ISSUE 14 DECEMBER 2004
YOUR NEWSLETTER Welcome to Issue 14 of the Newsletter. We have plenty to cheer about in this edition - a new nursery, new shops and developments at Filwood Broadway, lots of great youth projects, and progress towards developing the Mede and Eagle House - not forgetting the cracking Christmas lights on display in Knowle West. The future of the Warden Service is not such great news (see page 4); we’ll be keeping you up to date with all developments about this vital and highly rated service as this eventful year comes to an end and we move into 2005.
A Very Happy Christmas to you from all at Neighbourhood Renewal and the Newsletter Team Please contact the editorial group through: Anita Pearce, NR Steering Group, Filwood Community Centre, Knowle West Tel: 0117 908 4248 Front cover: (top) New nursery for Knowle West - article opposite (on page 3). (bottom) Christmas lights (page 4).
HEARTS AND STARS AWARDS This year’s Hearts and Stars Awards, which recognises the achievement of local volunteers in the community, was held on Saturday 13 November at Filwood Community Centre. Peter Rowell from HTV was on hand to present the award winners with Bristol Blue Glass, and party frocks, bow ties, flowers and balloons helped make this night a very special occasion. Well done to everyone who was nominated for this year’s awards and thank you for your hard work and dedication to the local community. Thankyou to all the local shopkeepers for the donations of goods received for raffle prizes. Thanks also to the wardens for collecting them.
The 2004 Award Winners were: Georgina Baber Best Neighbour Carol Casey People’s Choice A v r i l M a r s h a l l (VISION) Non-resident A n n P e a r c e (KWADS) Newcomer D e e L l o y d (Healthy Living Centre) Newcomer Knowle West Health Association Best Group Z o e L l o y d (Art of Wellbeing) Young Person Filwood Hope Team Churches A g n e s H u n t (Health & Wellbeing) Senior Citizen Rose Manning Outstanding Achievement Floss Moulton Lifetime Achievement
Pictured clockwise from top left: Filwood Hope Team, Floss Moulton, Zoe Lloyd and Rose Manning..
BLOOMING LOVELY Artist Benedict Phillips has recently completed his installation '23 Hrs' at the Health Park. The work is sited in the foyer of the NHS WalkIn Centre and is made up of images of flowers and plants collected in the Health Park by members of the Healthy Walking Group last spring. We are inviting everyone to the Health Park to have a look and let us know what you think about it. There is a comments book in reception. While you're there, stop for lunch or a cup of tea in the WalkIn Cafe!
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NEIGHBOURHOOD NURSERY OPEN! Knowle West’s new Neighbourhood Nursery officially launched in October with an Open Day, giving local parents and children a chance to visit the nursery and meet other families. Based at “The Park” on Daventry Road, it offers local parents quality affordable childcare. Thanks to the hard work of local parents with the support of Sure Start, the nursery’s opening has brought their long term dreams of a nursery in Knowle West into reality.
child is recognised as a unique individual, and encouraged to respect themselves and others. The nursery is fully accessible by disabled people and caters for children with special educational needs who are made very welcome and are integrated into the nursery’s activities.
The nursery is registered to provide care and education for 36 children from 3 months to 4 years. All day, morning-only and afternoon-only sessions are available full-time and part-time. Fees are £15 a session. Discounts and priority for places are available for local residents. At Knowle West Neighbourhood Nursery, each
Being at The Park means that the nursery is at the heart of the local community. A strong and active committee of parents work alongside Sure Start and nursery staff to manage and guide it. Places are currently available across all age groups. Please contact Jackie Window on (0117) 377 3665 for more information about Knowle West Neighbourhood Nursery or drop in and have a look around.
MOSAIC MAGIC Young People from Hengrove Learning Support Unit have just completed a wonderful work of art to celebrate the opening of the new Neighbourhood Nursery. Funded by the Police, the youngsters created the mosaic at the Revolving Door project at The Park and the work is now in place at the front of the nursery for all to enjoy.
KNOWLE WEST HEALTHY WALKING GROUP - KARRON’S STORY another who has had two heart attacks, I gave up smoking. I wanted to walk for my health and as I suffer with arthritis and blood pressure and was concerned about gaining weight, I didn’t want to walk alone, so I went along to the Knowle West Healthy Walking group. I enjoyed my first walk as everyone was so friendly and I immediately signed up for a ‘Walk Leader’ and ‘Heart Start’ course, both were very interesting and I learnt a lot. I now help with the 1 Heart (under 1 mile) and 2 Heart (1-2 miles) walks. I also co-ordinate and help lead the 3+ mile walks.
