The Hive Community Centre in Peasedown St John has got the green light. From the beginning of March a group of local residents, drawn from the churches and community, is taking on the management of the former Youth Hub in Bath Road near the School. Bath and North East Somerset Council was no longer able to resource the Youth Work or the building, but now The Hive will be a place for people of all ages to use and we hope that it will be buzzing with activity once Covid restrictions are off. Already the Centre is being used two days a week by the community library, run by the Peasedown Community Trust. But there’s more than just food for the mind. SWALLOW, a local based charity supporting teenagers and adults with learning difficulties, is going to be running a community cafe with a takeaway menu already available and during February they have produced food for some families in need in the community. To view cafe menu and opening times click here. Open access youth work - a priority for both Bath and North East Somerset Council and the group taking on the building – is going to start soon. The three churches of Peasedown, with support from charitable trusts and the Parish Council, have appointed a Youth Worker. Because of lockdown it’s been impossible to organise activities for young people so far but the youth work team are ready, trained and raring to start running youth work as soon as possible after Easter. In February the village lost its Post Office when John Barker retired but things are looking positive for a replacement. Plans are being worked on for a Post Office facility to be run from The Hive. There are details to be sorted so it’s not a definite development but the Hive team will let you know as soon as possible. Joy Fraser, chair of The Hive management group said, “It is great that we have now got agreement to take on the building and once the coronavirus restrictions are eased, we know the building will be a real blessing to our community and full of activity.” The building has a sport’s hall, large enough for a badminton court, an outside floodlit sports court, an art room, one large and three small meeting rooms, a fully equipped catering kitchen and a large social space from which the cafe will operate. All of these spaces will be available for hire by local groups and individuals. Contact: info@thehivepsj.org

To mark the last day of #nomoreweek, we're introducing our member Voices, a Bath-based charity founded in 2014 by a small group of local women who had themselves experienced domestic abuse. Voices provides trauma-informed recovery support for people within B&NES who have experienced current or historic domestic abuse. The charity, led by co-founder & CEO Ursula Lindenberg, provides a welcoming women-only safe space for survivors to connect & support one another, as well as providing advice & signposting for male and LGBTQ+ victims & survivors. With a mission to “place the voices of lived experience at the heart of all that they do”, VOICES provides a platform that enables the voices of victims and survivors to inform and improve policy, service, and culture change - transforming the lives of those affected by Domestic Abuse. Adopting a non-judgemental, empathetic, client-centred approach, Voices provides the following SERVICES: - Community-based Recovery & Empowerment Programmes for women with experience of domestic abuse, including the Freedom Programme, Recovery Toolkit & MATES social Group. - One-to-One Recovery Support & Counselling - A FREE Legal Clinic for those who are unable to obtain Legal Aid - Bespoke Training & Consultation for professionals & organisations based on survivor insights. - Education & Awareness-raising of the nature & impacts of domestic abuse, & of the needs of survivors & their families. Throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic, VOICES have continued to provide specialist face to face & online support, advice, & counselling to their clients. In addition, they have also supported with remote family court hearings & benefits appeals. VOICES are currently supporting at a caseload level that they had anticipated reaching two years from now, & whilst they have emerged from the pandemic stronger than ever as a service provision, the charity itself still faces a challenge to survive and rebuild, particularly at a time when Domestic Abuse & Trauma -Focussed services are in more demand than ever before. Community Support for local charities such as VOICES has been never more needed. If you would like to make an online donation to help support VOICES, please use the following link: https://localgiving.org/voices

Applications open for the Bath Women’s Fund Grant Programme - members have chosen the following theme for the 2021 grant: Services/projects that increase economic inclusion and support women to move out of poverty. This year Bath Women's Fund will be awarding one main grant of £15,000 and two £1,500 appreciation awards. To apply for this funding, please download the guidance for applicants from the Bath Women's Fund website and check you meet our criteria . If you do, then please complete an Expression of Interest form by 5pm on Wednesday 31st March. If you would like any further information, please contact info@bathwomensfund.org.uk

