portraying our hopes for the future. Many memories came flooding back as I sat listening to Richard Pearce the Project Manager of Filwood Hope. I remembered helping as a volunteer in the first year of opening, it was an extremely rewarding experience. Filwood Hope started as a dream. The Council of Churches in Knowle West had a vision of running a Christian Coffee Bar in Filwood Broadway as a way of meeting the needs of the community, an ambitious scheme for a group of poor churches without financial resources. In 1994 the Director of Network Christian Counselling John Turner and Fr Richard McKay, Parish Priest of Christ the King managed to secure funds from a trust to purchase property and the vision became reality.
STREET POETRY
To this day Filwood Hope provides specialist advice about debt, unemployment, benefits, Victim Support, legal matters and much more. There is always a warm welcome to those who either seek advice or just need a cup of tea, a chat and an opportunity to browse through a selection of good quality second hand clothing. There is disabled access and a crèche. I’m sure that many of us including myself have received help and advice from all those at Filwood Hope who are dedicated to serving us in Knowle West. This is a way of saying “ Thank You ” from all of us to all of you. If you need advice, are interested in becoming a volunteer or would like to contribute to the Friends of Filwood Hope scheme, please contact Richard tel: 0117 963 4566 fax: 0117 9535437 email: filwoodhope@knowlewest.freeserve.co.uk.
WALKIE TALKIE
SStt rr ee ee tt W W aa rr ddee nn ss rr oo m maa nn tt ii cc ?? YY oo uu bb ee tt !! TT hh ee ppoo ee m m bb ee ll oo w w w w aass w w rrii tt tt ee nn bb yy M M aarr kk D rr aa kkee ,, S D S tt rr ee ee tt W W aa rr ddee nn SS uu pp ee rrvv ii ss ee rr..
LOVE Her hair is the colour of gold Her eyes dark, sultry and bold Her lips soft, silken and sweet It's heaven when you kiss and your lips meet You look at her, you’re content at last You never thought you would fall for her quite so fast You hold her in your arms, oh so tight Both of you together just seems so right Your love is strong and will never break A lovely couple you both do make Hand in hand you walk together Your love a bond that lasts forever Through thick and thin, sickness and ill health As long as you’re together your love is your wealth.
The Knowle West Healthy Walking Group were given a surprise challenge during a recent refreshment break at Windmill Hill City Farm. “Someone from 'The Poetry Can' approached our tables, introduced themselves and said they were aiming to collect 1001 Poems of Bristol and invited the walkers to take part,” explains Cheryl Martin. As if by magic Pat Payne, with suggestions from Jean, Rene, Brenda and Ron created this:
THE WALK Through the park And down the hill, Walking in the rain, We found ourselves at City Farm Feeling glad we came. A green oasis in the streets And what is more it's free. A healthy walk, A breath of air, A nice hot cup of tea.
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NEIGHBOURHOOD RENEWAL PLYMOUTH TRIP On 6th February, with residents and Neighbourhood Renewal (NR) workers I went to Plymouth for a weekend to see how other communities are putting their NR funds to good use. I visited two venues. The first was the Millfields Trust. This was based in the old Navy Hospital site and had many substantial buildings. We were given a presentation by Roger Pipe (ex KWDT) who described how it was running at 100% capacity. NR money was being used for helping young people to build and manage a resource for young people. Of the whole project, only one person employed was local -that is the Handy-Man. I then went to the Eastend project. This was an area similar to Knowle West with regard to its problems, i.e. poverty, health inequalities and overall neighbourhood decline. One of the Knowle West residents commented how much clearer NR was since going on this trip rather than just sitting on a committee trying to understand it all. Personally I thought the Eastend Project was excellent. I know we are doing well in Knowle West because of the amount of different projects we already have well established.