Hi, I’m Karron, I was 50 this year, I have lived in Knowle West for 32 years and have brought up five children. Because of losing one sister to cancer, one recovering from lung cancer and
Although initially I joined the group for my health, I am now finding the social side important. It’s good for the mind, soul and body and I couldn’t imagine my life now without my weekly walks with a great group of people. So if you also live in Knowle West and want to walk while enjoying the company of like minded people, come along and join us, we would love to see you. K a r r o n C h a p l i n For details of walks please contact Cheryl Martin, Health Walks Worker Tel: 377 3461
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NEIGHBOURHOOD RENEWAL WHAT’S HAPPENING TO THE STREET WARDENS? You may have heard rumours about problems with the Warden’s funding? You may even have signed one of the petitions which have been put around campaigning to keep the Wardens. Bristol City Council and Safer Bristol have decided they cannot provide any funding to continue Warden services in Bristol after March 2005. Knowle West Street Wardens, like similar schemes in St Pauls, Easton and Eastville, are only funded up to the end of March 2005 by a combination of central government money (from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister); European funding (called Objective 2 funding) and Neighbourhood Renewal. The government funding ends in March next year. The main hope of all these schemes was that Bristol City Council and Safer Bristol would pick up this funding to turn the service from a short-term project into a service funded from mainstream budgets. But Bristol City Council and Safer Bristol do not think they can afford the long-term costs of the warden schemes that are now operating in the city. There are 5 others, besides the one in Knowle West, and together they cost £1.2 million a year. Given that the city has a large overspend in its Social Services, the only way of meeting the costs of the Warden services as they now run would be to raise Council Tax. There was the possibility that a funding package might be put together by Bristol City Council to pay for a smaller Warden Scheme which would have kept the current services going in Knowle West, St Pauls, Easton and Eastville during 2005/6, but on a reduced level. This would have cut the warden numbers in Knowle West but the decision has now been taken that this would leave a service that could not be effective. Police Community Support Officers: the future? Bristol City Council is now looking to Police Community Support Officers as a way of taking forward some of the work which Street Wardens have done. Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs for short) are employed by the police service, wear uniforms and have some of the same powers as regular police officers. Avon and Somerset Police are seeking funding from the Home
Office to employ a further 18 PCSOs and it is likely they would want to put them into Knowle West, St Pauls, Easton and Eastville. This may happen sometime in 2005. No consultation has yet taken place on how PCSOs will work in Knowle West or how they might be able to take on some of the work of the Wardens, where possible. PCSOs are not the same service, being police-based. A major question will be what sort of community control and input will Knowle West have over the way the PCSOs work? At present, of course, there is a steering group with resident membership which advises the Street Wardens. Hartcliffe and Withywood residents recently were offered the choice of whether they would like Street Wardens or PCSOs to help them deal with anti-social behaviour, community re-assurance etc. They chose PCSOs. Their new PCSO service has now started and has been well received. Knowle West Development Trust The Wardens Service has been set up and developed by Knowle West Development Trust. The new Trust Board only heard on Tuesday 30th November that Bristol City Council will not be funding the service in 2005/6. The Board is now committed to doing all it possibly can to find funding so it can continue the service next year. Knowle West residents having a say on the future Neighbourhood Renewal has been funding the Street Wardens scheme for several years and we have held some funding in reserve to fund them in 2005/6 because we knew this would be a difficult year for the service. The NR Partnership has been working to support the Wardens Scheme and they will continue to talk with Knowle West Development Trust and Bristol City Council to explore ways forward for the service. The Partnership wants to see local people have their say in the future of services and we are arranging a public meeting about the future of the Street Wardens and PCSO services in early January 2005. Look out for flyers and posters advertising it. K e i t h H o u g h t o n NR Project Manager
Telephone: 0117 9084250 keithhoughton.nr@knowlewest.co.uk
FESTIVE KNOWLE WEST PUTS BROADMEAD IN THE SHADE!
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Well, that’s our opinion – from giant snowman families to waving santas and flying reindeer, Knowle West has put on a great show this year! Neighbourhood Renewal is once again holding its ‘Best Dressed House’ competition and the Street Wardens will have the task of choosing the winner. If you have any favourites – please let us know. Prize winners to be announced in the next issue.
