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3. Community Groups

3.1 SHIREHAMPTON COMMUNITY GROUP 

The group meets bi-monthly to discuss issues of local community concern with section leaders on Planning, Environment, Community Care, Highways, Youth and Schools and Law and Order. It also hosts meetings of the Police Consultative Committee and reports back from the local Neighbourhood Watch schemes. On occasion it will hold meetings to discuss issues of special local concern such as the proposed Avonmouth Incinerator or the future of the swimming pool and on these issues attendance can be very high. In some ways the group attempts to perform the functions of a Parish Council and at a time when the City Council is looking at ways of increasing local democracy then the possibility of looking at a Parish Council for Shirehampton might present itself. I’m sure an element of ‘Home Rule for Shire’ would come out well on a local referendum on a Parish Council proposal The City Council’s Democracy Commission is currently canvassing for views on options such as Parish Council’s before issuing its final report in March so any views need to be made known quickly.

3.2 SHIREHAMPTON PUBLIC HALL COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION 

The Public Hall opened in 1904 and has played an important role in the life of Shire ever since. Since 1988 it has been managed by a local voluntary management committee though the building is still owned and maintained by Bristol City Council It hosts many of the long standing Shire community groups - Station Road playgroup, The Evergreens, the Grainger Players, Shire Stitchers, Shire Community group - as well as a yearly cycle of exhibitions, performances and one-off events. Recently it has become the base for the local Community Education office (formerly at Twyford House and Stoke Lodge) and a range of basic skills classes. Again a successful example of keeping an important service provider in the local community by moving to another building rather than losing its base in the area altogether. 

Funding is currently being sought from the National Lottery Charities Board for the Shire After-School Club which will serve the schools of St. Bernards, Shirehampton Primary and Avon Primary and this should provide a much needed child care facility for working parents from April 2001. Increased use of the Hall brings its own problems of success in that regular weekday use of the Hall means an inability to respond to requests for one-off meetings or regular events as the Hall is now operating close to full capacity except at weekends. 

Following on a Public consultation exercise in April 1998 the Community Association, with the support of the City Council’s Community Development unit, has started to take on a broader view of its remit within Shirehampton. The employment of a community worker first, then in addition a Community Profiler sees the Association looking beyond its building management remit to look at wider unmet social needs in Shirehampton. It realises that no one organisation can meet these needs and hence the attempt to build working partnerships on the outcomes of the Community Profile and possible first steps toward& setting up a Community Development Trust in Shirehampton.

3.3 THE COTSWOLD COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION 

Another remarkable Shire story of longevity and self-reliance in a community group. A community building of some kind has stood here since World War One and there are photos of cavalrymen to prove it! The area is predominantly populated by Senior Citizens who are very happy to live in such a safe and attractive location by the river. There are few young families around and the area suffers from none of the fear of crime felt by pensioners along the High Street. 

The Cotswold Centre building is run by an indefatigable group of senior citizens in their 70s and 80s and provides entertainment, bingo, Keep Fit and Line Dancing. The Centre receives no grant funding of any kind and meets all their own bills for cleaning and building repairs from its own resources. It is basically a happy organisation run by happy people in a happy location — so ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!’. 

3.4 LOWER SHIREHAMPTON TENANTS ASSOCIATION 

This Tenants organisation is no longer active though the ex-chair remains a strong advocate of local community interests. Unlike Penpole Tenants Association or Cotswold Community Association the Lower Shire Tenants Association has never had premises of its own - meeting in the Housing Office in Napier Road or Jim O’Neill House. The lack of a community facility in the Barracks Lane/Beanacre area is strongly felt. There is also a feeling of disconnection or ‘left outness’ from the rest of Shire and a feeling that the area is in some sort of inexorable decline. This feeling of being slightly left out of things finds an echo in Avon Primary School tucked away as it is down Barracks Lane-almost not sure whether its in Shirehampton or Avonmouth and serving both communities. A purpose built new community facility - and finding anywhere to put it -would seem to be an unlikely option at the moment but a tie-up between school and local community would make sense - offering use of school buildings in the evenings for example. 

