Concerns over rape charge rates

ONLY eight percent of rapes reported to Avon & Somerset Police are leading to charges being brought.

Chief Constable Sarah Crew told a meeting of the force's performance and accountability board that it was actually double the number of charges from the previous year but was "not enough".

In the year to April, she said the force brought 141 rape charges, more than double the 69 brought in 2021/22.

Ms Crew said: "We are now in the top quartile for positive outcome rates for rape and serious sexual offences, having been previously bottom quartile 24 months ago."

The meeting heard the number of sexual offences and domestic abuse crimes recorded across the last year has gone down but it was not clear whether this was due to "proactive and preventative work undertaken" or a loss of confidence in the police which is deterring victims from reporting.

The chief constable said: “Increasing trust and confidence is our top priority as an organisation."

Ms Crew is the National Police Chiefs’ Lead for Adult Sex Offences and the police force ran a pilot scheme of a new approach to rape cases, Operation Soteria Bluestone, in 2021.

It involved the creation of a specialist rape investigation team, improved collaboration with victim support services, and a focus on perpetrator behaviour rather than on the credibility of victims.

The approach is now being rolled out in police forces across the country.

The chief constable said: “We believe that what we are learning from Soteria Bluestone has the potential to improve our response to all male violence against women and girls offences.

"The dynamics are the same and, actually, the problems in rape that we are starting to overcome are the most difficult.”

By John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Metro Mayor Dan Norris writes for the Voice

out annually. It’s super easy to claim your free Birthday Month Bus Pass – simply go to www.birthdaybus.co.uk. We’ll send you your pass in the post, and you’re away!

People tell me buses are important. That affordable transport is critical. That behaviour change of an ongoing kind is key to overcoming the climate emergency.

This initiative to give free bus travel in the month of your birthday is a UK first. It is innovative and new. It allows our brilliant region to show the rest of the country how to take on the big challenges of our time.

I wish you many happy returns - and singles!

Did you know?

61% of fires start in the kitchen

For fire safety advice specific to you and your home, take 15 minutes to complete our online Home Fire Safety Check.

June 9 n THORNBURY PICTURE HOUSE presents Dream Horse, the inspiring true story of a race horse, Thornbury Methodist Church Upper Hall, doors 7pm. Members free, guests £5. For information about membership visit www. thornburypicturehouse.org.

June 13 n EASTWOOD GARDENERS' CLUB June meeting, Turnberrie's Community Centre, 7.30pm. Talk by Nicola Hope will give a talk on designing an organic garden. Doors open 7pm, visitors welcome.

June 14-17 n OCTOPUS DRAMA GROUP presents A Bunch of Amateurs, Christ the King Church Hall, Castle Street, 7.30pm. tickets available from May 9 at Rosie and Rex Gift Shop on the High Street.

June 15 n ARTS APPRECIATION GROUP talk by Philip Taubenheim on 'Artistic Antiques', Bradley Stoke Community School, 7 for 7.30pm. Details from Sally on 01454 774401.

June 18 n THORNBURY’S FIRST OPENAIR OPERA: Opera in a Box perform Don Giovanni at Rockhampton Village Hall Field, 2.30pm. Tickets £20 AAGThornbury@gmail.com.

June 30-July 1 n THORNBURY CARNIVAL, Mundy Fields. Swing in the Park Friday evening, Main Event Saturday 11am until 11pm. For tickets and more details visit www. thornburycarnival.co.uk.

July 13-15 n THORNBURY MUSICAL THEATRE GROUP JUNIORS present The Wizard of Oz at Redmaids High School. Evening shows 7.30pm, plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Tickets from £10, available from www.ticketsource. co.uk/tmtg or 07305 222922.

Regular Events

Monday n SEVERN VALE FLOWER CLUB meets on the second Monday in the month at 2pm in St Mary's Hall in Eastbury Close, Thornbury, for classes, demonstrations and competitions. For more information contact Sally on ssjjtaylor@hotmail. co.uk or Hazel on 01454 885213.