3SG is proud to support NO MORE Week, which is an annual, international opportunity to come together to raise awareness of domestic abuse and sexual violence, inspiring individuals, organisations, and communities to make change. We've spoken with our local member charities that offer support in this area and have provided their details below. National Support NO MORE Week is running from Sunday 7th to Saturday 13th March 2021. On Wednesday 10 March, the campaign is asking all supporters and partners to share the new Safe Spaces social media graphics, to raise awareness of the availability of Safe Spaces in pharmacies for people experiencing domestic abuse. Download the Safe Spaces social media graphics now Use the below text when sharing the graphics on social media, to ensure your post includes all the essential details about Safe Spaces: “Safe Spaces are open in Boots, Superdrug, Morrisons & Well pharmacies & many independent pharmacies across the UK. If you’re experiencing domestic abuse, you can use Safe Spaces to call a helpline, support service or loved one #NoMoreWeek. More info: uksaysnomore.org/safespaces” The 24hr National Domestic Violence helpline on 08082000247 or helpline@womensaid.org.uk Domestic Abuse Local Support Southside Southside was established as a local independent charity in 1997. Their services reach out to individuals and families all over the Bath and North East Somerset region. For information and signposting for victims of domestic abuse, concerned family/friends and professionals in Bath and North East Somerset, contact the Southside BANES (Information and Navigator) service on 01225 331243. VOICES A Bath based charity founded in 2014 by women who have experienced Domestic Abuse. They provide peer support and recovery programmes specifically for women who are experiencing or have experienced Domestic Abuse. What they do includes: - Raising awareness of the nature and impacts of domestic abuse, and of the needs of survivors and their families - Community-based recovery and empowerment programmes for women with experience of domestic abuse - A therapeutic and welcoming space for survivors to meet and support one another - 1-to-1 advice and counselling - Bespoke training and consultation, based on survivor insights, to professionals and organisations To find out about the services they offer visit here. Julian House - Refuge Accommodation Julian House is the single point of access for high quality refuge accommodation for survivors of domestic abuse which includes women or men, with or without their children. The accommodation is provided in partnership with B&NES Council and Curo. We have one large refuge and several smaller dispersed properties across Bath and North East Somerset. Find out more. Rape or Sexual Abuse Local Support SARSAS (Somerset & Avon Rape & Sexual Abuse Support) SARSAS are a passionate team of specialists who stand alongside people impacted by sexual violence; listening, believing, and supporting them to reclaim their lives. They campaign and raise awareness to stop it happening to others. If you need support, head to https://www.sarsas.org.uk/ SARSAS have a free, confidential Live Chat service for anyone 13+ who has been affected by rape or sexual abuse. You can get emotional support and information from one of their specially trained volunteers. It’s available Tue and Thu: 12noon - 2pm. For more information, head to their website: https://www.sarsas.org.uk/ Have you seen the Survivor Pathway? (link here) You can find information on specialist sexual violence services across the South West of England. Sexual violence can be devastating at any age. It’s a myth that older women aren’t affected by rape or sexual abuse. SARSAS are there to listen, believe and support: https://www.sarsas.org.uk/olderwomen/

Editors for Impact is a social enterprise dedicated to free media content creation for small charities. Their mission is to relieve the challenge of cost, time and access so that your impact gets the best representation while you focus on your work. While still young, our ambition is to improve small charities’ access to media for impact. Their services include video editing (inclusive of motion graphics and audio production) and graphics design (for example, logos, banners and posters). The organisation is currently made up entirely of volunteers. They’re lucky to have a large pool of experienced and talented editors that are either looking to build their portfolio, or simply give back to charities that need their help. They have worked with charities from a range of sectors and operating in various locations. Furthermore, we’re able to help charities produce impactful media regardless of the state of their existing content and ideas: they can turn hours of footage into a short film as well supporting charities with no existing images or video of their own. Recently, they have worked with charities like Rise to produce a short film designed to attract much needed donations. In other cases, such as with The Lotus Project and Project Access, the aim is simply to explain the organisation’s ambitions and structure. Have a look at their portfolio here, and you can learn more on their website.

Bath Record Office – What they do and what the project involved? Bath Record Office: Archives and Local Studies collects and keeps safe the archives and local studies collections relating to Bath & North East Somerset and its people, and provides free access for all. They are writing a funding application to run a small project on the theme of ‘housing, health and wellbeing’ in Bath and would love you to get involved. Please read on for further information. Firstly, what are archives and why are they important? Archives are documents in all shapes and formats, known as records, which are kept for their long-term importance. Individuals manage their own archives in the records they keep relating to their lives and experiences, such as photographs, letters, and official documents like a passport. At Bath Record Office they hold records of individuals, but also of local organisations, like hospitals, charities and businesses, and the council’s own archive. The proposed community engagement project – Background Bath Record Office is currently working on a Wellcome Trust funded project entitled ‘Building a Healthier City 2: slum clearance, council housing and renovation in Bath, 1890-1995’. The project started in January 2020 and will run for two years. They are cataloguing collections which will open up research into the relationship between housing and health, focussing on improvements to living conditions in the city. They are creating an online catalogue of the records and they will repackage and conserve them, improving their storage conditions. This project will ensure that more than 100 years of Bath housing history will be accessible to all. They want to use this opportunity to investigate how historic housing archives can be enjoyed by people in the area, to develop their sense of belonging and engage and connect with the places they live. The project will also give participants the chance to tell staff at Bath Record Office what archives they find interesting and suggest ideas for future collecting. Benefits for those who take part • Participants will be able to engage with the records for the benefit of their own health and wellbeing • They can offer creative sessions using the archives if there is interest • People will be able to engage with the past to feel more connected to the present • There will be the opportunity to work with others on a shared project whilst developing skills • Participants can meet like-minded people and just do something a bit different Benefits to the Record Office • Enable staff to engage with the wider community • Improve their collecting policy • Reach a more diverse audience and become more inclusive Deadline and timescale The application must be submitted by the 5th April and if successful, the project will take place in 2022. How you can help! They would like to hear from individuals, local groups and organisations who would benefit from being involved in such a project so please get in touch as soon as possible if you would be interested in taking part: 01225 477421 or archives@bathnes.gov.uk