The Tenants Association has also complained about anti-social behaviour by youths coming down from Lawrence Weston along the back lanes and slow police response times. Many older people have community safety concerns and the deprivation indices show real social needs in the area. The siting of the new ‘Welcome to Shirehampton Village’ signs half way up the High Street has compounded the view that the area is left out from the rest of Shire and a real effort needs to be made to look at the social needs of the area and make sure they are part of an inclusive strategy for community regeneration for the whole of Shirehampton. 

3.5 PENPOLE TENANTS ASSOCIATION 

The Penpole Tenants Association serves the area around The Ridge - including the two tower blocks Sedgewick and Barwick plus Oaktree and Grainger Courts, Wasborough, The Ridge itself and the elderly persons accommodation at The Lawns and The Hermitage. The two tower blocks are local authority owned but most of the rest of the housing in the area is owned by four different Housing Associations - Knightstone, Guinness Trust and United Housing Association. 

All the deprivation indices show this small area to be in the most social need in Shirehampton and there is no doubt that if it was situated in one of the favoured areas for government regeneration schemes its social needs would have been recognised and met by now. But being situated in what is often perceived as fairly affluent Shirehampton it does not get access to the funding it requires to tackle its problems. So it has been left to a fairly few heroic members of the Penpole Tenants Association to struggle on in the face of much adversity to make the best job they can of it. It should be said that the Tenants Association acknowledges good support from the local Area Housing Office and its local estate manager and also from the local police. The Home Beat Office holds regular surgeries in the Methodist Church and numerous meetings have been held with more senior officers to tackle anti-social behaviour from youths in the area. 

The Guinness Trust provides the Tenants Association with a small community centre at No. 60 The Ridge next to the playpark area on a yearly peppercorn rent. From here the Association runs regular social events from its own resources. These include the Tuesday Luncheon Club with 32 members, coffee mornings, bingo, socials, trips out, and other one off events. hi the past there was an attempt to run a junior youth club for 5-10 year olds - the Penpole Club -but unruly behaviour and severe damage to a pool table and other equipment forced the Club to close. This episode perhaps illustrates the problems the T.A. faces in that they are generous spirited and positive enough to try and provide some answers to problems caused by local children and youth but lack the necessary resources to effectively maintain them. The anti­social behaviour that causes concern to everyone along the High Street in the evenings spills over regularly along the streets in the Penpole T.A. area and is an ever present problem for them. In a way this small organisation has been left to sort out some Shire wide problems all on its own with virtually no resources. 

Some recent examples of anti-social behaviour have passed into local folklore - the pulling down of the advertising hoarding outside Alldays and dragging it into the road, the setting on fire of a hedgehog, the robberies in the bungalows at The Lawns and daylight robberies from shops in. the High Street. These compound the fears of many older people to set foot outside their doors in the evenings. The concerns of the Traders are echoed by the Penpole Tenants Association. Drug taking and the finding of needles in. the street and play area are reported quite often, families not keeping their children under control and causing a nuisance to others and incidents of racial harassment are reported by the Area Office and the police. 

The Tenants Association feels that the properties owned by the Housing Associations are not properly managed and anti-social behaviour by their tenants, children and visitors has no visible consequences. This is a view shared by the Area Housing Office. There is no doubt that the Housing Associations need to be brought into a local partnership to effectively deal with anti-social behaviour from their tenants and work with other community organisations to take some community safety initiatives.

There have also been problems caused by the housing of Care in the Community individuals in the tower blocks and the comparative havoc one or two people with personality disorders can cause in a small community. 

Neighbourhood Watch has not worked effectively in the area when it has been tried but the Penpole Tenants Association still searches for positive solutions rather than remaining purely pessimistic. There is no doubt that a big step forward would be the provision of some detached youth workers in the area whether from a church organisation such as being thought about by the Baptist Church or from the local authority. Presently there is no detached youth work provision from Groveleaze that reaches up into the High Street and Penpole area and this is a situation that urgently needs rectifying. I would say that if there is one urgent quick fix needed in Shire it is the provision of detached youth workers in this area. It has to be asked whether spending £45,000 on keeping (Groveleaze Youth Centre open to provide one youth work session a week when these resources could be re-directed to much better effect along the High Street area is money wisely spent! 

