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Community newsletter for Easton and Lawrence Hill
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2 Up Our Street
Pg 3-4 Easton and Lawrence Hill Neighbourhood Management Pg 5 Neighbourhood Forum Pg 6 Neighbourhood Partnership Pg 7 Old Market Pg 10 Mayoral Question Time Pg 11 Wellspring Q&A Pg 12 Mums take action Pg 13 Community Space Challenge Pg 14 Community interview Pg 16 Free school meals Pg 17 Lawrence Hill Beat Managers Pg 18 Gregory Street unveiled Pg 19 Problems with parking Pg 21 Shop to let Pg 24 Notice board
Up Our Street 3
We are a resident-led voluntary organisation working in much of Easton and Lawrence Hill (Barton Hill, Easton, The Dings, Old Market, Redfield and St Judes). We were formed as the legacy
of two regeneration programmes - New Deal for Communities programme in Barton Hill (Community at Heart) and Neighbourhood Renewal in Easton (Easton Community Partnership).
WHAT DO WE DO? Take the time to understand the needs, problems and priorities of local people.
Support local people and service providers to make well informed decisions, solve problems and plan for the long term together.
Identify problems quickly and take action to prevent them escalating. Target resources where there is a need.
Share information between residents and organisations. Disseminate accurate information and discourage rumour and speculation.
Foster positive and trustworthy relationships.
OUR PROMISE TO YOU We will listen and take your concerns seriously.
We will give our full support to people who want to work with others to make a difference. We will be honest and realistic about what we can do.
We will do what we say we will do.
Who is Easton and Lawrence Hill Neighbourhood Management?
4 Up Our Street
16 year old
Emily Richer won our logo competition Residents around Brook Street Park have formed a group to improve the play
space. With our help they have secured £110,000 of funding from the Council and put on a fabulous fun day in August.
Small grants for local people
Endowment Fund Deadline 3 October
Up to £300 for individuals towards things like course fees, driving lessons (17 to 19 year olds), equipment you need to get into work or to improve your health if you have an
illness. Up to £1000 for groups for putting on projects.
This is only for people who live in the former New Deal for
Communities area. Contact Tracy on 903 9975 for
an application pack.
Do you use Lawrence Hill underpass? We are going to be out and about asking
people what they think about the look and feel of Lawrence Hill underpass. Do you use it? Do you feel safe using it at night?
Is there anything you would change?
We are working with residents on Felix Road, Walton Street, Lansdown Road and Villiers Road to draw up a Good
Neighbour Agreement which sets out everyone’s responsibilities and commitment to getting along together.
Christmas Lights Competition We will be out and about on Tuesday 18 December to judge who is bringing a bit of sparkle to the area. Prizes for
best house, best flat, best business and best street.
GAUNTS HAM PARK
Do you use this park in Lawrence Hill? We want to hear what’s good and not so good about this
green space.
In September we spent three days surveying people on Stapleton Road. We asked them if they felt the road had improved in the last year or not. We will
bring you the results in the next issue.
Up Our Street 5
Easton and Lawrence Hill Neighbourhood Forum
Welcome to Ricardo
Sharry, our new Forum Facilitator. Ricardo will be known to some of you from his time as a youth worker in
Barton Hill. He will now be working on organising the Forums and
chasing up actions for the issues you raise.
Contact Ricardo on 377 2485 or [email protected]
Next Forums
Tuesday 6 November St Mary Redcliffe and Temple
School, Somerset Square, BS1 6RB
Thursday 13 December Easton Primary School
Beaufort Street, BS5 0SQ
6.30pm to 8.30pm
Who comes to the Forums?
Why not be part of the solution?
Since May 2010 there have been 19 Forums.
In May 2010, 27 people
attended the first Forum.
In July 2012, 74 people attended including 21
residents who came for the first time.
July 2011 was the
highest ever Forum attendance with 93
people.
Lawrence Hill’s most common problems
reported to the Forum are related to highways.
Easton’s problems are with the environment.
Is this your experience? Why not come along,
have your say and find out more?
Welcome to the Neighbourhood
Partnership In July, Anna McMullen was confirmed as a new resident
member of the Neighbourhood Partnership
representing Easton.
Street drinking
Thanks to everyone who responded to our article
about street drinking around the Wild Goose and Stapleton Road. We had a real mix of responses which showed us that it is something that we all feel differently about. We will now be looking at what
happens next.
HOT TOPIC Caravans parked on the road
A lot of people have told us that they don’t like caravans being parked on the road for long periods of time. It is not illegal for people to park
a roadworthy caravan and if we don’t have a drive we are still entitled to own a caravan. But it is frustrating to have parking spaces taken up permanently and our view being blocked. What if people are living in the caravans? Someone came to the Forum in September to answers questions from residents
and tell them what is and isn’t possible. Contact us for a copy of the notes from the meeting.
Greenbank Pub to become 14 flats?
At the July Forum the developer consulted residents about this
application. Whenever there is a large scale development in our area the Forum
is the place to go to find out more.
Wellbeing Grants deadline 15 October For groups in Easton or
Lawrence Hill to help towards projects. Have you got an idea that would make a
positive difference to our neighbourhood?
Contact Diane Rafla on 903 9934 for an application pack.
