Knowle West Newsletter
Issue 2 Spring 2002
Your Newsletter
This is the second edition of Knowle West Newsletter. We’ve responded to your feedback on the first edition. You said the type was too small - so we’ve made it bigger. You said the format was too big - so we’ve made it smaller and easier to handle. You said you didn’t like the colours - so we’ve changed them. Hope you like the new look! We welcome your comments on this edition. It’s your newsletter – so send in your ideas for articles, competitions, drawings and photos to: Neighbourhood Renewal Steering C/o Knowle West Media Project Leinster House Leinster Avenue Knowle West Bristol BS4 1NL
LOVE YOURSELF......AND KEEP HEALTHY The Knowle West Healthy Living Centre was officially opened on Valentines Day 14 February 2002, with a message of “love yourself…. and keep healthy”. The Centre provides a range of stress busting services, which include Counselling, Advice and Advocacy and Complementary Therapy. Over 600 local people came along to the Health Park’s Walk-in Centre, which is the main base for the healthy living services, to find out more and try out the new services. They were also thoroughly entertained by the many local acts performing on the day. The centre is the result of thorough local consultation. Many people saw stress as a major cause of illness in Knowle West. They felt that these stress-busting services like the ones in the new centre, would go a long way to tackling the causes of stress. “We were so pleased so many local people came to celebrate the opening of the new Healthy Living Centre”, said Sue Partridge, the Healthy Living Centre Co-ordinator. “Our health is affected by lots of different aspects of our lives, and healthy living includes taking time to de-stress and look after ourselves. We want the Knowle West Healthy Living Centre to be somewhere where local people know they can turn to, to get help to relax and tackle the parts of their lives
that they know are having a bad effect on their health.” Indeed many local people are already using the services, visiting them not just at the Health Park, but also in other parts of Knowle West including the Mede Community Centre, the Education Park and Filwood Hope. The National Lotteries’ New Opportunities Fund has made a major contribution to funding of the centre. They have also invested in the Healthy Living Café, which is due to open on the Health Park in July. To find out more or make a booking, telephone 903 0000. All services are free to residents of Knowle West. Mark Baker Health Park Manager
What's Happening At The Park? Have you been down to The Park recently? Whether you’re into gardening or basketball, furniture restoration or performing arts, The Park is where it’s at. The former Merrywood School is still packed with learners, but now they include older as well as younger students. As soon as you walk in the door, you’ll notice the relaxed atmosphere of The Park. From first thing until 10.00 pm, the Park Café is busy. You can grab a coffee or a bite to eat; you can use the free computers in the reception area to look up things on the internet; and you can get information about what’s on in Knowle. Other facilities include conference rooms, sports halls and a new sound recording studio, all of which are there for the benefit of local people. Bristol Community Education runs vocational and traditional ‘evening’ courses that cover anything from Aircraft maintenance to Yoga. Whether you want to learn job-related skills, or catch up on learning that you’ve missed out in life, all courses are free if you have a BS4 postcode. Thanks to a Government-funded initiative called UKonline, there’s also a brand new learning centre at The Park. It’s called the digital media room – ‘digi room’ for short. This is a suite of high-performance computers that are dedicated to building links between the new technologies such as video, music and the internet. You can learn how to shoot a video, then edit it to produce a professional-quality film. You can record your own music, mix it, edit it, then burn your own CDs. And you can explore how to make interactive web pages for your community organisation that really do sing and dance! Whatever your age, you’re welcome at the ‘digi room’. So come on down to The Park today – you’re sure of a big surprise! Jony Russell If your group is in need of accommodation, there will be space at The Park, Daventry Road from early 2003. Contact: Clive Harry or Helen Hooper on 903 9770 Broadway Performing Arts Company The company has just celebrated its second birthday. There are around 100 students in the company, aged 9 – 19. We run two groups - Tuesdays 5.30 – 8.30pm and Saturdays 9am - 1pm. We are based at The Park where we have a great rehearsal studio. Each year we put on one major production and five smaller shows, which are performed in the main hall. If you love music, dance and drama we’d love to hear from you – we’re always looking for new members. Call Julie or Su for more information. Julie Churches 0117 903 9777 Su Hopkins 0117 903 9770