The Tenants Association has indicated it would be willing to use its community room again for some junior youth club use if they could be provided with the expertise and resources to run it. The T.A. has also suggested that the empty site next to Alldays - apparently once earmarked for a library - could be used for a youth club. Certainly some youth provision would be money better spent than on CCTV which often only moves a problem round the corner. The Tenants Association has also expressed its willingness to see some sort of Drugs Project Drop-In facility in the area maybe provided by the Drugs Project at Lawrence Weston. A desire for better liaison with Portway School over the behaviour of pupils leaving the school in the afternoons has also been voiced. 

There is no doubt that both the deprivation indices and the experience of those who live and work there show the area around The Ridge to be in urgent need of more resources and partnership working to solve its problems. There is a willing and positive Tenants Association there so hopefully things can start to move forward. A major funding bid perhaps around Community Safety or the prioritisation of the area by the mooted Community Development Trust would be two possible ways forward. Either way local partnerships will be the key.

3.6 THE CHURCHES

3.6.1 ST MARY’S CHURCH 

The Church on the High Street has been a mainstay of the community for many years. However its long standing vicar has recently retired and there is an inevitable sense of ‘drift’ until a new incumbent is appointed.  

St. Mary’s Church Hall hosts a range of groups including a Sunday School, Toddlers Group, Judo and Karate classes and one off events. The role of the Hall is about to be transformed however by its becoming the base for the users of the now closed Portway Centre — providing activities and resources for people with learning difficulties and run by the Social Services Dept. An active local campaign to keep the Portway Centre open was unsuccessful so the fact that it has been able to re-locate to another community building within Shirehampton is good news for its many local users. It is also a good example of how the re­jigging of community resources and some imaginative thinking about the best location for the provision of different services can often produce a better solution than a campaign to save existing provision no matter what! Let’s hope this partnership between Church and Social Services will prosper. 

3.6.2 THE BAPTIST CHURCH 

The Church in Station Road is the most active of the Shire churches in its community work. It hosts a number of very active groups including ‘Caring Hands’, Parent and Toddler group, Coffee mornings, a youth club and junior football team and other regular drop-in sessions. It is active in the local primary schools and in identifying social need within the area. Its volunteers give support to pensioners with gardening on the Cotswold Estate and they provide furniture for families in Hostel accommodation in Avonmouth. 

The Minister has been looking for better ways to deliver its community services by exploring the possibility of taking over a High Street shop or even the now empty bingo Hall. In particular the Church has been exploring how it can best meet some of the needs of young people in the area and tackle some of the youth problems around the High Street area. This may take the form of some detached youth work provision in outreach from the Hall or even in a shop in the High Street. At the moment discussions are going on in the church about the location of a youth work team in the area which would be a very welcome resource. There would also be potential for working in partnership with organisations like the Penpole Tenants Association — who have expressed an interest in a weekly youth club in their community room but do not currently have the resources to provide workers - or even in using some of the other community buildings in the area. 

3.6.3 ST. BERNARDS CHURCH 

Again a long term focal point for the community in Station Road. The Church works in active partnership with St. Bernards School and the school hall is used for a variety of community activities. 

3.6.4 THE METHODIST CHURCH 

The Methodist Church, which was once a much larger complex including tennis courts and theatre stretching up to The Ridge, retains a prominent position on the High Street. The present Minister has been there for four years and is part of a move among the more recent church incumbents to more partnership working among the churches than was the case in the past. The Church Hall hosts a number of groups from Coffee Mornings to St. Johns Ambulance to Women’s Institute and will also host a weekly Luncheon Club with the Portway Centre soon to be based at St. Mary’s Church Hall. The Church also employs a part-time community worker to foster wider links within the local community which is a promising move. 

