ISSUE 21 MARCH 2006
YOUR AWARD WINNING NEWSLETTER 2006 We have a packed newsletter for you - an extra 8 pages and we could have filled more! So much has been happening in Knowle West, that Neighbourhood Renewal gave us extra funding for this bumper issue to cover it all. Since the last issue, the community has been rocked by a series of closures, real and threatened. Read on to find out the latest on what has been saved and what has gone. Find out about the changes ahead for Neighbourhood Renewal, Eagle House, Youth Moves and Hengrove School. Discover some fascinating local history with our History Walk and enjoy some great poems from the Mede Writing Group. This and lots more in this issue. J a c k i e L i d d l e Editor
In this Issue KWADS news p4 - p5 Community news p6 - p8 Environment p9 Neighbourhood Renewal p10 - p11 School News p12 Health & Wellbeing p13 - p15 Achievements p16 - p17 Family Support p18 - p19 New Faces p20 Notice Board p20 Please contact the editorial group through: Eleanor Simmons, NR Steering Group, 37 Filwood Broadway, Knowle West Tel: 0117 907 6893
Cover photos: top: Ken Jones’ History Walk Bottom: ‘Joseph’ in rehearsal
VISIT THE WEBSITE AT:
WWW.KNOWLEWEST.CO.UK
MP VISITS EAGLE HOUSE IMAGINE THAT! After a busy season of making films we’re delighted to announce that the film Imagine was selected to be shown at the Animated Exeter Film Festival, and Leeds Children’s Film Festival (along with Pets in the City). Imagine was made by a group of local young people called VID (Visually Included and Digital), led by associate artist Cluna Donnelly. It tells the story of a boy who is mocked at school for being different. He realises that he has something that no one else has; his very special imagination. He creates a fairy angel to grant wishes to other lonely children and soon those who sneered and jeered at him laugh no more. More submissions for this film and others have been made to forthcoming festivals so watch this space for more news about screenings and maybe even some awards! Dawn Primarolo takes a tour around Eagle House and looks at the proposed plans for its future development - see full story and more pics on p7.
www.kwmc.co.uk
CHURCHES EASTER If you should perhaps hear the sound of singing Or a town crier’s voice with bell loudly ringing, Come out and see, and join in the fun! You may even be given a hot cross bun! With banner raised high saying “Jesus Loves You!” There’ll be loads of God’s people, So why not come too? All Christians together proclaiming Good News Up roads and down streets, and along avenues. Good Friday’s the day when we all venture out In case you were thinking, “What’s this all about?” So please make a note on your memory sticks For the morning of 14th April - 2006! (For more information call 9535517 9am - 5pm weekdays, or 9664139 at all other times) R i t a A s h m a n Churches Together
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Imagine in action........
CORRECTION: The Hearts and Stars Awards were part funded by Neighbourhood Renewal and organised by a group of resident volunteers, not the NR Steering Group as was printed in the last issue of the newsletter.
STREET REPS ON TOUR dumped rubbish, broken pavements and abandoned cars to the relevant authorities. In January, they had their first training session: a walking tour of the area accompanied by workers from Bristol City Council and Neighbourhood Renewal. Reporters from the Bristol Evening Post and BBC Radio Bristol came along too. One of the new Street Reps, Margaret Rawlins, said: “We want a better place to live in and a About 10 local residents have taken their first steps as Street Reps for the Newquay Road area. Street Reps are volunteers who agree to monitor streets near where they live once a week. They then report any problems like dog fouling,
clean environment. We’re not here to grass on anyone – we’re here to help you.” Anita Pearce of Neighbourhood Renewal, who is co-ordinating the scheme, said: “The training session was very successful with a good turnout on a cold winters day.” There will be a few more training sessions over the next few months before the scheme is officially launched in the spring. E l e a n o r S i m m o n s NR Communications Worker
FAREWELL KEITH - WE’LL MISS YOU Keith Houghton is leaving Knowle West for a new post in Neighbourhood Renewal. Since starting work here as NR Manager, Keith has brought together residents in a way that no other person has done before. He has developed successful and far-reaching action plans through the NR themed groups such as Health and Well-Being, Achievement, Environment, and Antisocial Behaviour. Keith has been instrumental in the success of initiatives such as the School and Family Link Workers, and his tireless commitment to Knowle West has made a real difference to the area. Residents and workers alike are saddened to see him go and he will be greatly missed. A n i t a P e a r c e NR
WE WON!
SMILE
It’s official - we’re an award winning Newsletter! Knowle West Newsletter scooped 2 awards at the first ever Awards for Excellence at Bristol Central Library. We won Best Youth Content and the Judges Special Award. We received this fantastic news just as we were going to print so we will have full details and photos in the next issue. Inns Court newsletter Inn the Know won Best Newcomer. Well done Knowle West!
Go into the world, With a smile on your face, Eyes that shine bright, Like a candle on a dark night, Let them see your joyous face, So they smile back in return, Lifting the worry of their day, As a smile costs nothing to give, Or receive in return So smile when you, Go out into the world. Paul Higgins Mede Writing Group
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COMMUNITY NEWS KWADS LIVES ON!
KWADS (Knowle West Alcohol and Drug Service) announced in January that their Trustees had to take the decision to close the service. However, on Friday 24th February, with just 2 days left of providing services, KWADS and the Southmead project were jointly awarded a £227,000 contract (£207k from Neighbourhood Renewal and £20k from the Bristol Drug Strategy Team (DST), per year for 2 years) by Safer Bristol. The announcement that KWADS was to close was widely covered in the local media, and has been something of a ‘hot topic’ in the community. Such strong public support has been extraordinary, and all the staff and Trustees are extremely grateful that residents and other professionals alike recognise the impact KWADS has had, and will now continue to have, on creating safer communities in south Bristol. However, there have been some misunderstandings, so we feel it is important to clarify the whole situation, as we understand it:
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There is less money for drug treatment services for Bristol, meaning that services have to be reduced. Other changes mean that instead of there being several smaller contracts available, to provide various services, there would now be one big contract made up of several services.
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Safer Bristol (who manage the money for drug treatment in Bristol) invited bids for this contract for three years across the whole of Bristol. Bids could either be from specified single organisations or partnerships of several organisations where one takes the lead. All bids were for the same work. Regardless of which bid won the funding, the services being offered would be largely the same; the differences would be in how the money would be spent to run those services (e.g. how and where services would be provided, and who would provide them).
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KWADS were not approached to join a bid led by the Bristol Drugs Project (BDP). Therefore, we joined a bid led by Involve (the Day Care service in the centre of Bristol) and three other well-respected organisations (The Southmead Project, ARA, and Nilaari), which we were confident could be successful.
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The Bristol Drugs Project’s bid was chosen, and funding was awarded to them to provide drug services across the city, from 1st April 2006. As smaller pots of money are no longer available in the way they were, and as KWADS is not part of the winning bid, there was not enough money available to keep the service open. Therefore the Trustees had no option but to decide to close the service.
