Chew valley groups support tsunami relief

Chew Valley School sixth former Lucy Lucas, who helped organise the appeal, presents a cheque for £2,600 to former head teacher Ken Biggs, now representing Chelwood Bridge Rotary

Communities throughout the valley worked hard to support the relief efforts in the wake of the December 26 tsunami in Asia. The printed Gazette contains about 20 stories of such events and efforts. This is one of those stories:

Chelwood Bridge Rotary set out to provide Aquaboxes to those that are in need in South East Asia following the disaster. Following the phenomenal response by the public to their appeal for items to fill boxes they now have enough for nearly 2000.

The problem is that they are having to pack the items in temporary cardboard boxes pending their ability to raise money to purchase the actual Aquaboxes which cost £32 each. An Aquabox has dual functions: it is of strong polypropylene and is sent out filled with items of clothing, tools, shelter and other basic needs, it also contains equipment for purifying water thus enabling the box to provide drinking water.

The Rotary Club of Chelwood Bridge, is co-ordinating the Aquabox Appeal on behalf of 53 Rotary Clubs in Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset. By the middle of January more than 300 boxes had been sent and the Club plans to send over 2000 more for Aid Agencies to use in S.E.Asia. For more info see www.chelwood-rotary.com

Philippa's sierra trek for charity

In June Philippa Hawkins of Chew Stoke will be heading off to Spain to take part in a four day trek in the Sierra Nevada in aid of The Parkinson's Disease Society.

That Philippa is able to undertake this trek at all is a remarkable achievement as back in 2002 she contracted TB and only came off medication eighteen months ago. She describes the trek as a personal challenge as well as a fundraising exercise in aid of a very worthy cause.

She said: "I have never done this sort of thing before but feel moved to help this particular charity because my husband was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease four years ago and I have experienced at first hand the effects of the illness."

Philippa and her husband Andrew have lived in Chew Stoke since 1989 having moved there from Temple Cloud. Many people will remember Andrew as Vicar of Temple Cloud and Clutton from 1981 until 1989. Then, until a year ago, he was Chaplain of Bath College where he still lectures in religious studies and maths. Philippa is a Basic Skills co-ordinator at Trowbridge College, teaching and interviewing students.

She and Andrew have always been keen walkers and, in preparation for the trek, she has recently been covering longer distances including the Dorset coastal path and a stretch of the Monarch's Way which runs from Shropshire to Dorset. The trek will take place from June 9 to 13 when Philippa and her companions (some of whom themselves have Parkinson's) will be walking 17km a day aiming to cover nearly 70km over the four days.

Parkinson's Disease is a progressive neurological illness that can affect all learned, voluntary movements. The main symptoms are tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement but it can also affect speech balance, swallowing and sleep with no two people having exactly the same symptoms. There is no known cure at present. Founded in 1969 the Parkinson's Disease Society is a registered charity working with people who have Parkinson's, their families, carers and health and social care professionals.

Its mission is the conquest of Parkinson's and the alleviation of the distress it causes through research, education, welfare and communication. It is the only UK charity providing such help. Philippa said: "I believe that the Parkinson's Disease Society does good work and supports useful and hopeful research projects."

From the Sierra Nevada Trek the Parkinson's Disease Society hopes to raise around £35,000 for research purposes with each participant being committed to raising at least £1,000. As part of her fundraising Philippa is also doing a sponsored swim on February 23 in Bath when she will be swimming 2km. Anyone wishing to support Philippa in her fundraising can send donations to her at: 18 Wally Court Road, Chew Stoke, Bristol BS40 8XN.

Words and photo by Anne Collier

Winford affordable housing is built

The Rural Housing Trust's affordable housing development in Regil Lane, Winford, will shortly be completed, and some of the properties are already occupied.

The development is the result of a partnership between the Trust, Winford Parish Council, North Somerset District Council and English Rural Housing Association (ERHA). Funding for the development has been provided by the Housing Corporation and once completed will be owned and managed by ERHA. The development is designed to provide affordable housing for local people and can not be lost to the open market.

