Henbury and Brentry in Bloom-Jubilee

Henbury and Brentry Community are working together to put on an event during the last week of May for everyone to enjoy.

During the first week of May a huge log (see picture) will be delivered to the Barnard Park (open space opposite the shops) where craftsman Andy O’Neill will transform it with his chain saw into two beautiful benches each approx. 7-8 feet long. The benches will be carved from Sequoia (giant redwood) and will take about 5 days each to complete.

Sequoia is one of the nicest looking and longest lasting wood (can last more than 100 years) you can find and Andy is very excited about working with such wonderful and unusual timber to create something lovely for all in our community to enjoy. It will take three weeks for Andy to carve these two benches, one commemorating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the other as yet undecided. There will also be three natural play features to be used as play sculptures for kids.( each one is going to be named by our three Primary schools).

The eight or nine herbaceous borders will be replanted with a range of colourful perennials by the parks officer Peter Watts. A one off design in the shape of a crown approximately ten square metres will be installed and local children will be invited to help with the planting. The Crown frame will be sedum or marigold and filled with petunias. The event will happened at the 24th of May and school children will be invited to help with this, along with everyone from our Community.

Baskets of flowers will be placed around lamp posts on Crow Lane to further enhance the overall celebration.

The intention is to enter this event into the Best Jubilee

Theme for Bristol in Bloom along with other various categories. Anyone who wishes to apply for an award i.e. best public house, hotel, shop front, shopping street area, your street, large garden, small garden and more. Please contact newsletter’s editor (see feedback page 11) for more information. The children are invited to enter for the Bristol in Bloom painting competition.

Check on bristolinbloom.org.uk/competitions website for details.

All these need to be approved by the Neighbourhood partnership by the end of March.

All are welcome to make this a big event for our community and be the best Blooming area in Bristol.

Andy O'Neill, age 41, lives in Yate, used to be a tree surgeon, now a wood carver, carving full time for the last 5 years.
Has worked on commissions for the National Trust, Forestry Commission, South Glos Council, Kent County Council and now Bristol City Council.

You can see some of Andy’s work at this address: www.myspace.com/creativecarving

Henbury and Brentry Talent Show 2012

After the big success of last year’s Talent show the Henbury & Brentry Youth Forum are once again going to try and put on another Talent show.

This will be on the evening of Friday 11th May 2012

The Henbury Social Club have kindly given us the hall for the evening.

Performers need to be 11 - 17 years old and live (or have a strong link) to the Henbury & Brentry area.

The talents can be anything from singing, dancing, photography, to painting or sports skills..... and lots more.
This will be a family evening.
If you would like more information about how to enter, volunteer or attend please contact the Henbury & Brentry Youth forum at henburyandbrentryyouthforum@hotmail.co.uk or call Lisa on 0117 377 2614.

Action by Henbury Conservation Society to face up to ever increasing traffic through Henbury Village

The Village is faced with regular incremental increase in traffic volumes as more and more houses are built at high density in the surrounding areas. On top of this South Gloucestershire have now proposed a plan to build a further five thousand seven hundred houses on the former Filton Airfield . The effect of these developments will be increased movement between the north to the west of Bristol. There are alternative routes although the Hallen route is barred to lorries by South Gloucester Council. Additionally, Alan Berridge, senior BCC traffic engineer for this area, says that lorries are free to use Kingsweston Road so the quickest and most direct way is through / round the Village so we need to ensure we are not overwhelmed to a greater extent in the years ahead. We need to develop proposals for changes which will make life more tolerable for the people who live along Henbury Road and Hallen Road as well as the many pedestrians, school children and visitors to the Blaise Castle Estate and the Hamlet, who have nowhere safe to cross. And in doing this make it safer for drivers as well.

The Traffic Group of the Society has recently submitted a report to the Henbury & Southmead Neighbourhood Partnership which will be used as a basis for determining what measures will have best effect and, most importantly, the costs involved. Both are required so that bids can be submitted to any upcoming funding streams.

You can read the report if you go the Conservation Society web pages here: henburyconservation.co.uk Additionally you can add your supporting comments on this site. Equally, if you object to any feature of the report you are equally welcome to comment.

Tim Parkinson, HCS Hon Sec

Henbury and Brentry Events Group

Christmas 2011 saw "THE CHRISTMAS CRACKER" and the HAMPER deliveries. Due to the inclement weather our contingency plan was bought into effect and the event was held at the Youth Centre, Machin Road.

Father Christmas ably assisted by Mrs Christmas, The Snowman, The Christmas Tree, Christmas Pudding, Toy Soldiers, Christmas Parcels and Elves distributed presents balloons and crackers to the children. We were entertained by the choir and band of Henbury School. A great time was had by all. Many thanks to all the helpers and Henbury School.