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A small amount of money held by the DST (provided by Neighbourhood Renewal; £250k per year for two years), was available to provide additional services in Knowle West and Southmead, as these two communities would be losing their locally-sited drugs services with the new BDP plan. We submitted a joint proposal to show how KWADS and the Southmead Project would provide services in their areas, and were successful in receiving a contract for £227,000, with £43,000 being awarded to BDP.
COMMUNITY NEWS KWADS had communicated with all current and many former service users to let them know that KWADS was closing and that BDP would be the citywide drug service from 1st April. It is of the highest priority that KWADS’ service users and the community as a whole know what is happening and that clients can be smoothly transitioned into the new services, both ours and BDP’s. Now we are able to remain open, we will be working closely with the Drug Strategy Team to clarify exactly what services we will be delivering and how that fits in with what BDP will be offering.
KWADS wish to thank the many residents, service users, and professionals who have offered their support during this time. It has been an honour and a privilege to have been able to provide, for over eleven years, a safe place for those affected by drug and alcohol use to begin to realise their potential, and we look forward to it continuing.
Anyone wishing further information should contact Kate Croucher, Chief Executive or Lucy Delaney at KWADS on 0117 9533870.
The money awarded is a significant reduction and will therefore impact on the range of services we are able to offer. It is, though, a good foundation on which to build and we are hopeful of securing additional funding to complement this core base. We will be re-launching KWADS and the services it offers from 1st April – more details to follow!
PROJECT FUTURE At the end of 2005, Bristol Drugs Project led a successful bid to deliver services for people with drug problems in Bristol from April 2006. With a third of a million pounds less to spend on these drug services from April 2006 than there was last year (as SRB 6 and Neighbourhood Renewal funds end in March 2006), our bid committed to spending this reduced money on direct services for drug users, rather than on buildings and management costs. With our partners, Nilaari Drug Agency, Hartcliffe and Withywood Kick Start (HAWKS), Lawrence Weston Drugs and Alcohol Project (LDAP) and Community Action About Alcohol and Drugs (CAAAD) we know the City well and, between us, have 48 years experience of helping people with a drug problem in Bristol. We will provide a wide range of services across the City – from counselling to community detox, from services for pregnant drug users to a relapse prevention programme and 4 ‘dropin’(no appointment needed) services across the City, including one at the Gatehouse Centre for South Bristol residents – open 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year.
LOCAL COMMENT
Denise Britt was one of the mums who helped establish KWADS in the early 1990s. Denise says ‘I’m really pleased that KWADS has got some more funding. Parents need KWADS. It’s a service for the whole family, sometimes it’s the parents who are the more injured party. ‘Many a time I would be up at KWADS till gone 9.00pm because new parents had come in, having just found out their son or daughter was using drugs. It’s like a bereavement. There are not many places parents can go. KWADS is very much needed. I wish them well with any further funding they can get.’
The process of re-commissioning drug services is causing major difficulties for many services, including KWADS, and the people of Knowle West are understandably concerned about changes. However, BDP and partners are voluntary agencies born and bred in Bristol. We have an active presence in Knowle West through our Shared Care partnership with GPs at William Budd and the Health Park, in partnership with the Probation Service, through the Harm Reduction bus in Filwood Broadway each week and through many other services. BDP provided help to 268 people with a drug problem living in Knowle and Knowle West last year and with our partners we will continue to provide the best possible services for drug users in Knowle West in future years, with the money available. M a g g i e T e l f e r Bristol Drugs Project
Rose Manning, a resident who has been involved in community projects for over 30 years adds ‘I’m happy to see that the council has, on this occasion, listened to the community and thrown KWADS a lifeline, though there will still have to be major cutbacks within the organisation. It’s good that local users and their carers won’t have to travel into Bristol for support and advice, they can get it locally that was why KWADS was so successful - it was here in Knowle West.’
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COMMUNITY NEWS POOL CLOSURE - ANOTHER BLOW FOR LOCALS Despite a 400 name petition, demonstrations and press coverage, Filwood Swimming Pool finally closed in December. Local people who regularly use the pool are angry that another resource in the area has gone and see it as a further blow to the regeneration of Knowle West. Gloria Tucker has used Filwood pool for years and is angry that she is being forced to use her car in order to take her regular morning dip. “I find driving to the pool quite stressful, and a lot of the elderly people who used the pool, aren’t swimming at all now, as they can’t easily get to the Jubilee.” She was not impressed with Jubilee pool either. “The Jubilee seems smaller and isn’t half as nice. I don’t understand how they could shut our pool in favour of this one.” A new pool at Hengrove is due to open by 2008 as part of a £200 million health and leisure complex. Meanwhile, Knowle West locals are left high and dry with the option of driving or catching a bus to the Jubilee pool, or missing their exercise. J a c k i e L i d d l e
LIBRARY REOPENING SOON Just a note to reassure you that Filwood Library is only temporarily closed due to building work. We will reopen on Monday 3 April. New customers are very welcome - all you need is some proof of address.
CREDIT UNION - GET THE HABIT Tracey Wear has recently joined Bedminster and Knowle Credit Union and is looking to attract new savers. “We welcome anyone who would like to open an account - young or old. We offer basic savings advice and can show you the benefits of saving with us, such as low interest loans, and local points of business.
“You can save as little or as much as you like, the Credit Union is about getting into the habit of saving,” says Tracey. The Credit Union is particularly keen to encourage local people to pay their wages or benefits into a savings account. Any bills or outgoings can be paid directly from the account, thus encouraging savers to manage their money effectively. Interest rates are low (a loan of £100 paid back weekly over one year would cost only £6.21 in interest), and you can apply for a loan after only 8 weeks of regular saving. Children can open an account with as little as 50p and receive a starter pack, money box and free gifts when they save. If you would like to join, call 0117 955 1660 and ask for Tracey. Credit Union opening times: 8 Filwood Broadway Fri 9.30am - 11.00am The Park reception Fri 12 - 12.30pm The Mede Wed 10.30am - 11.30am Windmill Hill City Farm - Tues,Wed,Thurs,Fri 10am - 12 noon, 2pm - 4pm
CAROLS FOR CHARITY
Church of God Prophecy singers
Locals young and old gathered together for the Mede Community Carol Concert in December to enjoy a festive celebration and raise money for Children In Need. With performances from Novers Lane Infants and Juniors, Footprints Children’s Centre, Church of God Prophecy, Inns Court Resident’s Assoc., the Mede Writing Group, and the Mede workers and volunteers, this was a real community event. Everybody had a great time, especially the children who were treated to a visit from Father Christmas. Thanks to everyone who worked really hard in decorating the hall and to all who came along and supported the evening. We would also like to thank the 2 PCSO’s, Mitzi and Sife who also supported this event, especially Mitzi who was the star of the evening. Thanks also to Novers
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Lane Junior School for the loan of their stage, and both Alistair (our local vicar) and Paul Jenking ( Chair of Mede Management) for hosting this event. M a n d y H o l e Support Worker, The Mede.