COUNCIL TAX BENEFIT IS CHANGING www.bristol.gov.uk/counciltaxchanges or call 352 6542
CONSULTATION DEADLINE 29 OCTOBER The Government is abolishing the current national council tax benefit
scheme and asking all councils to develop their own council tax support scheme. At the same time, the grant paid to councils to run a local scheme
is being cut. Bristol City Council has some difficult decisions to make and
wants to hear your views on the proposed changes.
6 Up Our Street
Ashley, Easton and Lawrence Hill Neighbourhood Partnership (NP)
The decisions that affect you
The NP held its annual general meeting on 3 July and elected Maryanne Kempf (Chair), Dominic Murphy (Deputy Chair) and Gus Hoyt (Councillor Chair).
Decisions made affecting Easton and Lawrence Hill wards include:
Wellbeing Fund small grants £11,400 of Wellbeing Fund small grants was allocated to ten projects including: £1395 to St Judes Somali Women’s Group, £500 to Corbett House Residents’ Association and £1400 to Easton Energy Group. Wellbeing Fund is now open for applications - deadline 15 October Small grants are available for groups in Ashley, Easton or Lawrence Hill. Contact Diane Rafla on 903 9934 or visit www.eastonandlawrencehill.org.uk for an application pack.
A tree planting scheme was approved for Rawnsley Park in Easton
Traffic schemes £8500 for a scheme to reduce speeding on Westminster Road, Whitehall (Section 106 money) £3000 for a feasibility study (looking at what can be done to solve traffic problems) on High Street, Easton £3000 for a feasibility study on Hinton Road, Easton £3000 for a feasibility study on Mary Street, Easton £5000 for parking restrictions on Worsley Street and Leonard Road, Redfield
Section 106 allocations £87,848 for improvements to Midland Road pedestrian crossing (to Hannah More School) £1000 for cycle racks in Queens Square (Cabot ward) £5472 for pedestrian and cycle improvements on Redcliffe Street
Section 106 is money that developers of larger sites pay to the Council to reduce the impact of the development. The NP decides how to spend Section 106 money allocated to Ashley, Easton and Lawrence Hill.
Brook Street Park £38,862 of Section 106 funding approved for improvements to the play area
A bus shelter will be installed on Avonvale Road outside the shops near Beam Street
All papers and information relating to the Neighbourhood Partnership can be found at www.bristolpartnership.org or call 903 9975
WIN A RASPBERRY PI
Are you aged under 25 and interested in getting into a career in computer science? The Raspberry Pi is a credit card sized single-board computer developed in the UK by
the Raspberry Pi Foundation with the intention of stimulating the teaching of basic computer science in schools. Fern Housing has donated
two Raspberry Pis to give away to two of our young readers.
To enter, simply write to us and tell us why you would like to win the computer. You must be under 25 and live in Easton or Lawrence Hill. Send entries to [email protected] with your name,
date of birth, address and why you’d like to win by Friday 30 November. For more information on Raspberry Pi visit www.raspberrypi.org
Next NP meeting: Tuesday 27 November, 6.30pm to 8.30pm, Unitarian Hall, Brunswick Square, St Pauls
Up Our Street 7
OLD MARKET MOVING FORWARD By Paul Bradburn Chair of Old Market Community Association
After decades of what seems like being in the wilderness, Old Market can finally tell the rest of the city that it has some very good things happening. With input from the local community and guidance from various organisations, including the Prince's Foundation for Building Community, we have held and attended many meetings, hosted workshops, guided numerous walks, presented at conferences, spent hours on the phone and just kept pushing hard to realise what will regenerate and even reinvent Old Market for the 21st Century. All this hard work has begun to pay off.
The first good news is that £300,000 has been
designated from the Long Term Sustainable Transport Fund to help improve the traffic. We have been working closely with the Council to make sure that this money makes a real positive difference and helps the area become a better place to live, work and visit. We have also begun to create a Neighbourhood Plan and to come together to decide how elements of the built environment will shape our neighbourhood. This begins by creating a new boundary that, if successful, will incorporate the communities of The Dings, Newtown and St Judes into a new neighbourhood known as Old Market Quarter. We are also working with Trinity Arts Centre on an Old Market history project that will hopefully be funded by a Heritage Lottery Grant. Our plan is to celebrate the rich and diverse history
that has been built up in Old Market over the best part of a thousand years. We also want to hear from anyone who has memories or stories for an exhibition. Another project we are keen to establish is a community event to bring everyone together. This coming spring we want to have an Old Market 'Fayre' which will be a day long gathering for all the family to come and enjoy. Finally, amongst many other things, we are going through the last stages of applying to become a registered charitable organisation. This means that we will be able to make much more effective use of any money or donations we receive to help our neighbourhood and community in the long run. Even though we
have done a huge amount already, there is much more to do and I would personally like to thank all the organisations and individuals who helped us get this far in such a short time.
To find out more visit www.oldmarket.org.uk or call Stacy on 377 3638.
Support your local high streets Find out more at www.bristolindependents.co.uk
8 Up Our Street
Bristol Refugee Rights on the move After five years at Stapleton Road Chapel, Bristol Refugee Rights has moved to Malcom X Centre in St Pauls. The project offers a safe place for asylum seekers from over 30 countries to come together to meet others, have a meal and get information and advice. Up to 100 people attend each session so they needed to move to bigger premises. The centre helps many people from Africa and the Middle East with increasing numbers of people from conflict zones like Syria and Egypt. Contact [email protected]
Avonvale Road Bowling Club raised £746 for Help for Heroes by collecting donations during games.