Knowle West Media Project KWMP is based at Leinster House We work with local people of all ages using photography, video and multimedia on projects that iam to benefit the community. As well as our project work we provide traineeships and short term work experience placements for local young people. We have been under the umbrella of Knowle West Health Association – many thanks to them for all their support over the last two years – but are now an independent organisation. Over the next year we aim to develop our current projects. These projects include:
Mouth of the South - a newsletter by and for young people that we work on with Knowle West Youth Forum. Safe Routes - a website project with young people that documents routes across the estate and highlights improvements that the young people feel should be made. Brave New World - a project with young disabled people that imagines a more inclusive world. Digital arts and Health Projects - based at Knowle West Health Park. We want to work with local people and groups on new projects and videos over the next year – we’re always open to suggestions – get in touch if you think you’d like to work with us , or have any great ideas. As part of our work we will be co-ordinating this newsletter for the Neighbourhood Renewal Steering Group – that means local people write the articles and decide what goes in the newsletter. We are keen to support people who want to get involved – whether learning design and writing skills or taking the photographs. We’re also developing a community website; involving local groups and creating a real network of information and contacts in Knowle West. If you want to know more about KWMP please ring us on 0117 903044 or email us projects@kwmp.org Carolyn Hassan Project Manager Street Wardens are coming to Knowle West Knowle West will soon be recruiting its own team of Street Wardens. These will be a professional group of people who will act as the eyes and ears of the community. Their main focus will be social and environmental issues – spotting trouble; reporting graffiti, rubbish and abandoned cars. They will also act as ‘professional witnesses’ to tackle anti-social behaviour. Based at the Kabin, their visible presence will make people feel safer. They will patrol the Filwood ward and Inns Court between 11am – 10pm, Monday to Friday, working slightly shorter hours at weekends. Eight wardens will be appointed and they will work in 2 groups of 4, going out in pairs on two shifts. Street wardens will receive training from the police and will also be trained in First Aid; Health and Safety; Risk Assessment etc. However, while wardens will become familiar faces in the area; they are not police officers and do not have any powers of arrest. Great care will be taken to appoint people who can command respect and will have the right social skills and sensitivity to deal with day to day problems. Street wardens will be answerable to Knowle Safe’s Manager and a Steering Group made up of local residents. They will also be in regular contact with other services e.g. youth service/education welfare. For more information please contact: Anita Pearce on 9231930 or email knowle.safe@blueyonder.co.uk
BROAD PLAIN FOOTBALL COACHING SCHEME One man’s passion helps young people’s dreams’ One June day in 2001, a police officer looked out of his window over the Broad Plain site and thought, “How can I help the young people of Knowle West make use of this space?” As a keen footballer himself, he thought “Ah, I have contacts with Bristol City Football Club.” Bristol City FC already ran a schools-based scheme that enabled young people to train with Bristol City coaches, while also developing literacy and numeracy skills through additional training at the Bristol City IT Study Centre. His idea was to make the scheme available to the young people of Knowle West, using Broad Plain House Youth Centre. Next, key workers and local people got together to write hundreds of letters to raise funds. Everyone was very exited - it was the first time BCFC had run the scheme outside of schools. Positive press coverage meant businesses were eager to support the idea and soon there was enough money to run a 6-month pilot project. We were also able to improve the football pitches with a clean up and new security fences, plus fencing for the 5 A-side courts. Word was out, and we soon had young people hammering at the door to take part; but there were only 40 places on this first come-first served scheme, with additional places set aside for referrals from local schools and for young people excluded or on the edge of exclusion. Kick Off was in September and 6 months later, young people are still turning up every week. What a sight! The