EAGLE HOUSE SPREADS ITS WINGS The Development Project Group at Eagle House Community Association and Youth Club have been working hard over the past year to come up with plans for a major re-development of the whole of the site in Newquay Road. This will expand opportunities for community involvement and greatly improve the facilities and surrounding environment. Members, residents, neighbouring community groups, Bristol City Council, architects and consultants have been involved. It has been a tough but exciting journey and plans should be ready for public launch in early April. Dawn Primarolo visited the project in January and discussed the plans at length with the development group over tea in the Youth Club. In Phase 1, a new community hall with a separate family room, will be the heart of the site with internal links to both the youth club and existing social club. The hall will be available for celebrations, entertainment, meetings, groups, classes, and as an expanded youth facility as well as for younger children in the holidays and after school. The new hall would generate income from lettings locally and further afield, the money then being used to help run the centre and fund community activities. Phase two would make alterations to the existing club to improve access, cellarage and toilets. Phase three would extend the club to include a games room and add a room to the youth club to give space for
sound and video work. This would be in partnership with Knowle West Media Centre and Bristol City Council’s Young People’s Services. The Steering Group at Eagle House have been working closely with other community organisations in the area to make sure that the best use of people, expertise, buildings and finance is considered at all stages and that the priorities for the community as identified by the local community are kept as the focus for this work.
Dawn Primarolo at the Mede
All this will take considerable time, commitment and money and the next phase will be some serious fund-raising to raise cash for buildings and running costs. The development group agreed with Dawn Primarolo during their discussion, that this will be quite a challenge given the current financial climate but the group are committed to making it a reality! All being well, the phase 1 building and recruitment should start in early 2007 and be complete in late 2008 with activities up and running. Look out for notices about the launch event – provisional date April 5th! Contact the Management Committee at the club for further information on 9636009 and drop in to view the plans. The Development and Feasibility work has been funded by Neighbourhood Renewal, Bristol City Council (Young People’s services) and Quartet CF.
Mede plans
EAGLE EYES DESIGNERS HOT CROSS BUN HISTORY As part of their contribution to the development of Eagle House, young people from the Youth Centre took part in a 'Design Competition' to have their say in how any future youth club should look. Young people from right across the estate took part in the competition and came up with some very good and interesting ideas and designs. The judges were very impressed by the high quality and standard of the entries and awarded gift vouchers to the following winners: Gabrielle Quinn Wesley Griffin George Charles Kalled Hicks Jessica Nash Georgianne White Chelsea Nash
Gift vouchers provided by the Youth Service
Des Mills, Senior Youth & Community Worker Knowle/Filwood Youth Project, Eagle House, Tel:0117 9777795
Originally, hot cross buns were baked only on Good Friday. They were given to children to help them understand the meaning of Easter. The w h i t e c r o s s on top reminds us that Jesus died on a cross. The s p i c e s remind us of the spices used to embalm his body for burial. The f r u i t in the bun reminds us of the love Jesus has for us all. The bun is baked in the s h a p e o f a s t o n e to remind us of the stone that was rolled across the entrance to the tomb. The fact that the buns are g i v e n a w a y reminds us of the great gift of salvation and forgiveness that is available to us all through Jesus' death and resurrection. R i t a A s h m a n Churches Together
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COMMUNITY NEWS ARCHIMEDIA NEWS
Straw Bale wall construction
Knowle West Media Centre’s plans to build a new community media centre on Leinster Avenue continue.
Arts Council England have committed £100,000 to the project to act as match funding for bids to EU sources. Bristol University are keen to get involved and to encourage more young people from South Bristol to enter further education. Applications are also being submitted to the Lottery and SRB6. The project team are considering a smaller building with a reduced budget of £2 million and along with the young people of the Archimedia Core Group, are looking at innovative
building methods including straw bale construction. This method has been used at the University of the West of England, for office space in Weston Super Mare and an eco-information centre in South Wales. The Archimedia Core Group are currently running a recycling project. The group are looking at how we as a community recycle and what services are available in the local area. The group will be running workshops with other youth groups and showing the short film ‘Think or Swim’, a dramatisation of what could happen if sea levels rise due to global warming. The film was made by local young people at the Knowle West Media Centre and shows the evacuation of Bristol as it becomes submerged by the sea. The group will then go on to do ‘Green Audits’ of local businesses and organisations and give them feedback on how improvements can be made. If you are interested in getting involved or would like to put your business or organisation forward for a green audit then please call Sandra at the Archimedia office 0117 3773161, e-mail: archimedia@kwmc.co.uk.
Visiting the Create centre
THE FILWOOD COMMUNITY KITCHEN PROJECT Anyone entering the hall at Filwood Community Centre in recent weeks may have noticed that changes were happening in the kitchen! The Kitchen Steering Group in conjunction with Bristol South and West PCT have secured Neighbourhood Renewal funding to refurbish Bonnie’s group go Bananas
One of the groups that will be making use of the new kitchen is Bonnie’s Healthy Eating Group which meets on Thursday mornings 11am – 12noon in the Restaurant at Filwood Community Centre. The group enjoy meeting to discuss all aspects of food and diet. There is an opportunity to be weighed for those who want to keep an eye on the kilos (!) and also a chance to share recipes like the one below. BANANA CAKE Oven: gas mark 4 Electric 180 C, or 350 F
the kitchen for community use. A co-ordinator will be employed later this year who will use the kitchen as a focal point for developing courses on cooking and healthy eating for local groups, including parents, elderly people, young people, and people with diet related conditions. If you would like to make any suggestions for additional uses of the refurbished kitchen or require further information please contact Sue Moss at Knowle West Health Association Tel: 9639569.
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12oz self-raising flour 6oz sugar 4oz butter or polyunsaturated margarine 2 med eggs (beaten) 3 tablespoons of milk (optional) 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda 2 very ripe bananas (mashed) 1 teaspoon vanilla essence Cream butter & sugar together. Add eggs & mix. Add flour & bicarbonate of soda & mix. Add bananas, vanilla essence & milk, then mix. Pour into tin and cook for approximately 1hr.
ENVIRONMENT SECURITY FENCING FOR RESIDENTS The work has been carried out by Bristol City Council Contract Services over the past few months.
Security fencing
It came about after Neighbourhood Renewal led a tour of the area, asking people what improvements they wanted to see. We then applied for funding, and were given it through Safer Bristol’s Designing Out Crime scheme for 10 roads in the area. Avon and Somerset Police gave us information about which streets would benefit most from the security fencing.
About 200 homes in Knowle West have now had extra fencing put up to block off side entrances to intruders.
ARCHES VIEW
Anita Pearce of Neighbourhood Renewal said: ‘This is what residents asked for. It shows that we really do listen to people.’ Anita is now hoping to apply for more funding to get security fencing for more homes in Knowle West. A n i t a P e a r c e NR
GARDENING TIPS
Local conservation group, Northern Slopes Initiative, have just completed the latest of their projects aimed at raising awareness of the stunning views and hidden places between Bedminster, Knowle and Knowle West. Working with Bristol City Council and Tony Easton, a well known local artist from Bedminster, arches at the entrance to the green space known as Glyn Vale, are now in place at Cavan Walk and Wedmore Vale. Three new benches and distinctive site symbols have also been added, all seeking to make the area more attractive for people to use.