Thanks to NAVCA for this update: Key announcements The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (‘furlough’) has been extended to September 2021. Until then, employees will continue to receive 80% of their wages. Employers will need to contribute 10% in July and 20% in August and September as the scheme is gradually phased out. The Business Rates 'holiday' will continue until the end of June 2021. For the rest of the financial year, business rates will be subject to a 2/3 discount, meaning only 1/3 the 'normal' business rates will be payable. There is a £5bn fund for ‘Restart Grants’, and local councils will administer the distribution of these. Non-essential retail businesses will get up to £6,000 per premises through the Restart Grant scheme to help them reopen. Our understanding is that this will include charity shops. There is an additional £19m for domestic abuse programmes, which have seen a significant increase in demand for support during lockdown. £10m is being made available to provide mental health support for veterans, through the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. The government will provide also up to £475,000 to Armed Forces charities in 2021-22 to support the development of a digital and data strategy for the sector. The £150 million Community Ownership Fund will help ensure that communities across the UK can continue to benefit from the local facilities and amenities that are most important to them. From the summer, community groups will be able to bid for up to £250,000 matched funding to help them to buy local assets to run as community-owned businesses Support for people The temporary £20 per week uplift in universal credit has been given a six-month extension, after charities warned of rising poverty which will only increase when the uplift is cut. People in receipt of Working Tax Credit will receive a one-off payment of £500 in April 2021. The National Living Wage will increase to £8.91/hour from April 2021, for workers aged 23 and over. The personal basic rate tax free allowance goes to £12,570 from April 2021. The higher rate level goes to £50,270. Allowances will then be frozen for three years.

Residents who have been asked by the Government to shield at any time over the past year are invited to find out about the support available, listen to experiences from others and ask questions in an online event on Tuesday (March 9). Bath & North East Somerset Council is hosting the online event for clinically extremely vulnerable people, featuring a panel of medical experts and people from the Community Wellbeing Hub. There will be a chance for people to find out more about vaccines, mental health, managing financial concerns and accessing basic support. The panel includes Councillor Dine Romero, council Leader and Councillor Rob Appleyard, cabinet member for Adult Services, together with representatives from the Hub, VirginCare, Bath Mind, and BEMS Medical Practice. Jackie, a resident from North East Somerset, will join the panel to explain her experience as a clinically extremely vulnerable person and how she has adapted over the past year to life in lockdown. The event will take place on Zoom on March 9 at 5.30pm. To register for the event in advance, visit this link. Councillor Dine Romero said: “Many people over the past year have been asked to shield with new people recently being identified under the new shielding guidelines. It’s important we recognise the impact shielding has had on clinically extremely vulnerable people and try to mitigate it by connecting people where we can. As well as exploring how people have coped, we’ll also give an overview of the support available from the Community Wellbeing Hub and our other partners.” The Community Wellbeing Hub is a collaboration of agencies across Bath and North East Somerset and was set up to support people during the Covid-19 pandemic. You can find out more about the Hub here Attendees won’t be visible and don’t have to say anything during the online session but will be able to submit questions in the chat box.

Opportunities for more people to enjoy one of Bath’s important green spaces by bike or on foot is the aim of a new multi-use activity park to be created at the former Entry Hill golf course site. Following an open procurement exercise, Bath & North East Somerset Council has agreed to appoint Bristol-based company Pedal Progression to provide a new family cycle and activity park that can be enjoyed by bikers, families, walkers and nature-lovers alike. The park will provide free access to park areas and trails for walking and cycling, a learn-to-ride area with pump track and a new natural play park. New wildlife habitats and wider biodiversity will be encouraged with a nature garden, pond and community growing area. There will also be a new and expanded café with seating and viewing areas across the park. The bike park design seeks to give all people of all abilities the opportunity to enjoy an exciting bike ride - including balance bikes and disability trikes to tandems and mountain bikes. It will link to existing and new cycle routes and promote walking and riding to access the site, encouraging people to leave their cars at home. Pedal Progression, a skills coaching and bike hire company, is committed to engaging with the local community as they seek to get more people, more active, more often. Residents living locally to the park will receive letters from the company in early March. It is hoped that the cycle park will open in spring 2022 with the café expected to open in summer 2021. Councillor Paul Crossley, cabinet member for Community Services, said: “This exciting new multi-use park will breathe life into Entry Hill, creating a place that brings people together to enjoy being active in a variety of ways. It won’t solely be a place for bikers – it will equally be a green destination for walkers, families and nature-lovers that will boost the biodiversity of the area. We’ve seen during lockdown how people have made great use of the site for exercise and dog-walking and we want this to continue. It’s going to be a pleasant space that boosts people’s wellbeing as well as their health, which will be particularly important in the wake of the pandemic. “Our robust open procurement exercise has selected the bid which best meets our priorities including encouraging people to be more active, ensuring there is leisure provision for all members of the community to engage with and meeting our climate and ecological emergency goals. Thank you to everyone who gave their views in the consultation leading up to this appointment. I hope the local community will continue to have their say and help shape the plans.” Entry Hill golf course experienced a continued decline in visitors over more than a decade and operated at a significant loss to the council of up to £80,000 per year. The council held a public consultation between December 2019 and March 2020 to find out how residents wanted to shape the site for the future. Responses highlighted that a majority of people strongly supported a family cycle centre, while other popular options that were supported included having trails for walking and running and a park with a café. The consultation was followed by an open procurement exercise in August 2020 under the rules of which the highest-scoring bidder is recommended for appointment. The proposal from Pedal Progression was commended for addressing the results of the consultation. Matt George and Ollie Cain, directors at Pedal Progression, said: “Our plans for the Entry Hill site have always had a strong community element. At the heart of our business is a deep belief that cycling including mountain biking is a great tool to bring people together to make the good stuff happen. We have also been very aware from early on that the beautiful green site, nestled in a residential area, should be developed sensitively. We will look to offer much to the local community and wider Bath area as well as the cyclists who will want to use the bike park.” The park will also: Provide activities for under 18s and helping to strengthen communities through providing volunteering opportunities and creating spaces to be used by the whole community. Focus on providing new opportunities for adults and young people with disabilities through cycling. Provide opportunities for wider community engagement; through offering regular community events, recruitment of ‘community ambassadors’ and free access to the ticketed elements of the park for community organisations. Find out more about Pedal Progression and view their introductory video about the plans here https://vimeo.com/516392095/3e1d5b4990 The concept design for the park has been created in partnership with Architrail Velosolutions UK, a Bristol-based company which designs and constructs trails and pump tracks. The report that went before Cabinet on February 11 about the decision on award of the contract to a new operator for the Entry Hill site can be viewed here ENDS Notes: A community consultation on the future of the site was undertaken between December 2019 and March 2020 and involved carrying out substantial stakeholder engagement to understand the views of residents, golf course users and those who would like to use the site. The consultation ignited considerable local interest from local residents and organisations with a range of exciting proposals coming forward. It is acknowledged that people from outside of Bath took an interest in and responded to the survey. To ensure local views were understood and considered, an addendum to the consultation report was produced and published alongside it which analyses only Bath and North East Somerset residents’ responses. There were 1762 responses providing a valid B&NES postcode and stating they are a B&NES resident, over 50% of which were from postcodes very local to the site. This highlighted that the majority of people strongly supported a family cycle centre, while other popular options that were supported or strongly supported were trails for walking and running and a park with a café.