Congratulations to residents Alex Milne, Margaret Castle and Gloria Morris who all won
a Celebrating Age Award for their volunteer work at the Council’s event in June.
Dignity for asylum seekers
In June our area saw around 250 refugees and asylum seekers take to the streets to campaign for
better treatment. Many asylum seekers have to check in with the police regularly despite
committing no crime and are frequently detained. There is also concern about the cuts to legal aid and
that many people will become homeless and destitute after fleeing countries suffering from war,
famine and human rights abuses. The march started on Stapleton Road and ended with speeches and
dancing in Queen Square. Felicia, from the border of Liberia and Sierra Leone, said “We want to tell
people what we are going through. We have been suffering so much... some of us are living on £5 a
week, can you imagine?”
To find out more about the campaign visit www.asylumseekersinbristol.blogspot.com
Up Our Street 9
The chance to dance
The Rhythm of the Night is for adults with learning difficulties and their friends. It’s a great place to make new friends and have fun.
Rhythm of the Night Thursday 18 October and Thursday 29 November
Trinity Centre, Trinity Road, 7pm to 10pm Tickets are £5 and can be bought on the door and there is a bar. What do people say about it?
The Rhythm of the Night is a disco to meet your friends. Debbie
It’s great fun and lots of people come and enjoy it. We want it bigger and better. Paul
Dancing, drinking, cabaret and fun – Rhythm of the Night is a fantastic event to socialise and get together. Bill
We can catch up with old friends. We try to have them as often as we can and would like lots more in the future. Michael
What can one say about Rhythm of the Night? It’s like a dazzling spectrum of rainbow colours. When you dance and drink with your friends you can really feel the beat! Penny
To find out more contact Misfits on 07910962329 or [email protected]
ADVERT
Dancers at Rhythm of the Night
10 Up Our Street
Organised for residents and community groups in Ashley, Easton and Lawrence Hill
QUESTION TIME EVENT
Thursday 8 November
6.30pm to 9pm Trinity Centre, Trinity Road
BS2 0NW
Candidates for the Bristol mayoral election will take part in a public Question Time debate for residents and community groups in our area.
Submit your questions in advance What would you ask the candidates who want to be the first elected Mayor of Bristol?
Submit the questions you would like the candidates to answer before Thursday 25 October. We will choose a selection of questions to ask on the night.
Book your place
Call 903 9975 or email [email protected]
Post your question online at www.tinyurl.com/mayoralquestions Book your place online at www.tinyurl.com/AELHmayorqt
Easton and Lawrence Hill normally have a lower than average voter turn out. Be part of making a difference and make sure you come out and vote on 15 November.
Organised by Ashley, Easton and Lawrence Hill Neighbourhood Partnership, Voscur, Easton and Lawrence Hill Neighbourhood Management and St Pauls Unlimited
MAKE YOUR WISHES COME TRUE From Bristol Manifesto Team
On 15 November we will all vote for a new Mayor - someone very important in Bristol, who will have the job of leading the
Council, and the city, for the next four years. You may have seen Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London,
handing over the Olympic flag to Eduardo Paes, the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, at the end of the London Games. Well, soon
Bristol will have our very own Mayor. And this time, it won't be just the Council voting. For the first time, everyone in Bristol will be able to vote directly on who leads our city. We can
choose. It's what Bristol decided in the referendum on 15 May this year. But how will this new Mayor know what Bristol
wants? That's where the Three Wishes campaign comes in. The Bristol Manifesto team is asking everyone for their top three wishes for Bristol. We are completely independent of any political party or candidate and our only aim is to help
make Bristol as good as it can be. We will collect every wish, put them all together in a Bristol Manifesto and give it to the mayoral candidates and the city. And we will say: If you're
elected Mayor, please follow these wishes. Because these are the wishes of Bristol.
