Help win money for local projects

You can help support local projects by voting for them on the Nat West Community Force website.

Projects in our area include:

• Armadillo youth cafe, Yate - kitting out a radio studio, to be led by young people, which will broadcast a full range of news, sports reports, adverts for local firms and groups and gigs by local bands
• Crossbow Pre-School - renovating the community hall, which they and many other community groups use
• Friends of Ram Hill Colliery - preserving a wall
• Great Western Air Ambulance - covering the cost of 6 missions
• Paul's Place, Coalpit Heath - a year long sports project, to support up to 50 disabled people to visit a leisure centre regularly to use the gym, play team games and do yoga and relaxation
• St Saviours Church Hall - refurbishing the church hall, which is heavily used by the local community
• The Seven Angels Animal Sanctuary, Westerleigh - expanding and improving their sanctuary for unwanted farm animals

If you are unable to access the online site to vote, contact the Nat West CommunityForce helpline on 0800 2100 246. Or if you need minicom etc. call 0800 0155 545. They will be happy to let you know which charities, projects and groups have applied in your area.

You will be able to see all of the applications made in your local area.

Each person can vote up to three times, in any area. You can only vote once for each cause. You may decide only to vote for one cause, or may pick up to three. Multiple voting is controlled by way of email address therefore you will be required to register before you can vote.

How to vote

To register please go to https://communityforce.natwest.com/user/register and put in your email address and a password. Once complete an email will be sent to you, please click the link to register. You are now ready to vote! Go to the projects you want to vote for and click to vote.

Please get your colleagues to join in. Why not post it to your Facebook, Twitter, blog or other page?

Links to the CommunityForce site can be posted on social media sites etc. This is a great way to help get as many votes as possible. So do please join in the fun and get posting!

NHS consultation - meeting tonight

North Bristol NHS Trust plan to become a Foundation Trust from December 2012. They want to know your views on the plans and are holding a meeting at Frenchay Hospital tonight, Wednesday 28 September. The meeting runs from 7pm to 8.30pm in the Monica Britton Museum. More information is available on the Trust's website.

Main View to be resurfaced

Weather permitting, Main View, Coalpit Heath will be resurfaced on Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th September.

Scrap metal thefts - police appeal for help

Avon and Somerset Police are asking for your help to reduce scrap metal thefts.

Scrap metal theft is an increasing problem across the country and our local force has been targetting the problem as part of "Operation Relentless".You can read updates on the police website.

At last week's Safer Stronger Community Group meeting in Coalpit Heath, local beat manager Finbar Simmons asked local people to help prevent thefts, by improving their security and not leaving metal out, and to pass on any information they have to the police. For more detailed advice, please check this page.

Is your home safe for winter?

Avon Fire and Rescue Service want to help you make sure you stay safe this winter. At the recent Safer Stronger Community Group meeting in Coalpit Heath they highlighted a number of services:

• Home Fire Safety Visits
• Firework safety
• Electric blanket testing - take your blankets to Yate Fire Station between 9.30am and 4pm on Friday 14 October to have them tested for free

You can also find out more on their website about other winter safety issues like chimney fires.

Facilities for young people

Are you a young person looking for activities in Frampton Cotterell and Coalpit Heath? Or could you or your business help support youth activities in our area?

Fromeside Youth Centre offers a range of activities for different ages. During the day they hold training sessions and run an inclusion project for young people referred from their schools. On Monday there is a youth club for years 8 to 12, on Tuesday an after school club for years 7 and 8. On Wednesday and Thursday the youth workers work in the local area away from the centre itself and the centre plays host to an autism group on Thursdays. On Friday the centre is open to young people in years 8-13. For more information on this and all the other South Glos-run Youth Centres, including the Brockeridge Youth Centre, go to the Youth Unlimited website.

At the recent Safer Stronger Community Group meeting in Coalpit Heath, youth worker Charlie Williams explained some of the work being done at Fromeside Youth Centre. They have won grants for a new hard court area outside and an indoor skate park but are always looking for more support. Please contact your local Focus Team if you can help.

Claire Young has been looking into activities for young people from Coalpit Heath. Some already go to the Brockeridge Centre but it lacks capacity to extend the sessions. Claire is speaking to another venue.

'Taste' is back

The annual 'Taste' South Gloucestershire Local Food & Drink Festival is back for its 7th year from Friday 23rd September until Sunday 9th October. You might want to tour the Wickwar or Cotswold Spring Breweries, visit Chipping Sodbury Farmers' Market or get money-saving meat preparation tips at the Tortworth Estate shop. For more information, take a look at the online version of the leaflet.