The Church suffers from the same vandalism and youth problems as the rest of the High Street area but is actively pursuing with the Baptist Church the possibility of some youth provision in the immediate area. Sensing that young people are not ‘clubbable’ in the same way as in the 50’s and that their cultural interests and pursuits have also moved on the two churches are exploring the idea of some sort of Drop-in ‘Cyber-cafe’ which would appeal to youngsters love of computer games and be staffed by qualified personnel. This is still at the early discussion stage as yet and no venue has been fixed on. However this would be a very welcome move and the churches might wish to form a wider partnership within Shirehampton and explore a well thought out Community Safety / Crime distraction initiative which could seek council or government funding, and involve substantial detached youth work input. In the long term this would be a more sustainable and effective approach than CCTV and alcohol bans on The Green. If we wish to move beyond hand-wringing then this is just the kind of initiative worthy of wide community support. I have listed this here under the Methodist Church but it should be emphasised that the Baptist Church has been very heavily involved in the ongoing discussions. 

3.7 BEACHLEY WALK CENTRE 

Beachley Walk is the main contact point between young children and their families and Social Services in Shirehampton. The Beachley Walk Satellite Unit is an outreach group from the Freshways Pre-School Resource Centre at Lawrence Weston and is managed by Bristol City Council Social Services Dept. It offers various activities and support for children and their families experiencing difficulties within the local community. These include Nursery sessions three times a week including activities and support for parents; Family Days; Home visiting; Plan and Stay — a drop-in parent and toddler group; summer playscheme; Parents groups; Toy Library; and access to Resource Workers for dealing with individual family problems. 

The Centre also works closely with Health Visitors from Shirehampton Health Centre and has an ethos of working in partnership with the local community. It is Social Services only support unit for children and their parents in Shirehampton and referrals can be made by Health Visitors, Social Workers and other professionals. It is extremely valued by Health Visitors who lament the lack of pre-school provision within an area of traditionally low incomes. Parenting skills and groups for people with learning difficulties and disabilities are also run at Beachley Walk. 

Although the Beachley Walk Unit is managed by Social Services the management of the building has recently passed from Social Services to the Early Years Directorate of the Education Dept. This has created some unease among other users who se~ activities would not fall within the scope of Education. In the past such users have been given free use of the building by Social Services but it is not clear how much longer this will continue with the change in management of the building. Such regular users are the A.U.S. Luncheon Club, Monday night Dragons Club for children with disabilities, Happy Hearts, St. Johns Badger Club and a number of others including Life Long Learning from Community Education. 

The building, which like many other community resources in Shire could be described as ‘battered but well loved’, also suffers from repeated vandalism and anti-social behaviour from youths - often jointly with Jim O’Neill House opposite. 

There is no doubt that Beachley Walk has provided a valuable local lifeline for many families in Shire and one that it is essential to maintain and support in the future. 

3.8 AVON UNIVERSITY SETTLEMENT ADVICE SERVICE 

This valued service operates twice a week with one benefits advice worker at The Cottage next to Twyford House. It gives comprehensive advice on all benefit/debt issues and will refer to other agencies as appropriate. The worker is employed by A.U.S. through the Child Poverty Action Group and she estimates she has brought into the area over £250,000 of unclaimed benefits in the last year. This service is much in demand and certainly has the scope to expand if finances would allow. In view of the Profile of Shirehampton as being a low-waged economy hovering just above benefit level, but often dipping into it, such an expanded advice service should be a top priority — its value already demonstrated by the ¼ million pounds it brings into the area every year. A.U.S. should be helped to access more resources to expand the service if they wish. 

A final problem is what will happen to The Cottage if Twyford House is sold off and the prospective developer wishes to purchase the Cottage as well to make any development more viable. In these circumstances AUS would be bound to listen to offers so it is essential that a long-term home is found for the advice service if this eventuality comes about.

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4. Community Infrastructure

4.1 PARTNERSHIP WORKING 

It has to be said that Shirehampton is pretty weak on partnership working both between professional workers from different agencies and community groups themselves. There are a lot of self-reliant groups pursuing their own agendas which is fine but a bit more partnership working might both solve problems quicker and more readily access the bigger pots of funding which Shirehampton continually misses out on. 

4.1.1 KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH GROUPS IN THE SIIIREHAMPTON AREA 

This is a yearly lunchtime get-together for information sharing facilitated by the Health Visitors and Freshways Centre. Otherwise Shirehampton lacks any professional workers’ forum as exist in many other areas. An immediate step to improve this situation could be the setting up of a monthly forum for just such information sharing. 