One difference between Knowle West and the Eastend Project is the size. Eastend has around 6,000 residents and Knowle West has around 20,000. This probably explains why we have difficulty pleasing everyone all of the time, and the need for many residents to become involved. This is how we get a much wider opinion. The whole weekend was excellent and thanks should go to Anita and Tracey for all the organisation. My favourite memory of the weekend is of 4 women and one wheelchair with coats, bags and umbrellas trying to fit into what must have been Plymouth’s smallest taxi!!! Ro R os se e M Ma an nn n ii n ng g
WE WOULDN’T LIVE ANYWHERE ELSE! For the past 6 months our Knowle West team, Sue Woodford, Ann-Marie Baber, Jade Cooper (pictured) and Emma Thomas, have been gathering information from residents on what it is like living in Knowle West. 93% like their home and 65% of the 131 interviewed so far never want to live anywhere else, in fact a total of 80% have no intention of moving anywhere else in the near future. Each local individual interviewed has given an hour of their time to help I.R.I.S (Involving Residents In Solutions). They have talked about: their likes, dislikes, solutions to life in Knowle West, what facilities they use, and what improvements could be made. With this information I.R.I.S will put together a comprehensive picture of what the community of Knowle West think of their area. There is much to be proud of and many issues which unite communities. We are still interviewing local people, if you are interested in participating or hearing more contact the I.R.I.S team on 0117 9350022.
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NOT SO BORING A visit to Plymouth was arranged for my Mum to see how Neighbourhood Renewal was being run in another place. I didn’t really want to go, I thought it would be boring and I wanted to stay at home. Everyone on the trip was really friendly and ready to listen to anything the children wanted to say. We had fun trips. The first one was to Clayart – where we decorated tiles, ornaments etc. At Woodlands venture playground there were many rides, but unfortunately they were all closed due to the time of year and the weather. But the indoor activities were open for everyone and I enjoyed them very much. On the last trip we visited the aquarium, where there were many fish and different species to see. We even saw all the characters from Nemo! On all the trips the crèche workers were brilliant – kind, fun and friendly. I took many pictures to remind me of this weekend to Plymouth. It was FAR from boring. Sh S ha au un nn na a W Wr r ii g gh ht t - aged 13
YOUNG PEOPLE GO URBAN Urban 2 is the name of an initiative which funds projects within South Bristol. Funded by the European Union, Urban 2 currently funds 21 projects. It is unique in Europe as the steering committee is made up of mainly under 18s. The Urban Team consists of a Programme Manager, Development Worker and an Administration Officer. The Urban 2 team are based on The Park, Daventry Road, Knowle West and commenced in November 2001. Steve Morris became Programme Manager in November 2001. He has a wealth of experience within Regeneration and at present is working towards further projects within Crime and Disorder.
pictured: Kerry and Ella of Urban 2 pictured: Michael Smith, a young person from Knowle West who is a member of the UPG. Michael says:"URBAN 2 is a dream come true. Every young person can be a part of the UPG saga, if they have the courage and the heart to form it with. Each of us young people has a place and title in the UPG, I being the strategic map planner and locator."
Ella Bissett-Johnson joined the Urban 2 team in at the beginning of February 2004/ Ella says, “I fell into regeneration by accident and I love it because I really enjoy working with people to make things happen. The last year or so I have been working as a freelance regeneration consultant in the South East on other European Funded Projects. My background is art and digital technology with a little bit of fundraising for Oxfam thrown in.”
Kerry Halford is the Programme Administration Officer who joined in early December previously working for Social Services and Health adult care. Kerry says, “It has been a real privilege to be part of an excellent funding stream which is in order to make young people’s lives better. Being part of the team gives me great satisfaction, and being able to relate to young people after going through young years myself is also rewarding.” If you would like to get involved or you have a project that might benefit young people in South Bristol please contact the team on: 0117 903 9793 or visit our website for more info: www.southbristolurban2.co.uk
SCRAPHEAP CHALLENGE The Northern Slopes initiative is planning a ‘Community Scrap Heap Challenge and BBQ on Saturday 3rd April, from 11am until 4pm on the Bommie (the slope behind St. Barnabas Church on Daventry Road.) The idea is to collect as much litter as possible from the site and see what you can make of it! The Northern Slopes Initiative is a group of local people who are keen to preserve and
enhance the environmental and recreational potential of the areas of greenspace known as Novers Common, Glyn Vale and Wedmorevale. Look out for more events like this.If you would like to find out more information about the Northern Slopes initiative and their plans for the future please call Hannah Morgan on 0117 9531329.
VISION FOR KNOWLE WEST VISION is a project with funding from Neighbourhood Renewal aiming to improve the quality of life for Black and Minority Ethnic residents in Knowle West by: • Accepting, respecting and celebrating differences • Encouraging positive images • Breaking down isolation • Speaking in a united voice • Educating ourselves
If you are a Black and Minority Ethnic resident in Knowle West we would like to hear from you: Do you have difficulties accessing any services? Are there any gaps? e.g.education and health services, food shopping, hair care products and clothes. If you are interested in finding out more about VISION or want to have your say about issues affecting Black and Minority Ethnic residents in Knowle West contact Hannah Morgan on 0117 9531329.