youngsters are keen to show off their newfound skills and are still learning …the next stage will be to attend a 10-week course at the Bristol City Study IT Centre. The feedback from young people has been brilliant. The scheme for this group has been extended to July 2002. Photo and video documentation of the project will be used to make a CD Romwhich will be sent to prospective funders to access 5-year funding. We are now looking for young people and adult volunteers for the next intake, who will receive training to assist in the long-termprogramme. If you’re interested, call in for an informal chat with coaches Cath, Tommy or Ian. Cath Fisher: Broad Plain House Youth Centre 0117 940 290 Coaching Sessions Tuesdays & Thursdays 4-6pm
Eagle House Gets New Facilities The refurbishment of the 5-aside car-park is the first phase of a longer term vision to develop Eagle House and the Youth Centre into a multi-purpose community centre offering a range of services. A questionnaire sent to residents came back with positive responses to exciting ideas for the community centre - e.g. a garden; job club; community café; arts activities; after school club; health information etc. The next step is to work with an architect from Business in the Community to explore the potential of existing land and buildings. The development of the site has led to visible improvements to the Newquay Road area, which local residents feel has been neglected in the regeneration of Knowle West. The project is a joint partnership between Eagle House Community Association and the Youth Centre, and is well supported by the community. People can see things are getting done and this has really raised morale. Young people are very excited and are arranging football matches on the new pitch, which has attracted a lot of attention since the floodlights were installed. The recent installation of child safety barriers provide a safe pedestrian walkway through the car park to the multi-purpose court when it’s in use. Young people said: "When's it going to be finished?" "Can't wait." "We've been waiting a long time". "It's great". Members of the Over 50s Club said: "It's actually being done". It was an eyesore". "about time something was done". "It's lighter now". "That's much better". "I can leave my car here now instead of getting my son to pick me up". 'Perhaps it will stop the kids getting onto trouble now they have somewhere to go". Anita Pearce For more information please contact: Anita Pearce or Julie Maunder on 0117 9231930
Florence Brown Community School Composting Scheme Florence Brown Community School has been involved in a community composting scheme for several years. Local people and the community caretaker were the principal contributors to the scheme, whereby green waste in the form of hedges, brambles, grass mowings etc. were brought to the site and then processed and composted. The scheme has been so successful we’ve had to buy in the services of an outside contractor. The service was very well supported and so we formed a steering group with representatives from Florence Brown School, Knowle West Development Trust, SITA and the Recycling Consortium to take the project forward. Partnership working has been vital to our success in fundraising; we now have our own machine and vehicle to power and tow it; storage for the vehicle; and are able to employ a worker for up to 3 years to work on the project. From May SITA will carry out a regular collection of green waste, using the local Pathfinder service. After processing, compost will be available to local community green projects and for peoples’ gardens. It will also provide a source of food for worm farming, which will produce a high- grade compost available for sale. The machine and driver will find other work locally to generate income, sustaining the project for the future. We plan to open a resource base for Bristol schools, based on composting and spin-off activities. There is enormous potential for work relating to science and citizenship, subjects that are the government’s current area of focus in schools. We hope that the project will also provide opportunities for work experience for young people and also as a training placement for New Deal. Dick Berry Florence Brown Community School 0117 963 2991
Schools Plus - Knowle West The Knowle West Schools Plus project includes all the schools in the Filwood Park ward: Connaught Primary, Ilminster Ave Primary, The School of Christ the King, Novers Infants, Novers Juniors and Hengrove Secondary. These schools are working closely together to tackle local under-achievehof children, their families and the wider community. There is an identified need to improve academic achievement and other related factors like attendance and the Schools Plus project attempts to impact on these by: extending the school day so that children and their families can be offered an increased range of exciting and challenging Schools Plus activities. supporting each school to collaboratively offer a range of learning opportunities for local families and the wider community, promoting themselves as neighbourhood centres of learning. encouraging schools to play an increasing role in enabling local families to access other services e.g. health, housing, social services on the school sites.
