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Clifton, Wilford and Silverdale Issue Six / December 2009
A scene from last year’s celebrations at the Christmas in Clifton Event Come along and enjoy this year’s celebrations, lights switch on with guaranteed snow? Friday 4th December - more details back page
Get to the point with your Community Arrow!
Inside:
What Do You Want For Christmas...? Clifton Leisure Center Event For Older People Glapton School Green Coronation Avenue Allotments Clifton Cornerstone Grab A Grand Winners Community Volunteers Programme
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You tell us – it’s your area, it’s your news...
What do you want for Christmas in your neighbourhood? Neighbourhoods are not just for Christmas they are for life. So what do you do for your neighbourhood? Do you let anyone know when your surroundings need a bit of extra attention, a bit of love, a bit of care? When something needs improving, do you know how to influence decisions, change things for the better, and get things done? Just a phone call to your local Neighbourhood Management team can begin to turn things around, get things moving, and put your neighbourhood concern on the political agenda for discussion. This year several people did and oh what a difference it made.
■ Pupils of Dovecote School influenced the design and improvement for Sunninghill Park that was reopened back in May ■ A local resident raised concerns about the sad state of a neglected traffic island and it's now being improved ■ Another resident reported some work on pavements hadn't been up to standard so now it's being redone ■ Residents of Hamilton Court raised alarm about some fly tipping that was an eyesore and making the street unsafe - this then got incorporated into the annual spring clean
■ Residents and local children wanted more wildlife and planting projects, so hedging and over 3000 bulbs were provided to help in the renewal of community areas, and create greener local neighbourhoods
Get involved, have your say, influence decisions, love your neighbourhood. You can contact your Neighbourhood Management team and tell them what your neighbourhood wants for Christmas, and in the New Year we will work with you to fix it Tel 0115 876 6247.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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Love Your Life — Be Healthy, Be Happy (older peoples event) The annual event for older people in Clifton, Wilford and Silverdale recently took place at the Clifton Leisure Centre. As always it proved to be very popular, with around 300 local residents in attendance. The event was officially opened by Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr Mick Wildgust, to a packed audience.
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Blooming Greens Pupils at Glapton Primary and Nursery School have been busy preparing for a blooming lovely Spring on Glapton Lane Green. Following increased concerns by parents and local residents over the past 12 months about pedestrian safety and the damage caused by cars to the green outside the school, pupils are now caring for the green. The Neighbourhood Environment Action Team (NEAT) have been helping by putting logs in place around the edges of the green to make it safer and allow the grass and trees time to recover.
Be Healthy Be Happy
Mrs Margaret Hyams said, “I met up with friends I had not seen for some time which was nice.” Fifty information stalls, a variety of events including; massage, line dancing and body MOT exercise sessions on the Outdoor Gym equipment, provided plenty for everyone to do, and it was all rounded off with a delicious packed lunch that went down very well! Mrs June Belshaw said, “Everyone was very helpful and I am getting a follow up visit at home where I hope to find out more about help I can get”, while finally Mrs Pat Nicholson said, “It was a most enjoyable, rewarding day. The event gets better each year.” (The photograph shows a busy Clifton Leisure Centre with attendees taking a break from all the activities)
Glapton School Children Bulb Planting (Oct 09)
The children attending the school have been busy planting snowdrops, bluebells and daffodils, to prepare a wonderful spring display for parents, residents, and children walking to the school. The children will be watching the green closely after Christmas to see the first sign of blooms in spring. Why not join them?
Have you seen any angels recently at the Coronation Ave Allotments in Wilford? Have you seen any angels recently? I have! These angels didn't have wings, they arrived equipped with yellow safety jackets and thick gloves, and immediately set to clearing decades of rubbish from the far corners of our allotments. In other words, our invaluable Neighbourhood Action Officer and councillors had organised for the NEAT team (Neighbourhood Environment Action Team) to turn
Coronation Ave Allotments
disused and overgrown areas into usable plots. These can then be allocated to residents on our waiting list, who can then start to grow food for their families. Nothing tastes better - or is healthier than your own fruit and vegetables grown in good soil, cooked and eaten within hours, or even minutes of picking. It's good news for the housekeeping budget too, and provides opportunities for exercise in the fresh air, as well as making friends and strengthening community bonds. Time spent on the allotment can be extraordinarily therapeutic. No wonder the waiting list is growing! Our grateful thanks to all concerned. By Pat Lister
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News
Area News
Talking Point Café - Clifton Cornerstone Have you visited the Talking Point Café at Clifton Cornerstone on Southchurch Drive? We are open 8.30am to 4.30pm on weekdays, and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays. The Talking Point Café offers a wide range of delicious, wholesome food for all tastes, including gluten free and vegetarian meals. All food is freshly made on the premises using local suppliers where possible. Perhaps you fancy a light bite for breakfast, or a hearty meal such as our homemade chilli and rice, or just a quick cup of tea and a slice of cake. Do pop in -
the Café provides a warm welcome to everyone. And we hope you'll find our prices are very reasonable. We also offer a loyalty card to all customers, and discount cards for staff, students and OAPs. The Café operates as a social enterprise which means a percentage of our profits are reinvested into the local community. We also recruit local volunteers who may be excluded from the labour market so that they can gain valuable experience. Please enquire within if you are interested in this opportunity, or alternatively contact Shona on tel: 07789 224432.