4.1.2 S.H.A.W.L. 

Shirehampton, Henbury, Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston Lifelong Learning Network is a partnership of the education providers in the area. It aims to provide a wide range of lifelong learning provision which meets the needs of the local community. It is facilitated by Bristol Community Education Service. Portway School and Community Education are the regular Shirehampton attenders. 

4.1.3 SHIRE 2000 

This was a good example of what can be achieved by partnership working. Shire 2000 was established to celebrate the Millennium with a year long series of events in Shirehampton and it proved very successful. The very useful Shirehampton Directory — a guide to local community groups — was produced as part of this partnership initiative.

4.2 INFORMATION PROVIDERS 

4.2.1 ‘SHIRE’ NEWSPAPER 

‘Shire’ is a phenomenon! A Community Newspaper which has been going non-stop for 28 years, has a circulation of 4,300 delivered entirely by volunteers and is not only financially self-sufficient from its advertising revenue but is able to give donations to other community projects such as the Shirehampton Directory. I doubt if there is another community newspaper in the country that can boast such a record and it is a most effective medium for publicising local community events and raising issues of concern. Part of its success must lie in the basic continuing stability of the community, with little transient population and often three generations of the same family living in the area. This makes for a keenly felt sense of identity and shared social history which is at the root of ‘Shire’s popularity and longevity. 

The challenge for ‘Shire’ is to effectively represent the younger voices of Shirehampton, their needs and concerns, as well as the older community. If it can do this then it will in all probability provide Shirehampton with its individual voice for another 25 Years and more! 

4.2.2 SHIRE ON THE WEB 

This is a very successful website (www.shire.org.uk) getting an ever increasing number of visitors from near and far and providing details on local community organisations and events. It can be accessed at the Library. 

4.2.3 SIIIREHAMPTON LIBRARY 

Just to remain open is a success for many libraries these days and Shirehampton Library continues to be very well used. It provides access to the internet and a wealth of information leaflets. It provides a home for ‘Shire’ newspaper and holds a Community Diary where local groups can make sure their events do not clash. 

4.3 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 

The local Development Plan for North Bristol details the continued viability of the High Street area as a shopping centre while acknowledging the need for an additional food shop. The Donaldson study of January 1998 suggested that the health of the Shirehampton shopping area had gradually declined but had been worsened by the opening of the regional shopping centre at Cribbs Causeway. The decline was not irreversible however and the High Street shopping area retained an important ‘top up’ function. 

The Planning Inspectorate report on the proposed Aldi development on the Portway — November 1998 — also acknowledged the need for an additional food shop but felt that the location of the proposed development would not enhance the existing shopping centre. There was also considerable and articulate local opposition to the Aldi development. There remains concern amongst individual traders that the shopping area could decline further and that a good mix of traditional shops — the butchers for example — needs to be maintained as against the proliferation of Charity Shops. 

Recent developments however point to the continued good health of the shopping area e.g. the expansion of the betting shop and the opening of a new Indian restaurant in Station Road. The closure of the Bingo Hall is a loss in terms of leisure facilities but news of a possible planning application from Lidl to open a supermarket on the site has opened a debate quite different in character to the opposition created by the Aldi development. The location of the possible Lidl Store has obvious potential knock-on benefits for the rest of the shopping area and should help to ensure its long-term viability. 

The 1991 Census shows a very high percentage of the-population - 35% - to be without a car and this suggests that for many people the shopping area fulfils much more than a ‘top up’ function and will continue to provide basic shopping facilities for a significant section of the population. 

4.4 CAFÉ CULTURE 

Another factor worthy of comment is Shirehampton’s ‘Café Culture’. The High Street Cafes are very well used and serve an important social function as well as an economic one. In an informal way the cafes provide the social cement which keeps  the community together. Many people out shopping spend considerable time in the cafes-- often during the course of the day moving from one to another and back again - where they can exchange gossip, news, chit chat and maintain friendships. People often talk about the uniqueness of Shire and its special sense of identity and I believe the role of the cafes is central to this. The Shire Cafes- are full of young and old, kids and grandparents, men and women who will often stay talking for hours as old friends are greeted in and brought in to the conversation. In a society where young and old often lead separate lives the cafes break down these barriers — and also the isolation that many young mums and pensioners feel - and create a real social mix and community spirit. It could be added that some of the small shops do much the same. 

