Is this the tidiest street in Downend?
RESIDENTS of Cleeve Park Road turned out in force in October for a tidy-up and bulb planting in the road.
With five households in the street being members of Downend and Bromley Heath in Bloom, you would probably expect gardening activities to be going on.
Over the summer the weeds along the pavement edges had grown so tall it was decided they needed to go, so Cleeve Park Road WhatsApp group organised the neighbours to come along on a Sunday morning and clear out all of the weeds in the pavement gutters. We then set about planting daffodil and crocus bulbs at either end of the street.
The bulbs were planted as part of the Community Pollinator Fund that In Bloom received from WECA to encourage pollinators to the area.
The residents were kept fed and with coffee and cake (there were some chocolate brownies as well).
We had had 21 residents join in and a real age range – our oldest participants were around the 70- 80 age group and our youngest volunteers were four and six. How cool is that?
Thank you to all my great neighbours in Cleeve Park Road for their efforts.
Jackie Baker
Downend & Bromley Heath In Bloom
Thanks for your harvest gifts
THANK you so much to everyone who came and supported or donated to this year’s harvest festival at The Red Lion in Mangotsfield – what a wonderful day we had.
All the food donated has been moved to the Staple Hill Community Hub, to help those less fortunate with emergency food parcels.
Thanks also to Lee and Heidi, who played an amazing set to entertain us.
Once again, it was a great show of community spirit from the people of Mangotsfield and the surrounding area.
Mary West (The Red Lion) and Clive Heath (Staple Hill Community Hub)
Join my fight to end global poverty
I’M currently interning for the Borgen Project, which fights to end global poverty by building non-partisan support for life-saving initiatives where they’re needed most.
I’m writing to ask Voice readers to contribute to my fundraising campaign.
As an advocacy organisation, donations to the Borgen Project go towards public awareness campaigns that mobilise the public into action and effectively amplify the voices of the world’s poor.
We’re all more interconnected than we think, and the UK is in the best position to alleviate inequalities worldwide.
You can join me in any of the following ways:
*Donate at tinyurl.com/bdhccmwr. On average, every £1 donated to the Borgen Project helps build support for key poverty-reduction bills that benefit 92 lives. Please input – Phoebe Long – in the ‘On Behalf Of’ field so that your donation counts towards my goal of raising £500.
*Mobilise. Even if you reach out to a few people and find two individuals to contribute, that would help immensely!
You can find out more at borgenproject.uk and borgenproject.org.
I believe in a world in which no person should live in extreme poverty, and that is why I am so grateful to spread awareness about this cause.
Anything you can do to help would be greatly appreciated!
Phoebe Long
Mangotsfield
Prepare your pets for Bonfire Night
AS fireworks season approaches, the British Veterinary Association is urging people to start preparing now to prevent possible injury and distress to their pets in the run up to Bonfire Night, Diwali and New Year’s Eve.
The loud whizzes, bangs and whistles of rockets, Roman candles and sparklers can be fun for some of us, but fireworks displays can be extremely traumatic for animals.
Each year, vets treat animals with injuries as a result of stress and fright, as well as burns.
Contact your vet now to discuss noise desensitisation techniques, pheromone products and other treatments that may be appropriate for your pet.
Make sure pets are microchipped with up-to-date details in case of escape.
You can also take simple steps around the house now, such as creating a den for dogs and cats, to keep them safe and calm when fireworks start.
If your pet gets significantly distressed by fireworks, ask your vet about longer-term treatment options.
You can find more information at
www.bva.co.uk.
Dr Elizabeth Mullineaux
British Veterinary Association