More than eight out of ten families in Bath and North East Somerset have been offered a place at their first choice of secondary school for admissions this September. Bath & North East Somerset Council received 1845 applications for secondary school places for admission into the 2021/2022 academic year, up on 1787 for the previous year. Eighty-four per cent of children have been allocated a place in their highest preferred school, making up a total of 1554 children. Figures show 174 pupils have been offered their second preference, 25 pupils their third preference, six pupils have received an offer of their fourth preference school and no pupils needed to be allocated their fifth, meaning 95.3% received one of their overall preferences. Seventy-seven pupils have not been offered a place at any of their preferences and have instead been offered a place at their next nearest school with a place available, which is known as a referral. All Bath and North East Somerset pupils who made an on-time application have been offered a place. Councillor Kevin Guy, cabinet member for Children’s Services, said: “I’m pleased to see that so many children have been awarded a place at their first choice of secondary school, despite an increase in the number of children needing them this year. It’s clear that parents and carers value the importance of their child attending their local school and being part of the local community. “I’m pleased that once again we’ve been able to offer all children a place. I look forward to seeing the current Year Six pupils in B&NES enjoying their transition to secondary school, in what has been a challenging year for them so far due to the disruption in their last year of primary school.” Find out more about secondary school admissions in B&NES at https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/secondary-admissions-arrangements ENDS

The final report from the Talk/together consultation has now been made available since the 1st March 2020. You can read the full report here. Running over the course of six months in 2020, Talk/together was the UK’s largest ever conversation about what divides us, what unites us and what could help bring us closer together. In total, nearly 160,000 people took part in Talk/together, including nearly 79,000 responses to our online survey, and tens of thousands more through activities run by partner organisations, online public meetings, stakeholder discussions, written submissions and nationally representative surveys. This report provides a unique snapshot of the state of the nation and the society we wish to be. What it confirms is that we are a society at a crossroads. We have witnessed a remarkable upsurge in neighbourliness and community spirit, which most of us strongly wish to see continue. Yet, we can see that significant divisions persist and there is the fear that, if not addressed, these have the potential to deepen in future. Taking the right path will require leadership, but it is also the responsibility of all of us. Together is a unique coalition that has come together with precisely this belief. This report provides us with the foundation on which the coalition will build on going forward. If you have not already done so, you can join as a partner in the Together coalition. You can do this easily by visiting their website and clicking the ‘Become a partner’ button. Collectively, they hope to use this as a basis on which to continue to bring people together around moments and events that emphasise what we share in common; to tell a positive story about what unites us; to call for the policy and institutional changes that could help build a less divided society; and to challenge all of us to do more to help build closer, more connected communities.