4.5 SHIREHAMPTON TRADERS ASSOCIATION 

The Traders Association has been established for over two years with 25-30 members. Though concerned with the well being of the whole community through such events as its successful annual Funday, its prime aim is obviously to promote the economic interests of the traders. In this their prime concern with community safety will be echoed by many local residents. 

The Traders Association is increasingly concerned with thefts, robberies, vandalism and anti-social behaviour in the High Street. Although often occurring in the evenings shop thefts are becoming increasingly common in daytime. Many of the major traders --  Boots, Alldays, Woolworths, Lloyds Bank -- are suffering repeated vandalism, smashed windows and criminal damage. This anti-social behaviour often spills over into the area North of the High Street towards the tower blocks and the sheltered accommodation causing further alarm and nuisance. Groups of youths on The Green cause alarm to older people who become frustrated with the apparent lack of police response. The police on the other hand point out that often no crime is being committed and that it is just a question of young people gathering in groups as they have done for generations. The crime figures for Shirehampton show a small increase over the last few years but are still significantly lower than many other parts of the City. The Traders   Association is asking the City Council to install CCTV cameras at three locations in the High Street to deter such behaviour. However with the crime statistics as they are and the ever present council financial restraints it is extremely unlikely that any priority will be given to this scheme in the near future. A more- general Community Safety approach involving many different organisations working in partnership, and in particular the provision of detached youth workers in the High Street area in the evenings, combined with improved community policing is more likely to find favour and produce results. Substantial amounts-of funding for Community Safety initiatives have been made available elsewhere in the City and it’s about time Shire got its snout in this particular trough. A Youth facility somewhere nearer to the High Street would be a. candidate for such funding and both the Baptist Church and Penpole Tenants Association have expressed positive interest in examining possibilities. 

4.6 FACILITIES FOR OLDER PEOPLE 

4.6.1 CARE HOMES 

There are three Local Authority Sheltered Accommodation units in the area - Antonia Court, Stowe House, and Jim O’Neill House. All are popular locations for residents and provide their own mix of social activities. In addition there are a number of private nursing homes. 

4.6.2 LUNCHEON CLUBS 

The Ward has three weekly Luncheon Clubs for older people:

(i)          At Beachley Walk on Wednesdays run by Avon University Settlement
(ii)         At No.16 The Ridge on Tuesdays run by the Penpole Tenants Association
(iii)       At Avonmouth Community Centre on Thursdays 

The Beachley Walk Luncheon Club picks up from the four Care Homes in the area. They have a maximum of 18 people and have in the past received funding from the John James Trust and Richard Davis Trust. Although Social Services still own the Beachley Walk building its running has been taken over by the Education Dept. so that AUS do not feel entirely secure about its future. 

4.6.3 SOCIAL ACTIVITIES 

Most of the Community Groups and churches run activities for senior citizens. The Evergreens at the Public Hall has been going for 70 years and is a good example of the self-reliance of Shire Community Groups in both its longevity and the fact that it has never had a Local Authority grant in all those 70 years but thrived on its only income — its members weekly fees. It provides entertainment and trips out. The Public Hall has recently added a Friday night Bingo session - being quick off the mark to spot the gap in the market caused by the demise of the Bingo Hall! 

The Tythe Barn Senior Citizens Club provides a similar mix of social activities and entertainment. The Cotswold Community Association is run by senior citizens and provides social activities and regular dances. 

In general Shirehampton is a popular place for senior citizens to live especially on the Cotswold Estate by the river. Pensioners living just North of the High Street around The Lawns and The Hermitage are increasingly suffering break-ins and disturbance from youths and the fear of crime — especially in the evenings along the High Street - is causing a deterioration in the quality of life for many older people in Shirehampton. 

