St Peter's Hospice
Posted by Dawn Primarolo, MP for Bristol South, at 15:44, Fri 14 August 2009:
ST PETER'S HOSPICE
Readers will know of the decision taken by St Peter’s Hospice to close their building in Knowle. I recently attended a meeting, organised by the newly formed Save Our Hospice group, to look at the future of in-patient hospice care in Bristol South. Following the meeting, I have written to all of the Trustees at the Hospice. I have explained to them how much affection is held for St Peter’s in Bristol South. However, I do feel that it is vital that St Peter’s makes clear what provision will be made for people in Bristol South requiring in-patient treatment. A trip to Brentry will simply not be possible for some relatives. I will continue to work with local residents, patients and their families, and the Hospice management, to try to keep in-patient hospice care in Bristol South. I will, of course, keep you updated.
CHILDREN'S HOSPICE MEETING
I was very pleased to meet last week with the Chief Executive of Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW). Like St Peter’s, CHSW has an incredibly important role to play in supporting a number of very ill children and their families. They have a hospice just outside Bristol, and the charity provides care to hundreds of children and their families every year. To find out more about the hospice, please visit www.chsw.org.uk/.
SUPPORTING OUR HIGH STREETS
Bristol has been given over £50,000 funding from the Government to support local high streets affected by the recession. The funding gives a helping hand for Councils to liven up their high streets and town centres such as re-opening boarded up shops for other uses including a meeting centre or as a space for local artists. The money can also support a street market or festival boosting local shopping. I will be pressing to ensure that some of this funding is spent on our local shopping streets here in south Bristol.
SCHOOL SUMMER HOLIDAYS
I went along to Bristol’s annual playday last week. It’s always a fantastic site to see all of College Green taken over with hundreds of children and young people. I know from speaking to some of them how enjoyable they found the day. First and foremost, play is just about fun, but it can also keep children healthy and help them develop and achieve their full potential. Playday was just one of the many events taking place over the school holidays, so there is no longer any excuse for summer boredom for children and young people! There’s a fantastic website - http://www.goplacesdothings.org.uk/ - which lists all the activities on offer this summer in Bristol. So whether your children want to go dancing in Hartcliffe, or play football in Bedminster, there’s something for everyone.
24 AND 25 BUS SERVICE
I was disappointed to hear this week that, despite a large number of objections, First are pressing ahead with their proposals to alter the route of the 25 service, which currently runs through Ashton Vale and Southville, into the centre and on to Lockleaze. The changes, which I objected to, mean that buses will no longer run along part of Luckwell Road, Beauley Road, Greville Street or Raleigh Road. This could mean a walk of more than half a mile for people in parts of Southville, which I really don’t think is acceptable. I will do all that I can to ensure that there is some provision available for people who would otherwise now struggle to get out.
BUS FARES
I have conducted a number of interviews this week, to continue my call to First bus to lower fares. As I’ve mentioned previously in News from Westminster, I’ve been pressing First’s Chief Executive to lower bus fares for some time now. The Government have passed legislation which makes it easier for local authorities to have far more control over public transport through an Integrated Transport Authority (ITA). In Bristol, all political parties have indicated their support for an ITA. Now we need to ensure that the Council are working with our neighbours in South Gloucestershire, Bath & North East Somerset and North Somerset to make these plans a reality.
CONGRATULATIONS TO BRISTOL'S CHILDREN
I was delighted to see that results at Bristol’s primary schools have improved again. The latest figures show that more and more pupils are reaching the required standards in Maths, English and Science. This is fantastic news, although there is, of course, more work to be done. Congratulations to all the teachers and children who have made this excellent improvement possible.
ANY QUESTIONS?
If you have any queries about these issues, or have a question you would like to ask about anything else, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Email me at primarolod@parliament.uk, phone 0117 909 0063 or write to me at PO Box 1002, Bristol, BS99 1WH. Alternatively, for more information on what’s happening in and around Bristol South, you can visit www.bristolsouthlabourparty.org.uk.
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