Send in your Three Wishes at www.bristolmanifesto.org
Up Our Street 11
The challenges of meeting the needs of patients in a busy inner city doctor’s surgery
If you live in our area, you may be a patient of Wellspring Surgery. The surgery is faced with the pressures of a growing population and more children, elderly people and people with long term illnesses. We met Dr Jahfar, who has been a doctor at Wellspring for 15 years, to find out how the surgery is coping. Why is it sometimes hard to get an appointment? In the past 10 years the number of patients we have has risen significantly. We have a duty to provide medical care to anyone who needs it living in our area. NHS regulations prevent us from refusing to accept new patients, except in extreme circumstances. This means that we have to do whatever we can to cope with the demand. We have more doctors and an expert nurse who assesses and treats patients with minor illness. This means the doctors can see patients with more complex medical issues. I also think that the public’s expectations have changed. People aren’t happy to wait for an appointment. Although some medical problems are clearly urgent and we offer urgent appointments, many are not and could reasonably wait. When residents try to ring, the phone is engaged for hours, especially in the morning. Why is that? We realise that this is incredibly frustrating for patients and agree that the current service is just not good enough. We are very sorry for the difficulties that people have getting through. We have spent many hours analysing and mapping out our busy times. Many surgeries have a phone queuing system. This may be a way forward but the down side is that waiting in a queue uses up phone credit. We need to find a way to spread calls over the whole day and to have more staff answering the phones, with more phone lines. I can assure you we are giving this top priority. What is the process for booking an appointment? Appointments and telephone calls from the doctor can be booked by visiting reception, over the phone or online. If the patient has requested an urgent call, they may be told to go home to wait for the call as it may be some time before the doctor is able to contact them. Everyday there are routine appointments available to book in advance. Sometimes these run out but more will be available the next day. Some residents find it very hard to see the same doctor regularly. What are your thoughts on this? Doctors also want continuity because we get to know our patients. Sadly this is not always possible as not all doctors work full-time and our appointments are snapped up quickly. Now that advance and web booking is possible, we hope that non-urgent
appointments with the doctor of your choice will be possible more often. Some people always insist on the same doctor, but this is just not always realistic. It must be stressful for the doctors having so many people to see you. What can patients do to make things easier? Patients can make things easier by working with us to use the NHS as appropriately as possible. There are NHS websites, phone numbers and leaflets that can help with minor illness. It may seem unfair to patients that, although we expect you to turn up on time, we doctors often keep you waiting! We hate keeping people waiting; it is one of the most stressful parts of the job. Patients can really help us, by being as patient (!) as possible. We are always conscious of time, and never dawdle. We try our absolute best to run to time, but the complexity of people’s problems will often prevent us from doing so. The area has changed a lot since 2004 and there are many different cultural needs to deal with. How do you manage this? We find these changes very interesting and patients have inspiring experiences to share. There are big differences in how people behave with regards to illness in different cultures, but ultimately I find that if we all treat each other with respect and an open mind, then most difficulties can be avoided. Life would be dull if we were all the same and the many new people in Barton Hill have contributed a lot to the area, as have the ‘old’ Barton Hill families who have lived here for generations. What do you see happening in the future? I think that the surgery will go from strength to strength. We will continue to experience high levels of demand, but residents will have more opportunities to improve their own health through a healthy lifestyle. It is very inspiring to work in a building in which there are classes in art, cookery and exercise, wellbeing groups, complementary therapies and more. I feel privileged to have worked with such a variety of interesting and great patients for the past 15 years.
Thanks to Dr Jahfar for helping with this interview
12 Up Our Street
MUMS TAKE ACTION
Residents making a difference
Fatoum Houssein, Ayan Hassan, Luul Omer and Nasrin Dahir are four very special women. When seeing young men from their community hanging around on Stapleton Road and hearing about tensions with the police and wider community, they decided the best way to help was to get out there too. Over the past few months the women have taken it in turns to be out from 9pm to midnight talking to young Somali boys. During Ramadan they were out for an hour or so each evening. “We wanted to help them get off the streets” said Fatoum. “We went out and asked three questions; why were they out there, how could we help them and what they wanted. They all said that they had nothing to do. They’d finished school and there were no jobs for them. They mostly just wanted to work or do apprenticeships.” “Some of them said they had rung around for jobs and when someone said to go and meet them, when they turned up they got told the job had gone” says Nasrin. Three of the women work in schools so are used to being around young people. They all have children and after attending a Stapleton Road Working Group meeting they realised that these disaffected young men were really in need of help. “When we heard about stop and search of our young boys out on the streets we thought there must be a reason. We thought we could help improve the safety of the streets and help our boys move
on” says Fatoum. From talking to these women you can really sense how much they want to make a difference and that they believe there is hope to change things. “We don’t want our boys involved in drugs on the street. We care and don’t want that. We have done parenting courses to learn how to speak to them and make them respect us and we have talked to the parents of these boys” says Nasrin. “Also we want to reach younger ones who are not out yet so we can stop them” she adds. One idea that the young men came up with was running their own youth club. It is clear that these boys do not mix outside their own social group and all four women confirm that young people segregate themselves into groups from secondary school age. One thing that they all agree could help is more education in school about being a good citizen and the ‘soft’ skills of how to care about the community and each other. There are services to help young people but it is difficult to encourage these boys to get involved as they feel outside the ‘system’. This is another thing Fatoum, Nasrin, Ayan and Luul are hoping to change. They have been speaking to City of Bristol College about putting on an information session and they took a group of the boys to a local jobs fair. “There is a lack of trust between these boys and our older generation, but also between them and the wider community. Not all of them are involved in drugs but they all feel judged.” They are hanging out because that’s what young people do, and with very few jobs out there they lack an alternative. “We talked to parents about how if we all just acknowledged them or said hello then that would help” says Fatoum. And that is their message
for all of us. When we say good morning or hello to each other it makes us feel welcome and a part of the community and these young men are no different. And how do they feel after a night out talking to the boys? “It does feel good to think we are actually doing something and that we are part of the community. We believe we can make a change and help these boys make a different life. It will take time but it’s possible.”
Nasrin and Fatoum
Stapleton Road Working Group
Monday 22 October Monday 19 November Monday 17 December
6.30pm to 8.30pm Easton Community Centre
Kilburn Street, Easton
The group is chaired by resident Pat Usherwood. Residents and traders meet once a month to
discuss ways they can work together to keep the area clean,
safe and welcoming for everyone.
Contact Penny on 903 9975.
