I am delighted that after years of asking, Matthew Homes have at last installed the street name plate at 35-41 Neven Place, Earls Park.

This will help delivery drivers and other services locate these houses much quicker.

I am working with Gloucester City Homes on nearby Cooke Close (on Tuffley Crescent) to get a street sign installed there too.

Christmas has come early for shoppers in Gloucester with the city council offering free parking to support local retailers as part of Small Business Saturday. 

Small Business Saturday is a nationwide event which this year takes place on Saturday December 3.

It aims to encourage shoppers to support local and independent retailers in the run up to Christmas and Gloucester City Council is getting behind the campaign by offering free parking throughout the day. 

This Saturday parking will be free in the council’s car parks on Westgate Street, Station Road and Hare Lane North.

The announcement comes after Gloucester was named as being among the top 10 best places for accessible parking in a national survey.  

Small Business Saturday attracts huge attention on the day itself, with an impact that lasts all year. 

Last year the campaign trended at number one in the UK on Twitter and over 90% of local councils also supported the campaign.

For more information on Small Business Saturday visit www.smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com

Shoppers are reminded to check car parking closing times.

I have urged the council to repair this street sign on Milton Avenue. It is not yet illegible but the paint is peeling off and it is starting to look scruffy.

I hope that it can be just a simple respray rather than necessarily a replacement.

If you see any more street signs in our area that are damaged or missing, please let me know.

I noticed graffiti on this bin in Scott Avenue and have reported it to the council.

If you saw anyone committing this crime please let me or the police know.

It costs councils thousands of pounds every year to remove graffiti from public land.

The Lib Dems have produced an advice leaflet for any resident in Podsmead who is concerned about the cost of living crisis.

The leaflet signposts people to support and advice for issues such as debt, employment, housing and local foodbanks.

Please use this link to download a copy of the leaflet.

You can always contact me for advice about help specially in Podsmead or the nearby area.

A tree recently came down in Laburnum Road. I have reported it to the council and hope it is removed soon.

I also hope to meet the new council tree officer for a walkabout.

This is an urgent call out to anyone in Cheltenham or Gloucester who has a couple of hours a week to hear children read in school.

We’d love to hear from volunteers of all ages. We create our timetables to suit your commitments.

Email Julie – julie@readwithme.org.uk for more information or to arrange a quick chat. www.readwithme.org.uk

I reported a number of issues at Earls Park to the site manager and am pleased to give updates on them:

• Matthew Homes increased the frequency of the road sweeping with immediate effect after my request
• Development roads – I asked that the gullies by cleaned and can report that the majority of the road gullies have now been cleaned out. 
• I asked that tarmac regulating be done and this due to occur in approximately a weeks’ time. This will help stop the water pooling so much.
• The broken fence and play equipment in the Neven Place play area have been repaired.
• The bins – these continue to be emptied.
• Matthew Homes have arranged a clean and visited residents at a block of flats in Earls Park, to address safety issues reported to me by residents.

I have also asked Matthew Homes to look into the following issues for me:

1.  There are barriers outside 33 Millstone Way and I am unsure what work is being carried out.
2. 33 Millstone Way need a proper sign to help delivery and emergency services find their property, and not assume it is part of Manu Marble Way. Residents have had to resort to putting up stickers in the window themselves.
3. On a similar issue, residents at 35-41 Neven Place still await a street sign.
4. There is mud on the pavement on Millstone Way by the development site.
5. The brick topper on the staircase at Barron Way has broken off and needs repairing.

As always I will report back on these and keep residents informed. Do let me know if you have any issues that you need my help with, wherever you live in our area.

Stagecoach have announced free travel on their buses for veterans, cadets and military personnel on Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday.

In a message they wrote:

‘We’re happy to announce that, as part of an ongoing commitment to recognise our armed forces, we’re offering free travel to veterans, cadets and military personnel on Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday.

You can travel for free on all Stagecoach operated buses and tram services on Friday 11th and Sunday 13th November 2022 if you’re a veteran wearing your medals or veteran’s badge. This offer also extends to serving personnel and cadets who are wearing uniform or have proof of military ID.

We’ll also be asking our employees, where possible, to honour the two minutes’ silence.’

Last month we ran a campaign encouraging bystanders, when it is safe to do so, to ask ‘are you okay?’ to the victim when they witness street harassment in public spaces. The campaign received a lot of support, and many people have been in touch, wanting to know more about when it is safe to intervene and how to safely intervene when they witness street harassment.

Today, on National Personal Safety Day, we are delighted to bring you the free, one-hour long, expert-led, online webinar “Stand-Up against Street Harassment” bystander intervention training, delivered by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, in partnership with L’Oreal Paris.

This training is highly relevant as a bystander response to all forms of street harassment, including sexual harassment, disability harassment, harassment against men, ethnic minority, marginalised groups, and all forms of hate crime, empowering the learner to know how to support someone who is being victimised.

HOW DO I SIGN UP?

There is a selection of dates and times to choose from. The training is only one hour long so easy to fit it into a busy schedule. If you would like to attend this free training, please sign up today.

Sign up here

MORE ABOUT THE STAND-UP TRAINING

Bystander intervention is the term for witness action to defuse situations and make public spaces safer. The Stand-Up training (sponsored by L’Oréal Paris and delivered by Suzy Lamplugh Trust) focuses on the “5 D’s” intervention programme originally pioneered by the international NGO Right to Be.

It encourages those who witness harassment to act by:Distracting the perpetratorDelegating by asking for helpDocumenting the harassmentDirect intervention by speaking up in the moment, andDelaying by checking to see if the person is okay

The programme drives awareness of street harassment with a call-to-action on a global scale. By opening the public eye to the scale of harassment that women in particular experience, Stand-Up aims to simultaneously discourage harassers, support victims and encourage bystanders to intervene with the aim to drive a cultural shift in the global response to street and public harassment.

The training is open to everyone – action from people of all genders and ages is vital.

Although there is a long way to go and certainly not the only way to end harassment, given the primary responsibility lies with the harasser, not the harassed, bystander training can be a step towards supporting and empowering victims of and witnesses to street harassment.

WHAT DO OTHERS SAY?

“It was very powerful and succinct without detracting from the importance of the need for this type of training. The use of poll questions was very effective.”

“I feel empowered to take action now if I see something.”

“I would highly recommend the course. Very high-quality content and engaging, informative delivery. Exemplary.”

Best,

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH NETWORK, Central Support Team

ourwatch.org.uk