southbristolvoice
1 June 2020 online edition
www.southbristolvoice.co.uk
FREE EVERY MONTH across South Bristol Welcome to South Bristol Voice online This is not the normal printed version of South Bristol Voice. The lockdown meant our delivery network - many of them teenagers - were not permitted to work for reasons of safety. It has not been an easy time for anyone - residents and businesses alike - and the team at SBV has been working any, trying to support local projects and business owners as best as we can. There is a sense that the lockdown is easing and things are returning - slowly. We are ready to keep bringing you news and features from across South Bristol and it should not be long before your printed version hits the doormats again. In the meantime, please enjoy this online version and please support all the businesses who have supported us and enabled us to produce this edition. Ruth, Becky and Rich - publishers
Picture perfect
South Bristol photographers creating Covid memories, P12&13
Paradise .... altered
Bristol South MP: Local journalism is more important than ever, P4
Homes developer makes big changes after community feedback, P5
Hedge funds Family’s creativity brightens neighbourhood and raises cash for NHS, P10&11 Got a story for South Bristol Voice? Call Becky on 07912 484405 or email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk
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Contacts
Becky Day Editorial director news@southbristolvoice.co.uk (Currently on maternity leave) Ruth Drury Sales director 07590 527664 sales@southbristolvoice.co.uk Rich Coulter Editorial director 07775 550607 news@southbristolvoice.co.uk
Editorial team: Marcus Stone, Paul Breeden, Martin Powell, Charley Rogers, Dean Mortlock Independent Community News Network member
Next month’s deadline for editorial and advertising is June 15.
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South Bristol, Voice | May 2020 | southbristolvoice.co.uk HOW DO I GET IN TOUCH WITH ... My MP? Karin Smyth MP By email: karin.smyth.mp@ parliament.uk By post: Karin Smyth MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA By phone: 0117 953 3575 In person: Call the above number for an appointment My councillor? Post: (all councillors) City Hall, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TR. Celia Phipps Labour, Bedminster
By phone: 07469 413312 By email: Cllr.celia.phipps@bristol.gov.uk Mark Bradshaw Labour, Bedminster. By email: Cllr.mark. bradshaw@bristol.gov.uk By phone: 0117 353 3160 Stephen Clarke Green, Southville By email: Cllr.stephen.clarke@ bristol.gov.uk Charlie Bolton Green, Southville By phone: 07884 736111 By email: Cllr.charlie.bolton@bristol.gov.uk
USEFUL NUMBERS Bristol City Council www.bristol.gov.uk 0117 922 2000 Waste, roads 0117 922 2100 Pests, dog wardens 0117 922 2500 Council tax 0117 922 2900
Housing benefit 0117 922 2300 Social services 0117 922 2900 Police Inquiries 101 Emergency 999
COMPLAINTS
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Despite our best efforts, we sometimes get things wrong. We always try to resolve issues informally at first but we also have a formal complaints procedure. If you have a complaint about anything in the South Bristol Voice, contact the Editor using the details below. We aspire to follow the the Code of Conduct of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists), nuj.org.uk/about/nuj-code. Further details of the complaints process can be found on our website (below) or can be obtained by contacting the Editor by email: news@southbristolvoice.co.uk or by post: 111 Broadfield Rd, Knowle, Bristol BS4 2UX or by phone: 0777 555 0607.
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NEWS
Young actors and footballers not missing out Giving young players a goal
Stars of the small screen
In these strange times Acting Out Drama Clubs are unable to run physically but they are still making a difference virtually As part of the 2.6 Challenge the amazing Acting Out children are coming together (virtually!) to raise money for BS3 Community and St Mungo’s by creating and acting in a 26 scene film using every letter of the Alphabet! Once completed this will be available to watch and enjoy online. Each child has devised ,performed and recorded 1 or more scenes in their own home to produce a film showing what has got them through lockdown. Jacqui Ham, pictured, from the club said: “The Acting Out children have had so much fun coming up with these brilliantly imaginative and quite crazy scenes and I know you will too watching the film. “If you can make a donation to St Mungo’s or BS3 Community please do by clicking on our Just giving link below and then clicking on Acting Out under team members ( you can choose which charity to donate to ).” www.justgiving.com/team/Acting
:
A junior football club has turned to video technology to keep their skills sharp during lockdown. Ashton Boys Juniors U8s (U9s from 1st June), like all other teams this season, had a lot of their games cancelled due to the very bad weather then the season came to an abrupt end due to Covid-19. Since then, the Coach, Nicholas Maddox (Nick) and his assistant coach, John Atkinson have been providing the team with weekly training drills. There are 18 children in the Team and this was suggested for them to use as part of their weekly PE sessions for school. The club also managed to create a short film of support and thanks to the NHS and Keyworkers, which has been shared with the NHS. Each week a new drill will be set and each player can practise the drill and send their video to the coaches to see who has improved and is selected as “Trainer of the Week”. To keep their interest going, challenges are being set alongside the drills. All the challenges are football related and incorporate some of the techniques they have been practising over the lockdown period.
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South Bristol, Voice | May 2020 | southbristolvoice.co.uk
KARIN SMYTH MP for Bristol South
Supporting community journalism
S
ome of you may have read some of the regular columns I write for local newspapers – from the South Bristol Voice and The Pigeon to the Bristol Post. I’m also a regular reader of these publications – along with other local papers such as The Bristol Cable and Bristol 24/7 – and I know just how important they are for local people, especially those not as digitally dependent as others. I’ve been in touch with these publishers as well as the local representative from the National Union of Journalists and I’ve heard from the Independent Community News Network to try and understand the challenges they face. The smaller publications have stopped the presses for the time being, with some taking advantage of the government-funded furlough option to help balance out the sharp drop in revenue from advertisers – and others moving their content online. The Coronavirus crisis is acting as a catalyst for many trends – from those such as more working from home and active travel to much more negative outcomes, such as the crippling challenges faced by our nurseries, small businesses and local print media.