Tuesday n THORNBURY ART CLUB hosts live talks and demonstrations by established artists on the fourth Tuesday of the month at St Mary's Church Hall, 7.30pm. Non-members welcome: £5 entry. For more information call Mary Drown on 01454 414433 or email mary.drown@ blueyonder.co.uk. n CITIZENS ADVICE South n JUST SEW IT SEWING CLUB, every Tuesday 6.30-9.30pm at the Chantry Community and Arts Centre Castle Street, Thornbury. Come along and sew with others bring your sewing machine & materials/ pattern. Call Carrie 07753 236095. n THORNBURY MEMORY CAFE is open on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (except August) from 10.15am until 11.45am. Methodist Church Hall, High Street, Thornbury. For information contact Sue Rowley on 01454 412941 or Louise Wright on 01454 260371. n SUNBEAMS TODDLER GROUP, 1.30-3pm every Tuesday in term time, Thornbury Methodist Church Hall (off Castle Court). All families welcome, no need to book, £2 per family includes snack and drink.

Gloucestershire sessions at Thornbury Town Hall Tuesday 10amnoon. No appointment needed.

Wednesday n BRISTOL SCRABBLE CLUB meets every Wednesday evening at 7pm until 10pm at Filton Community Centre, Elm Park, Filton BS34 7PS. New members welcome- first visit free so come along and give us a try. Contact Sheila on 01179570792 or 07435316458 or email shinett@ blueyonder.co.uk

Thursday n THORNBURY GOOD AFTERNOON CHOIR, Thornbury URC, Chapel Street, 1-3pm. For info visit www.goodafternoonchoir.org, email gac@grenvillemusic.co.uk or call 01761 472468. n BRISTOL MALE VOICE CHOIR are recruiting new members. 7pm - 9.15pm, St Andrew's Methodist Church, Elm Park, Filton, BS34 7PS. A varied repertoire, no audition. No need to read music - our regular practices will get you in shape to sing at our regular concerts and enjoy the social vibe. www.bristolmvc.org.uk email secretary@bristolmvc.org. uk Telephone 07764447699.

Friday n HAVEN MEMORY CAFE, Thornbury United Reformed Church, Chapel Street, first and third Fridays of the month from 10.1511.45am. More details from Stuart Hill on 07913 241437 or Sue Walton 07794 370903.

Saturday n THORNBURY PARKRUN, 9am, Mundy Playing Fields. Free.

Sunday n THORNBURY ROYAL BRITISH LEGION branch meeting, last Sunday of the month at the Black Horse, Gillingstool, Thornbury, noon.

THORNBURY Library is hosting two special events in June. On June 3 there will be an afternoon of tea, coffee and cake, with international bestselling author Amanda Prowse.

Tickets cost £5 each and are available from Thornbury Library and sglibraries.eventbrite.co.uk.

On Saturday June 10 at 11am you can experience the wonderful world of West African music, with Alain Roumba and Servo Mputu.

Come and hear the amazing sounds of kora, drums, marimba and vocals, and enjoy close encounters with instruments that we rarely get to hear, in a concert staged in collaboration with Rockhampton Folk Festival.

Ukrainian storytime sessions start on June 19 and will take place every Monday at 4pm.

Please tell your Ukrainian family, friends and colleagues about Zoya, a Ukrainian teacher who will share stories, reading and more from Ukraine.

We are looking for friendly and enthusiastic volunteers aged 14 and over to join the team running the children's Summer Reading Challenge 2023. The closing date for applications is June 23 - ask in the library or go online for more details.

The Have You Read book club meets on June 2 from 2-3pm - no set novel, just drop in for refreshments and a chat about books.

Lego club meets every Saturday from 9.30-10.30am - no booking required.

Rhymetime takes place every Monday and Friday, from 9.30-10am.