4.7 EDUCATION 

4.7.1         COMMUNITY EDUCATION 

The local Community Education provision formerly at Twyford House and Stoke Lodge is now provided at the Public Hail where the Community Education office is now based. The computer courses are well subscribed but for other courses there is reported 50% less use than previously at Twyford House. This is mainly caused by less people casually dropping in for information and going on to take up courses as Twyford House was well known as the Community Education provider and the Hall is less so. This may sort itself out over time but some people have indicated they felt more comfortable dropping into Twyford House which was purely a Community Education facility rather than the Hail where space has to be shared with the many other users. A lack of private interview space has also been noted as a problem and one the Hail Management Committee is actively looking at in its proposed internal revamp of part of the building. 

In an area with a very high level of people with no qualifications easily accessible community education provision is essential and any Community Development Trust might like to see some shop front provision in the High Street area. Providing basic skills for people to get into jobs will be a key point for many local people to improve their quality of life and it is predominantly Shirehampton people who make use of the existing classes. 

Using other community resources such as schools and other community buildings such as that on The Ridge or the Cotswold Community Centre might be further possibilities. 

The Community Education office is also the access point for the Lifelong Learning, Widening Participation, and Family Learning Programmes which should have major take up potential in Shire and fit well with the programmes’ ethos of ‘bringing non-traditional learners back into learning’. To this end ‘Taster Sessions’ can be arranged for many courses and courses customised to meet the learner’s needs. The Community Education Office is also part of the SHAWL network detailed elsewhere. 

4.7.2 PORTWAY COMMUNITY SCHOOL 

The school is the main Secondary Education provider in the area and the recent threat of closure of its sixth form will be a major blow for children in the area who will have to face travelling much further to continue their education. Again in an area of high levels of people having no qualifications such a closure would seem to fly in the face of local need - perhaps another example of Shire losing a valuable community facility and where a possible Community Development Trust might give local people more hope of retaining valuable education resources. 

The School works in co-operation with its partner Primary Schools and is known for its excellence in music provision which leads to many performances in the community. A Community Sports bid was mooted last year which aroused a lot of local interest and could have led to widespread community use. This appears to have stuttered somewhat but I understand that a bid for Sports College status is now back on the agenda. This could have a major impact on youth provision in the area so it is important that the school works in co-operation with its neighbouring community groups to ensure maximum effectiveness on enhanced community use. 

The School has sports fields along The Portway which are let out for community use and to local football teams including the Shire Colts. It also hosts a regular summer playscheme and has a very active Friends of Portway School support group. The School could have a major impact on local regeneration initiatives and the more it can develop partnerships with local groups and its neighbours along The Ridge the better. 

4.7.3 THE PRIMARY SCHOOLS 

The three Primary Schools that serve the area are St.Bernards, Shirehampton and Avon Schools. Shirehampton Primary School is a newly merged school from the former Shirehampton Infants and Shirehampton Juniors which were situated alongside each other. 

The new Shirehampton Primary has quite properly been concerned with making its transition into the one school as problem free as possible and there is still building work to be undertaken. 

All three schools let out their rooms to community groups out of school hours and these must increasingly be seen as major resources for community groups especially in areas where few other community facilities exist such as the area in the immediate vicinity of Avon Primary. St Bernards School has the reverse problem of being situated in Station Road where there are many other community buildings available. All three schools will be feeder schools for the new Shire After-School Club if funding is successfully acquired (decision in February 2001) and this will add a much needed child care facility for working parents. 

Any Community Development Trust structure that might emerge in Shirehampton will have to enlist the Primary Schools as key players in the community. 

4.8 GROVELEAZE YOUTH CLUB 

Groveleaze has been Shirehampton’s Youth Club for over 50 years and many older people have fond memories of their past times there. The question has to be however whether Groveleaze is currently able to provide a service which can meet the needs of local young people and the answer has to be that it currently does not. 

The entire Youth Service provision in Bristol is currently under review following two highly critical reports and it is at present unclear what the outcomes of this review will be and how the future of Groveleaze might be affected. In terms of local service delivery however several points need to be made. The Club was shut altogether for four months prior to the summer holidays following an incident and is currently delivering only one session of youth work per week in the building. For a service that costs £45,000 per year to run this cannot be a good return on the outlay. 

Occasional sessions of outreach work are delivered on an irregular basis around the Beachley Walk area but no outreach work is undertaken in the High Street area where most young people gather these days and problems are caused for older people. 