Up Our Street 13
Can we clean it? Yes we can! Residents making a difference
At Up Our Street we love meeting people who are making a difference to our neighbourhood, so when we were contacted by Luis Dias from Community Space Challenge about young people from Barton Hill who were cleaning up the streets, we went along to say hello. On a breezy Friday morning we caught up with the group at Silai for Skills on Easton Road where three volunteers were helping to clear up the car park and grounds. Tyrone Tovey, 24, Blake Tovey, 17 and Tommy Lane, 17, were all hard at work when we arrived. Community Space Challenge is a project which gives young people something constructive to do. They work with those who have been in trouble with the police or who have been struggling to find some direction. Every Thursday and Sunday the team goes out litter picking our parks or gardening at their allotment. At the moment they are working with 15 young people who have been referred to them by other organisations. “If we didn’t know Luis I do think we would be in more trouble” says Tyrone. “It makes us feel proud as we are doing something for the community.” Although litter picking may not be everyone’s cup of tea, the three seem to get some satisfaction from the work. “I feel relieved when we get it done” says Tommy. “It makes me angry when I see the litter back again and people can’t walk 20 metres to a bin” adds Blake. Luis chips in to the lads at this point: “We want you all to see that this is our neighbourhood, we all use it. It belongs to all of us so we should look after it.” Tyrone agrees: “Last time there were three needles up the Netham and that’s out of order.” “It is good that people see us out doing
good things, not committing crimes which is what everyone always thinks. People do give us good comments, which is nice” says Tommy. One positive outcome of the project is helping the young people think about what sort of work they might like to do and how they can get started. Since helping at the allotment, Tyrone has discovered an interest in gardening and Luis is helping him get set up as a self-employed gardener. Blake and Tommy both enjoy football and are taking a coaching course. Blake also enjoys cooking and is taking a cookery course as he thinks he might like to work in catering. To find out more about Community Space
Challenge contact Luis Dias on 07770573218
or [email protected] If you have a job
that the team of volunteers could help with then
they would love to hear from you.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is any procedure which involves the partial or complete removal of the external female genitalia
or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. FGM is a tradition practised in 28 African countries and
parts of Asia and Latin America. Justifications for FGM include custom, cleanliness, religion (no religion advocates FGM),
preservation of virginity and social acceptance especially for marriage. Many women believe that FGM is necessary to ensure acceptance by their community; they are unaware that FGM is
not practised in most of the world. There are many communities living in the UK which practice FGM here and abroad. FGM is
illegal in the UK yet it goes unreported. In the next edition we will have an interview with some local girls who made a film raising
awareness of FGM to help protect those who may be at risk.
Left to right: Blake, Tommy, Luis and Tyrone
Highlighting FGM
Whitehall writer returns to the Aegean
Ever dreamed about making a living as a writer? Whitehall resident Emma Russell is doing just that and with her first novel hitting the shelves we contacted her to find out more. Emma moved to Bristol to study and fell in love with the place so decided to settle here. “When I came to Whitehall it felt safe and I love St George’s Park. Everyone is friendly and warm and if you delve a bit deeper you find out about all the groups happening, everything you need is on your doorstep. I moved from London so I really liked the diversity. It’s a real melting pot of nationalities, which I like.” Emma herself is no stranger to moving around. Having grown up on the small Greek Island of Paros she moved to England to study and work. The slower pace of life on the island meant Emma spent a lot of time reading as a child and there she developed her love of writing. “By the time I was eight I had read my Dad’s whole library, even Tolstoy! I always knew I wanted to be a writer and had this story in the back of my mind. I was working for the NHS and then fell pregnant. During maternity leave it felt like the right time to tackle my book. Being pregnant definitely helped focus my mind.” Emma already had a draft manuscript and had been working with an agent but was unhappy with the changes they wanted to make so she took matters into her own hands. “I couldn’t believe how easy it was to do things for yourself. It’s great for first time authors. I registered my book through Amazon so it has an ISBN number and it’s now for sale online and as a
paperback. It’s amazing what you can do.” And how does it feel to be a published author? “You get hooked! I’ve had some great reviews and it’s all enormously exciting. I still feel shy to say I’m a writer. I keep having to pinch myself to check that it’s really happening!”
Emma’s book is shaped by her experiences growing up on the island. The story is about a deep sea diver called Thalia who returns to her Greek island home to uncover the truth about the death of her mother and twin brother. The story deals with love, loss and friendship, and is a journey of discovery. It’s also about island life as Thalia gets back into the community and introduces readers to Greek culture. “I was so lucky to grow up where I did. It was beautiful. This book is for me but also I hope that it will encourage more people to go to Greece. People living on the islands are really struggling at the moment. They rely on tourism and it’s down by 50%. I hope if I can do one thing it will be to make people think about going on holiday there.” And will there be a follow up novel? “I’m working on a different book at the moment but I think I will write a sequel as people seem to love the characters. Women love Petros so I might write about him and show the island in winter.”
If this has whetted your appetite to read Emma’s book you can buy it online through Amazon or visit her website www.emmajanerussell.wix.com/books
To win a copy of Emma’s book email [email protected] or phone 377 3638 by Friday 30 November with the answer to the following question: What was the name of the island where Emma grew up? The winner will be drawn from a hat.
14 Up Our Street
Local author Emma Russell
Up Our Street 15
Going Greek
We asked local writer
Emma Russell to give
us the low down on the
Greek community living
in Easton and
Lawrence Hill. She
spent a day getting to know Greek people living in our
neighbourhood and here is what she found out.
Kαλώς ορίσατε! - or welcome in Greek. If you would
like a taste of a different environment in Bristol, then
head down to St Peter and Paul’s Greek Orthodox
Church, located at the end of Lower Ashley Road in
Easton. You can be assured of a very warm welcome
from Father George Nikolau and the Greek community
there.