The Bristol Cable recently made a submission to the House of Lords Committee on the future of journalism which stated: “The damage wrought by the pandemic on the industry is particularly painful, but it also exposes and amplifies pre-existing vulnerabilities that need to be addressed. We would do well to remember that the ‘normal’ state of journalism before the coronavirus was of crisis, and is not something we merely want to return to.” You can read the full submission here. In recent years we’ve seen circulation plummet for most printed newspapers, with reduced print runs and some publications closing altogether. Interestingly, we’ve also seen the emergence of new hyperlocal publications such as the Local Voice series – showing that there is still an appetite and a need for the printed press. These publications – and the journalists and staff who work for them – play a number of important roles in our communities. They celebrate success, they shine a light on injustices, they share information and entertain. They also give a platform to local businesses to reach wider audiences through advertising and editorial. For me, they give me a chance to share
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regular updates with people who may not be visiting my website or following my social media channels. And they also challenge local elected leaders – like myself – a crucial part of democracy and ensuring accountability. There has been much confusion around the Coronavirus restrictions in recent weeks and while a big part of that is down to the government’s lack of clear strategy, some is down to lack of clear communication. You cannot reach everyone with a TV broadcast, national newspapers and social media. It’s not practical to send letters to every household in the UK every time the guidance changes, but using these hyperlocal publications which are delivered door-to-door could not only help get the message out but prove a lifeline for them in the form of advertising revenue. Of course, that’s not going to singlehandedly solve the challenges that local media is facing, but it could help them through this challenging time. I’ve raised this with Bristol City Council as well to see if there’s anything that can be done locally. As we start to come through the Coronavirus crisis and look to the society we want on the other side, a decent local media should absolutely feature in that.
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Paradise ... altered
Homes developer makes big changes after community feedback Plans for more than 300 new homes on a brownfield site in Bedminster have been amended following extensive discussions with Bristol City Council and feedback from the local community. Developer Dandara submitted its original application to build homes for rent in late 2018 on land between Little Paradise and Stafford Street in Bedminster. The proposed development has faced fierce opposition from local residents and campaigners, with hundreds of objections filed online. The site, currently occupied by industrial warehouses and car parking, is one part of the Bedminster Green redevelopment, allocated by Bristol City Council for a significant number of much-needed new homes. Dandara has now submitted a number of revisions to its application, which would see the developer build and manage ‘Build-to-Rent’ apartments, alongside 21 affordable homes within a separate building which would be owned and managed by a housing association. The plans comply with the Bedminster Green Framework. The key amendments to Dandara’s scheme are: 1. Agreeing to Bristol City Council’s request for major changes to the proposals to allow for a new MetroBus stop in front of the site on Malago Road. 2. 21 new affordable homes will be located in a bespoke building on the small Council-owned car park to the immediate north of the site (called Little Paradise North car park); 3. Altering the new pedestrian and cycle route to create a safe and attractive link from Windmill Hill to East Street.
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The amended route will take people over a new crossing on Malago Road, down a widened and greatly enhanced pavement/cycle path along Stafford Street, continuing on the newly extended Leicester Street before joining Little Paradise through to East Street; 4. Remodelling the scale and layout of the development so the buildings gradually climb in height away from the Bedminster Conservation Area, starting at two storeys (plus ground floor) for the new affordable homes, and stepping up towards Malago Road. ; 5. Rather than one single taller building on Malago Road, this has now been broken into four parts with different heights: nine, 13, 14 and 16 storeys (plus ground floor on each). This significantly reduces the scale and massing; 6. The changes to the layout and design have reduced the number of homes from 329 to 316; 7. A reduction in car parking spaces from 88 to 71 spaces, of which 17 are disabled spaces and 15 electric vehicle
charging points; 8. An increase in the number of secure bike storage spaces from 358 to 419 plus an additional 32 visitor spaces. In addition to the affordable housing, Dandara would contribute circa £1.5M Community Infrastructure Levy . As well as building the development, Dandara will continue to manage the scheme once constructed. Increasing the number of people living and utilising the facilities and services of Bedminster is considered vital to support the economy of East Street. This important shopping district was once the thriving heart of South Bristol but now has dozens of empty stores. A number of major retailers have recently announced closures, including Boots, Argos, Barclays Bank, Nat West Bank, Primark and Bon Marche with the loss of hundreds of jobs. Bedminster BID’s (Business Improvement District) George Grace said: “East Street desperately needs investment and lots more people living and spending here. It has been a real challenge trying to reverse years of decline. “Dandara has worked with the Council to agree a scheme that brings huge benefits, with high quality public realm and building design. It will make East Street and the wider area much more attractive and safer, bringing spending and investment. This is the catalyst we have been calling for over the past seven years and we welcome the proposals.”
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South Bristol, Voice | May 2020 | southbristolvoice.co.uk
THE WICKED WITCH OF KNOWLE
In witch I get twitchy THE WICKED WITCH OF KNOWLE
A
long time ago Eldest child bought home a bird table. It was basic, a square bit of board with a wooden roof but I was delighted. We stuffed it full of treats and sat back to watch the wildlife. I was positive that we would entice the pretty little birds that swooped through my garden. But no. The only creatures our table attracted were squirrels and a local tom cat called Boris. Boris would squidge onto the platform under the pitched roof and stare at us defiantly while the pretty little tits and finches flew past his nose to next door’s fatballs. I was filled with resentment at my lovely neighbour. I wanted their birds. The cat platform was disposed of and a metal structure purchased complete with hanging birdy treats. Week after week those birds continued to ignore my feast and peck away at Mr Lovely’s nuts. My seeds started to grow.