An important part of the project is to engage and involve local people in the shape and format of the learning programmes that will be available in Knowle West to ensure that increased participation is at the very heart of the measure of success. The schools and the School Plus team will work with a range of other agencies active in the area and will encourage the sharing of expertise and good practice. The project has also appointed a parent consultant for each of the participating schools. This local person will act as a link between the schools and the community. The Schools Plus project is being independently evaluated by UWE Faculty of Education in conjunction with
Inperspective, an agency specialising in applied educational research. The evaluation will focus on identifying the key ingredients of success as well as potential barriers to the project’s progress. The evaluation will provide a clear picture of where the schools are accurately measured. Bob Jennings Schools Plus Project
The Bedminster and Knowle Credit Union The closure of the Knowle West Credit Union at the end of last year left many of us feeling rather disappointed. The good news is that it is being replaced with a new Credit Union which is in the process of being registered. It will be larger than the previous one and will cover a wider catchment area, including workers, paid or voluntary who work in Knowle West. The Bedminster and Knowle Credit Union will have its registered office at No. 8 Filwood Broadway and two weekly collections have already begun to take place there on every Tuesday and Friday morning from 10am to 11am. You are welcome to call during these times for more information. The Credit Union belongs to you. Joanna Brennan Credit Union Coordinator 0117 9664854 Knowle West Flyer The Knowle West Flyer has not been in service since November and there have been many rumours around the reasons why. The former manager of the flyer was dismissed from his job for three counts of gross misconduct. He complained to the Employment Tribunal with nine different complaints against the Mede Centre. The Tribunal was heard on Friday 22nd March and after a hearing that lasted all day, every complaint was dismissed. These decisions prove that the Mede Centre acted lawfully and properly in the dismissal of the former manager. No money has been stolen from the Knowle West Flyer, and due to the Mede’s rigorous financial book-keeping, irregularities were found at an early stage and rectified. We are now seeking further funding to get the Flyer on the road again. It has also been claimed that people paid for memebership of the Flyer. This is not true. Books of tickets only were purchased and if anyone would like a refund they can do so by bringing their unused tickets along to the Mede Centre. We will try to resume the Flyer service as soon as we can. Meanwhile, to obtain accurate information about the Flyer you can contact the Mede Centre on 0117 9041220 between 9.30am and 3.30pm. Rose Manning - Chair of The Mede News from KWADs Knowle West Against Drugs is having an Open Day on Wednesday May 1st from 10am. Everyone is welcome to come along to our base at 49-51 Filwood Broadway and see what we do. We’re having a raffle – and tickets are free, available from KWADs between 15th-30th April. Prizes are 10 free tickets to the May ball and will be drawn on the day by news presenter Susan Osmond. The May Ball is on May 25th 2002, to be held at The Park, Daventry Rd. Tickets are £45. Denise Chair of KWADS 0117 9533870 Competition Have a go at this competion and you could win a prize. A close reading of the newsletter will give you all the answers you need! Winners will be the first 3 correct answers picked out of a hat. Prizes include a family ticket to the cinema, a family takeaway and a basket of fruit. Answers to: Knowle West Newsletter Competition Neighbourhood Renewal Steering C/o Knowle West Media Project Leinster House Leinster Avenue Knowle West Bristol BS4 1NL 1. What was the launch date of the Healthy Living Centre? 2. How may places were available to young people to train on the football coaching scheme run by Broad Plain
House Youth Centre? 3. What kind of dance class are members of Broadway Performing Arts taking part in, as shown in the photo on page 2 4. What is Mouth of the South? 5. How much money will Knowle West receive each year until 2004 from the Government’s Neighbourhood Renewal Fund?