Doug Steeds, Chair of the Northern Slopes Initiative said: ‘It’s really great to see further improvements to the place where I grew up and still live. We hope local people will recognise the arches, the posts and the seating as a contribution which will lead to more people enjoying the open spaces we love ourselves.’ The improvements at Glyn Vale are just part of the ongoing plan by NSI to further enhance and improve the local environment for all to enjoy. To find out more or to get involved yourself ring 0117 9039797 or visit the website at www.northern-slopes.co.uk
Hopefully, by now, you will have done the main digging on your ground and be ready to make seed beds. Don’t worry if you’re not quite finished yet, finish your digging this month and prepare to be sowing seeds a few weeks late - given the vagaries of the British weather it will not make much difference. If you grew vegetables last season you may be looking forward to cutting your first spring greens, or even salad leaves. Your autumn planted bulbs should be well established and providing a good show of spring colour. March and April are the months to be sowing some (or all if you’re feeling adventurous) of the following - broad beans, sprouts, leeks, onion sets, parsnips, early peas (for a June harvest), radishes and first early potatoes; capsicum (sweet peppers) and tomatoes can go in greenhouses. Also chard, beetroot, brassicas (broccoli, kale, summer cabbage etc) carrots, lettuce, main crop peas (for an August harvest), main crop potatoes and outdoor cucumbers (sown under glass) to transplant in May or June. How do I grow vegetables? My advice would be just to follow the instructions on the seed packets. They have been written by specialists and should contain everything you need to know about your chosen crop. If you’re still unsure, beg or borrow a copy of a step-by-step gardening book such as ‘The Vegetable Expert.’ Happy Gardening! Lesley Belgium
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NEIGHBOURHOOD RENEWAL BACK TO THE FUTURE - 2006 AND BEYOND The current Neighbourhood Renewal programme, which ran from 2004 – 2006, ends in Knowle West at the end of March. In its place is a new, combined regeneration programme which brings Neighbourhood Renewal together with Neighbourhood Management. What is Neighbourhood Management? Having a named person with overall responsibility for improvements at neighbourhood level.
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Strong community involvement and ownership of The Plan. The tools to achieve the improvements. A systematic, planned approach to tackling problems. Effective methods and systems for achieving change.
In Bristol, three neighbourhoods have been chosen to introduce this new, more focused way of handling improvements in an area: in the inner city, St Pauls and Easton and Lawrence Hill; Hartcliffe and Withywood and the Knowle West area. The Knowle West boundaries are still being finalised. Local councillors would like to include the whole of Filwood ward, the Newquay Road end of Knowle and the Markesbury Road section of Windmill Hill ward. Ultimately this will have to be agreed by the Government Office of the South West. What is it supposed to achieve for the area? Basically, the government want to see the residents and businesses within a deprived area much more satisfied with local services. The second key improvement they are looking for is local people having much more say in decision making about how services work. Services will need to show that they are including local people’s opinions and are acting on them. And services will need to both improve their delivery and work in a more co-ordinated way together. What key areas will it focus on for Knowle West and how will it work? An in-depth survey undertaken with 235 Knowle West people highlighted the following areas of concern: anti-social behaviour & crime and community safety; drugs – in particular dealing; poor street environment and low satisfaction with parks. In addition, a major concern for the future of Knowle West and its young people is improving educational achievement. So the following Neighbourhood Management priorities have been developed and agreed by the residents on the NR Partnership, and the councillors on the Local Leadership Group.
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Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime, Community Safety and Drugs Using a combination of NR funding and NM funding (£416,640 in total over 06-08), services will work with residents in all parts of the NM area to make sure the police and council services are focusing on the particular problems of each area and getting regular feedback from residents about what they are doing. This is already happening in Inns Court and, more recently, around Newquay Road but everywhere will now have this closer working relationship with services. We want to spend extra money on Project X, the groundbreaking project based at the Park which works with young people and their families. By funding an extra PCSO we’ll have a PCSO team of 5 for this area because more are being recruited from August 2006. Finally we want to continue supporting the Tackling Domestic Abuse work which has supported over 60 local people dealing with violence in the home. Education and Achievement We want to keep working to bring schools and local parents, carers and young people together to value and improve education. So we want to increase the number of School and Family Link Workers, in Hengrove and all the Knowle West primary schools; increase work to support parents and young people with special educational needs by supporting Parentline Plus and PIPA Project in Knowle West. Finally, the Family Group Conferencing work by Barnardos will add to the range of services which can help young people and their families get a better service from schools. Overall Neighbourhood Renewal and Neighbourhood Management funding of £570,000 will support this work. Improving the environment £225,000 combined funding will be spent to improve parks and produce improved cleansing and street scene work. This will include major clean-ups and the development of a Street Reps scheme across the estate to make services much more responsive to residents’ complaints and needs. Finally, the newsletter and website will continue to be funded and developed, learning and training for residents and voluntary groups will continue and regular meetings will enable residents to question service providers. Making it happen All this work will need to make permanent improvements to services for residents in the Neighbourhood Management areas. To help this happen there is a new, Councillor-led group called a Local Leadership Group. The six Ward Councillors from Filwood, Knowle and Windmill Hill wards will use their power to measure change and to push through improvements in the Council and the Safer Bristol Partnership.
A New Delivery Body for Neighbourhood Management Neighbourhood Renewal has been part of the Knowle West Development Trust since 2001. From April 2006 the combined NR/NM programme will be run temporarily under Bristol City Council. Discussions will take place with residents and voluntary sector organisations from April 2006 to develop a new group to be the delivery body for Neighbourhood Management. More information about this process will be reported as details become clearer. The NR Partnership of residents and service providers will also look at how it is made up and how it will fit with this NM delivery organisation. Residents will continue to play a key role in the NR and NM decision making. A new Neighbourhood Manager I am leaving my post as Neighbourhood Renewal Manager from the end of February to work in the centre as a city-wide NR co-ordinator. Mandy Shute will become the new Knowle West
Neighbourhood Manager from 1st March 2006. She has worked in Lockleaze and Hillfields NR and is moving over to Knowle West. I want to say a huge thank-you to all the residents and service providers I’ve been lucky enough to work with since I started in Knowle West in 2001. Their commitment, warmth and hard work has been brilliant and I will miss this area a lot. I think Knowle West has a number of challenges ahead of it. One of these is to pull together decisions and work taken locally with those decisions taken at the city-wide level which can have a huge impact on the neighbourhood. I wish everyone the very best for the future. K e i t h H o u g h t o n NR Project Manager
PS: What has Neighbourhood Renewal been up to? A series of public events to hear from projects which have been supported with NR money are happening in March. If you ever wonder just what NR has done I hope you can make it to one of these. A full report will accompany the next newsletter.