I can hear the flutter of his wings, it is wonderful. There is a bloke in the van behind us, he is a little bit dull. I was chatting to Mr Dull about the Robin. “Oh” he said smugly “that Robin feeds from my hand”. It was true. I spied Mr Robin sitting on his outstretched palm. I was enraged. That was my Robin. I wondered if I could lasso Mr Robin’s leg with a piece of cotton then, when it landed on Mr Dull’s palm, I could yank it away leaving him with a couple of feathers drifting down and a surprised face. Back in Knowle, I was walking Scrappy through Arnos Woods, when I spied a young chap peering upwards, hand cupped over his eyes. “What are you looking at?” I asked nosily.
We have a static caravan in Dorset. A friendly robin comes to visit us. I excitedly put out mealworms for him. He flies down to the table, so close
“Ravens” he replied, “They are rare but I can hear them up in that Redwood”. We both stood looking upwards. Ravens are the Red Arrows of birds with elaborate aerial skills, they chase, dive and roll – a joy to watch. Turns out this chap had a pet Eagle. Ok, not a pet. He went hunting with it. Although I did have a vision of him sitting watching telly with an Eagle sat on his shoulder. We were on holiday a while ago with my parents. I came down to the breakfast table and my Mum excitedly told me that she had just seen a cholesterol fly by. They are very rare and I was gutted to miss it. So, here we are stuck inside going slowly crazy but, hurrah, the local birds are finally trusting my offerings; I am seeing beautiful finches, colourful tits, a pair of loved up collared doves and oh my goodness Woodie the woodpecker. Mr Lovely knocked on my door in his pyjamas to tell me that Woodie was feeding from my coconut. I could not believe it; I’ve heard him pecking loudly in Arnos woods but had never seen him. He is now a frequent visitor and I have all the time in the world to gaze at him.
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Power of crowds
Innovative funding makes children’s environment book a reality by Charley Rogers
U
h-Oh Books, launched by Bristol-based designer Rachel Falber and Bristolborn author Samantha Miles, aims to educate children about environmental issues through interactive and entertaining stories. Their inaugural project, ‘Uh-Oh!’ Said Flo, is a book about a turtle named Flo and her adventures with plastic pollution and global warming, aimed at children aged 3–8. A crowdfunder campaign was launched on 6 May to support publishing costs, and to help fund additional free materials for schools, such as environmentally themed activity packs and a seasonal magazine. The initial goal of the crowdfunder was for £966 to cover initial publishing expenses. However, after an extraordinarily successful virtual fun day fundraiser – which alone raised 52% of the target – and further match funding from Back Her Business, an incentive to support female entrepreneurs, the
target was increased. Rachel and Samantha are now hoping to raise £5,000, which would allow Uh-Oh Books to support more schools and communities with free workshops and educational resources. The idea for ‘UhOh!’ Said Flo came from a true story; the mammoth Versova beach cleanup in Mumbai, started by local resident Afroz Shah. The cleanup, which lasted over two years, saw turtles return to the beach to lay their eggs after decades of absence. Rachel and Samantha are keen for their books to be educational without being “doom and gloom”, and instead to focus on the reallife positive impact our actions can have on the environment. Samantha said: “Our work focuses on encouraging children to make positive changes in their day-to-day lives. By giving them access to these resources,
we want to bridge the gap between small changes people can do at home, and how that affects nature all over the world.” Rachel and Samantha are hoping to officially launch ‘Uh-Oh!’ Said Flo in November 2020, just in time for Christmas. During lockdown, the pair is also running a free version of the Uh-Oh Activity Club, in order to support families at home. The club includes downloadable activities, and will launch as a full quarterly magazine from September 2020. Rachel said: “We want as many people as possible to benefit from our resources, these sheets can support anyone who now has to play the role of teacher as well as bread winner and parent.” More information about Uh-Oh Books can be found via its website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and the crowdfunder is available at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/uh-ohsaidflo
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South Bristol, Voice | May 2020 | southbristolvoice.co.uk
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NEWS
Public toilets to stay shut ... anger over Bristol Energy debts CAZ, due by April next year, after he until thorough assessments and other Building a future “necessary adjustments” have happened. asked the government to extend the Bristol City Council’s home building programme will likely suffer as a result of the Covid-19 crisis but its revival will be vital to the city’s economic recovery, according to a housing officer. Paul Owens, who works in the council’s housing delivery team, said the local authority may not be able to build all of the new homes promised by city mayor Marvin Rees as a result of the knock-on effects of the crisis. “Covid-19 is going to most likely impact upon our ability to deliver the mayor’s commitment for 2,000 new homes, 800 of which will be affordable, per annum,” the senior project manager said. “This may be negatively affected over the next couple of years.” Speaking to a cross-sector city homes board, Mr Owens said tBristol has a “number of strengths” that will help it “bring new homes forwards”, he said.
Still c-loo-sed
Bristol’s public toilets will not reopen
Despite parks and green spaces remaining open, the loos have stayed shut to stop the spread of coronavirus. The Government has said they can now start reopening. Other areas in the region have already reopened some public toilets after taking steps including closing off every other cubicle or urinal and beefing up cleaning regimes.