All properties have now been allocated and residents are due to move in over the next few weeks. The development is made up of 10 properties, 7 of which will be available to rent, and 3 of which will be sold on a shared ownership arrangement. In February 2004 the housing site was visited by HRH The Princess Royal, President of the Trust, who was attending a seminar aimed at highlighting how rural communities can initiate schemes like the one at the Ricklands. More info at www.ruralhousing.org.uk

From lad (to Gaz) to Dad
Stephen Giles, who was editor of the Chew Valley Gazette from 2002 to 2003, has been enjoying the media spotlight following publication of his book 'From Lad to Dad, How to survive as a pregnant father'. He has been interviewed on Radio 4's Women's Hour (January 19), and been profiled in features in the Sunday Times (January 9), the Bath Chronicle (January 22) the Daily Express (January 24) and the Guardian (January 26). The ISBN is 0-9543914-7-0, and the book costs £7.99.

Stateside success for Tatiana
Tatiana Haigh, who lives in Chew Stoke, has had an incredible 2004. The talented violinist who currently attends Millfield School in Street has attended a top summer school in America and won a local music festival along with regularly playing with top musicians.

Tatiana started learning the violin at the age of six. She also learned piano and viola whilst attending Wells Cathedral Junior School. At the age of 12 Tatiana won second place in a competition competing against 18-19 year olds! Tatiana is now in Year 5 at Millfield School where she spends 20 hours a week practising for 4-5 hours a day.

She often plays with professional musicians who come from London to play with the School's Chalice Ensemble and has also played second violin to top musicians. After sending an audition CD Tatiana was invited to attend Aspen Music Festival and School in Colorado, USA which is attended by the world's top young musicians.

This is one of the world's most prestigious summer schools and attracts the most gifted students from around the world. Tatiana was given violin lessons and practised with teacher Masao Kawasaki, who has taught some of the current top violinists. The festival consisted of daily concerts by top international artists. After getting back to School in the Autumn Tatiana then took part and won the South West Two Moors Festival. Tatiana will be taking her GCSE exams this year before studying for A Levels. Millfield School violin teacher Clive Hughes commented "Tatiana is a remarkable violinist and I'm sure that she will achieve her aspiration to become a violin soloist."

Zero waste plan for Chew Magna
Chew Magna's award for Best Village for Older People shows that we live in a community that is thriving, full of vitality, and where people matter. On a wider front a regional initiative called the "West of England Zero Waste Project" is one of six winners of the Royal Society of Arts' Coffeehouse Challenge.

This project aims to transform our region into one that is truly sustainable, one that wastes nothing - materials, energy or the spirit of the people who live here. What is the connection between these two achievements? Over the last few months, several coffeehouse conversations have taken place in Chew Magna where people have met in small groups - of whoever could come and invited by whoever knew whom - to discuss the idea of making Chew Magna a zero waste parish.

It is picking up the idea of the Coffeehouse Challenge and saying, "We can do that here". So the connection is this: it's all very well to live in a 'Best' village in 2005, but are we doing that at the expense of people elsewhere in the world and at the expense of our children, our grandchildren and all future generations? What can we do about it? It's heavy stuff - designed to make you think. Lively discussions have taken place in the coffeehouse and in the pub, which have revealed an immense amount of knowledge and talent that, as a community, we hold and are willing to share.

It is clear that we all care a great deal about the environment and the communities in which we live. It is now time to move up a gear. Many people have not yet had a chance to get involved in this idea of a parish zero waste project. We don't know what it really means and we are worried about committing to something that we can't then deliver. Coffeehouse conversations are a great way to reflect on these issues but it is time for action. An open meeting is planned for Saturday April 23. There will be displays on recycling and waste management, for saving energy, for local food production, for alternative transport methods and many more ideas for reducing our impact on the earth's resources.

We plan special activities for young people involving the Chew Magna primary school, and special activities for the rest of us. The idea is to form into six groups that will tackle: Energy, Waste & Recycling, Transport, Food, People & Employment, and Consumption. These small working groups will allow anyone to present ideas and to help towards planning the next stage where we start to change what we are doing. The recent Parish Action Plan has set the scene for this initiative by making it clear what actions the parishioners would like to happen over the next few years. Transport, congestion, housing and buildings, car parking, the countryside and environment, are all areas for action that have come out of this planning process.

They all contain ideas that fit into a zero waste future. Setting the goal of a zero waste parish is ambitious. At this stage no one understands what it means or what we might have to do to get there. Do we start to generate renewable electricity - a micro hydro plant, or a wind generator? Do we produce bio-diesel; grow all our food locally, share our cars? Do we accept that we can¹t do it in isolation and have to offset our waste by helping others far away to reduce their impact on the planet? Everyone is invited to this open meeting in the Millennium Hall and Old School Room so please make a note in your diary for the April 23, 12.00 to 4.00pm.

Ian Roderick