A free slice of homemade cake when a coffee or tea is purchased - please provide this voucher.
Let there be light... Nottingham City Council's Grab a Grand campaign has seen the Clifton community benefit from £1,000. Summerwood Lane Allotments have recently set up a community garden on the allotments site in Clifton. Currently the new shed has no electricity and for this reason the team wanted to make a bid for money so they can install a solar panel. This will enable the team to run workshops and hold meetings for the local community in the evenings. It will also enable them to power a fridge where they can keep refreshments for their volunteers. Nottingham's nine areas have each received £1000 to spend on a new project to improve their local area. Another £1,000 has been given for an additional city wide project. Hundreds of suggestions were received from across the city and during Local Democracy Week residents voted for their favourite idea.
Leo, Neighbourhood Action Officer Don Bulmer, Keith, and Emma
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www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk
Area News
Community Volunteers Programme The Community Volunteer Programme will create 700 vacancies in the voluntary sector and is part of the wider Nottingham Jobs Plan which aims to get more than 2000 people in to employment. The Community Volunteer Programme will give participants real skills and experience that will enable them to be able to compete more successfully in the jobs market.They will also work towards a recognised qualification, and will be supported during their search for employment during the placement, which will last about six months. The programme is suitable for people who: • have recently been made redundant and are eager to maintain their skills and engage in the workplace • are not ready for employment but who want to develop their skills and re-enter the workplace through
supported placements which offer them meaningful and empowering volunteering opportunities • are in low paid, low skilled, part time employment who would benefit from the opportunity to get practical experience so they feel more confident in applying for higher skilled and better paid jobs. Places are available in a variety of disciplines including, community sports, gardening, media, social care, finance, and many more across all areas. For more details please visit the jobs section at www.mynottingham.gov.uk
3rd December 9.30 — 12.30pm at Clifton Library
Another area of Nottingham's Job Plan is the Future Jobs Fund which is recruiting 100 people into paid employment. To find out more about these jobs please attend one of the listed road shows or visit your nearest Job Centre Plus.
7th December 9.30am — 12.30pm at Bilborough Library 11th December 10am — 3pm at Red Lion Community Centre 16th December 10am — 3pm Job Centre Plus, Hyson Green
Building Schools for Local Communities and for the Future Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is a 10-15 year major government initiative aimed at re-building and renewing school facilities and transforming education. Nethergate School will benefit from BSF funding and an in-depth 'visioning' process, starting in the New Year. Pupils, parents and school staff will be fully involved in a creative process to rethink their school for the 21st century. They will then be part of a design process, to ensure their ideas are realised in their new learning environment. Nethergate School pupils
To find out more, visit www.nottinghambsf.co.uk.
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Councillor News
Local News From Your Area Councillors Councillors Your local City Councillors want to improve the quality of life for all residents, and support local people to get involved in making decisions about the things that matter to you. If you have anything you wish to discuss or would like their view on a story you wish to contribute to the Community Arrow, do feel free to get in touch.
Clifton South Councillor Chris Gibson Tel: 0115 913 8707
Your Clifton South Councillors, Ian, Chris and Jeannie have been involved in many different ways to improve the facilities available in Clifton. They are now involved in a new programme of “ward-walks” which are to be held in each area of Clifton South. Ian, Chris and Jeannie intend to be involved with managers and officers from all relevant departments and agencies, and it is intended that the walks will spot problems and opportunities in a pro-active way, and offer a “joined-up” approach to improving different neighbourhoods in the ward. Where possible, local community volunteers will be welcome to join the walks. The first two ward walks have taken place at Barton Green and Clifton Village, and it is hoped the next one will be held in the Stirling Grove area. On the walks, discussions have taken place about key buildings and spaces, community safety, roads, lampposts, hedging, and bollards. Residents and passers by may have seen the group with notebooks recording problems which are spotted and any ideas which are reached. The outcomes
Councillor Ian Malcolm Tel: 0115 915 2935
Councillor Jeannie Packer Tel: 0115 979 7635
are going to be collated and every effort made to improve your neighbourhoods. Ian, Chris and Jeannie are also working to get improvements to various community facilities. Five years after the city council granted planning permission for an indoor sports hall on the Farnborough School site, it is now open for use by the community. When the City Council granted planning permission it was on the basis that it would be for joint use by school and the community. The lottery also funded the development on condition that it would be available for community use. However, Farnborough School refused to take bookings. With the support of your Councillors, South Nottingham College are now running the sports hall and is trading as S.N.C Active, they can be contacted for information about classes or booking by ringing 0115 914 6400.