Chew Stoke Church School has become the second school in Bath and North East Somerset to achieve a gold national award for promoting walking, cycling and sustainable travel. Modeshift STARS is a national accreditation scheme that recognises schools that champion healthy and active ways to travel to and from school, as well as embedding those habits for pupils in later life. Chew Stoke Church School is the second school in the district to achieve the highest gold accolade for excellence after Bathampton Primary School was the first to receive the award in 2019. The school has seen a significant reduction in cars parking outside the school and families that need to drive choosing to ‘park and stride’ instead, since it engaged the whole school community on road safety and the importance of walking, cycling and scooting. Events, competitions, reward schemes and poster and video campaigns were used to promote the school’s message. Pupils took to Facebook to promote the importance of walking, scooting and cycling and their video can be viewed here Bath & North East Somerset Council provides support to schools to achieve their Modeshift STARS award. Councillor Joanna Wright, joint cabinet member for Transport Services, said: “Covid restrictions have changed the way that many of us work and get around. As more people are now working from home, making active travel part of the school run is a great opportunity for both parents and pupils to get essential daily exercise while cutting the numbers of cars doing the school run which is good for air quality. With the recent announcement that schools will reopen this month, now is a good time for people to try out alternatives.” Vicki Hennessy, Deputy Headteacher at Chew Stoke Church School said: “At Chew Stoke Church School we have been striving to promote cycling and scooting. With the help of the PE Council our mission has been to educate the children and families about the health and well-being benefits of travelling to and from school in this way and how we can be doing our bit to help save the planet. Our PE Council led their own project to increase numbers cycling and scooting to school, and as a result more than tripled the number actively travelling in both EYFS/ KS1 and KS2. It has been a whole school effort and we are very proud of our results.” Schools that have not already engaged with Modeshift STARS can register for free on the Modeshift STARS website at www.modeshiftstars.org. One-to-one support is available from the council’s School Travel Plan Officer, to support schools with their award. Email Alasdair_Yule@bathnes.gov.uk ENDS

Do you find some people difficult to deal with? If so, this course is for you. In just one hour, you'll gain 9 insights in how to deal effectively with difficult people. To make the course as inclusive as possible, it is priced at just £19.75, so sign up now. There's advice on how to deal with The Dark Triad: Narcissists, Machiavellians and Psychopaths and those who just seem to drain your energy. A key aim of the course though is to encourage you to view difficult people differently: Is the person just different to you? Do you just not know them well enough? Is change the problem, rather than the person? Could the problem lie with you? These are just some of the course's 9 insights into dealing effectively with people. Priced at just £19.75, the course will also share the most important choice you can make when dealing with difficult people - the mindset you choose to adopt. So sign up now to get started. All the insights can be gleaned in around an hour, but there are plenty of optional articles, podcasts and assessments to conduct if you wish and signposts to further resources. You can view a free preview by clicking here.

Opportunities for more people to enjoy one of Bath’s important green spaces by bike or on foot is the aim of a new multi-use activity park to be created at the former Entry Hill golf course site. Following an open procurement exercise, Bath & North East Somerset Council has agreed to appoint Bristol-based company Pedal Progression to provide a new family cycle and activity park that can be enjoyed by bikers, families, walkers and nature-lovers alike. The park will provide free access to park areas and trails for walking and cycling, a learn-to-ride area with pump track and a new natural play park. New wildlife habitats and wider biodiversity will be encouraged with a nature garden, pond and community growing area. There will also be a new and expanded café with seating and viewing areas across the park. The bike park design seeks to give all people of all abilities the opportunity to enjoy an exciting bike ride - including balance bikes and disability trikes to tandems and mountain bikes. It will link to existing and new cycle routes and promote walking and riding to access the site, encouraging people to leave their cars at home. Pedal Progression, a skills coaching and bike hire company, is committed to engaging with the local community as they seek to get more people, more active, more often. Residents living locally to the park will receive letters from the company in early March. It is hoped that the cycle park will open in spring 2022 with the café expected to open in summer 2021. Councillor Paul Crossley, cabinet member for Community Services, said: “This exciting new multi-use park will breathe life into Entry Hill, creating a place that brings people together to enjoy being active in a variety of ways. It won’t solely be a place for bikers – it will equally be a green destination for walkers, families and nature-lovers that will boost the biodiversity of the area. We’ve seen during lockdown how people have made great use of the site for exercise and dog-walking and we want this to continue. It’s going to be a pleasant space that boosts people’s wellbeing as well as their health, which will be particularly important in the wake of the pandemic. “Our robust open procurement exercise has selected the bid which best meets our priorities including encouraging people to be more active, ensuring there is leisure provision for all members of the community to engage with and meeting our climate and ecological emergency goals. Thank you to everyone who gave their views in the consultation leading up to this appointment. I hope the local community will continue to have their say and help shape the plans.” Entry Hill golf course experienced a continued decline in visitors over more than a decade and operated at a significant loss to the council of up to £80,000 per year. The council held a public consultation between December 2019 and March 2020 to find out how residents wanted to shape the site for the future. Responses highlighted that a majority of people strongly supported a family cycle centre, while other popular options that were supported included having trails for walking and running and a park with a café. The consultation was followed by an open procurement exercise in August 2020 under the rules of which the highest-scoring bidder is recommended for appointment. The proposal from Pedal Progression was commended for addressing the results of the consultation. Matt George and Ollie Cain, directors at Pedal Progression, said: “Our plans for the Entry Hill site have always had a strong community element. At the heart of our business is a deep belief that cycling including mountain biking is a great tool to bring people together to make the good stuff happen. We have also been very aware from early on that the beautiful green site, nestled in a residential area, should be developed sensitively. We will look to offer much to the local community and wider Bath area as well as the cyclists who will want to use the bike park.” The park will also: Provide activities for under 18s and helping to strengthen communities through providing volunteering opportunities and creating spaces to be used by the whole community. Focus on providing new opportunities for adults and young people with disabilities through cycling. Provide opportunities for wider community engagement; through offering regular community events, recruitment of ‘community ambassadors’ and free access to the ticketed elements of the park for community organisations. Find out more about Pedal Progression and view their introductory video about the plans here https://vimeo.com/516392095/3e1d5b4990 The concept design for the park has been created in partnership with Architrail Velosolutions UK, a Bristol-based company which designs and constructs trails and pump tracks. The report that went before Cabinet on February 11 about the decision on award of the contract to a new operator for the Entry Hill site can be viewed here ENDS Notes: A community consultation on the future of the site was undertaken between December 2019 and March 2020 and involved carrying out substantial stakeholder engagement to understand the views of residents, golf course users and those who would like to use the site. The consultation ignited considerable local interest from local residents and organisations with a range of exciting proposals coming forward. It is acknowledged that people from outside of Bath took an interest in and responded to the survey. To ensure local views were understood and considered, an addendum to the consultation report was produced and published alongside it which analyses only Bath and North East Somerset residents’ responses. There were 1762 responses providing a valid B&NES postcode and stating they are a B&NES resident, over 50% of which were from postcodes very local to the site. This highlighted that the majority of people strongly supported a family cycle centre, while other popular options that were supported or strongly supported were trails for walking and running and a park with a café.