ALL CHANGE AT NOVERS LANE SCHOOL
A pupil models new uniform
Behind the big blue entrance gates at Novers Lane Junior School, building is going on to open a new primary school. Greenfield Primary will open in September with a new nursery, new classrooms and lots of new facilities. The new uniform, chosen by the pupils and parents, will be royal blue with a logo showing an owl soaring high across the field. The new school comes about from the amalgamation of Novers Lane Infant and Junior Schools. The Headteacher will be Mrs. Julia Skinner, presently Head of the junior school and she says; ‘We are all very excited about the new challenge ahead. It will be wonderful to have children from nursery through to the end of their primary education and it will enable us to continue the good progress that has been made in the past 2 years.’ It is hoped that both current and prospective parents will have the opportunity to look round the new school before it opens. For further details please contact Mrs. Skinner at Novers Lane Junior School 0117 3772191 or headnoverslanej@bristol-city.gov.uk.
XMAS LIGHTS WINNERS Thanks to Healthy Walking Group volunteer, and Hearts and Stars Award Winner, Karron Chaplin for judging this years competition and congratulations to all our winners who received Asda vouchers as their prize.
1st - Jane Channing - Throgmorton Rd. 2nd - 141 Leinster Ave 3rd - 94 Barnstaple Rd 4th - 68 Exmouth Rd 5th - 9 St Whytes Rd 6th - 12 Salcombe Rd Commendation goes to a group of 4 houses in Creswicke Rd.
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SCHOOL NEWS HENGROVE OASIS Hengrove Community Arts College looks likely to become Bristol’s third academy in September 2009. The new academy will be built next to the existing school, which will close in 2009. Academies are a Government scheme to improve educational standards in disadvantaged areas. The Government provides most of the money for the new building, but also gets some private sponsorship. They are controversial as they’re not under local education authority control, and people are concerned at the influence that sponsors can have on the way a school is run.
not an accident. Every human life has dignity and purpose. DB: Can you tell us how you will involve people in designing the school? MO: I met with Miles yesterday from Archimedia [which is involving young people in designing the new Knowle West Media Centre] to discuss this. In March we will start having a student project steering group. SC: The formal consultation began in January. But as long ago as last June I started coming here and then Mark started coming here, meeting with the senior staff, the parents, the teachers, the unions.
Residents question Oasis boss
PC: The thing that most parents want to know is: How’s it going to change? Why send your kid to Hengrove?
Hengrove Academy is likely to be sponsored by a Christian charity called the Oasis Trust. Some people are worried about what this will mean for non-Christians teaching or studying at Hengrove. So Neighbourhood Renewal organised an interview with Steve Chalke, Chairman of the Oasis Trust, and his colleague Mark Orrell. They answered questions from local residents Denise Britt, Marguerite Jordan and Paul Coyne, and from Neighbourhood Renewal Manager Keith Houghton. This is an edited version of the interview. DB: What is the Oasis Trust? SC: The Oasis Trust was founded in 1985. It runs hostels, hospitals and schools, and now works in five continents. DB: What does it mean that you’re religious-based? Can only certain people come to the school? SC: No. Oasis is a Christian foundation, and Jesus wasn’t at all discriminating, he welcomed everyone. So you don’t have to prove you go to church to come here, or pass some kind of faith test. You don’t have to pass any test. We’re not going to select the brightest. This school needs to be for the whole community. MO: This school won’t be thrusting any philosophical or religious agenda on anyone through its curriculum, its assembly or in any other way. KH: You hear in the press that religious organisations can be quite controversial about things like employing lesbian and gay people. SC: We welcome and accept everybody as they are. KH: In America there’s a huge issue about the way that science gets taught, issues like evolution, creationism. SC: People say, the trouble with religious groups is, they teach creationism, and they don’t teach science at all. I don’t think Genesis is about God creating the world in six days. It’s saying to every young person: you’re
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SC: This new building’s going to cost around £20m. But if you’ve got problems with truancy or lack of achievement or drugs in an old building, you’ve got all the problems in a new building. So what are we going to put into this new building that is different? Mark’s here every Friday to listen to the staff and the students, and we are drawing on expertise from people who are making this work in schools around the country. It’s silly saying, Hengrove’s going to have a new building and compete with Eton. You’ve got to say: what does this community need? How do you raise the aspirations of these young people and their families? MJ: How are you going to tackle exclusion? SC: We could select on the basis of faith or intelligence or anything we liked. But we won’t, because we’re about inclusion. Sometimes a young person needs a different approach in a different place: sometimes Brislington will have a pupil they can’t go any further with and we will include somebody that they have to exclude, and vice versa. Sometimes of course you reach the place where none of the schools can cope. But we’ve already had a conversation with other schools in South East Bristol about going to higher authorities and saying: there needs to be another tier of education for young people who are disturbed or have acute issues. MO: Can I just say one thing about money: Oasis is a non-profit making organisation and the salary scales are not high at all. We’re in this business to try and make a difference.
NEWSLETTER EXHIBITION If you visited the Bristol Central Library in February, you may have seen a familiar publication on display. Knowle West Newsletter was one of over 15 different newsletters which made up the exhibition, celebrating the creativity and diversity of community publications across the city.
HEALTH AND WELLBEING HEALTH PARK NEWS 2006 is going to be an exciting year at Knowle West Health Park. The Knowle West Health Park Partnership (KWHPP), held its first meeting in January and agreed the formation of a new Health Park Company, to be launched in September of this year. The KW Health Park Company will take forward the health and wellbeing agenda on the Health Park for Knowle West and across South Bristol. It will continue to develop services, activities and opportunities towards better health and quality of life. As part of this process we are looking for a wide range of people to get involved Health Park celebrations
Potting up at the Health Park
To find out more, ring Jan, Andrea, Sue or Garth on 3772255, or come into the Health Park for a chat. There are continued opportunities for input into ideas for the replacement of health services following the moving of the Walk-in Centre to South Bristol Community Hospital in 2008. For more information, please contact the Health Park, or call Tony Watkin at the PCT on 900 2389.
in putting forward ideas and helping with groups and activities. We are also specifically looking for people who are interested in becoming Trustees of the new Knowle West Health Park Company. If you are interested in becoming a trustee, we will be running a training programme from March that will support trustees in taking on the roles and responsibilities for the new organisation.
Meanwhile, there is plenty already going on at the Health Park. Activities include: belly dancing, counselling for young people, tai chi, art club, a gardening group, fitness classes, healthy walks, lunch clubs and complementary therapy training. Community Ed will also be running regular arts and craft sessions beginning in March. A free creche is available for people who are referred by their health professionals (G.P’s, Health Visitors, Social Workers). For further information on these activities, please call (0117) 377 2255 email: info@kwhlc.gifford.co.uk.