Pop-up bike lanes
Environmental lawyers are urging Bristol’s mayor to introduce emergency measures such as “pop up” cycle lanes and wider footpaths. Law firm and charity ClientEarth said the measures to enable social distancing during the Covid-19 crisis would “fast-track much needed action” to support the council’s clean air zone (CAZ) and help people move to cleaner forms of transport. The lawyers have also called on mayor Marvin Rees “not to delay” the
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deadline for implementation.
No energy probe
There will be no independent inquiry into why Bristol City Council continued to pump millions of pounds into debt-ridden firm Bristol Energy. Opposition councillors accused the council of hiding “behind a legal clock of commercial confidentiality” and called for an independent inquiry at an extraordinary meeting of the City Council. But the motion was blocked by Labour councillors. Bristol Energy, which was set up by in 2015 under former mayor George Feguson and is still owned by the council, has soaked up £35million of council tax payers’ money and posted total losses of £32.5million so far. Opposition parties have accused the council of withholding important information. Labour argued releasing the information would put Bristol Energy at a commercial disadvantage.
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Advertising feature - Father’s Day
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South Bristol, Voice | May 2020 | southbristolvoice.co.uk
Hedge funds Family’s creativity brightens neighbourhood and raises cash for NHS
by Charley Rogers
W
hen lockdown hit in late March, the Butler family did what they do best – got creative. Mum Jennifer, Henry, 7 and Lulu, 5, got straight to work on drawings and paintings to pass the time. But after a few days of painting, entrepreneurial Henry suggested they display their work on the garden hedge as an art display for the rest of the neighbourhood to enjoy. Jennifer, Henry and Lulu, from Southville, pictured opposite, immediately started getting lovely comments from neighbours about their artwork, and so the hedge gallery was born. Jennifer, who has a fine art degree,
said: “We started having neighbours comment on how lovely, colourful and cheerful the hedge. We realised this could be a thing.” Because of the uncertainty about when schools would be open, and being a single mother with two children to entertain, Jennifer seized the opportunity. “We thought this would not only give us an incentive to make art daily, but would also give the kids some educational facts while brightening neighbours’ days,” said Jennifer. At the time of writing, the family has completed a whopping 43 designs, covering themes from ‘music’ and ‘planets’ to a memorial for those who have lost their lives, and a VE Day celebration.
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The hedge gallery has also inspired others. Jennifer has had to step back from the project in recent weeks to focus on home schooling her children, however, the family has made friends with neighbour Ellie through their art displays, and Ellie has since taken over the mantle. She has continued the gallery with themes including the Himalayas, and ‘bugs, beetles and butterflies’. But it’s not only the surrounding streets that are gaining joy from the Butlers’ hedge gallery. After a couple of weeks seeing the positive impact the art was having on the community, Jennifer decided to share it online. “I decided to start a Facebook page called ‘Bristol Covid 19 Hedge Gallery’,”
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she said, “and we have been adding our daily designs to that. We have gained hundreds of followers telling us how they look forward to our daily designs, and that it has been keeping them going during such glum times.” The hedge gallery has also become a bit of a Bristol attraction, with families travelling across the city to see it as part of their daily exercise. Jennifer has also taken the opportunity of the gallery’s popularity to fundraise for the NHS, managing to raise over £400 in one month.
The popularity of the hedge gallery is going from strength to strength, with Jennifer being interviewed on BBC Bristol radio, and the hedge itself being featured in a documentary on the One Show. “I was even called by a gentleman who runs a few care homes in London saying residents there have been enjoying our designs [they’ve seen on Facebook],” said Jennifer. “He said it’s given them an incentive to draw themselves, and asked if we could present their drawings on our hedge.”
“It’s brought warmth and laughter to people’s days,” added Jennifer, “and provided something to look forward to, especially as being stuck indoors has been so tough for many. Some designs have even been interactive, encouraging people to add pictures of their own.” To see the hedge gallery designs, and for information on how to donate to the NHS fundraiser, search Bristol Covid 19 Hedge Gallery on Facebook. www.facebook.com/ groups/533525930895220/
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South Bristol, Voice | May 2020 | southbristolvoice.co.uk
Picture perfect
South Bristol teenager offering socially distant photography sessions for free throughout lockdown
by Charley Rogers
T
hirteen-year-old South Bristol resident Ruby is offering a free photography service during lockdown. A budding photographer, Ruby is due to start her GCSE photography course at Ashton Park School in September, and is keen to practise her skills. Ruby is using the opportunity of her daily walk to take family photos on
doorsteps while standing a minimum of two metres away, in order to comply with social distancing measures. The photographs are then emailed to the customer. She said: “I thought this would be a nice thing to do during lockdown as it gives people memories to keep, it’s something different to my school work, and it’s also helping me build my portfolio.” Ruby is not charging for the sessions,
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instead suggesting that people donate to the NHS or food banks. Although she is not yet sure if she’d like to pursue photography as a career, Ruby is interested in media. She added: “I’ve always enjoyed taking and editing photos and recently completed the skills element of my bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award, for which I did photography.” For more information or to book a session, email emryan1978@gmail.com
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Bedminster photographer Melanie Vaxevanakis explains that her photography project has helped bring people together
“