Building Communities Working together for the future of Filwood Broadway The first phase of work on the Building Communities Project for Filwood Broadway is about to get underway with the appointment of the Building Communities Project Manager and Resident Representative elections to the Project Board. Resident Rep Elections Three places are available on the Project Board for residents of Knowle West. It is anticipated that elections will take place in mid to late February 2005, so that a full Board will be in place by the 17th March meeting. What will you have to do… Resident Representatives will be expected to commit to a minimum of 8 hours per month, which will roughly break down as 2 hours reading paperwork and 6 hours attending regular monthly meetings The Project Board currently meet every 2 months although there is a possibility that this will increase to every month. All resident representatives will be expected to attend these meetings. It will be strongly recommended that Resident Reps attend ‘pre-board’ meetings, as they will be an opportunity to go over Project Board paperwork and discuss options with fellow reps. If a rep cannot make a pre-meeting they must make themselves available for a briefing prior to the Board meeting.
In addition, there will be a variety of monthly community meetings that will require resident rep attendance. Decisions about who will attend which meeting will either depend on personal interest or a rota system. The Resident Representatives will work this out when they meet. Who can stand for election? If you are a resident of Knowle West and over the age of 18, you will be eligible for election. Candidates will need to be nominated and seconded by fellow residents and be prepared to represent the estate as a whole – not only personal or organisational interests. How will the election take place… Nomination forms will be available from mid January from Hannah Morgan or Janet Tomlin in the Community Work Office at Filwood Community Centre. Call in or phone on 9531329. A public meeting will be held mid February as an opportunity to find out more about the candidates and the Building Communities Project, followed by an estate wide election. Are you interested? If you are interested or know somebody who you think might be, or would like to find out more information, contact Hannah Morgan in the Community Work Office at Filwood Community Centre. Tel: 9531329.
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ACHIEVEMENT ENTERPRISE IN ACTION AT THE PARK
School children from across the region got the chance to put their bright ideas into action. The students aged 13-16 were taking part in an Enterprise workshop at The Park in Knowle West. The 2-day exercise was run by Young Enterprise as part of National Enterprise week, which aims to educate and inspire young people. Led by business advisors from local companies, the teams of children had to set up a “virtual” company, appoint Directors, design and make a prototype product and finally present their company product to a panel of judges.
After 2 days of intense work the judges found it difficult to decide on a winner and eventually decided a team from Brislington School and a team from Withywood School should share the top prize. Their products, a “touch and feel” baby book and a Mood Board Game impressed the judges with their detail and presentation. Enterprise in Action is the latest in Young Enterprise’s programmes encouraging students to develop what they are good at and become tomorrow’s entrepreneurs.
SCHOOL AND FAMILY LINK WORKERS IN KNOWLE WEST The local primary schools have been successful in a bid to Neighbourhood Renewal to fund 2 new school and family link workers to March 2006. Successful candidates will be supported by Hengrove Community Arts College in the Full Service Extended School and work in local primary schools, adding to the already successful work of existing school and family link workers, Jacky Bloomfield, Trina Wright and Karen Jones. Some of you may also have noticed that Jill Wells has been working on a
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temporary basis in this role since September. New workers will work with families and schools to improve attendance and participation and, in particular, encourage parents or carers of children in reception classes into school for book sharing sessions. We are all very excited at the prospect of these new workers in the area as it is a role valued by families, children and schools alike. We hope to have recruited by Christmas so there should be an update in the next edition.
MYRTLE THEATRE COMPANY AND PROJECT X Myrtle Theatre Company came to Project X in November. The theatre company worked with a group of young people using drama and theatre to explore issues such as growing up, friendships, sexual relationships, what makes them happy and sad and other important areas.
The funders, (The Bristol Teenage Pregnancy Partnership) want to ensure that using drama and theatre is a good way to work with young people and so asked researchers from the University of the West of England to interview the young people taking part and also the Project X staff involved.
The theatre company will write a play on the information gathered which will then be performed to young people across Bristol. It is hoped that by seeing the play and doing drama work with the actors, young people will feel more confident about themselves and be better able to make decisions about their lives, including sex and relationships.
Jayne Dollin, Project X Key Worker and Roselyn Swan, Connexions Worker joined in whilst supervising the young people. Jayne thought the project gave the young people the opportunity to speak freely and honestly about their experiences of sexual health and they enjoyed being able to express themselves, both physically and verbally in a natural way that made them comfortable. Everyone had a lot of fun.