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HEALTH SOUTH BRISTOL COMMUNITY HOSPITAL Come and take part in a meeting about a new hospital for our area. You will be able to ask: l l l
How will these plans affect the Health Park Walk-in Centre? What designs do you like, what sort of building do you want? What will it mean for local people and schools with regard to jobs and education?
…and find out the answers! 1th March, 2004, Wh W he en n :: Thursday 1 7pm to 8.30pm Wh W he er re e :: Filwood Community Centre, Filwood Broadway, Knowle West Wh W ha at t :: A crèche is available, please phone Sally on 9002529 to book a place. There will be food provided by Neighbourhood Renewal
This event is open to anyone - for a place, please book in advance by contacting Sally Berryman on 0117 9002529
GET THE BALANCE RIGHT!
QUIT IT! Would you like to help people quit smoking?
Are you concerned about your weight? Is it affecting your health? Are you pregnant or just had a baby and don’t want to eat for two? Then why not join our friendly and supportive group to find out about healthy eating! Get The Balance Right is about healthy eating and exercise. Each week we shall go for a gentle walk (voluntary) and then have a chat about making changes to our food choices so that we can make improvements for a better lifestyle. Get The Balance Right meets weekly at the Healthy Living Café at 6.45pm – 8pm Starts: Tuesday 6th April (and will run for 18 weeks) Cost: 50p per week only! (free crèche available)
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Could you spare an hour or two each week to give advice to people who want to stop smoking?
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Do you meet a lot of people and feel you could influence them?
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The Support to Stop Smoking Service is keen to hear from people in the Knowle West Community area who would be interested in training to advise smokers on how best to get help to quit
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Full training and out of pocket expenses would be provided
Please ring Clive Gray on 0117 9595464 for further details
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STRESS FREE We live in stressful times. It’s worth remembering the FREE services at the Healthy Living Centre – all aim to reduce your stress levels. Over 1700 local people used Services last year, and if you live in Knowle West you can use them too. Just phone for an appointment, or go along to the ‘drop ins’. We also have a wonderful café, Monday to Friday 10am – 3pm. Come to eat or for free internet access. At the Healthy Living Centre:
AA vv oonn & & BB rr ii ss tt oo ll LLaa w w C C ee nn tt rr ee (Appointments: 924 8662) Monday pm Maa ss ss aa gg ee ,, S M Shh ii aa tt ss uu ,, RR ee ff ll ee xx oo ll oo gg yy ,, AA rroo m m aa tt hh ee rr aa pp yy ,, II nn dd ii aa nn H H ee aa dd M M aa ss ss aa gg ee (Appointments: 903 0000) Sessions all week
RR ee ll aa xx aatt ii oonn SS ee ss ss ii oo nn ss (Drop –in) Friday 10:30 – noon EE aa rr AA cc uu pp uu nn cctt uu rree (Drop In) Tuesday 10 am and 11am Co C ouu nn ss ee ll ll ii nn gg for young people, men and women on all issues. (Appointments: 903 0000) Sessions all week WO W OW W - Women of Worth (Drop-in) Wednesday 7pm – 8:30pm W ee ii gg h W h tt M M aa nn aa gg ee m mee nn tt G G rr oo uu pp (Drop-in) Tuesday 7pm –8pm There are other groups around Knowle West– debt advice; dance therapy; stop smoking support; breastfeeding and so on. Tel: 903 0000 for full information
WOW! Let’s take a closer look at one of the groups… WOW stands for Women of Worth. Do you fancy doing something new, such as, jewellery making, hand massage, yoga or mosaics? Would you like to meet new friends and have a laugh? Then come and join ‘Women of Worth’. “I look forward to Wednesday nights, having a laugh, learning new skills” Maura ”I’ve really enjoyed the activities, making new friends, getting more confidence and being around caring, thoughtful people”. Lisa WOW meets every Wednesday evening, and has a lot of fun learning new things that the women themselves choose to do. Come along to the Healthy Living Centre from 7pm to 8:30pm. For information tel: 0117 377 2256
IT’S A MAN THING! It’s a MAN thing! has been in existence since May 2003. It came into being during discussions following a Health Association Board meeting. Three men, (or should it be MEN!) Ivor Grimsted, Keith Houghton and myself, Graham Blacker felt that, compared with all the tests available for women and certain types of illness, cancer for example, there were very few for men. Ivor and I looked at setting up a project with the Health Association. At our first meeting in May, six men turned up. We decided that our first focus would be testicle and prostate cancer. The best way to highlight the issue was to contact all the Clubs in Knowle West and ask them to put up notices in the Gents’ toilets, with information about testicle and prostate cancer.