Originally the Anglican church of St Simon, the Greek
community rented the church from 1959 but it
officially opened as St Peters and St Pauls in 1963.
The church kept the exterior stone architecture but
renovated the inside in the traditional Greek Orthodox
style with warm colours and lighting, beautiful murals
and iconography. The Greek community in Bristol
originated first from Greek sailors and then surviving
soldiers and their families from the Second World
War. Father George arrived from Cyprus in 1979 and
has made it his life’s work to transform the church
into a beautiful and peaceful place where people can
come and pray, ask for help and socialise. There is no
pressure on you to be religious or proclaim your faith.
Father George told me with a twinkle in his eye that
faith, like marriage, shouldn’t be pushed onto a
person.
The Sunday service is an important part of the week
for Greeks. It brings alive their belief as well as being
a time to socialise with other members of the Greek
community. I took the opportunity after the liturgy to
grab some of the traditional home made Yeorgraphias
cake (Geography cake). Many Greeks just call it
marble cake, made with chocolate and vanilla with a
hole in the middle so that when sliced it has a
fantastic marble effect, delicious with a cup of tea.
The congregation was a mixture of families, church
clergy, members of the church committees and
guests like me. Father George explained to me that
all members of the congregation are important, even
after their deaths, with the names of the deceased
painted on the walls so that they may always be
remembered.
The church is only
part of the Greek
community that
meet here. There
is also a Greek
school for children
as well as an
evening class
available for
adults who want
to learn. Founded
in 1959 next to
the Church, the
children meet for
lessons on a
Saturday morning
while adults who
are studying for
Greek language
qualifications meet on a weekday evening. The
emphasis is on enjoyment and excellence, promoting
the Greek culture with summer festivals and
traditional parties like the Greek carnival Apokries,
three weeks of dressing up and fun before the 40
days of Lent. There is also a ‘Hellenic’ hall which can
be hired out for weddings, churches, baptisms and
parties.
I went along for a visit and found everyone sincerely
friendly. Father George is proud of the work that has
been done on the church and of the thriving Greek
community that supports Greeks in Bristol and
throughout the south west. The warmth of the
church’s environment, the smell of incense, the sound
of the Priest’s voice rising and falling in song made
me feel like I was in Greece and that I might step out
of the church’s doors into sunshine and the smell of
wild thyme. As it was, it was raining, my daughter’s
buggy had a flat tyre and we were very late for a lunch
date. It didn’t matter. I walked away with a Grecian
jaunt in my step.
For more information on the work of the Greek
Orthodox Church visit www.greekchurchbristol.com
If you live in Easton or Lawrence Hill and you would
like to tell us about your community contact Stacy at
Up Our Street on 377 3638 or
Inside St Peters and St Pauls
Greek Orthodox Church in Easton
16 Up Our Street
Centre helps more than 700 people In July the Somali Resource Centre (SRC) held
its Annual General Meeting, celebrating six years since the organisation started in 2006. With over 50 people attending the AGM, the Board of Trustees handed out certificates of
thanks to ten volunteers who give time to help their community. The SRC offers advice, support and sign posting to the Somali
community in Easton and Lawrence Hill. Over the past 12 months the centre has helped 707 people deal with problems. Abdullahi Farah, Centre Manager, said: “We have had a busy
year. We have seen an increase in people needing our help at a time when services and benefits are being cut. Over the next year we want to help more people to help themselves
and be more self sufficient. We are moving offices and we are looking for more funding as I
can see demand for our help continuing to grow.” Contact the Somali Resource Centre at
Barton Hill Settlement, 43 Ducie Road or call 907 7994.
Left: Centre
Manager Abdullahi
Farah
It’s more than just a meal
If you are a parent and you are claiming benefits then your children could be entitled to free school meals. This means they would get a free hot meal during the school day. At the moment, lots of parents who could claim the meals are not doing so. Bristol City Council is trying to increase the number of parents claiming and here’s what they had to say: ‘Did you know, that for every child aged four to 16 who claims free school meals, their school gains an extra £600? As well as the benefits of eating a nutritious meal, a recent study found that in primary schools where every child was offered a free school meal there was actually an improvement in how they did in lessons. By claiming free school meals it doesn’t mean that the child has to eat it. They could still bring a packed lunch but by claiming the meal the school gets an extra £600.This money could go towards supporting vulnerable children, employing an extra teacher, out of school activities such as free holiday places, in school activities such as free places at breakfast clubs, sessions with a play therapist, sessions with an art therapist, learning a musical instrument, employing a learning mentor – the possibilities are endless! We are trying to get more parents to claim the meals so we can get more resources into Bristol schools.’ If you are a parent we would like to hear from you. Do you know how to claim? Do you choose not to claim? If so, why? Text us on 07810506980 or email [email protected] You can read more about free school meals here www.bristol.gov.uk/page/food-schools
REDFEST COMES OF AGE By Jon Watkins
During August, the Red Lion, the Old Stillage, Cafe Grounded and the Electric Parlour (Cyril Darks) in Redfield hosted an eclectic mix of music, film, children’s activities and art that
added a huge splash of cultural colour for the people of east Bristol to enjoy. More than 2000 people enjoyed Redfest and at the rain free St
George Park All Dayer nine diverse acts like local talent Victoria Klewin and Bashema got people moving. The whole family could not
resist stomping to the ska sounds of the Infinite Collective and Magnus Puto. Children’s
events included Circomedia and JollyTots workshops. Yoga, fairground rides, @Bristol, a
real fire engine and outdoor lounges all brought a carnival atmosphere to Redfield. If you want to send us ideas for 2013, get in
touch at www.redfestbristol.co.uk
Up Our Street 17
New Arts and Events Manager for Stapleton Road now in post
Cleo Lake started working with us in September and will be out and about meeting people to put together an action plan. Cleo knows the area well and will bring a lot of ideas and experience to the role. Here’s what Cleo had to say:
“Greetings to everyone. My name is Cleo Lake and I am your newly appointed Arts and Events Manager for Stapleton Road. I grew up in Easton, went to Easton Primary School and have fond memories of the area. I remember when Easton swimming pool opened and I also remember when the procession for St Pauls Carnival used to start from Thrissell Street. I am very excited about working with all the good people in and around Stapleton Road. If you have ideas for this project or wish to contact me regarding my role then please email me at [email protected] or please feel free to approach me when you see me out and about on the street.”