There is no doubt that youth service provision in Shirehampton needs a complete revamp. Whether Groveleaze is now in the wrong place for a youth club and somewhere nearer the High Street area is needed or whether more resources are needed to provide outreach workers are two of the issues that need resolving. At the present time it is the Churches who are thinking about meeting the current needs rather than Groveleaze. A comprehensive Community Safety strategy needs to be worked out between interested partner organisations in Shire in which youth work plays a prominent role. Whether the Groveleaze building itself still has a role to play in that provision remains open to question. 

4.9 LEISURE FACILITIES 

There is currently debate over the future of the swimming pool and a possible revamp of facilities at the Robin Cousins Sports Centre. There are currently empty rooms and courts out of use at the Robin Cousins Centre and it has been suggested that these would make a suitable location for a new youth club facility as many young people are already visiting the centre. Again the existing swimming pool site could be sold off for development and the money used to develop facilities elsewhere or the pool could be retained, as recommended by the Citizens Jury, or re-located to the Robin Cousins Centre. Whatever the outcome it is a fact that, just as on other current issues such as Park And Ride, unless people come together to take a strategic vision for the whole of Shirehampton issues will be resolved on an ad-hoc basis by those who shout loudest or live nearest to a particular proposal with other less sure voices going unheard.

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5. Summary Of Main Issues Raised By Profile 

1.   Community Buildings - We have lost a number of these recently including Twyford House and the Portway Centre. We don’t want to lose any more!

2.   Community Safety - Many older people are scared to go out in the evenings because of anti-social behaviour and crime especially around the High Street area.

3.   Youth Work - The role of Groveleaze Youth Club and the urgent need for detached youth work elsewhere in Shirehampton needs to be looked at.

4.   Funding -  Shirehampton does not qualify for any of the major pots of government or City Council funding such as the Single Regeneration Budget or the Northern Arc. Yet there are very real unmet needs here. How can we best access better funding for the area?

5.   Poverty - There are wide variations of affluence within Shirehampton but the data shows many people with low incomes and in need of extra support and resources. How can we obtain and direct those resources to those areas of Shirehampton most in need of them?

6.   Neglect - Some parts of Shirehampton, such as the Lower High Street, feel neglected and ‘left out’ from the rest of the Village. Does Shirehampton start half-way up the High Street as the new signs indicate? Is there a ‘Shire Village’ and then the rest of Shirehampton separate? How can we make sure that we have a genuinely inclusive community?

7.   Health - Shirehampton has some of the highest figures for premature death and low birthweight babies in Bristol. Why is this? Is it important to find out why? Do health professionals such as the Health Visiting Team need extra resources?

8.   Voluntary Groups -  Shirehampton has a wealth of voluntary groups but some are struggling with limited resources in difficult circumstances. How can we support them?

9.   Leisure Facilities - What is the future of the Swimming Pool? Where are other facilities most needed especially for younger people?

10. Partnership working - Do we work together in Shirehampton enough? Do we need a regular forum where statutory and voluntary agencies, including the schools and churches who have an important role to play, come together? How can we develop a strategic vision for the whole of Shirehampton? Or do we need one at all? Could existing community facilities and buildings be ‘re-jigged’ to meet local needs better than at present?

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6. Recommendations for the future 

1. Establish some form of partnership working among the different organisations to develop a strategic vision for Shirehampton. This could take the form of a Community Development Trust or an Urban Parish Council or Area Forum but partnership working will be essential if resources are to be gained to meet identified and shared problems. 

2. A major Community Safety initiative should be taken along the High Street! Ridge area involving substantial youth work provision and a major funding bid. 

3 The case needs to be made that poverty is a major issue in Shirehampton. Low incomes, premature death and health inequalities need to be addressed with urgency and Shirehampton needs to get its fair share of access to government or Local Authority funding programmes from which it is currently excluded. 

4. We need to build an inclusive community. For many people Shirehampton (at least during the daytime!) has the feel of a village with its sense of shared history and separate identity from the rest of Bristol where friendships and family links go back generations. There is also a proud tradition of self-reliance and shared experience which needs to be valued and maintained. But for many other people life in Shire is not like that. Let’s stop pretending that it is!

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