Another important project for our group is to look at heart health – talking to men about this and monitoring blood pressure. Our aim is to make men more aware of how to stay healthy. Currently we are bidding for funds for blood pressure monitors, and for medical training so that group members can use this equipment. We would like to thank the Directors of KW Health Association for their support and help with this project. If you are interested in joining contact: Graham Blacker or Ivor Grimsted tel: 0117 963 9569
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ARTS AND MEDIA KW ARTS CO-ORDINATOR AA ff aa cc ee ff aa m m ii ll ii aarr ttoo m aan m n yy bb uu tt ii nn aa nn eew w rr ooll ee –– ff oo rr m m ee rr ll yy tt hh ee AA rr tt ooff W W ee ll ll -bb ee iinn gg C Co o --o o rr d d ii n naa tto o rr ,, AA nn nn ii ee BB eeaa rr dd ss ll ee yy ,, ii ss nn oow w tth h ee K Kn no ow w ll ee W ee ss tt A W A rr tt ss Co C o --o o rr d d ii n n aa tto o rr .. Her main purpose will be to oversee arts projects on the estate and be responsible for continued working towards regeneration of Knowle West through the arts.
Bristol City Council with Neighbourhood Renewal have provided funding for this parttime post for two years. There are a number of important arts projects on-going on the estate. “One of my tasks will be to co-ordinate and support funding bids so they don't all end up competing with each other for funding!” says Annie. For the moment, Annie will still be based at the Healthy Living Centre offering advice and information sessions on fundraising for arts projects. For further information, or to book an advice session, tel: 0117 3772256 email: ABeardsley@kwhlc.gifford.co.uk
PUBLIC ART OPEN DAY SATURDAY ART CLUB This popular club is running for five more weeks from Saturday 6 March – Saturday 3 April 2-4pm at The Café, NHS Walk-In Centre, Knowle West Health Park. The idea for the club came from last year’s ‘Santa’s Workshop’ sessions which very popular with local children. Some of the parents expressed a wish that the sessions were more permanent, saying that there was nothing else for the kids to do on a Saturday, and that often they never even went outside because it is felt KW is not really a safe neighbourhood for play. Parents are encouraged to come with their children and take part in the activities if they want to. Have a look in the 'Photo Album' of our website: www.theartofwellbeing.co.uk and see what some of the activities have been so far. Art Club sessions are very popular, so please phone to reserve a place to avoid disappointment. Tel: 377 2256
LOVE OF THE LOFT For resident artists Neil Bromwich and Zoe Walker, Knowle West is a location that seems to rest somewhere between town and country, sorrow and joy, past and present. They have found that inner city turmoil slips seamlessly into rural tranquility, and back again. An exhibition of their work - commissioned as part of The Art of Wellbeing project at Knowle West Health Park in conjunction with the Knowle West Media Centre is currently being shown at the Art Gym, Hengrove Community Arts College until 2nd April.
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This exhibition draws on a particular mood unique to this place and its people. Shakehead - pictured right
On Friday January 30th Staff at the Health Park and local residents met artists in residence and had their say about the artists’ proposals for public art commissions. Michael Pinsky, Benedict Phillips, and Elpida Hadzi Vasileva discussed their ideas: a light beacon that pulses to a heart beat, an installation of photographs of medicinal plants and 'Life Cycle' (picture above). The event was held in the Cafe where there is currently an exhibition by Karen Brett called 'Waiting Room Photographs'. The event was good fun, and there was a good turnout. People were asked to comment on the proposals, and we got some really positive feedback as well as some very good ideas for future projects.
