Residents Association Report No. 94

Dear Friends and Neighbours,

We hope that by the time you receive this magazine you have returned rested and relaxed from any vacations, this glorious summer reminds us of 1976 and has been very sunny indeed.

When we helped with the establishment of the new community Orchard (gifted by the NHS/NHBT as a Queen’s Jubilee Canopy scheme) we probably could have told you that it was going to be a long, hot and dry summer. This has meant that a lot of willing allotment holders have helped us to do the watering on a regular basis, many thanks to them all.

As this article is prepared a small group of us, including the NHS Environmental Ranger, have spent half a day protecting the new fruit trees with cages. This not only helps to protect them from animal damage, but is timely as work is about to resume on the path to our brand new school. We wish the Head and her staff good luck in the great migration across Frenchay Common, how brilliant it will be for everyone involved.

SGC Funding Grant

You might recall earlier this year that our SGC Councillor Liz Brennan helped to support some of the Frenchay Residents Association (FRA) expenses in achieving our bulb planting programme, which also includes many of this year’s biodiversity projects. This is a direct response to the SGC climate emergency and is why Liz facilitated a grant for us of £1,560, in recognition of our work in Frenchay.

As part of the process for applying and procuring this award, FRA has had to provide a raft of information to SGC so that we can be scrutinised on all aspects of our voluntary organisation and how we manage any risks that may occur.

This has included providing full accounting information, our current constitution, safeguarding and diversity policies and how we manage all of our voluntary work to ensure that everyone is supported and protected adequately.

All of this information is readily available on request, please just ask us, because, due to the Covid pandemic, holding a public AGM has been impossible over the last two years.

It is at our AGM’s that all of these policies are confirmed and re-presented, this includes our data protection registration as we maintain an email database.

Once we know the likely date of our next AGM this can be refreshed publicly, but in the meantime if anyone wishes to see these documents and policies please just ask us.

When we know the timings for the autumn/winter Covid vaccination second booster programme, we will make a decision upon how soon it will be safe and practical to have everyone together again. In the meantime we will continue to support Frenchay’s best Interests in any way that we can.

Biodiversity

Thank you to everyone who has studied and provided feedback to us on our mammoth feature in the August copy of this magazine. There was a lot to read and take in, but already we are getting additional support and ideas for our biodiversity work.

One excellent response highlighted the fantastic wild flower drifts that have been introduced on a part of Kendelshire golf course. The display is fantastic and includes new bee hives.

We do of course have our own local bee keeper Fred Ballard, his hives produce some excellent honey and many of us replenished our honey stock from his Flower Show stand.

I was lucky enough in July to visit the wild flower project around the moat at the Tower of London which was stunning. This was an incredible logistical feat which included tipping top soil by conveyor belt down into the moat to provide the base before seeding. Hundreds of thousands of tons of soil were used and this has been established as a permanent biodiversity project where preparation, and re-seeding, will be required every year.

It was also fascinating to discover that for a long time now bee hives have been maintained on inner London office and building rooftops, with enough nectar on offer 4 to maintain those colonies. So for those hives close to the Tower of London the bees have had a real treat this year and going forwards.

Because of the amount of preparation work each year, FRA are happy to pursue more projects of this type, if we can get more volunteers or voluntary groups to help us.

Please do come forward if you can help us in any way as we make plans for this autumn, going into 2023. There will be plenty of opportunity to get your hands dirty and meet people doing exactly the same. Hands on work outside is so enjoyable and rewarding, don’t forget that we can offer this as DofE community service accreditation for any students backed up with a parent or family.

Summer Entertainment 2023

We know this seems a long way off, but following the immense enjoyment of the Jubilee Celebrations on the common and more recently the Frenchay Flower Show, we are beginning to float ideas of what might be possible for next summer?

Our current thoughts include a family picnic and sports day, possibly to include some live music later on as we all recover. Maybe a music event for school and student bands, along the lines of the wonderful young jazz band at the Jubilee picnic.

Being more ambitious could an outdoor cinema night work? It certainly would have this summer given the very dry weather.

Give us your thoughts and ideas please, we must keep the momentum and community spirit moving forwards and hope that this summer has left you wanting more?

Help Still Needed Please

We still need help for someone in the village who assists a local family.

She collects and delivers an online order from TESCO Eastgate for them but needs back up when she is away. Timings and frequency are flexible.

Please e-mail FRA through adriancollins1958@gmail.com if you are able to help our Good Samaritan. It would be brilliant if we can find a volunteer please. Thank you.

Thank you all for your engagement and continuing support.

Adrian Collins (Chair - FRA)