18 Up Our Street
Change and new ambitions for Easton Community Centre By Sophie Shirt Chair of Easton Community Centre
Easton Community Centre held a goodbye tea in July for the amazing Liz Jones, our departing Centre Manager. Old and new friends of the centre including ESOL volunteers and students, people from the Evergreens Over-60’s club and the Milestones Art Group, as well as the NHS Health Trainers and Easton Arts Trail organisers gathered to wish Liz well. Along with centre regulars and Board members they enjoyed wonderful cakes provided by our fantastic 'In the Mix' cafe. Liz was not only actively involved in the creation of the centre back in 1989, but in her position as manager she led the centre into relative financial security, gaining a further three years of funding from Bristol City Council. Thanks to Liz, the centre has developed a wide range of activities and seen a big increase in users from all sections of the community. Liz is well known for the huge amount of energy and commitment she gives to everything she puts her hand to. She is also a person of great empathy, and as manager knew when the immediate priority was not funding bids or staffing rotas, but ensuring that the needs of a person in distress were met. She is valued by many and we will miss her! The centre now enters an equally exciting era under the management of Jon Shepherd and has ambitious new goals. If you'd like to be involved, please drop in to meet Jon and the staff and find out more. We are keen to recruit new members and develop our Board of Directors. If you have skills, time and enthusiasm to share, please do - we can't do it without you!
Easton Community Centre is on Kilburn Street in Easton and you can contact the team on 954 1409.
Liz (right) with Lil from Evergreens
Gregory Street unveiled in Barton Hill
Sovereign Housing Association named their new street after Reg Gregory, a local resident who was a tireless volunteer in and around Barton Hill. Among other things Reg was instrumental in getting the Wellspring Healthy Living Centre off the ground. Sadly Reg died in 2009 and this was a fitting way to mark his contribution to the community. The unveiling event was attended by his son and daughter who cut the ribbon alongside MP Kerry McCarthy and residents who remember Reg.
Something getting up your nose? If you have noticed smelly drains then you will be pleased to hear that the Council is in the process of reviewing the cleaning of the city’s drains. At the moment all drains are cleaned once a year, however some need cleaning more often and some need cleaning less often. Between July 2012 and July 2013, the Council is auditing all drains to come up with a cleaning schedule that meets the needs of the different parts of the city. Residents reported smelly drains needing cleaning on Stapleton Road. These drains date from the Victorian period and the old design means that they don't have a ‘u-bend’ function, which means storm water and sewage water mix together making them smelly at times. The audit will identify these old drains and they will be upgraded to include the ’u-bend’ and stop smells, which are caused by the design of the drains and not the fact that they need cleaning.
Friends and family of Reg Gregory with MP Kerry McCarthy
Up Our Street 19
PROBLEMS WITH PARKING
Whether you are a pedestrian, cyclist or driver, there is one thing that is bound to get you hot under the collar - how we all behave on the roads and pavements. Since we started the Neighbourhood Forum, residents from across the area have raised the issue of problem parking; how and where people are parking. We use our cars to get to work, take our children to school, socialise or avoid the bad weather! There are a lot of us living in Easton and Lawrence Hill and that means a lot of cars. Our neighbourhood is close to the city centre. Thousands of people make their way into the centre every day. They choose to drive because the bus is expensive or inconvenient. Once they get here they need somewhere to leave their car, and as city centre parking is costly, they park on our streets. Commuter parking means that residents struggle to find a space. Residents feel frustrated by the commuters who park on their streets but commuters feel they have little choice. There are schemes to encourage car sharing and improvements to bus and cycle lanes but is it enough? The Council is proposing a Residents’ Parking Scheme for one part of our area which is badly affected by commuter parking. Over the summer residents and businesses were asked for their views. Is this the solution? It will cost money to implement and enforce which will fall to the residents. Some people say the commuters should pay, but is it their fault that it is a better option to drive? Is the very idea of ‘commuter’ and ‘resident’ a non-starter? We talk about commuters as if they are an alien species but if we drive or travel to other neighbourhoods aren’t we all commuters? As residents of
Bristol there are surely times when we park on a street that is not our own. If we discourage commuters what impact will it have on businesses? How much do the shops on Old Market and Stapleton Road rely on people parking on the side streets and popping in for groceries? Most car drivers are possessive of the area in front of their house. We have this idea it’s ours by right. But the math just doesn’t add up. What happens when your teenager gets a car and the space outside has to fit two cars or the house next door gets converted into flats? Is it physically possible for all of us to have a parking space outside where we live? Will the chaos and congestion force us to abandon our cars? Many of the streets in Easton and Lawrence Hill were not built for cars. With cars parked on both sides of the road the only way to make room for passing traffic is for cars to park with two wheels on the pavement. This makes it difficult for pedestrians to pass, especially people with pushchairs, mobility scooters or wheelchair users. The space available is getting tighter and tighter and people are parking in very silly places. Is parking on junctions another symptom of too many cars or is it just people being inconsiderate?