NATURAL HIGH Toby Hubble of the Knowle West Eye (photography club for young people) has won a competition organised through the Bristol Evening Post by FRANK - a home office initiative to keep kids away from drugs. The theme was "This is my high - an alternative to drugs and alcohol". Nancy Castle of KW Eye said, “We talked about the theme and issues, and then went and took pics. A day out at Ashton Court produced, bright sunny pictures of play, laughter, horse riding and rolling down hills. A group member also took shots at home of friends using computer games.” One of Toby’s pictures of kids skateboarding was awarded first prize. He was presented with
a brand new SLR camera and will soon spend a day at work with an Evening Post photographer. Well done Toby!
ARCHIMEDIA PROJECT AT KWMC Archimedia comes from the words ‘Architecture’ and ‘Media’. The Archimedia Project is a plan to demolish the current Leinster House building (old William Budd Centre) and design and build a new flagship Media Centre in its place. Working closely with the Knowle West Media Centre and the Knowle West Development
Trust, the Archimedia Project will deliver a new building over the next 18 months. Space will be provided for the Media Centre and other related businesses. Central to the aims of the Archimedia Project is the inclusion of young people in every step of the redevelopment process. We are currently looking to recruit a core group of young people called the ‘Archimedia Group’ who will inform, steer and be involved in all aspects of the design and build process. If you are interested in finding out more about the Archimedia Project or are a young person interested in Architecture and Media then contact the Archimedia office at the Knowle West Media Centre, call 0117 377 3161 or e-mail us at archimedia@kwmc.co.uk We’d love to hear from you.
DROP-IN DAY Knowle West residents are invited to a ‘Drop-in and Learn Day’ on Friday 17th March 10am-3pm. Find out how to: • • • • • • •
photocopy scan a picture design a leaflet write an article of news edit text send a fax email
For every skill learnt, you will receive a certificate!
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ACHIEVEMENT OFSTED COMES TO HENGROVE The schools’ inspectors, Ofsted visited Hengrove Community Arts College (HCAC) at the end of the autumn term. There has been a lot of press coverage, and some of it quite negative. Here are some of the of the positives:
H ee nn gg rroo vv ee ’’ ss ss tt rree nn gg tt hh ss :: H • • • •
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Good strategic leadership by new Head Teacher. 49% of teaching and learning is “good” or “very good”. Good provision for Special Educational Needs. Positive attitudes to learning and good strong relationships between teachers and students. Improvements have been made to atten dance and punctuality. Most students do well in some, if not all, of their subjects. Specialist Arts College status is a valuable development.
A rree aa ss ff oo rr ii m A mpp rr oo vvee m m ee nn tt:: • • • • • • •
Attitude to learning and behaviour of some students. Management of pupil behaviour. Literacy, numeracy, oracy and social skills. Increased proportion of effective teaching and learning. Attendance and punctuality. Improved management at all levels. Increased breadth and standards of cur riculum for the new joint sixth form with Brislington School.
W hh aa tt w W waa ss O O ff ss tt ee dd ’’ ss ccoo nn ccll uu ss ii oo nn ?? Hengrove has been placed in special measures so that we can continue to be supported by both Ofsted and the LEA to make important improvements. This means we will be looking to: 1. Produce an action plan by March. 2. Identify main issues for improvement and focus on these. 3. Involve students, parents and the wider community in this process of improvement. 4. Use the experiences of other schools to help us. Ofsted also recommend that parents’ help and the help of the community are of paramount importance in continuing to raise attendance. If you have any queries about what Ofsted’s report will mean for Hengrove, or if you wish to join us as a partner in our action plan to improve learning outcomes and opportunities for the students at Hengrove, please contact us on 0117 3772800 or 07967 808442.
HENGROVE COMMUNITY ARTS COLLEGE NEWS School and Family Link Worker: Knowle West students and parents at Hengrove Community Arts College have today been interviewing short-listed candidates for the post of School & Family Link Worker (S&FLW), funded by Neighbourhood Renewal. In the next Newsletter the successful applicant will introduce themselves.
II m mp p rr o ovv ii nn gg AA tttt ee nn dd aa nn cc ee :: The School & Family Link Worker will support students and their parents/carers and families
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to improve attendance and the school and the results that our students achieve.