YOUTH MOVES NEWS We have commissioned Wavehill Consultants to do some research for Youth Moves. The report, due in December, will highlight local needs to inform our services. We are also building partnerships with local organisations including Knowle West Media Centre, KWADS, the Harm Reduction Service, and Circomedia so we can offer joint projects and refer young people to the most appropriate organisations. Our youth workers at Hengrove College are working with young people - raising aspirations, helping make the voice of young people at school more representative and effective, and developing a health drop-in. Recent Youth Moves’ off site activities include: a trip to Swindon’s Mela, an introduction to Asian culture, and food; a visit to the Centre for Alternative Technology; donning crash helmets and setting off on mountain bikes; taking to North Devon waters on a fishing boat; riding horses and quad bikes and indoor paint-balling
The Knowle West Trilogy of films, produced by local young people, was screened at Ashton Court Festival where local talented youngsters performed a live Vjaying set to a packed audience and received a raucous reception! The Blackout Arts organisers were so impressed they have invited the group to perform next year. Channel 4 and the Community Channel would also like to screen the films, and Fruitloop, the second film, has been shown at the Times London Film Festival. This is a fantastic achievement and we hope they continue to develop their talents with the detached team, the KWMC and further afield. Finally, CALLING ALL YOUNG PEOPLE: The Youth Forum is heading up the Young People’s Conference. If you would like to be involved on 18th March 2005, please speak to Maggie Thurtell on 0117 908 4244, or email Fiona at fiona@youthmoves.org.uk. For more information please contact Fiona at Youth Moves on 0117 903 9796 or at the email address above.
at Keypits Farm. The summer events ended with an Estate Wide Trip, involving youth centres, Positive Futures and play groups, where approximately 250 local young people and residents enjoyed a day out at Drayton Manor theme park and gardens. A presentation evening recently celebrated the success of the Girl’s Football Scheme - they now have new facilities to continue their success! The refurbishment of the sports facilities at Broad Plain includes redecoration, new flooring and new changing rooms with shower facilities.
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HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Get the balance right? What’s that all about? Well we want to help you to enjoy life and be healthier by doing a little bit more exercise and eating a better diet. Ooops, diet shouldn’t have mentioned THAT word!! What we meant to say was eating healthier foods. THAT word is actually banned in our group because as soon as you mention it your body goes into ‘EAT’ mode!
those foods that you shouldn’t eat quite so frequently and how much you should be eating. At the end of the 12 week programme you may even have lost some weight and tried new foods! So as well as thinking about the food you eat, you will need to think about how much exercise you do, because it’s getting the balance right to keep you fit and healthy without gaining weight.
We have no diet sheet to follow, we want you to decide which foods you want to eat, we will just help you decide which foods are good for you,
The next programme will start Tuesday 1st Feb at the Healthy Living Café 6.45-8pm; a fee of 50p per week; there is also a free crèche available.
BABY MASSAGE Dear Reader, my name is Sue Cripps. I am the Midwife with Sure Start. I have recently been on a 4 day infant massage course in Lawrence Weston. I now offer a weekly session to teach you to massage your baby every Tuesday starting at 1.30pm. Here are some common questions people ask about Baby massage. What does it do? Baby massage is really easy to learn. It’s fun to do and it’s really healthy for your baby. Baby massage helps relieve colic, wind and constipation. It also helps circulation and relaxation. Where is it held? You don’t have to book to come to my sessions, just turn up. If you are a sure start member it’s
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in the ‘What’s On’. It’s in The PAL house at The Park every Tuesday starting at 1.30pm. Do I have to bring anything? An old towel and your own oil if you have got some, but I can provide you with some anyway. How old does my baby have to be? From new born to six months is ideal. You can massage your toddler but it’s harder when they are moving! Please give it a try. If you want a crèche for any other children we can provide one at the Neighbourhood Nursery. BUT you must book a place in advance by ringing our office on 0117 903 9781 and ask for Carly Britton. Any other information call me Sue on 0777 1998243. You can’t have a crèche place without booking it in advance.