The project highlights how for many, time has stood still during lockdown, challenging us to find happiness, escapism and a grip on normality in some unexpected ways. For me, taking photos has been the most significant and helpful pastime throughout lockdown. It has focused my creativity and given me a daily purpose, making me wonder what other people’s would be. I asked some of my neighbours. A couple weeks into the lockdown, I was missing capturing peoples stories so I put through a note in my neighbours door asking if they would like to take part in a neighbourhood project (from a distance of course) and had a good response back. Two meters apart, I chatted to neighbours I had never met, nor spoken to about our experience, our ups and downs which, in itself was lovely and grounding. I asked each person to think of a prop that has given them some purpose during the lockdown and got all sorts of wonderful responses. From bikes, to musical instruments, to pregnancy books to paintings. I am planning on making it into a book with proceeds going to Above and Beyond. I am posting them on my instagram page @melanievax and my facebook @melaniesjournalism.” www.instagram.com/p/CAF82vZD22F/
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South Bristol, Voice | May 2020 | southbristolvoice.co.uk
Advertising feature
Moving towards larger funeral services Bristol Memorial Woodlands is now able to offer larger scale funeral services depending on the number of households involved. Congregations of between 20 and 30 people can now be accommodated in the chapel and rooms at the woodland burial grounds near Alveston, just outside of Bristol, with careful planning to keep households separate. In keeping with the guidance, which is under constant review, Bristol Memorial Woodlands has been able to arrange for the required spacing to be possible in its chapel. The funeral directors, working with each family, are able to ensure that social distancing between different households can be maintained during services while allowing the maximum number of people to attend. Christopher Baker, who founded Bristol Memorial Woodlands, where a woodland nature reserve is being created with trees planted in memory of those buried there, said: “For some weeks now we have been restricted to a maximum of 10 people at a funeral but the relaxing of regulations and with planning over seating we can now
accommodate between 20 and 30 people, depending on the households involved. “Throughout the pandemic we have been offering people an opportunity to come back later in the year to have a memorial service after a small-scale burial service. The time is not yet right for us to start booking those services but we can offer some comfort to those organising a funeral now. “It has been terribly distressing for
“It has been terribly distressing for families not being able to say goodbye properly to their loved ones.”
Christopher Baker, who founded Bristol Memorial Woodlands,
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families not being able to say goodbye properly to their loved ones. In many parts of the country there are still funerals taking place with nobody in attendance and with churches closed and many crematoria not permitting congregations to enter, others having restricted space and time slots, families need to find a place to grieve and say a proper goodbye. “The great comfort that we can offer is that the woodlands will be here for all time, managed by our charitable trust, so people will be able to come back in the future, gather under the trees near their loved one, picnic and remember lives well lived.” Bristol Memorial Woodlands contains dedicated Muslim and Jewish burial grounds and are also supporting those communities through the current restrictions. More information on the new half day funerals can be obtained by calling Luke on 01454 414999 or Ella, at Westbury-on-Trym, on 0117 9504100. You may wish to email: admin@memorialwoodlands.com or admin@ mwfuneraldirectors.com Visit: www.memorialwoodlands.com or www.mwfuneraldirectors.com
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NEWS
Boca Bar open for delivery and takeaway by Charley Rogers Boca Bar, famous across Bristol for its delicious pizza and selection of local beers and ciders, is now open for takeaway and delivery. The bar and café is offering a select menu of food and drink to be collected from its flagship Paintworks location, or ordered through Deliveroo, during lockdown. Safety measures will include collection only at the door, tape marking 2m distancing on the floor, screens, and face masks, hand sanitizer and gloves for staff. Boca Bar is offering 10% off food orders during lockdown, and is bottling up draft beers and ciders to be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home. Draft will be provided in returnable 750ml bottles, which will cost £4/£4.50 each. There will also be daily offers on bottled and canned drinks to look out for. Co-owners Mel and Paul said: “Luckily our head and sous pizza chefs live together, as do our front of house team, so there are only two households involved in the operation, which feels safer.” The takeaway and delivery menus are available at https://bristol.bocabar.co.uk/takeawayfoodmenu and https://bristol.bocabar.co.uk/drinkstotakeaway, and you can keep up to date with developments through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Thanks to one Facebook plea from a member of staff, St Philip’s Marsh Nursery School will be bringing back the green! Due to Covid -19 and social distancing guidance, those children returning to nursery this week will need to have separate areas to play. Currently the children of Key workers are attending sessions requested by parents to cover their work shifts, above their allocated 15 hours, at no extra costs. Heidi Taylor, Early Years Practitioner, created a Facebook post on the Brislington community page, asking for any offcuts of artificial grass to allow the school to bring back the former garden of the nursery, which was in what is now the car park. Sadly Heidi’s request was met with a fair amount of negativity and the plans looked in doubt until a generous local business stepped in. Gary Cleverley, of Cleverley Builders, donated the turf which the nursery needed and delivered it with two colleagues the very next day Gary who often works in the community with ‘Help Bristol’s homeless’ and sponsoring local football teams said: “It’s nice to be nice. The nursery needed something and I was able to help. Kindness balances out the negative people in the world who insist on being unkind – I was happy to help and can’t wait to see what they can create!” Head Teacher Simon Holmes and Deputy head Denise Draper suggested that the area will be used for the children to explore planting, water activities with a large sunshade over their heads.