TT hh ee BB ii gg BB rree aa kkff aa ss tt C C ll uu bb :: This is open to all students at the school 8.00am-8.30am. A breakfast costs just 50p and gives the students a chance to meet friends, catch up on news and have a good start to the day. EE xx aa m m FF ee vvee rr:: Year 11 students are now in their final countdown to GCSE exams – just 14 weeks to go! With your support, lots of fun and some hard work they can achieve success.
ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR LOCAL FOCAL VOCAL Ted Bowden, Chair of the Inns Court Residents Association describes some of the issues raised at their meeting on 3 December, where the focus was on antisocial behaviour.
they will listen to any problem or complaint. This seems to contradict the claim that if you phone Crimestoppers, you do not have to leave your name and address!
“The meeting was quite well attended with a mixture of tenants and home owners. We were pleased and very pleasantly surprised with the meeting… surprised at the limitations of the Police and Council Officers, but when things were weighed up between the two a lot could be achieved.
“We were then spoken to by a lady from Education Welfare who opened our eyes to facts previously unknown about truancy, exclusion, and students on part time education.
“Inspector Matt Ayres wanted to promote Crimestoppers. In response, someone questioned the attitude of the Switchboard personnel insisting on having names and addresses before
“Glyn Bidwell, who arranged the Forum gave an excellent presentation and needs and deserves all the support of the estate and has the backing of the Inns Court Residents Association. “Because of changes in the law and new legislation we will be having an update meeting sometime in the new year, date to be announced.”
AIRWAVE SECURE POLICING All 262 police officers in South Bristol are now using the new high-tech radio system called Airwave - and it is brilliant! The state of the art digital technology provides clarity of calls and can be used as a police communication device and a phone. But the biggest benefit is that it is totally safe and secure. Being a fully encrypted system, no-one will ever be able to break the code. Unless, they have access to a space satellite and the biggest computer in the world. (So they tell me!) As a result all your calls to the police and all our information passed over the "airwaves" is completely safe and confidential. Local criminals have complained since January, “My scanner is kn******d, I've had to throw it away". One offender even went down to a well-known catalogue shop in Bedminster to buy a new one - just to find that it too wouldn't work. So the new system does work and is 100% safe. What if a radio is lost or nicked? Simple. At the touch of a button we can either:
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stun the Airwave set so that it cannot be used until found by the police officer kill the Airwave set so that it can never be used again.
I have even heard rumours that local criminals have offered to pay a bounty of £3000 to get hold of a set. If they ever get their hands on one, they will be disappointed and will have lost their money, as the radio will have already been killed. So what now? The police communication network is completely safe - so you must trust it and make those calls about local crime issues and offenders. The criminals will never know, or be able to find out, so be brave and make that call.
RR ii nn gg C Crr ii m mee ss ttoo pppp eerr ss oo nn 0 08 80 00 05 55 55 51 11 11 1 .. Thanks to those of you since September's Crimestoppers initiative who have called. We have managed to quadruple the amount of calls and criminal intelligence on Knowle West as a result. You may also be entitled to a financial reward! II n n sspp ee cc tt oo rr M M aa tt tt AA yy rr ee ss
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NEW FACES
FF rroo m m ll ee ff tt ttoo rr ii gg hh tt :: AnneMarie Baber - IRIS Sue Woodford - IRIS Jade Cooper - IRIS Miles Ford - Archimedia Denise Buchan - NR Facilitator
MARKET UPDATE
THANK YOU.........
Residents may have seen John & Anne around the estate, collecting information with questionnaires. Feedback seems very positive with the majority of the community in favour of having a Community Market in Knowle. Early signs are favouring Filwood Broadway and The Park as the two most popular places to locate the market. John and Anne said, “Thanks to everyone that took the time to stop and complete a questionnaire.”
Mr Gill at Newquay Street stores wants to say a big thankyou to the Streetwardens for all their help and hard work.
All articles express the views of individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Neighbourhood Renewal Steering Group. The Bristol Objective 2 programme is part financed by European Community (ERDF)
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THANKS TO.................... The Neighbourhood Renewal Participation Group: Anita Pearce, Sister Joanna, Margaret Jordan, Denise Britt, Joyce Jenkins, Ann Smith Tracey Poole, Heather Barham, and Hannah Morgan NR… NR Manager Keith Houghton. Jo Hansford and Sandra Manson for photos All at KWMC, who facilitate the production of this newsletter Editor: Barbara Benson projects@kwmc.co.uk Design: Rowena Dugdale mail@rowenadugdale.com