COMMUNITY CLEO - COMMUNITY LINKS FOR EX-OFFENDERS We help with “Anything and everything as long as it’s legal” so Andy Brown, (pictured right), Project Director describes the work of CLEO. Started by Andy in September 1998, the CLEO project is an independent, self-funding project which has worked with over 450 clients. Clients are offenders and ex-offenders from the BS4 and BS13 areas who volunteer to be part of the project, all help and support received being client led. The CLEO project also works with offenders’ families and carers. Help has included: Informing parents of visiting rights and helping arrange this Sorting out tenancy problems Employment training Contacting family members on behalf of clients Addiction Support Client comments on the CLEO project include: “I could not have managed this year without this project, it kept me afloat” CLEO client “Thank you for your quick response, effort and help at this very difficult period” Brother of CLEO Client “Work undertaken in this area is excellent. Pity you cannot cover a wider area” Malcolm Turner, Bridging the Gap Support varies from one-off requests to ongoing support over a number of years – people come and go according to their need. CLEO also offers ‘Disclosing Safely’ workshops to organisations and agencies to help promote a realistic and positive view of the contribution which offenders and ex-offenders can make to the workforce.
Andy regularly visits a group of Knowle West clients in Eastwood Park Prison. Andy says “They really enjoy reading the KW Newsletter and catching up on local news and events, and it would be great to see people from Knowle West visiting clients here to help strengthen their links with the community.” He adds “It would be of real benefit to have a dedicated worker in Knowle West to support clients in the BS4 area.” Andy’s vision for the CLEO project is “A purpose built centre to cater for all the needs that an offender may have to prevent them re-offending and encourage a positive and sustainable lifestyle.” He and his co-workers are determined that this vision will become reality within the next few years. If you would like to find out more about the CLEO project, for help and support or to offer some time as a volunteer worker, contact Andy Brown on 902 0340, email: cleoproject@yahoo.co.uk The CLEO project is based at The Gatehouse Centre, Harelive Road, Bristol.
KWDT LOOKS TO THE FUTURE A difficult year for Knowle West Development Trust has ended in a positive manner. The AGM, held on 28th October, was successful in attracting six new board members (although six existing members also stood down); over fifty local people attended, and the meeting, although lively and feisty, was a big success. Another positive for the Trust, as the year ends, are the findings of a wide-ranging organisational review. This comprehensive review was undertaken by independent external consultants, GVA Grimley. Whilst largely positive about the Trust and its role, it has also highlighted certain weaknesses and has provided a number of recommendations for improving its management and accountability. The review states that documents governing the organisation are lacking clarity; management arrangements, policies and procedures are in need of updating; and the organisation, whilst retaining a central role in regeneration delivery in Knowle West, needs to be aware that the regeneration environment is evolving, and needs to be certain what its role in this evolution should be.
Central to the future development of the Trust should be a ‘visioning exercise’, through which the Trust will seek to clarify its future role in relation to its members, the Knowle West community, and its partners, including the council. An important part of this clarification will be to become an organisation that clearly articulates and shares its purpose. The Trust has, on occasions, failed to be associated with its successes, while its problems have attained a high profile in the local community. On the positive side the review also stated that the Trust provides a very valuable role to the Knowle West community, has strong financial procedures and a strong staff team. The challenge now is to implement the review findings to ensure that the Trust develops positively over the coming year. The Trust will be calling on the people of Knowle West to assist in the future development of this valuable community organisation.
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COMMUNITY CHARITY EVENT FOR LOCAL MAN
MEDE APPOINTMENT
Well done to Phil Charles, Frankie Johns and friends for all the effort and hard work that was put into a memorial event held for Terry Hooper, a very popular local man who passed away recently.
Local consultant Maria Clarke has recently been appointed by both the Mede Centre in Inns Court and Eagle House Community Association.
The charity event was held at Filwood Community Centre on Sunday 21st November and raised £4,000 for children suffering from cancer.
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS Knowle West Churches Together Family Carol Concert will be held on Monday 20th December at 7pm in the hall at Filwood Community Centre. Mince pies to follow! All welcome to come and enjoy.
TOTSHOP A trading space run by Sure Start volunteers. For used children’s clothes, toys and accessories plus crafts and more! On Fridays 9.30-11am at Sure Start training room, The Park, Daventry Road. Come along and have a browse! If you have clothes your children have outgrown or things you no longer need, don’t let them clutter up your home! At ‘Totshop’ we always welcome donations!