The following day saw the delivery of the hampers. Tim Parkinson and myself set off in our cars and with the help of four children from Henbury school, delivered sixty two hampers to the elderly. It proved an emotional experience with children, the elderly and ourselves sometimes with tears in our eyes. Thank you to Ayeshah, Brandon, Courtney and Gabbie.

This Christmas we shall be increasing the number of hampers yet again. Many thanks to the events group whose efforts made all this possible.

Because of the Jubilee, this year the usual June lunch will be held later in the year.

FUN DAY AT BARNARD PARK, CROW LANE. The event will take place on Saturday 11th August.

If any group would like to assist or have a stall, p

lease contact me.

CHRISTMAS CRACKER 2012 will be held on Tuesday 11th December on Crow Lane or Henbury Lodge Youth Centre according to weather conditions.

CHRISTMAS HAMPER. Distribution on Wednesday 12th December.

Further information will be given in the next Newsletter.

Recently myself and two members of the events group attended a seminar on "street parties" (for the Jubilee).

If anyone wants information please contact us or look on line at - streetparty.org.uk or streetsalive.org.uk

Adrian Boyce, Events Co-ordinator

Henbury & Southmead Neighbourhood Partnership

2012-2013 Neighbourhood Partnership Wellbeing Fund

Henbury and Brentry will have a further allocation of

The first round of Wellbeing Grants can be applied for NOW. The deadline for applications is Monday 16th April 2012.Wellbeing Fund for 2012/2013 of £8,500 and £1,500 to work together with Southmead to support young people’s activities over the Summer.

If you are a group based in Henbury/Brentry or working in the ward to benefit its residents you can apply. Decisions on successful applications will be taken at the Neighbourhood Partnership meeting on 29th May 2012.

If you want to

find out more about applying for Wellbeing funding and to get an application pack please see contact below.

More Good News as Henbury/Brentry secures Community First Fund from 2012- 2015

A new Small Grants fund has been secured for Henbury/Brentry to support local groups and initiatives. It’s called Community First. Groups can apply for between £250 - £2500 in any one year. Henbury and Brentry have

£33,910 between now and March 2015 in total to support local priorities. The key difference in this fund to many others is that all applicants have to provide funds to match the money they are asking for – either in volunteer time (priced at £11.09 an hour), donations in kind (eg. Free use of a room or equipment) other funds or a combination of all three. All applicants should contribute to the priorities which were identified at the

Henbury and Brentry Community Conference in 2011.

To find out more about how to apply contact Keith Houghton (contact details above) or follow developments on the Community First page at: http://henburybrentrycommunity.org.uk/wordpress/?p=342 .

Grant applications can be made from this point on.

Road crossing improvements in the pipeline

The Neighbourhood Partnership has a small budget every year to agree Traffic and Transport improvements in its area. The NP ha

s agreed the following priorities for improvements:

· Better road crossings at the junction of Charlton Road/Pen Park Road – funding is now available to deliver this work.

· Improvements to the junction of Swanmoor Crescent/Charlton Lane and Brentry Lane to make it safer near Brentry School.

· A road crossing on Knole Lane, near the junction with St.Joseph's Road, Brentry.

The solutions to the last two will come out of feasibility studies which the Council’s Traffic Management will conduct to advise the Partnership on the most effective works to install at the best price.

Community Transport in Henbury/Brentry: latest news

In the last newsletter we reported on work to develop a Community Transport service for Henbury/Brentry, funded by an Aldi Section 106 payment of £12,952.

As this newsletter goes to press several test runs are taking place to explore how the service might work. The final details will be worked out over the next two months by a small group of residents, Ward Councillors, Lawrence Weston Community Transport and the City Council. The Councillors in the Neighbourhood Partnership will then be asked to approve the service at the end of May 2012.

To register your interest as a potential user of the service contact Adrian on 0117 9504431 or let Sam Parker (see details below) know.

Youth Links: Local People influencing future youth services

Young people, adult residents in Southmead, Henbury and Brentry and their councillors have been working through the Neighbourhood Partnership to influence how Youth Links will deliver our future youth and play services.

The Youth Forums and adult residents have drawn up a local list of what they want and this was agreed at the Neighbourhood Partnership on 24th January. Rose Richards, the Service Manager for Youth & Play Services came to this meeting. The Partnership asked for and received her agreement to set up a special meeting so local people could comment on the draft Specification so that their needs are built in to what goes out to future bidders.

Henbury and Brentry people have shown how much they care about their young people and the services they receive and that they can influence what happens through the Neighbourhood Partnership.

Hot off the press: this meeting will take place in the last two weeks of April. Please contact Keith Houghton (0117 922 2135) to find out about future events and meetings to influence Youth Links commissioning locally.