CREST FAMILY PRACTICE
A new forum has been set up to give patients at the William Budd and St John’s Lane Health Centres an opportunity to discuss their local surgery and talk about ways it could be improved. From ideas about decor and accessibility to discussions about how the practice is run, patients
and doctors can meet to bounce ideas off each other and find out exactly what makes a good service. The forum meets quarterly and if you would like to have your say, then just contact either of the practices.
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HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Cover Story!
A stroll through Knowle West’s history by Ken Jones
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Florence Brown School
The School was built on site of old Novers Hill Isolation Hospital, or Fever Hospital, which had beds for smallpox patients.
Leinster House Now home to Knowle West Media Centre, used to be old William Budd Clinic. William Budd was a 19th century Bristol doctor who made a major contribution to improving public health by discovering how typhoid was spread.
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ue r Aven e t s n i Le
ue ven rt A ou sC Inn
The Map
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Inns Court The earliest record of Inns Court Manor House is from 1353, when it was owned by John Onweyn. The family name later changed to Inyns. Sir John Inyns died in 1439 and is buried in St Mary Redcliffe Church. Roman artefacts found here too. Old stair tower from medieval manor house still stands in grounds of Mede Community Centre. It is the oldest building left in Knowle West. Inside Holy Cross Church is an old font taken from Temple Church in central Bristol. Famous Bristol merchant and slave trader Edward Colston is thought to have been baptised in it in 17th century.
Creswicke Road
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The Park
Filwood Farm, Creswicke Rd The park is an old sports ground. When closed in 1970, residents fought to get it turned into a park. Across the park was Filwood Farm. Some stories say Royalists hid here during time of Oliver Cromwell in C17th. On Creswicke Road, redbrick houses stopped being built in 1939 due to outbreak of war. After the war, lots of prefab homes went up, while building of new houses continued. The prefabs were later pulled down.
RON’S STORY with the scheme's more experienced 4-hearts section and, having trained as a walk leader, also does some route finding and leading. ‘Our routes are chosen for the interesting sights of country and town which give us a lift, and we chat a lot.’ says Ron. Ron, along with the rest of the Knowle West group, recently took part in a Health Test event which involved walking around a measured mile circuit and having blood pressure and pulse rate readings taken before and after the walk.
Ron Payne is in his late 70s and has been with the Knowle West walking group in Bristol for more than 2 years. In that time, he has progressed in terms of both stamina and pace. Ron now walks
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‘I chose to walk alone at a fairly brisk pace and covered 2 miles in 35 minutes. It was interestingly different from our usual walks. Towards the end of the first mile I felt tired, needing to push to maintain the pace. But, after 1.25 miles I began to feel easier and finished swinging along comfortably.’ Ron Payne
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Melvin Square In 1936, a fight took place in Melvin Square between far-right Blackshirts and local people. When first houses built in Knowle West, Wedmore Vale was just a muddy lane. As it was main link to rest of Bristol, cinders were put on it to make it easier to walk along. It became known as Cinder Path .
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St Barnabas
The area behind St. Barnabas Church is often called The Bommie. It has great views over Bristol. To the right, behind houses on Daventry Road, there is a spring. In 1190, Lord Robert de Berkeley allowed pipe to be installed here to bring fresh water to people in Redcliffe. It’s difficult to get to the spring today, but you can join the Pipe Walk every October that follows the route of the pipe.
Newquay Road
Daventry Road
Hartcliffe Road
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Filwood Broadway
Filwood Community Centre built in 1938 at a cost of £17,000. The whole Filwood area was once part of Kingswood Forest, and owned by Saxon kings. Roman artefacts discovered during building of Filwood Pool.
If you enjoyed this walk, why not join the Healthy Walking Group? Contact Cheryl Martin on 07810 506 737. Ken Jones is collecting old photos of Knowle West. If you have any that he could copy, please give him a ring on 966 8761.
1 Start
Eagle House, Newquay Road. Site of Hengrove House, dating from 17th Century. All land owned by Hengrove House was bought by the Bristol Corporation to develop the Knowle West estate. First homes in Knowle West built here in1930s to house families after slums were cleared elsewhere in Bristol. Many new tenants delighted: houses had indoor bathrooms and electricity. Others missed their old communities.
Ken Jones is a member of the Filwood Chase History Society and organises History Walks around Knowle West. Here is one of his routes, and just some of the things to see along it. The route shown takes about an hour to complete if you are reasonably fit. E l e a n o r S i m m o n s NR
BETTY’S STORY For the past couple of years the Knowle West Healthy Walking Group visited Rococo Gardens. We always enjoy our winter walks but visiting the gardens is the highlight of the season. When entering the gardens the snowdrops are spectacular, the grounds are beautifully landscaped and wherever you walk snowdrops are everywhere. You pass a pond and a very old pool which I should imagine was a private swimming pool. When you feel like a rest there are plenty of seats, a little group of us found a small summer house where we had our packed lunch. The garden has a very nice restaurant if you prefer and a delightful little shop. The weather was very kind to us on this particular day, very cold, no wind or sun but a very bright day which was enjoyable. Although I have only been to see the snowdrops I am sure the gardens have their own beauty with
the changing seasons. We all had a wonderful day and I am sure the visit will be repeated. Betty Butler
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ACHIEVEMENTS POSITIVELY PROUD! Three Knowle West youngsters have had their hard work with Positive Futures and Project X recognised, and been accepted on Bristol City Council’s new Modern Apprenticeship programme. This NVQ 2 sports qualification will enable the youngsters to get further training and qualifications in a work-based setting. The young people have achieved a huge amount in terms of their professional
Project X are helping turn around the lives of dozens of youngsters on the Knowle West estate. Aimed at those who are having difficulty with any aspect of their lives, or are in need of any additional support, the project draws on the resources of a variety of agencies, in order to support the youngsters where needed. Just call Patsy at Project X on 377 3881 or call into the office for a chat. Football Fever Positive Futures and Project X are looking for new players to play in a Saturday youth club league. Training takes place at the Park on Tuesdays, 78pm for Under 13s (years 7 & 8), and 8-9pm for Under 15s (years 9 &10). Volunteers are also very welcome to help with developing the teams, in return we can offer you clothing, FA football coaching, minibus driving qualifications, etc. For more info call Positive Futures on 903 9766.
Future Footballers
and personal development, and are now starting a new journey to further build on the skills and qualities they have gained in Knowle West.
WHEN JULIE MET HEATHER
Holiday Fun Sports, arts, games, outdoor pursuits and much more is on offer at the Park through the Project X holiday club. Runs every holiday Monday to Friday from 2-4pm and open to young people aged 8+. Only costs £1.00 a day!
LIFE IN KNOWLE WEST Knowle West With all its bad press It really isn’t that big a mess. The Black path Up Jarmans The bit behind the swimming bath The green up by R Nans It’s Knowle West.