She will be assisting the Mede to come up with a five year business plan, and has already started work meeting with the centre’s Management Committee. Next stop is to meet up with all users of the Mede, to find out how local people would like to see the centre develop. Eagle House has been self sustaining for years, but the committee has never managed to access any regeneration funding. In the association’s 15 year history they have raised their own revenue through bar takings and loans. But Eagle House would like to branch out more into the community, join forces with the Youth Centre and make a better use of their available space. Maria will be working with the committee to help them achieve this. Look out for consultation events at both centres in the near future. Anita Pearce, Chair of Eagle House Community Association said, “It’s good that something is starting to happen, it’s great that we’ve got somebody now to gather up all the threads for us. Hopefully this will lead to funding being brought into the Newquay Road end”. Paul Jenkings, Chair of The Mede Centre added “We are delighted to have Maria working on a project to help us continue our service provision and explore further opportunities for the residents of Inns Court”.
NEW SHOPS AT FILWOOD BROADWAY If you go down to Filwood Broadway today you’re sure to get a surprise… As well as longstanding shops such as the hairdressers ‘Head to Head’ and ‘Broadway Butchers’, four new shops have recently opened to offer locals a wider choice of goods and give this area a well needed boost. Knitting, sewing and crafts are all catered for at ‘Sew 4 Fun’. Shop Manager Alison Bebbington says that they aim to offer “an old fashioned service catering for individual needs”. They are hoping to set up work clubs where locals can come and learn new skills or get a little help to complete that ‘unfinished project’. ‘All Occasions Florists and Bargain Gifts’ sells fresh and silk flowers, bargain toys, gifts and clothing. Weddings, birthdays, christenings and funerals are all catered for and free local delivery is offered for flowers and bouquets.
The ‘General Store’ offers a range of foodstuffs, pet food and accessories; “a bit of everything” says Store Manager Jean Gingell who adds that she has had lots of local support since opening. For fresh bread, cakes and pastries, hot pasties, sandwiches and drinks, head down to ‘The Crusty Cob’. Shop Manager, Michael John Smith says that business is “going really well so far.” While you are there you could always get a quick haircut at ‘Head to Head’ stock up for Sunday lunch at ‘Broadway Butchers’, pick up your winter remedies at the ‘Pharmacy’ before stopping for a tasty lunch at ‘The Broadway Café’ or a bag of chips at ‘The Mayfair’.
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Supporting your local shops keeps businesses in the area, encourages new investment and helps keep crime figures down.
POLICE, CRIME & SECURITY TREE DAMAGE The upside down tree that formed part of the art installation ‘Life Cycle’ at Knowle West Health Park has had to be removed due to damage by vandals. Life Cycle has stimulated debate about public art and the role of the arts in health and well-being; it received a lot of support from people who came to see it although it wasn’t universally accepted. The piece was initially funded through an arts grant and we are going to work very hard to raise the money (approx. £5,000) to have the tree re-installed. Any contributions will be gratefully acknowledged. A n n i e B e a r d s l e y , Art of Well-Being
NUISANCE MOTORCYCLES Most of you will have seen motorcycles being ridden by youths in a dangerous manner through parks, on footpaths and on waste ground. South Bristol Police have an on going initiative called operation ‘BIKER’. It is an attempt to stem this annoying and sometimes dangerous activity. This initiative involves the seizure of motorbikes that we can evidence as having been used in incidents of “nuisance”. We are powerless without your help. If you see a motorbike being ridden in a park, on a foot path or in some other dangerous manner, please
take a moment to jot down the registration number there and then. If you have not got a pen with you, you could type it into your mobile phone. If it has no registration, please write down a description of the bike, colour, make, anything distinct about it and if possible a description of the rider, age, clothing etc. Without this information it is very difficult to prove the connection between the bikes and the way it has been ridden. If you pass this information to the Police at Broadbury Road Police Station or phone Crimestoppers free on 0800 555 111, we then stand a better chance of being able to seize the bike. Please help us to help you.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH - WHAT’S ALL THAT ABOUT? Neighbourhood Watch is one of the biggest and most successful Crime Reduction Initiatives ever. It works on a simple idea of getting together with Neighbours to help reduce crime and the opportunities for crime. In addition Neighbourhood Watches help and reassure the elderly and vulnerable in the area and encourage closer communities. How do schemes start? Each scheme is usually led by a volunteer co-ordinator who acts as liaison between residents and the Police. In addition it is helpful to have a contact person for every 6 – 10 houses. Residents need to be canvassed for their support for a scheme. Once this has been gained, a ‘set-up’ meeting will be arranged with Residents and the Beat Manager to discuss local issues. Schemes are self-financing, there are very minimal costs involved. What positive things can schemes do? They can target local crime problems and take action as a group to prevent them. They remind residents to be vigilant and encourage security awareness. They improve communication between police and residents and encourage neighbours to look out for each other. What are the advantages of being in a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme? Residents feel more secure knowing neighbours are keeping an eye on their property. You will become familiar with crime reduction ideas,
which will help keep your home and belongings safe. Schemes keep in close touch with local beat managers to share information and advice. Street signs are an additional visual deterrent to crime in the area. There are opportunities to benefit from cheaper house insurance if you live in a Neighbourhood Watch area. Coordinators also receive newsletters and are invited to attend regular 6 monthly meetings with their local Sector Inspector. How can I set up a scheme? If you would like more information, please contact without obligation your Neighbourhood Watch Administrator for South Bristol: - Jean Slater, c/o Broadbury Road Police Station, Knowle, Bristol BS4 1JT. Telephone: - 0117 9455438.