A new and exciting initiative designed to help overcome feelings of isolation and loneliness by bringing people together to celebrate a love of reading has launched in Bath and North East Somerset. Reading Friends is an opportunity to meet new people virtually or by phone to talk about books, magazines or any reading material and aims to support wellbeing and mental health during the Covid pandemic. Bath & North East Somerset Council’s library service is looking for both befrienders and participants to socialise remotely, meet like-minded others and have fun talking about reading. Enthusiastic volunteers are needed to become one-to-one befrienders, who would be put in touch with a participant by the library service to start a conversation about reading. People can volunteer as much or as little time as they can, with no experience required - just a love of conversation. The initiative equally welcomes people who wish to connect with a befriender to talk about something they have read or listened to and have enjoyed. The Reading Friends scheme is part of the Read, Talk, Share campaign launched this month by national charity the Reading Agency. The campaign aims to combat loneliness and promote wellbeing through the power of reading during the Covid pandemic. Councillor Paul Crossley, cabinet member for Community Services, said: “It’s so important that we support people’s mental health and wellbeing during lockdown and as we recover from the impact of the pandemic. The Reading Friends project is an innovative way of connecting like-minded people to explore their love of books. It will help people who may not have seen their loved ones for some time to feel less lonely, as well as being rewarding for the befriender to make a difference to someone’s life. “Being part of the project will be fun for anyone who enjoys talking about reading. If this sounds like you, please come forward to volunteer as a befriender or to take part.” The library service will match befrienders and participants together in an initial meeting online or by phone to get them started, encouraging them to make their meeting a regular event. Resident Gill Wallace has already come forward to volunteer to become a befriender. She explained: “I live alone and am unable to do paid work as I have a disability. I am passionate about reading which is why I assist primary school children to read in normal circumstances. I also support people with mental health conditions. I like to meet people, albeit over the phone, and I am a good listener.” Anyone wishing to volunteer as a befriender or to become a participant should email Reading_Friends@bathnes.gov.uk or call 01225 394041. The service won £7,500 funding from the Reading Agency to launch Reading Friends in Bath and North East Somerset. The charity’s national Read, Talk, Share initiative is funded by a £3.5 million award from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). Find out more about the council’s library and information services

Magic Little Grants 2021 has launched today and is now live for applications. Localgiving is working with People’s Postcode Lottery, a grant giving charity funded by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, to offer charitable organisations the opportunity to apply for 2000 grants of £500. The Magic Little Grants Fund provides charitable organisations the opportunity to access funding to deliver a range of projects which fit one or more of the below funding themes: Improving mental wellbeing Enabling community participation in the arts Preventing or reducing the impact of poverty Supporting marginalised groups and promoting equality Improving biodiversity and green spaces Enabling participation in physical activity Responding to the climate emergency and promoting sustainability Increasing community access to outdoor space Grants can be used to support the general running costs of new or existing projects. For example, this could include anything from; supporting homeless individuals to find safe accommodation to organising virtual art sessions in your community, or from purchasing sports equipment to running diversity classes. Grants can also be used to cover core business costs. Localgiving and People’s Postcode Lottery aim to be flexible funders and in response to the current coronavirus situation it is important to note: organisations now have longer than 12 months to spend the grant and we do not require specific dates for projects that you would like us to support. We want our funding to be able to be used flexibly and trust that you will deliver projects only when it is safe to do so. Successful organisations will receive an annual membership with Localgiving funded by People’s Postcode Lottery. This membership will give them access to the Localgiving online fundraising platform, regular fundraising competitions and expert fundraising advice. It only takes 15 minutes to apply and you’ll receive funding within six weeks. Apply for a grant here.