Back in October, at the Learning Communities launch at the Park, Julie Milkins, engagement officer from Positive Futures asked Director of Education, Heather Tomlinson, if she could shadow her at work. Heather agreed and a few weeks later, Julie found herself at the Bristol Council House, amid a flurry of meetings, talks and decision making. ‘It was an amazing experience.’ says Julie. ‘Heather involved me in all the discussions and decision making and really helped me feel part of her team - she was an inspiration.’ The roles were swapped in December when Heather spent a day at the Park shadowing Julie. A busy day included a tour of the park, meetings with other Park agencies, home engagements, a multi-agency meeting to discuss new referrals and support issues, not forgetting lunch at the Health Park. ‘I think Heather enjoyed the home visits most of all. She comes across as a very genuine person and the day was really successful’ commented Julie. Since then, Julie and Heather have kept in contact by email and continue to take an interest in each other’s work.
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J u l i e M i l k i n s Positive Futures
The kids park on Filwood The Mede up Inns Court A girl walks past the lads ‘Cor I would!’ Our house is our very own fort. Inns Court youth project Young people, creative minds The mouthy ones we eject MSN, Ahhh get rid of it, talking to people, all kinds. Healthy eating Samba, hip hop, Sheena’s dance classes Marten and Jason always chatting Yet again Billy’s lost his glasses. Sonya and Mark cooking toast ‘Gert loads of butter on mine please.’ All the kids have gone, we’re making the most Mark ‘When can I get my own keys?’ That’s Knowle West I hope you think again And hope you write better press This is the real Knowle West We’ve told you now so don’t complain. B e c k i B e l g i u m Mede Writing Group (Written last year when she was 17)
MOVING AHEAD WITH YOUTH MOVES Youth Moves is changing the way youth work is delivered across Knowle West to ensure services are young people focused, meet their needs and are accessible by the majority. The service Youth Moves will deliver is based on four areas of work, three themed and one generic, these are work with young people on: 1.
Crime and Safety
2.
Health and Wellbeing
3.
Learning and Participation
4.
Generic youth work provision
All youth work will be delivered across a range of provisions and venues where young people meet. This includes youth clubs, detached (street) youth work, drop-in sessions on participation, accreditation, health and sport, and a range of activities designed to meet the needs of young people. Work with local schools (Hengrove and Florence Brown), work with young people at The Park and a range of other activities for young people that are on-going and address their needs. Youth work sessions are to be delivered across a seven day a week programme. The three themed areas of work will be delivered within existing youth work sessions by youth workers who are trained in these areas. Further youth work sessions in non-youth work venues will be delivered, and this will enable the themed worker to work with young people who already attend projects. This process of themed workers working across the estate with young people and staff will develop on-going relationships. This will be used as a mechanism to break down barriers and encourage and enable, through this specific relationship building, movement of young people from project to project.
ANGELA’S STORY
Young People, local community and partner organisations are involved in the decision making and the development of Youth Moves. This is achieved through an inclusive Youth Moves Management Board with representation from the local community and the on-going development of a robust participatory youth forum process across all youth work provision to ensure the voice of young people is heard. Another development of the Youth Moves partnership and The Park has enabled 20 young people to participate in a course on ‘Preparation for Employment in Fitness Instruction and Youthwork’. By the end of the academic year students will achieve an ABC Introductory Certificate in Youthwork and CYQ Certificate in Fitness Instruction, and will be strongly supported in employment opportunities. The Youth Moves team consists of: P h i l C o t g r e a v e (Managing Director) M a n d y M o r g a n (Development and Marketing Manager) M a r l e n e D e u c h a r s (Admin and Marketing Assistant). We are located in the Park and can be contacted on 0117 903 9796 or at phil@youthmoves.org.uk and mandy@youthmoves.org.uk If you are interested in becoming involved or in finding out more about Youth Moves please contact Phil or Mandy. Youth Moves is funded by the European Union Regional Development Fund, SRB6, URBAN II and Bristol City Council Young People’s Services.
Making plans for the group
The women’s group is starting to establish itself now, and some women have started to come on a regular basis which is great. I would still like to see more women come along because there must be more of you out there who would enjoy getting out and having a bit of a laugh, making a few new friends even. Our next big plan is to organise a Women’s Day at the Mede. There will be stalls offering therapeutic treatments like aromatherapy and massage, maybe with some dance and music. Well, we are only at the initial planning stage so if you have any ideas, come along on Thursday morning and let me know! From a personal point of view, I have enjoyed the experience of organising the group so far. Filling in forms and funding applications have helped me understand how organisations work and my confidence and communication skills have really developed. It’s still early days and we need more people to support us, but it has been a valuable experience and it’s always a good feeling when you know you have helped others.
Don’t forget Thursday mornings, 9.30-11.30am at the Mede. It’s a really friendly place with a nice cafe so come along even if it’s just for a cup of tea. Angela Caddick
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FAMILY SUPPORT DOMESTIC ABUSE - SUPPORT AND ADVICE
Valentine’s Day has been and gone: how many of you received an insult instead of flowers, felt a fist instead of receiving chocolates? At times like Christmas and Valentine’s Day it can really bring home to you the problems we are having in our relationships. However, there is somewhere you can go for a chat, talk about your options, and get some information and support. The Knowle West Domestic Abuse Project has been working on the estate for almost 2 years and has worked with over 90 people affected by domestic abuse – the majority of which are women. All our volunteers and workers have been trained to understand the impact of domestic abuse; not just the physical hurt but the emotional and mental harm it can cause. We would never ask the question ‘Why don’t you just leave?’ because we know only too well that there are a million and one reasons why not. What we are here for is to support you to make your own choices. We can recommend a solicitor, accompany you to the police or to court, or help you to think about a safety plan if you’re still with your partner. We look at options with you if you wish to leave, be there for you if you do leave and just need support to build a new life for you and your children, and most of all, offer a listening ear.
We run a drop-in every Mon 9.30am–12.30pm at Filwood Community Centre, and Tues. 6-7.30pm at the Healthy Living Centre, where you can just turn up (we see everyone individually). We also run a support group for women on a Tuesday morning where we do different things such as self-defence and DIY skills. We have also started running the Freedom Programme in the Knowle West area. This is a 12 week rolling programme, it is free and there is a free creche. The programme is for women of any age and helps us understand the different abusive tactics that men can use, it helps us to look at the affects of the abusive behaviour, and then we look at warning signs for future relationships. Whether you are in an abusive relationship at the moment, or have recently left, the Freedom Programme is a great way to make sense of what can often seem like one big confusing mess. The programme will help you realise that you are not to blame – and then you can begin to make any changes you want for the future. For more information about any of the above please contact Karen on 0117 9639569 during office hours or 07785220159 on evenings or weekends.