FREE LIGHT BULBS! 1 free box of 4 energy saving light bulbs per house if you are claiming benefits. Distribution from the Kabin, Filwood Broadway and also by the Street Warden Team. Don’t miss out!
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NEW FACES
Maria Clarke
Jan Winter
New at Mede
KW Health Park Manager
From left: Sue Hopkins, Pauline King, Joy Pollard, Alan Mogg. New board of KWDT.
CAROL, ROSE AND DENISE - THANK YOU
Following a difficult year in the life of the Knowle West community we have to say a very sad farewell to three women who between them have clocked up over fifty years of voluntary work in Knowle West. Rose Manning, Denise Britt and Carol Casey have decided to withdraw from the boards of the various organisations for which they worked. They are still very much involved in other community projects. We wanted to take this opportunity to thank Rose, Denise and Carol for all the hard work, time and effort, freely given, to help this community achieve its potential. Rose Manning Following on from last year's ‘Life Long Achievement’ award, Rose has won the ‘Outstanding Achievement’ award at the recent Hearts and Stars Awards. Rose has worked in the community for over 30 years, and has been involved in voluntary projects that have benefited all aspects of the community. She spent 22 years working with the Scouts movement, experiences ranged from camping activities, district sports and swimming galas, community clean up competitions, football teams and tournaments. She has been involved with Neighbourhood Renewal from the beginning, was a founding member and is still involved with the Mede Sprint bus and raised money for the community through the ‘Did You Know’ group. Rose and Carol fought hard to get the money from the sale of Filwood Playing fields back into Knowle West through the ‘Endowment Fund’, this brought more money into the community than any other voluntary initiative and has benefited many projects. These are just some of the areas that Rose has been involved in over the years.
Denise Britt Denise’s involvement with the community has spanned 12 years. She is still Chair of the Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership and is heavily involved in areas such as Achievement and Antisocial Behaviour. Denise was one of the founding mothers who helped set up KWADS, now celebrating its 10th year, and she still works as a volunteer for this organisation. She is involved with the Healthy Living Centre and organises the Hearts and Stars Awards. Working as a volunteer, Denise has had the chance to travel widely as a representative of her community; from visiting drug agencies and rehabilitation projects in Chicago and Glasgow to sharing experiences with women on the peace line in the Falls Road area of N Ireland. Denise says these experiences have “given me a lease of life, something worth getting up for because I’m working for my community.” Carol Casey Carol has also spent the last 12 years working for her community. She was a founding member of the Drug Forum which recently funded the new Shared Care Worker at Bristol Drugs Project and together with Rose, helped establish the community bus, the Mede Sprint. Carol is still Chair of the Health Association and is on the Health Park Steering Group. Previously she has offered support to drug addicts in her own home, worked voluntarily as a domestic health worker and met Tony Blair to raise awareness of policing and health care on the estate. Carol admits that it is both enjoyable and stressful being a volunteer and she would like to see more support from the council for volunteers. “I enjoy what I do, knowing at the end of the day you might have helped someone, it’s good to fight for local people so that their voices are heard.”
A heartfelt thank you to these women who have given so much of themselves to the Knowle West community.
THANKS TO................ The Bristol Objective 2 programme is part financed by European Community (ERDF)
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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 Manager Keith Houghton. Jo Hansford and Royston Smith for photos All at KWMC, who facilitate the production of this newsletter Editor: Jackie Liddle newsletter@kwmc.co.uk Design: Rowena Dugdale mail@rowenadugdale.com All articles express the views of individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Neighbourhood Renewal Steering Group.