Builder Gary steps in to give nursery children greenery for play
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South Bristol, Voice | May 2020 | southbristolvoice.co.uk
Square meals
Square Food Foundation (SFF) has raised £20,000 to help feed Bristol families during lockdown.
by Charley Rogers
S
quare Food Foundation is providing over 200 meals a day to families in need, thanks to community fundraising. The not-for-profit cookery school has become known across the city for providing free workshops for local schools, elderly and/or isolated adults, women trapped in sex work, and more. Headquartered at The Park in Knowle West, SFF has been bringing essential home cooking skills to the community since 1998. But with restrictions enforced due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the SFF team found they could no longer provide the services they had been busily working on for over 20 years. Determined to keep supporting the community during this difficult time, the foundation set about organising fundraising efforts, and the #SquareMeals mission was born. Since lockdown was enforced in March, SFF has provided some 270 people per day with nourishing meals. Working with the Oasis Academy Connaught in Knowle West, SFF is continuing to help 54 families who have needed a little extra help to put food on the table while the country has come to a standstill. The service includes daily meals, as well as weekend recipe boxes, which include enough pre-measured ingredients to make a meal for a family of five, and a recipe sheet. Claire Allen, who coordinates
fundraising and communications at SFF, said: “When lockdown hit, all the work that we normally do was suspended indefinitely, because we couldn’t have anyone in the kitchen. So we thought we could either furlough our staff and try and keep our heads above water until things get back to normal, or we could try and repurpose the kitchen to support people that may be a bit more in need now than they would normally be.” So, SFF set about launching a fundraising appeal, and the team were amazed at the response. “We’d never done anything like this before,” said Claire, “and we thought maybe we’d raise £1,000. “But it went way beyond what we imagined.” The local community banded together, holding bake sales, selling honey, sewing facemasks, and running coffee mornings, storytelling workshops, Zoom quizzes, and more. “But another stunning twist was yet to come; as all this work was going on, an anonymous donor contacted the foundation. Claire explained: “We got a donation from an anonymous person, and they included a note saying that if there was an amount of money we needed to unlock the service for more families, that they would be happy to help. So we got in touch, and they offered £10,000 in match funding. We reached our goal last week, and so we have a total of £20,000 to provide food for local families.” Not only is Square Food Foundation providing much needed help to families
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who may be struggling, but they have also released a series of short video tutorials on Facebook to accompany the meal kits. Claire said: “The idea is to give kids and parents something fun to do over the weekend, as well as to give them one extra meal to tide them over. We’ve done meal kits for things like tuna fishcakes, vegetable pasties, soda bread, and homemade pasta and tomato sauce. “It’s a really simple idea, but it’s a way of staying connected with the families, as we’ve been working with them for over a year now, and this is a nice way of building on the relationships that have been cultivated.” The whole project has really shone a light on the community in South Bristol. As well as having a talented kitchen and support team, SFF has relied heavily on volunteers, said Claire: “We’ve had loads of support from professional chefs, many of whom have been furloughed. It’s been so valuable because it means we can process large quantities of food quite quickly. “It’s really helped us reach more families, because I think we would have been a bit stuck if we’d been relying on enthusiastic but amateur cooks. It’s been brilliant.” For more information about Square Food Foundation, including how to volunteer, visit www. squarefoodfoundation.co.uk/ Plus! See SFF featured on Ross Kemp and Britain’s Volunteer Army episode five, available on BBC iPlayer.
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South Bristol, Voice | May 2020 | southbristolvoice.co.uk
NEWS
Generous builder helps nursery and lucky dog back fighting fit events, prior to the coronavirus lockdown.
Take the Biscuit?
A dog rescued from house fire is ready to find new home Special pet oxygen masks were used to help Biscuit after the blaze, and he hasnow recovered thanks to South Bristol-based Bristol Animal Rescue Centre Biscuit was brought to the rescue centre’s clinic by RSPCA animal collection officer Ellie Jones, who was on call overnight for the animal welfare charity when she received a request for help from Avon Fire & Rescue Service. Ellie said: “When I arrived the amazing firefighters had already managed to help Biscuit and were giving him oxygen to help him breathe. “Thankfully the fire crew were able to get him out quickly and - thanks to the pet oxygen masks - give him vital oxygen to enable his full recovery. “I was concerned about smoke inhalation so once he’d had some oxygen I gave him a check over and took him to Bristol Animal Rescue Centre to be seen by a vet.” The RSPCA and Smokey Paws teamed up in 2017 to provide specialist animal oxygen therapy kits to every fire engine operating in England and Wales. Ellie added: “Pets can be extremely vulnerable to the dangers of house fires, particularly smoke inhalation.”
Kara ready to help
Local Guide Dogs fundraisers in South
Help with debt
Bristol have won recognition for raising £13,000, which means they have supported a guide dog into a partnership with someone with sight loss. Thanks to these hard-working volunteers, guide dog Kara (pictured) is now fully funded to support someone with sight loss for her working dog career. It costs around £57,000 to breed, train and support a guide dog throughout their life. Guide Dogs continues to support dogs during their time working as a guide, so the £13,000 covers the cost of food, vets’ bills and ongoing training after the dog is partnered with someone with sight loss. The fundraising group, made up entirely of volunteers, raised the sum by organising supermarket collections and
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South Bristol Debt Centre is continuing to help their clients struggling with debt, despite the challenges of the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown. The Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Debt Centre based at Severn Vineyard Church is set up to provide debt help alongside emotional support for clients and this hasn’t stopped. Being a lifeline for people is something that underpins everything the Church is doing. This means reaching out to anyone in the community who may be struggling with feelings of anxiety, isolation or loneliness during this unique time and ensuring that they have a connection. Local volunteers from the CAP Debt Centre are helping by providing their local clients with practical help, support, encouragement and a friendly voice at the end of a phone. Rachel Goodchild, South Bristol CAP Debt Centre Manager, said: “We’re ensuring that we follow all of the social distancing rules to stay safe but we’re still here to support our clients where needed. The times we’re in may have changed the way we offer our service but we’re here to help with a lifeline to those who just need that little bit of practical kindness. If you are struggling with debt and need help, get in contact with CAP on 0800 328 0006 or visit capuk.org.