A Sight Support West of England drop-in support and advice session for people with visual impairments will be held on June 19 from 10am-1pm.

A computer volunteer is ready to help with your IT and online questions on Thursday mornings, with one-to-one sessions available from 9.30am.

The library is open 9.30am-5.30pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 9.30am-12.30pm on Saturday.

Open access is from 8am-7.30pm every day.

For bookings and home library service call 01454 868006, email thornbury.library@southglos.gov.uk or visit the website www.southglos.gov. uk/libraries.

30 candles - but how many more?

EARLIER this year we celebrated the 30th birthday of the Wottonunder-Edge & District Branch of the RNLI, which also covers Thornbury - but the candles on the cake are burning low!

Since we formed, other local branches have all closed through the lack of new volunteers.

We are at risk of going the same way; we have a committee of just five - and none of us are getting any younger!

Next March sees the 200th anniversary of the founding of the RNLI; we would like to celebrate this anniversary, and many more, as a branch.

The role of the Branch is to promote the RNLI, raise funds, promote the RNLI’s safety messages, and provide support to others raising funds for the RNLI locally.

We need new blood on the committee to ensure that we can add more candles to our birthday cake. It does not require a big commitment, The committee meets only as needed (perhaps 4 times a year) to plan events and oversee the monies raised, and we plan what we do around the availability of our volunteers. We would welcome people with ideas, contacts or skills – even if they have limited availability to help with events.

Please contact me at John_ Barnett@rnli.org.uk for further information.

John Barnett Chairman - RNLI Wotton-underEdge & Thornbury District Branch

I'm excluded from the High Street

I REITERATE Clive Washbourne's feelings in his letter (Voice, May). I am absolutely astounded by what has been done to Thornbury High Street. The whole place has been vandalised!

I contacted the council very early in this debacle to voice my concerns. I had the usual 'We're not doing anything definite. Consultations will be held'.

As a disabled, older person I feel completely excluded from my place of birth. I still have family here, whom I visit on a regular basis. The High Street, however, is inaccessible for me. A once thriving, quirky, old fashioned (in a positive way) high street is like a ghost town. Hang your heads in shame, you high-handed people of the council, who seem to think that they 'know what's good for people by ignoring residents' opinions!

Helen Wheeler

You could be missing out on help

A MESSAGE for anyone of pension age who is struggling financially: come forward - you could be missing out on up to £3,500 of pension credit, a benefit open to pensioners who are on a low income.

It is unclaimed by so many people - an estimated 4,000 in South Gloucestershire - who might not realise they are entitled to extra money.

To be eligible for pension credit, you must have reached state pension age, not have too much income or savings and live in the UK.

To find out what you are entitled to, and for help making a claim, visit Citizens Advice faceto-face drop-in sessions in our Yate office on Mondays (4-6pm), Tuesdays (10am-3pm) and Fridays (10am-1pm), or our outreach session at Thornbury Town Hall every Tuesday from 10amnoon, call 0808 278 7947 or visit southgloscab.org.uk.

Emmanuelle Claverie Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire

Takeaway General Manager

We are on the search for an experienced Takeaway General Manager to join us in Thornbury, you could be part of our team!

Deep Blue Restaurants Ltd, locally serving sh and chips, we have been established since 2003 and welcomed Harrys Ramsdens into our family in 2018 making us the largest sh and chips provider in the UK. We have also added and internal Street Food Brand!

If you are passionate about food, love producing high quality food and want to deliver an exceptional product and customer experience then we have the job for you. We provide ongoing training and career development for our teams.

As a Takeaway General Manager, you will need -

- Experience of managing teams

- Budget P&L, health & safety, stock, recruitment, training and all store management

- Restaurant or fast-food experience

If this sounds like you, then apply today. We cannot wait to meet you and welcome you into the team of dedicated and hardworking people that deliver great sh and chips and customer service every day.