Contacts:

Keith Houghton, Area Co-ordinator, Telephone: 0117 9222135, Or e-mail to: keith.houghton@bristol.gov.uk

Sam Parker, BCC Neighbourhood Development Officer,Telephone: 0117 9223029, e-mail: sam.parker@bristol.gov.uk

http://bristolpartnership.org/neighbourhood-partnerships/henbury-a-southmead

New Transport Support for Older People in Henbury and Brentry

The Henbury and Southmead Neighbourhood Partnership has launched The Older People’s Transport Fund. It has been set up so more Older People can get to the groups and activities which help combat isolation and support their health and wellbeing. This Fund is being administered by Southmead Development Trust.

How the Older People’s Transport Fund works

Anyone running an activity for Older People in Southmead or Henbury and Brentry can use the fund to hire transport to enable more older people to take part.

* Decide who needs the transport and when: your group identifies people over 65 who need transport to come to your activities or events or a trip which they want to go on

* Decide who can provide the transport: Contact a transport provider to get an estimate from them of the cost and make a provisional booking – Southmead Development Trust can advise you about transport providers.

* Contact Southmead Development Trust: ask for Steve Haddow or Tracey Burnell and tell them what your event/activity is, how many people over 65 want transport to it and how much you’ve been quoted for it

* Southmead Development Trust confirms if the Transport Fund can support your activity. The Transport Fund will fund up to £50 per event/activity.

* Confirm your transport booking: get back to your transport provider and confirm the booking you’ve made and ask them to invoice Southmead Development Trust for payment, putting ‘Older People’s Transport Fund’ on their invoice.

If you organise activities for Older People in Henbury and Brentry and want transport to enable more people to benefit from your group contact Steve Haddow or Tracey Burnell on 0117 9503335

Community Events Calendar

In order to make it easier to establish what meetings and events are taking place in Henbury and Brentry (and there are a lot!) Tim Parkinson has put in place a more versatile and comprehensive version of our web site events page. Direct access through http://henburybrentrycommunity.org.uk/events. Once there select the 'View All Events' link. If you are interested in a particular organisation's events info just select from the panel on the left of the page. Anyone in our community wishing to publicise a public event can do so by registering with their name and email address.

New Logo for the Community Council

The Henbury and Brentry Community Council has managed for forty five years without a logo so why, I hear you wondering, does it need one now?

I cannot produce a business case for the modest cost of designing the logo we have chosen but in a world where we are increasingly aware of images and their impact our dull text letter head had become out-dated. And, perhaps much more importantly, the design selected reflects the fact that the areas of Brentry and Henbury are of equal importance in our community. So lets be proud of our logo and promote it as widely wherever we can.

Tim Parkinson

Green Space Consultation Ends

The city wide consultation on the future of green spaces ends on 29th October. 8 sites are under consideration in Henbury Ward; 5 in Brentry and 3 in Henbury. (as we present in the previous issue No11).

In parallel with the green spaces consultation, Bristol City Council’s Strategic Planning Department looked at options for site allocations and development management.

Henbury and Brentry residents had the opportunity to express their views on both at a drop-in session at the Greenway Centre on 27th September.

Decisions on green space issues are likely to be made in December this year but the Strategic Planning Document will be considered by Full Council in 2011.

Henbury Streetz Project

Earlier this year a Street Dance group was formed for young people, based at the Emmanuel Chapel in Satchfield Crescent. Membership is not confined only to members of the church or even youngsters living close by – anyone from year 11 to 14 is welcome. The group was initially called the Henbury Youth Project and there was enough money to fund lessons from professional dancers for a short time.

Jane Leslie, the World Aquathlon and European Triathlon Age Group Champion and mother of Charlotte Leslie, our MP, took an interest in the group and pledged to raise £2,000 for them by cycling 50 miles around Bristol on the day of our Fun Day event. Jane set off in the rain at 8am with her training companion and arrived back triumphantly at 3pm to cheers and applause from the crowds gathered on Barnard Park. Her ride raised the fantastic sum of £2,300 from sponsors and collections along the route.

The group was also successful in their bid for funding from the BS10 Big It Up! Project’s resources and received £4,000.

Having access to this money will enable its members to branch out and include other activities for young people. There are already plans for Beat Box and ‘MC’ing sessions, which have been especially requested by boys – though none of the different activities will exclude anyone.

Although the group is now financially better off there will always be the ongoing need for further funding to enable the activities to continue. Bristol Rover FC is holding a Festival of Community Activities prior to and during the home match on 16^th October, starting at 12noon. On this occasion the Club has very kindly offered to have a bucket collection for the Henbury group. The entire group of collectors – adults and children – have been invited to the match as guests of the Club. The young people have also been invited to perform at a home match next year.