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Advertising feature
Delicious meals ... from scratch ‘My Little Kitchen’ Recipe kit with everything you need to make a delicious meal for two from scratch*! We are launching our recipe kits from our brand spanking new premises in Totterdown! Each week will feature 2-3 menus which can be pre-ordered in advance up to midday the Wednesday before and collected from the premises on the Friday between 2-6pm. Each kit will include the ingredients and a recipe card with individual steps to make each dish. Why choose a ‘My Little Kitchen’ recipe kit? o Delicious tried and tested recipes, some of which have featured on our cookery workshops o Meals serve 2 people o An equipment list so you can get yourself organised before cooking o Pre-weighed/ measured ingredients so you can get struck in with the fun bit (sorry we can’t help with the washing up!) o Reduce household food wastage with the pre-weighed and measured specialist and fresh ingredients which sometimes go to waste when buying in larger quantities from the supermarket
Posset or Salted Caramel and Chocolate Pot. Just o Save your time by not queuing to get in the £3/ two. Just add in additional information @ time supermarket and at checkout of placing your order which ones you would like! o Get some of your ‘5 a day’, all meals contain o 2 Menu choices to include 1 vegetarian option between 2-3 portions each week (Menu B and Brunch) o Ingredients, predominantly from Bristol and o Some menus can be adapted or are suitable local businesses; for special dietary needs, just drop us an email to o Meat/ poultry from Ruby and White, including check before booking free-range chicken, outdoor bred pork, locally sourced lamb from Devon and Wiltshire o Fruit, veg and free range eggs from The Banana First 4 weeks @ a special introductory price! The pricing will be amended once Boat (across the road) the introductory four weeks is over. o Flour from Shipton Mill www.little-kitchen.co.uk o Dairy produce sourced locally o Attention to packaging, minimised and recyclable as much as possible Salt and pepper to taste Jewelled Moroccan o Recipe boxes made ½ tbsp. chopped mint leaves and couscous up on the day, with parsley (optional) ingredients fresh for 48 Serves 2 hours from collection 1. Fry off the spices with the oil in Ingredients giving you the freedom a hot frying pan for 30 seconds. 100g Couscous made up with to choose whether 2. Take off the heat and remove 120ml boiling vegetable stock from the pan, placing into a bowl. you cook on Friday or 2 tbsp olive oil 3. Stir in 1 tbsp. honey then allow Saturday night (or go 1/4 tsp cinnamon to cool. for the two menus and 1/4 tsp cumin 4. Prepare the ingredients as cook on both!) 1 tbsp. honey above. 1/8 red onion, finely diced o Add on a Lemon ½ tbsp fresh chopped coriander (stalks and leaves) 1/4 pomegranate seeds 1/2 tbsp flaked almonds 1/8 courgette, core removed and finely chopped 2 dried apricots, rehydrated in water for several hours, diced into small chunks
5. Stir the cooled oil and honey into the cous cous. 6. Add the prepared ingredients and half of the almonds and half the coriander (and other herbs if using), stir to combine. 7. Garnish with the remaining coriander and almonds, season to taste
Little Kitchen Meal Kit Review Meal Kit 1 – Greek Beans with Tzatziki, Couscous and Pitta Bread 5 *****
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This meal was great! Having tried several other prepared meal kit companies, I knew what I was getting in to but was curious to see what a small local company would achieve. I was not disappointed. We had an easy to make meal, with fresh local produce and clear instructions. Our first kit was Greek Beans with Tzatziki, Couscous and Pitta Bread We found it easy to make, with the most difficult bit taking the seeds out of the cucumber. Just 5 minutes grabbing all the pre prepared ingredients, and ten minutes making the meal before leaving it to cook for another 15 minutes, It was a light meal which was perfect for an evening meal in the garden after a long hot day. All family members ate it including the children and enjoyed the new flavours to them. Pittas had gone a little hard but they had been waiting for us for two days so a quick sprinkle of water and a reheat revived them easily. Couscous fed all 4 of us with seconds even though the meal kit was for two and the quantity on everything else was perfect. This family are eagerly awaiting the next kit!