Schemes to improve walking and cycling routes in Bath using £500k of government funding, made available to encourage more active travel, will be consulted on by Bath & North East Somerset Council. The council, on Monday 22 February, launched its consultation for two proposed schemes which could see cycling and pedestrian improvements to A4 Upper Bristol Road and from the city centre to Bath University along North Road using Active Travel funding. An additional improvement scheme from Combe Down to Bath University is also being consulted on. This is funded separately from the council’s Transport Improvement programme. Active Travel funding was launched in May 2020 by the Department for Transport in response to Covid-19 as the country came out of the first lockdown. Its first tranche of funding was used by the council for temporary highway schemes to aid social distancing and help enable more journeys to be taken by walking and cycling by reallocating road space. A second tranche of funding was made available for permanent schemes focused on providing an alternative for journeys that people may previously have been taken on public transport and also to help enable more people to walk and cycle for short, local trips. Through the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), the council submitted a successful bid to the Department for Transport for Active Travel funding. It is now consulting on the following schemes: The A4 Upper Bristol Road scheme proposes to install new cycle lanes that are separate from motor traffic, between Midland Road and Charlotte Street. Road crossings will be prioritised for those on foot, a section of on-street parking bays will need to be removed and some of these will be re-provided nearby. The Bath city centre to University of Bath scheme proposes a new continuous cycle route using new cycle lanes separated from motor traffic along Beckford Rd, an experimental closure of North Road as well as off-road cycle lanes. Some on-street parking will need to be re-provided nearby. The Combe Down to University of Bath scheme proposes to provide safe and convenient pedestrian and cycle crossings on both Bathwick Hill and Widcombe Hill at their junctions with Copseland. Future improvements are planned that would link with these proposals as part of wider plans to provide better continuous cycle routes and give more priority to people walking and using public transport. Councillor Joanna Wright, joint cabinet member for Transport Services, said: “We have been awarded £500,000 government funding which is coming through the West of England Combined Authority to be spent on Active Travel routes. If we don't use our share of the money by March 2022, we will lose it and so we are proposing the three schemes. “According to the National Travel Survey, in 2017-18 more than 40% of urban journeys were under two miles – perfectly suited to walking and cycling. We think these schemes provide an opportunity to improve facilities encouraging us all to be less reliant on our cars and making it more convenient and safer for local walking and cycling trips, helping us to keep healthy. In the longer-term schemes such as these contribute to our goals of cleaner air and addressing the climate emergency.” The council is inviting views from people who live, work and travel in these areas. The proposed schemes are here and the consultation runs from 22 February until 21 March. Due to Covid-19 restrictions the council has adapted its consultation to online methods, so you can see proposals and provide feedback on proposals safely. Information about this consultation is available on request in other languages, audio, Braille, large print or other formats. To request another format or a paper copy if you do not have internet access please contact Council Connect on 01225 394041 or council_connect@bathnes.gov.uk. Once the consultation responses have been reviewed we will publish a summary of these on the website. If a decision is made to proceed further, we will use the responses to inform the project design and then advertise the Traffic Regulation Orders, where there will be another opportunity to comment on the final proposals. If given the go ahead, the schemes are expected to be implemented by the end of March 2022. Active Travel schemes are separate from the council’s Liveable Neighbourhoods programme. Liveable Neighbourhoods will be developed in close collaboration with local people and will follow the approach agreed by the cabinet in December 2020, following public consultation. Ward councillors have been asked to identify local issues that can be addressed through the Liveable Neighbourhoods programme and put forward expressions of interest under this approach. The council is also consulting until March 1 on a Transport Delivery Action Plan for Bath. To take part in the online consultation visit: https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/transport-delivery-action-plan-bath