TOP T.I.P.S T.I.P.s, a new centre for young people with learning difficulties and their parents/carers has recently been launched at the Park. The centre offers a comprehensive advice and signposting service on issues such as work, education, relationships and leisure activities. Susanna Delve, T.I.P.’s Project Officer says ‘There is not a lot of support available for young people once they have left school, and the centre hopes to bridge that gap between school and adult services. We want to encourage young people towards independence and support them in gaining the confidence to use computers so they
can access information on jobs, leisure, clubs, careers, or anything else they are interested in.’ The group is aimed at 14-25 yr olds and is open for drop-ins between 9am and 4pm on Mondays and Wednesdays. Local schools are encouraged to use the service. A new youth group for the same age range has just started at the Park on Tuesday evenings. To find out more about T.I.P.s come to the drop-in on Mon/Wed or call 0117 3773878. Email: sdelve@connexionswest.org.uk This project is supported by Social Services and Connexions. Hannah’s Story Hannah is a young woman with learning difficulties who works as a volunteer at the centre. She works on the computers, finding information for herself and others and enjoys chatting to the other users. Hannah says, ‘I like to look up information on computers. I like to get out of the house and I get to do something that is interesting like going into Florence Brown School, seeing what people liked and following up what they wanted.’
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Hannah is currently attending a Skills for Work course at Lawrence Weston College.
SUPPORTING FAMILIES Is your family facing a problem that seems too big to deal with on your own?
Once they have all discussed the problem, the family is left alone to draw up a plan to tackle it. So long as the plan keeps the child safe and cared for, it will be approved.
Family Group Conferencing is a service at The Park which aims to help you find solutions to family problems such as truanting or a family break up.
The family can meet again in the future to review their plan, and make any changes. Co-ordinator Ruth Jordan says: ‘‘You know your family best. So if there’s a problem in your family you’re much more likely to deal with it if you try to resolve it from within’. If you have a child aged under 18 and would like to discuss whether a Family Group Conference could help you, call Ruth on 377 2657.
Members of the family and close friends come together to discuss the problem. Health visitors and teachers can also come along. Children can talk to an independent adult, or advocate, who can talk for the child during the conference if necessary.
A FAMILY’S STORY When Emily’s parents split up, they couldn’t agree on how to look after her. So they had a Family Group Conference.
The family drew up a four-week plan. It meant that Emily got to see both parents, and keep contact with her half-brother and grandparents too.
Both Emily and her mum had an independent advocate to give them support during the conference.
The plan turned out to be tricky to stick to, so the family met up again and made it more flexible.
‘The advocate was just brilliant for Emily,’ says her mum. ‘For the first time, she had a chance to talk. Everyone was listening to her.’
‘It’s made a big difference having a plan in place,’ says Emily’s mum. ‘Family Group Conferencing was much better than having to go to a solicitor.’ (Names have been changed)
CONGRATULATIONS SUE! Sue Cripps, our Sure Start Midwife has left for the new post of Children’s Centre Manager at St Anne’s Park. I’ll never forget Sue, not because of what she has done, but for the kind of person she is. ‘It’s not what you do but the way that you do it’ to coin a song line. She is quite possibly one of the warmest, most considerate people I have had the privilege to work with and we’ll all miss her support and smiling face. So on behalf of the Footprints Children’s Centre staff team I’d like to thank Sue for all her hard work and major contribution over the past 4 years. L i l B o w e r s Programme Manager
Parents write: ‘Sue is so supportive’ ‘Sue gave me encouragement and information’ ‘Sue is warm and caring’
Sue writes ‘Just a quick message to all my friends in Knowle West to say cheerio and thank you for a fantastic four and a half years. I am taking lots of fun memories and experiences with me. I am really proud to be leaving a fantastic Children’s Centre here in Knowle which I know will just carry on going from strength to strength.’ Lots of love Sue xxxx
POLICE, CRIME & SECURITY ON THE BEAT You may have noticed some new faces patrolling the streets of Knowle West recently. Filwood now has two new neighbourhood beat managers – we are PC1223 Jon Duncan and PC2781 Lee Kerslake. Our team also includes two Police Community Support Officers – PCSO 8607 Mitzi Bland and PCSO 7727 Siful Ullah. We both volunteered for the roles in which we are now working as we are keen to be involved with the community and help to address the particular problems which you, the residents,
are most concerned with. In order to do so we will need your help. If you have any information about any crime or police matter please contact Avon and Somerset Constabulary on 08454567000. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. Your call is free (mobile phone calls may incur charge, check with your network for details), you do not have to give your name and you may receive a reward.
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NEW FACES
Sally Clements
“ Eileen Hacker
We are Eileen Hacker & Sally Clements and we are your two new local Health Trainers. We will be here for local residents to access, either by us visiting you, or appointments can be made at the Healthy Living Centre, Downton Road. We can help you with health and lifestyle choices, such as accessing services and facilities in your area. We can also help with issues affecting personal health. We will be here to support, guide and motivate individuals who would like to have success in improving their health and well-being.
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NOTICE BOARD FREE RADIO TRAINING
ARE YOU ENTERPRISING?
Community Service Volunteers in Bristol can teach you radio production skills, including recording interviews and editing sound using digital technology. With the chance to try out your new skills in a professional setting and accredited training units, this is an opportunity not to be missed!
Support, advice and training is available for individuals or groups who wish to set up their own community organisations, businesses or become self-employed. The project is called ‘Enterprising People’ and the advice is provided by a locally based Business Advisor, Justin Ricks who has supported businesses in the area for nearly 3 years. Several other Bristol based organisations also assist Justin in providing the advice, which is FREE.
To qualify for this free training, you need to live in Filwood ward which benefits from objective 2 funding, either be unemployed or working less than 16 hours per week, and be aged between 16 and 64. CSV can cover some travel and childcare expenses. For more information e-mail Ali Grant, at aligrant@csv.org.uk , or phone on (0117) 3772625.
Please contact Justin on 0117 9084232 or email justinr@brave.org.uk if you would like to find out more.
SPOTLIGHT ON JOSEPH
Cover Story! TOYS FOR TOTS Kids soon get fed up with their toys, but rather than buy more, why not come and visit our Sure Start Toy Library? We have toys for 0-4 year olds, including dolls, games, dressing up costumes and outdoor toys. Sure Start members can use the toy library for free! Local child minders and early years workers can join for £5 membership fee. We do ask for £1 deposit per item borrowed, refunded when the toys are brought back undamaged. Footprints Toy Library is open Fridays, 9.3012noon at Sure Start, The Park. On Fridays we also have: Totshop - a second hand children’s clothes and toys stall - clothes just 30p each! Credit Union - have a collection point in the Sure Start lounge 9.30-12 noon. One Stop Job Shop are available to offer advice about training and careers. A l i x F a i r b a i r n Sure Start
Get ready to be amazed when Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat come to Filwood Community Centre in May. Gloria Tucker’s drama group invite you to come and enjoy some of the wonderful singing, dancing and acting as performed by these local youngsters. Performances are on Tuesday 16th and 23rd May, doors open at 6.00pm for a 6.30pm start. All tickets £1.00, available on the door. If you are interested in placing a local ad in the newsletter, or have any other newsletter queries, please call us on 9076893.
THANKS TO................ The Neighbourhood Renewal Newsletter Group: Anita Pearce, Marguerite Jordan, Denise Britt, Joyce Jenkins, Ann Smith and Rose Manning. NR Manager Keith Houghton (last issue) Paul Spooner and Kerry Froom 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.