Community Activities

Volunteer in your local community - raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care

Marie Curie Cancer Care needs your help! They are recruiting in the area for volunteers to join a local fundraising group in Downend/Fishponds.

Fundraising Groups across the UK meet regularly to organise and support fundraising activities in their local area. As the local face of Marie Curie's fundraising team, volunteers donate their time and effort to raise money to help the organisation continue caring for people with terminal cancer and other illnesses.

Why join a local fundraising group? There are so many benefits to joining a Fundraising Group including:

meeting new people in your area
getting involved in your community
sharing new experiences and having fun
raising money to provide care to terminally ill people in your local area
receiving expert support and advice from the local Marie Curie fundraising teams.

If you are interested in hearing more about plans for Downend & Fishponds fundraising group, please contact your local community fundraiser Natalie on 0117 9247 275 or email natalie.taylor@mariecurie.org.uk.

Bromley Heath Neighbourhood Watch

If you are interested in finding out more about the Bromley Heath Neighbourhood Watch (BHNW) or wish to contact them about anything specific, please visit their website at www.bhnw.org.uk.

Downend Local History Society

If you would like to learn more about the history of your area, why not contact the local History Society - visit their website at www.downendlhs.org.uk.

Standbrook Guides

Many of you will have seen the local Residents' handbook for the area. If you would like to explore what can be found within the parish, please visit www.standbrook-guides.com.

West of England Care and Repair

Have you ever wondered about moving but don't know where to start? West of England Care and Repair offer a Housing Options service which gives information, advice and support to older people. Whether you would like some straightforward advice so you can manage things better yourself, or would like more practical support, help may be on hand if you live in South Glos and are over 60.

This popular Housing Options service has been running in the Bristol area for over 12 years, and now has funding to offer this across South Gloucestershire.

What can be provided?

Advice on options including staying out, buying or renting, retirement housing, residential and nursing home care
Support to identify the right housing for you
Help with form-filling and paperwork
Help to view properties
Help and support through the whole process until you are settled into your new home
Advice on getting help from other services

Mrs B is in her 70s and was living in a family home which was too large for her to manage, and she was finding the stairs difficult. She contacted the Housing Options Service, who visited her to discuss her situation. Information was given about local retirement schemes, and support to view a number of flats. She has now moved and is very happy.

Contacts for West of England Care and Repair: 5 Hide Market, Waterloo Road, Bristol BS2 0BH, tel. 0117 954 2222, or 21 Somerset Square, Nailsea, Bristol BS48 1RQ, tel. 01275 858518 or visit their website www.wecareandrepair.org.uk.

Free welfare and benefits and debt advice on hand to residents

South Glouestershire residents who need help with managing their debt or claiming welfare benefits are being helped thanks to a local advice service.

South Gloucestershire Council has awarded a three year contract to a partnership of five local organisations to provide a free advice service for its residents. The partnership is made up of voluntary and community sector organisations incuding Avon & Bristol Law Centre, Age UK South Gloucestershire, Bristol Debt Advice Centre, North Bristol Advice Centre and South Gloucestershire Citizens Advice Bureau.

Regardless of circumstances, anyone can ask for advice from these agencies by going to one of the drop-in sessions which are run at community venues across South Gloucestershire.

As well as looking out for drop-in sessions run in your local area, you can phone for initial advice and a home visiting service is available for people unable to visit their offices in person. All the agencies provide general advice, with specialist knowledge in welfare benefit and debt advice. They can also help with advice ranging from employment to community care.

Contact the service's office nearest to you:

Bristol Debt Advice Centre (Old Market, Bristol) - 0117 954 3990 and www.bdac.org.uk

North Bristol Advice Centre (Gainsborough Square, Lockleaze) - 0117 951 5751

South Gloucestershire Citizens Advice Bureau (Yate) - 08444 111 444

Age UK South Gloucestershire (Thornbury) - 01454 411707

Avon & Bristol Law Centre (Stokes Croft, Bristol) - 0117 99248662

Well Aware

Since Well Aware was established in 2010 it has become one of the most popular local online resources for people wanting information about health and well being services. It offers a wide choice of services based on post code selections and so provides a truly local service.

For people in the Downend & Bromley Heath area who don’t know where to turn to when they want to find, say, a local group or organisation, a home help, advice on adapting a home to meet changing needs, or just someone to talk to – Well Aware has it all, and more. 4,500 local organisations are listed on Well Aware and can be accessed through the web site or by a FREE phone call to 0808 808 5252. Visit www.wellaware.org.uk.

Things going on...

There is a wide variety of activities that take place at various venues in Downend and Bromley Heath. Some of the places you might want to check out are:-

Lincombe Barn http://www.downendfolkhouse.org.uk

Downend Library www.southglos.gov.uk/libraries

Badminton Road Methodist Church www.badmintonroadmethodist.org.uk

Downend Baptist Church www.downendbaptist.co.uk

Christ Church, Downend www.christchurchdownend.com

St Augustine of Canterbury www.staugustinesbristol.com

Downend Christadelphians http://www.downendchristadelphians.org.uk

For other local information and services, visit www.standbrook-guides.com

For other useful sources of information, visit the Open Directory Project or the South Gloucestershire Information webpage.

South Gloucestershire Local Involvement Network endeavour to engage with the whole of South Gloucestershire, to enable the community to have a say in health and social care in the area. To find out more, visit www.linksouthglos.org.uk

National Blood Service

The National Blood Service (NBS) - part of NHS Blood and Transplant - is asking people to spare an hour of their time in 2010 to donate blood.

A single donation can be broken into three component parts (red cells, plasma and platelets) which means that your one donation can help save or improve the lives of up to three people.

Blood stocks are used up in a matter of days so the NBS counts on people continuing to step forward to donate blood. Certain blood products only have a shelf life of five days so the NBS need to constantly renew their stocks.

The NBS needs to collect 7,000 donations of blood each day to supply hospitals in England and north Wales with the blood products needed to treat patients. Blood is used for a wide-range of medical procedures including cancer care, general surgery, in maternity care and for accident and emergency situations.

Anyone aged between 17-65, weighing more than 50 kg (7 stone 12lbs) and in general good health could potentially start saving lives by becoming a blood donor. There is no upper age limit for donors who have donated in the last two years.

To book an appointment call the Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23 or visit www.blood.co.uk