Community Action Plan Torrington Avenue has had a history of being used as a dumping ground for rubbish and abandoned cars, but all that is now changing with the Torrington Avenue Community Action Plan. This in an initiative by residents to improve the look of their street – now in its fourth month, things are really starting to look better. Previous appeals to the council, police, housing department and schools had previously met with little response. Some residents were advised to keep diaries of the dumping incidents, but became frustrated when no action was taken. In September 2001, Neighbourhood Develop-ment worker, Anita Pearce, set up a meeting between the community beat officer, ward councillor George Micklewright and representatives of other agencies, to which some residents were invited to voice their concerns. They were met with a positive response and the result was the Community Action Plan. The key points were: A monthly walkabout for residents and agency representatives to keep an eye out for rubbish and take action quickly. Regular communication between agencies to get them working together more effectively on dealing with the rubbish in the street (i.e. the police; neighbourhood housing services, environment department; education and welfare; community development and the youth service). To liase with the Pathfinder Project who now clean the street twice a week. A resident’s survey by the Council to identify concerns. Regular residents meetings.
Two further meetings open to all residents were very well attended and people have seen a real improvement to the area. Some residents were concerned that the continual high turnover of tenants in Torrington Avenue has added to its problems but with the Action Plan, this is now being addressed. The next target of the Community Action Plan is to install better lighting and to implement the Streetwardens Scheme which will benefit Torrington Avenue and the surrounding neighbourhood. Anita Pearce - Neighbourhood Renewal Facilitator If you want to get involved or have similar concerns please contact: Anita Pearce on 0117 9231930 or email: knowle.safe@blueyonder.co.uk
Neighbourhood Renewal A Chance to Make a Difference or Just another Government Scheme? The Government has made a commitment to improving life for the 10% poorest people in the UK.Previous attempts to do this have not worked well enough, so it wants future action to: Be more firmly based on evidence Take a wider view and be better planned and measured Make better use of the money Government puts into “Mainstream Services” (the Police, the NHS, Education and so on).
It also wants to see a more effective partnership between local people
and “professionals”. Sounds Good - How's It Going To Change Anything In knowle West? The Government wants Local Authorities that contain the 10% poorest neighbourhoods in the country- including Bristol City Council, to: Set up a Strategic Partnership between all Agencies that deliver services, and representatives of local people. Identify the poorest areas and create Neighbourhood Partnerships in each of them that bring together local people and Agencies that deliver services, these Partnerships must be controlled by local people. Each Neighbourhood Partnership has to produce an Action Plan that sets out what needs to be done, what the evidence is and what the priorities are. The Government also wants to see Mainstream Agencies start to work in different ways - ways that will tackle the problems faced by the poorest Neighbourhoods better than they do at the moment. To help this happen there is a relatively small amount of money available for three years to encourage new ways of doing things. This will be about £300,000 a year for Knowle West, until March 2004. What About Knowle West? Bristol City Council has identified 10 Neighbourhoods it wants this to happen in. Knowle West is one of three “priority” Neighbourhoods (along with Ashley and Southmead). Six months ago, the Knowle West Development Trust, supported by community leaders, agreed with the Council that they would take responsibility for setting up a Partnership, help to set up new ways to do things and produce the first Action Plan. Since then the Trust, a group of local people and staff from Delivery Agencies have been working hard to make this happen. The first draft of the Action Plan will contain mini plans for the next year covering - Work, Learning, Crime and Disorder, Health and Housing and the Physical Environment. These are being produced by Action Groups of professionals and local people. The groups have identified the most important issues for Knowle West as: Behaviour (anti social behaviour) Achievement (low achievement) Health and Well Being (poor health and stress Set up a Strategic Partnership between all Agencies that deliver services, and representatives of local people. Identify the poorest areas and create Neighbourhood Partnerships in each of them that bring together local people and Agencies that deliver services, these Partnerships must be controlled by local people. Each Neighbourhood Partnership has to produce an Action Plan that sets out what needs to be done, what the evidence is and what the priorities are.