Councillor surgeries are an opportunity for you to speak to any of your local councillors should you have any issues about your area you wish to discuss. Times, dates and venues of surgeries in your ward are listed here.
Surgeries are held at: Clifton South Clifton Library 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month, 11am – 12 noon - except August.
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www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk
Clifton North Councillor Brendan Clarke-Smith Tel: 0115 915 2387
Your local Councillors in Clifton North, Brendan, Andrew and Tim have been making efforts to encourage residents to get involved with decision making in the community, and have organised a number of events to this effect. Unfortunately their attempts to kick-start a Tenants & Residents Association for the Greencroft and Rivergreen area of Clifton were dealt a blow when a public meeting was arranged to which nobody turned up! However, they did spend the time having constructive discussions with local Community Protection Officers (CPOs) about issues of public order, car parking, and speeding in the area. Unperturbed, they have high hopes for their forthcoming public meeting in Wilford. One of the matters discussed with the CPOs was the parking situation on Clevely Way. Together they are working to find ways to alleviate this problem, not least because of the further pressures that will be caused by the continued expansion of Nottingham Trent University's Clifton Campus. As part of Local Democracy Week Councillor Price spent some time down at Clifton Market talking to residents and listening to their concerns. The condition of footpaths seems to be a concern of many. Your Councillors in Clifton North
Councillor Andrew Price Tel: 0115 952 9170
Councillor Tim Spencer Tel: 0115 923 5040
are working closely with the Clifton South councillors and the Area Committee, pooling their limited maintenance budget to ensure that priority areas are identified and addressed. All Councillors have been using their annual Councillor Ward Budgets to contribute to local programmes and groups. This year, among other things, Tim will be making a contribution to the Wilford Church Holiday Club, a scheme that organises activities for local young people during school holidays. Brendan has helped to fund the planting of trees in Silverdale, and Andrew has made a contribution to the Dyslexia Association. The three have also pooled some of their money together to help the Good Companions scheme which provides a valuable service to the elderly community.
Question your Council As a City of Nottingham resident you can now play an active role in City Council meetings by voicing your concern about an important council related issue that is affecting your community. You can either submit a Public Question or a Public Petition to full Council meetings. For further details visit www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/ publicquestionsandpetitions or phone 0115 915 4592
Surgeries are held at: Clifton North Please telephone one of the above Councillors to arrange an appointment
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Dates for your diary... Christmas in Clifton Event and Lights Switch On Friday 4th Dec, 3 – 5pm Southchurch Drive, by the Market NORDTRA Christmas Fair Saturday 12th December 12 - 4pm Park Gate Community Centre Lots of fun, refreshments, the BIG raffle and a visit from Father Christmas Green Lane Ward Walk with Councillors Tuesday 22nd December 10.30am Area Committee Meeting Wednesday 13th January 7pm - refreshments from 6.30pm
Find out more about your local Community Arrow and get Involved Message for the Residents of Clifton, Wilford & Silverdale Did you know your Community Arrow relies on stories and articles from local people? We are looking for people who can source stories/articles, photographers, or simply people who have an interest in their local community. If you would like to be involved or find out more about the Community Arrow, please feel free to contact Don Bulmer (Neighbourhood Action Officer) who is based at the Clifton Cornerstone on 878 6243 or email don.bulmer@nottinghamcity.gov.uk or simply drop in for a chat. Any item to be considered for inclusion in future issues can be forwarded to Don directly.
Your Community Arrow Written by you, printed and distributed by Nottingham City Council.
Useful Contacts Clifton & Wilford Neighbourhood Management team Clifton Cornerstone, Southchurch Drive, Clifton, Nottingham NG11 8EW Telephone: 0115 878 6247 Email: myvoice.clifton@nottinghamcity.gov.uk There are many places you can go to get free advice on debt, financial and legal matters. You can also find out if you’re entitled to receive additional support through grants and benefits. For welfare, debt and other advice and support visit the Clifton Advice Centre: C/O Green Lane Youth and Community Centre Green Lane, Clifton, NG11 9AY Call: 0115 940 5551 for an appointment Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10.00am – 1.00pm