This venture is entirely a community activity and not affiliated in any way to Council or youth services. As such we should applaud and support them in every way. They are giving the youngsters of our community activities which they specifically want and in so doing hopefully are providing them with a sensible and confidence building structure to help guide them into their future.

7 projects benefit from your Big Ideas!

In July, Henbury and Brentry Community Council asked for your ideas about how to spend £25,000 on projects that would engage and inspire young people aged 11-14 in our area.

57 ideas were submitted either through the website www.bs10youridea.com or were posted in the ideas box in Henbury Library. The ideas ranged from building a new swimming pool to litter picking teams to clean up the local area! We always knew that there would be too many ideas put forward to put to the public vote so we arranged a short listing process which involved young people from the youth forum and senior members of the Henbury and Brentry Community Council. The short listing took place at the end of July. To get shortlisted the idea had to:

Be realistic and practical

Support young people in our area to be inspired

Be exciting and engaging (young people were on the short listing panel)

Help young people to build self confidence, get involved and do well at school

Take place from September 2010 to March 2011

Provide value for money

After much discussion we came up with a list of 19 ideas that we thought should be put to the public vote. We grouped the ideas together in packages that added up to £12,500 each. This meant that we would be asking members of the community to vote for two packages so that we could spend the whole £25,000.

Voting opened during August and ran for two weeks. In total there were 443 votes cast, either through our website, through the ballot box in Henbury Library or during the public meeting that was held on Saturday 4^th September. Thanks to all of you who turned up to the meeting and to all of those people who made the voting such a success. We hope that everyone who wanted to vote was able to do so.

THE RESULTS The two winning projects were:

Get Modern – a project to provide funding to renovate and improve three youth venues in the area. Total grant £12,500 (£4166 for each venue).

To complete the final refurbishments to the Scout Hut Renovation, including hand rails for the access ramps, flooring, kitchen patio to the rear of the building, repainting the hall floor and providing new and improved kitchen equipment.

To fund the creation of a youth cafe at Emmanuel Chapel, providing furniture, paint and facilities for the youth group.

To provide equipment to the Youth Centre including a TV, new computers, gym equipment, a sofa and new kitchen equipment.

All of these projects will improve the facilities in the area and we hope that it will mean that more young people will take part in the activities that take place. All of the youth venues will be advertising their improvements in the next newsletter! The Get Modern idea received 33% of all votes cast and was the project with the most votes.

Get Creative – a project to provide creative opportunities for young people in the area.

- To fund a project to buy musical instruments and pay for tuition for as many young people as possible (£4,500).

- To provide funding for the Community Talent Show which will be put on by the Youth Forum in February next year (£2,500).

- To provide funding for the Henbury School Community Fun Day which will be run and organised by young people (£1,500)

- To pay for the street dance project and music project running at the Emmanuel Chapel for a year (£4,000)

These creative ideas will mean that a lot more young people can take part in inspiring and exciting projects. The Get Creative project received 28% of all votes cast and was the project with the second highest number of votes.

By the time the next HBCC newsletter goes to print many of these projects will have taken place or be about to happen. We look forward to sharing some exciting stories with you soon!

Henbury and Brentry Community Council

Christmas Events in Henbury and Brentry

St Mary's Christmas Fayre

St Mary's Christmas Fayre Saturday 27th November from 11 am - 3 pm in Henbury Village Hall, Church Close. Cakes, plants, tombola, games, bottle stall, Christmas cards & presents, lunches, afternoon teas and lots, lots more! Father Christmas arrives at 12 noon!

Christmas Crackers

This year’s Christmas Cracker event will take place on Tuesday, 14th December in the usual place outside the Co-op in Crow Lane.

We are hoping to have the school choirs and band again to sing and play carols for everyone to join in and there will be Christmas music from the North Bristol PA Hire. Free mulled wine and mince pies, will be there for everyone and of course, Santa will arrive with his helpers to sit in his grotto and greet the children.

Please make a note of the date and come along. You don’t have to be young to join in the fun – only young at heart!

Supported by the Bristol City Council.

Xmas Lights

Xmas Lights Switch on 1st Dec, from 6.15pm at Okebourne Road, Brentry.

Help us support Wallace & Gromit’s Grand appeal, Bristol Children Hospital, Meet Santa and Wallace & Gromit’s. Donations Welcome.

Thank you for your support.

Tune into 108.fm (within 250 yards).

Join in with the festive fun.

Carol Singing

Carol Singing at Okebourne Road, Christmas Lights Display led by St Mary’s Church Choir and brailsfordlights.co.uk at Brentry on 18th Dec, from 6.15pm.

Sing along to your favourite carol Helping to support Wallace & Gromit’s grand appeal for Bristol Children Hospital,

Refreshments and mince pies on sale. Donations welcome.