It is all too common to find people parked so that exiting junctions or crossing the road is dangerous. Are people too lazy to find another space further away? The inconsiderate parking means people want more enforcement – Council parking services or police officers out more often ticketing vehicles. But, it’s just not possible for an enforcement officer to be on every street corner all of the time. We currently know of seven requests from residents for extra enforcement and you can be sure there are lots more we don’t know about. What can we do about these
things? Is it just that it is part of
living in a city? Should we all
think more carefully about the
wider impact of where and how
we park? How much officer time
and money should be focused on
combating problem parking? It
would be unrealistic to think that
we can rid our streets of irritating
traffic problems but it is
important that we all think about
our actions and how we best use
the resources we have available
to tackle problems that are
seriously impacting on our lives.
Tell us what you think.
Text 07810506980 or email
20 Up Our Street ADVERT
New Autumn courses at Wellspring Healthy Living Centre
Courses include Sewing and pottery
Meditation and aromatherapy Tapas and Caribbean cooking
See www.wellspringhlc.org for more details or call 304 1429
Wellspring Healthy Living Centre is on Beam Street in Barton Hill
Easton Street Sportz is a FUN and diversionary sports activity for the young people of Easton. The group is seeking VOLUNTEERS to support the current club leader, a member of the Easton community who gives up his Friday evenings to help local young people have something positive to belong to. We are looking for volunteers to:
Assist in coaching.
Provide admin & general support at weekly sessions.
Why:
Gain skills and experience the FUN way!
Develop experience of working with young people.
Do your bit for your community.
Looks great on your CV and job, college and university applications.
If you would like the opportunity to get involved call Hattie on 0207 993 9883 or email [email protected]
HELP TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE
Health Promotion Specialists
Health Community Development Workers Health Trainers
Working with local people in our area to promote healthier lifestyles
Healthy eating and weight loss Get fit and active
Swimming, walking and cycling groups Understanding your wellbeing and health difficulties
Regular health checks Personal health plans
Help for people with long term illnesses Information about cutting down on alcohol
Support to stop smoking Sexual health advice
Mental health awareness Breastfeeding information
Working with groups and one to one support For referral and further information please
contact us at: Inner City Health Improvement Team
Easton Community Centre, Kilburn Street, Easton, BS5 6AW. Tel: 0117 377 1038
Up Our Street 21 ADVERT
Dhek Bhal
Help & Support for
South Asian People
in Bristol &
South Gloucestershire
22 Up Our Street ADVERT
For further information contact: Dhek Bhal, 43 Ducie Road, Barton Hill, Bristol, BS5 0AX
Tel: 0117 9146671/2 or 9548885
Tel/Fax: 0117 9146672
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.dhekbhal.org.uk
Have a break
and have fun! Make new
friends
Daycare for
Elderly Women
Daycare for
Elderly Men
Sitting and
Domiciliary
Care
Have fun
adventuring new
places
Get good
advice
Up Our Street 23 ADVERT
Love your home
Do you find it difficult to keep your home warm in the winter? Are you struggling to pay your energy bills? Help is at hand to tackle cold households across Bristol.
Home energy advice is available for the over 50’s or families with a child under 5 who are finding it hard to keep warm and well in the winter months. The Home Energy Team1 give free and impartial energy efficiency advice to assist with things like setting heating controls, reducing fuel debt and minor home improvements like draught-proofing.
They can even come out and visit you to provide one to one advice to show you how to save and stay warm - and if English isn’t your first language they have a team of volunteers who offer an interpretation service. They can also apply for grants to have insulation measures like loft and cavity wall insulation fitted for free if you are a homeowner or a private tenant2 .
If you are retired, on a low income, living with a disability or health problem or are caring for someone there could be additional financial assistance for you. The Home Energy Team can help by providing a quick, free and confidential benefits check from a trained advisor to make sure you are receiving everything that you are entitled to. They can refer you to other agencies for further support and find out if you are eligible for the Warm
Home Discount, a £130 rebate on your electricity bill, and the Priority Services Register, a free programme offered by energy suppliers providing extra care to customers that need it. If you would like a warmer home and lower bills then get in touch with the Home Energy Team who can talk you through your options. 1. The Home Energy team is a new service from Bristol based charity, the Centre for Sustainable Energy, which provides free, impartial and local advice about grants for insulation, lowering fuel bills and making your home warmer. 2. Subject to survey and funding.
You can call freephone on 0800 082 2234 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm)
or email [email protected]
Photo: Courtesy CSE
Photo: courtesy sean dreilinger / flickr, licensed under Creative Commons