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South Bristol, Voice | May 2020 | southbristolvoice.co.uk
Fighting lockdown on the beaches South Bristol artist Claudia brings the seaside to local communities by Charley Rogers
S
outh Bristol artist Claudia Collins is bringing a touch of the seaside to Knowle West. Claudia’s project, Knowle West Beaches, involves building sandcastles and creating chalk drawings on streets in the area that are named after seaside towns. The project began as an idea around two years ago when Claudia moved to one of the ‘beach streets’. Last year she began the project on a small scale, building sandcastles on Minehead Road, but once lockdown was enforced, Claudia decided that since residents could no longer visit the seaside, that she would bring it to them. Claudia said: “I love making connections, and I’ve always lived in Bristol so a lot of my work is Bristol- and community-based.” The Knowle West Beaches project also includes postcards and pens that Claudia is giving away for free to local residents. The postcards depict images of the ‘beach streets’ street signs, and are being distributed by local businesses for residents to fill in and send to loved ones “as if they were on holiday”. Funding for the project has been provided by Filwood Community Centre and Creative Civic Change, which has paid for production of the postcards and pens. The driving force behind the project has been to have a bit of fun, and bring the community together at the same time, said Claudia: “When this is all over, and it’s safe, it would be really great to have a beach-themed street party to celebrate. Filwood Broadway has been a bit forgotten, but Filwood Community Centre is working to make it more of a destination, so hopefully we can have a party there and bring the community together again.” There have also been extra benefits
for Claudia, such as learning more about areas of Bristol she hasn’t seen much of before. “Since I’ve been doing this project I’ve gotten to know the area better,” she said. “I’ve discovered some fun graffiti and little pockets of the neighbourhood that offer beautiful views of Bristol.” But this is not Claudia’s first Bristolbased project. Since graduating in fine art last June, she has created art celebrating her home city, including
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a visit to Bristol on the border of Virginia and Tennessee in the US, even making it to the front page of the local newspaper there. Bristol to Bristol involved Claudia getting a tattoo that started here, and was completed in the ‘other’ Bristol in the US. The best part about these projects is the connection, said Claudia: “I stay in touch with quite a lot of people in Bristol [in the US], so it’s very much about connections, serendipity and chance encounters for me.” Helping people to view “everything as art” is also an interest for Claudia. Although friends and family have always been supportive, the projects she has done in the past have often be viewed by others as “a bit silly, and just a hobby,” she said. However, gaining media attention, including appearing on the BBC website for Knowle West Beaches, allows people to “place more value” on what she’s doing. “It’s about viewing everything as art,” Claudia said. “Like the art of communication – it’s just as important as any [other art].” Claudia is currently taking a break from Knowle West Beaches for a new project, Grape-o-Gram. This allows locals to book Claudia to dress up as a bunch of grapes and cycle to a loved one’s house to deliver wine. She explains: “It’s a bit random, but people can book me to deliver wine, cider or fruit to someone that they miss. I cycle over, dressed as a bunch of grapes, knock on the door, sing them a song and give them the wine.” But fans of Knowle West Beaches fear not. A new wave of sandcastles will be coming soon, Claudia confirmed. More information about Claudia’s work, including how to book a Grape-oGram, is available at www.bristolbristol. com and via @KnowleWestBeaches and @Grapeogram on Instagram.
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Advertising feature
How you CAN move house just now Laurence from Urban Lighthouse reveals what can and cannot be done during lockdown Can I move home now? Yes you can! How is the housing market looking now? The market feels a bit like the first week in January – lots of buyers wanting to buy, and still a limited supply of homes to sell, after a 2 month pause, during what is normally the busiest part of the year. Typically in this period it takes a while for buyers to decide what they want, needing to view some property before committing to one. There are some buyers who are nervous about the market, but others who feel it is a long term investment, as well as a home, which, albeit with the possibility of a downturn at some point in the short term, historically it always recovers with interest in due course. How do I prepare to sell a house during coronavirus? As a seller it is advisable to minimise the volume of viewings, thus minimising the chances of spreading the virus. The agent will need to value the property, which can be done virtually. If you are deciding which agent to use, it maybe best first to send a short virtual video of the property to a short list of 3 – for them to comment, and to invite just one to visit the property – the one you feel you would most like to help with your sale. Wipe down and spray surfaces, in particular door handles/ keys/other areas likely to be touched by the agent. Try to leave all doors open, including cupboards, and turn on any lights for internal rooms, and list any integrated items in the kitchen to avoid the need for them to be touched. If it is dry during the appointment, it is sensible to have the conversation in the garden. Hopefully you can set an area up in advance to enable the agent to sit somewhere on a ledge etc/or on a chair which can be easily sprayed down afterwards. It really helps if it is the agent who will be conducting all the viewings, as they will understand the layout, integrated items, and what is inside different nooks and crannies, further reducing the chances of needing to touch surfaces. The industry guidelines now require a virtual video be made available to potential buyers before arranging a viewing in person, to minimise bringing around unsuitable buyers. Can viewings take place during coronavirus? Yes, subject as above to the virtual viewing first. Carrying out the virtual viewing is important, and different agents do it differently. Some have very professional 3D, 360 degree tours, others like me, adopt a more personal and informal approach of a walk around with a phone, which I feel, when done well, gives a better feel for the flow of the property and comes with a brief commentary highlighting the key facts about the property, as well as any key external factors. This video can be done by the seller, or the agent, whichever the seller prefers. It should be short and sweet, but not rushed. I would say about 3 – 4 minutes is plenty for a normal sized home. If you as the seller would like to do it, the agent can advise on particular points to highlight, though remembering
the key things which attracted you as the seller to the property is a good starting point. Viewings can be done but need careful management by the agent. I would ask the agent about their viewing policy, to ensure they take this seriously, which all agents should, and certainly reputable agents will. Children unfortunately should not view. How do I make an offer on a house I want to buy during coronavirus? Should I negotiate on the price? Offer less? The offer process remains exactly the same. It is slightly more difficult arranging removals etc, but that is so far down the line, I fully expect this to be easier come the time. Check with removals companies on their policy. In terms of offering on the property – really this remains the same process. The market is probably a little more price sensitive than pre lockdown, but it has not translated into a significant impact on price. It is worth keeping an eye out, but it is unquestionable that property, and in particular houses in and around the city centre, especially in cosmopolitan areas, such as BS3 where I am based, will continue to be in demand. Where to pitch your offer – it is hard to generalise. You really have to take each case on its merits. My general advice is to ask the agent what price they expect it to go for. They usually have a fair idea. Good luck with your search!
Selling with integrity Here’s a little of what you can expect when you deal with Urban Lighthouse: - One point of contact throughout - Experience, the kind that comes with 25+ years in the business - No commissions for referrals - A long-term BS3 resident with a genuine interest in the local community
Laurence Irvine Owner, Urban Lighthouse
If you would like to sell, want genuine value for money, and a refreshingly different approach, please get in touch.
homes@urbanlighthouse.co.uk
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South Bristol, Voice | May 2020 | southbristolvoice.co.uk
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