The Draft Action Plan This first plan - available before the end of April - will be just that, a first plan. There will be lots of things missing and the aim is to produce an improved version by the summer. This will take into account the views of more local people and Agencies that deliver services. It will also give us some time to work out how we are going to tackle those three issues - Behaviour, Achievement and Health and Well Being. Will Any Of This Make A Difference To Knowle West? The honest answer is that we don’t know. The approach is sensible and stands a better chance of succeeding than anything that’s happened before. It will depend on lots of things outside our control - will the Government continue to support this way of doing things? (it’s bound to take a number of years to make a real difference), will the big Agencies be prepared (and able) to work in a different way? It’s chance to do something positive in Knowle West and it’s a real opportunity for local people to have a central role in deciding what happens and making sure that it actually does happen. So far we’ve done a good job but there’s a long way to go. Getting the first Action Plan in place will be a big step forward. Michael Webb - Neighbourhood Renewal Project Manager
953 2957 You can also contact: Anita Pearce, Community Worker 923 1930 How Poor Is Knowle West? The Government has a way to measure this, using seven different indicators, it is called the Multiple Deprivation Index and scores all 8,414 Wards in the UK (Knowle West is Filwood Ward). On this score Knowle West is the 221st poorest Ward in the UK, putting it in the bottom 3%. One of the seven indicators is educational attainment and Knowle West scores seventh from bottom in the UK on this.
You have passed Go... Collect £5000! Neighbourhood Renewal’s Community Chest opens for groups in Knowle West - What is it? The Community Chest is a quick, straightforward funding scheme which can provide up to £5000 for community and voluntary groups working in Knowle West. Community Chest has been set up by the government to enable local groups to fund activities which Encourage greater involvement in local community activities Help community groups to improve their local neighbourhood Help black and minority ethnic or other com munities to find out more about their origins and culture and maintain their traditions Enable local community and voluntary groups to contribute to the regeneration of their local area in other ways The fund is particularly keen to hear from groups which have not been able to gain access to other sources of government funding and from excluded or marginalised communities. The Community Chest is run by the Greater Bristol Foundation. The application form is fairly straightforward – just four pages long – and you should get a decision within four weeks of putting in your application. You don’t have to be a registered charity to apply but you do need to have a written set of rules saying how you work, a committee which runs the organisation and a bank account for the organisation or a written agreement with another organisation which can receive grant money on your behalf. For information and application forms contact: Alice Meason - Greater Bristol Foundation Royal Oak House Royal Oak Avenue BRISTOL BS1 4GB Tel: 0117 989 7700 Email: info@gbf.org.uk If you would like help with your application form please contact Anita or Keith at The Kabin. KNOWLE WEST CARNIVAL Volunteers are needed to help organise this Years Carnival. If you are interested please contact Julie at The Kabin - 0117 9231930. Watch This Space The neighbourhood Renewal Steering Group is atemporary group of local people working with the Development Trust to draw up the neighbourhood plan. The aim is to have a partnership set up by September - more information to follow in the next edition. Credits and Thank You's With Thanks to the following people: Neighbourhood Renewal Steering Group Manager - Michael Webb Neighbourhood Renewal Facilitator - Anita Pearce Resident Members - Denise Britt, Rene Gough, Ross Thomson, Floss Moulton, Carole Casey, Rose Manning, Mary Smith, Sue Baldock, Margaret Jordan, Sister Joanna Brennan
Photography Jo Jansfrord, Sandra Manson, frances King, Mouth Of The South news team, Cherly Martin Editor: Frances King Design: Rowena Dugdale The Following Projects have received funding from Neighbourhood Renewal: Schools Plus Eagle House Florence Brown Community Composting Street Wardens Broadway Performing Arts Knowle West Media Centre Bristol City Library Services Art Of Wellbeing Bristol City Arts Development Special thanks to: Harrison Cowley Keith Houghton - Bristol City Council Knowle West Media Centre