March update from Time Bank Plus Spring is on its way, the days are getting longer and it’s lovely to see the first daffodils, primroses and early blossom arriving to greet the sun. With the vaccination programme in full swing, it’s also great to have a roadmap to the end of Lockdown, and although we’re not there yet, by the end of the month we hope to be able to re-start some of our outdoor group activities like gardening, food growing and Feelgood Walks. Photography Challenge We challenge you to take part in a monthly photography contest. The subject this month is ‘Animals & other Creatures’. That includes insects, frogs & toads, birds, foxes or whatever else you budding photographers come across. It’s a perfect excuse to get out in nature with your camera or mobile phone. Please send us your photos by email to timebankplus@gmail.com. Your entries will be uploaded onto an Instagram forum. Growing Your Own at Home That’s the title of a new 4-week online gardening course which Rowan is planning to run this month via Zoom on Mondays from 1.30 – 2.30pm. The course is suitable for anyone with an interest in growing their own food at home. No prior experience is needed. The course will include growing things on windowsills, in small pots, as well as in gardens or allotments, We expect the course will start on 8th March, but are still waiting for final confirmation from the Wellbeing College, so please email us if you would like to join. Online Art Group ‘Art for Everyone’ is another Zoom course we are co-ordinating in conjunction with the Wellbeing College. Designed to bring out your imagination and creativity, the course is suitable for everyone including complete beginners. Sessions take place on Tuesday mornings and there are still spaces available. If you’d like to give it a go, please click on this link to register: https://www.wellbeingcollegebanes.co.uk/index.php/Activity/art-for-everyone-online/8094 Feelgood Walks Walking in nature is a great way to enhance your mood and keep fit and healthy. This month we are able to offer 1:1 walks on alternate Wednesdays or may be able to pair you up with another walker. As from the beginning of April, group walks of up to 6 people should be possible again. Please get in touch if you would like to join us. Southside Food Co-op The Food Co-op provides boxes of fresh, locally grown vegetables every other Wednesday, and delivers them to your home. This is available to anyone living in South or West Bath (eg Twerton, Whiteway, Odd Down, Oldfield Park, Newbridge & Lower Weston). The produce is all freshly picked and grown mostly on the edge of Bath near Solsbury Hill. The price, for those people on a lowish income (below £18,000 pa for a single person, £25,000 for a couple or £30,000 for a family), is £4.50 for a small box, £5.50 for a medium box and £7 for a large box. For those who are better off, we charge £6 for a small box, £7 for a medium box and £9 for a large box. All these prices include the cost of delivery. We use any surplus raised to provide veggies to those in urgent need. Please email timebankplus@gmail.com if you’d like to order a veg box and please provide a phone number for us to contact you. We will need at least 2 days’ notice. Payment needs to be in advance by bank transfer or direct debit. Borrow It Please Note: The Borrow It Library of Things is now open on Wednesdays only - from 10am to 2 pm. Please ring beforehand on 01225 442813 or email timebankplus@gmail.com to let us know what you’d like to borrow, so we can prepare it for you. We have a wide range of gardening equipment, DIY tools, camping gear, sewing machines, carpet cleaner, kitchen items and more. Click here for further info and our catalogue of things: http://timebankplus.co.uk/wp/?page_id=586 We are looking for someone who would like use of a roof box, which can be attached to roof bars on your car. It’s been donated to Borrow It but is a bit too large to store in our office. The person who takes it needs to be willing to house it and make it available for occasional Borrow It use, but would have free use of it the rest of the time. Regular Zoom groups Please email us if you would like the joining link to any of the following groups. We’d also love to hear from anyone who’d like to set up or lead a group. Mondays (fortnightly) 12.30 – 1.30pm Knit & Natter Zoom Group. Get out your wool and knitting needles or crochet hook, make a cup of tea and sit down for a friendly online session with a small group of others. Expert advice is available if needed. Sessions this month are on 1st March, 15th March & 29th March. Tuesdays (weekly) 3.30 – 4.30 pm Sewing Workshops. These feel good sessions are taking place every week. Most of the sewing projects can be done by hand, but there may also be some workshops which involve using a sewing machine. If needed, a machine can be borrowed from the Time Bank. Thursdays (weekly) 10.30 – 11.30am Creative Writing Zoom Group. This is a very friendly and supportive group of people who are writing and sharing short pieces of prose or poetry. There is a different topic each week and we have an online forum where members of the group can post up their writings. (See below for a piece of writing from one of our members). Fridays (weekly) 2 – 3pm Time Bank Social Café, Quiz & Games. Brighten up your Fridays and meet with others for a chat, a light hearted quiz or some simple games. IT Assistance Going online has never been so important! If you, or others you know, need help with setting up Whatsapp, Zoom or other apps, or with other IT troubleshooting, please let us know and one of our volunteers may be able to help you. We’d also love to hear from anyone with good IT skills who is interested in volunteering to assist others. Keeping in touch We are continuing to keep in touch with our members and offer regular or occasional phone calls to anyone who’d like a friendly, supportive chat. This can be particularly helpful to those people who don’t have a smartphone or internet. If you aren’t already in our Whatsapp group, do join us. It’s such a good way to keep in touch with each other, share information or ask for help. Just email timebankplus@gmail.com with your mobile number and we’ll add you to the group. There is also a separate Foraging WhatsApp group, where we share info about wild foods, recipes and cookery tips. IMPORTANT: Member Survey Many thanks to those of you who have filled in our updated Skills & Services Questionnaire. If you have not already done so, PLEASE do fill this in, as we rely on this information in order to be able to run the Time Bank effectively. Here is the link: https://forms.gle/QPaJRX8bJv6YSTwg7 Volunteering opportunities (summary) We are currently looking for: IT support; assistance with Zoom groups such as Online Games, Scrabble and Cookery Workshops; an occasional driver for our Food Co-op; volunteers interested in leading or assisting with our Feelgood Walks. We are also looking for a Treasurer for our Management Committee. Please get in touch if you can help. Here are some activities for over 55’s, currently being run by St John’s: https://stjohnsbath.org.uk/what-we-do/activities/

Healthwatch B&NES are running a COVID-19 vaccination survey to gauge people’s attitudes to the vaccine and to monitor where there might be hesitancy. This is so that they can then provide rapid insight to providers and to Healthwatch England, who will be monitoring the national pictures. They want to know: · What you think about the vaccine programme · Whether you would be willing to have the vaccine if you have not already had it and · If you have already had the vaccine, what you think about information on the vaccination programme. This will help to let services know what has been working and what needs to be improved. Link to 22 question survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/H9YHCGS

The closing date for applications is 23.59 29th March 2021 Each year students at the University of Bath select four charities to support throughout the academic year. Please read the Big 4 Application guidelines below carefully before applying. Big 4 Application guidelines Application Form If you have any questions please to contact Joshua Hale on ragstaff@bath.ac.uk If you could like to contact the RAG Committee directly and speak with the students please email rag@bath.ac.uk . The current Chair of RAG Committee is Emily Russell. RAG's BIG 4 APPLICATION TIMELINE 2021 The process and general timings of the Big Four selection is as follows: February: Applications open. Charities must complete an application form in full and submit this by the required deadline. March: 29th application deadline April: Shortlisting. A panel made up of RAG committee members, the SU Community Officer and Volunteering Staff members will review the applications to create a shortlist of up to 16 charities. These charities are usually categorised under four general headings linked to the aims of the organisation, for example 'Health'. June. The student population are asked to vote for one charity in each of the four categories they would like to support in the next academic year. June: Announcement. We aim to announce the four charities selected shortly after the vote. September: Support starts. The new academic year will start and RAG will begin fundraising for their new Big Four.