Farewell from Beth, our Administrator
Dear BDEF Members and Supporters,
With a heavy heart, I announce that I will be leaving the Forum in the middle of next month. All the staff and trustees know about my plans already, but I wanted to write to you all personally to let you know.
My last day working at the Forum will be Thursday 15th September. The reason I’m leaving is because I have accepted a full time post as Admin Assistant at a marketing company in Bristol.
I have loved working at the Forum and am very sad to be leaving, but believe that now is the right time for me to depart.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all for all of your support and the work I have been able to do during my time at the Forum.
This means that the Forum are looking for a replacement for the role of Administrator and Communications Worker. The advert, job description, person specification and application forms can be found on the Forum’s website.
As I said above, I will still be working at the Forum until the end of the day on Thursday 15th September, so do feel free to contact me via the Forum email, phone number and/or postal address if you wish to say goodbye, have any questions or just want to chat.
I’ll also be keeping up to date with what the Forum is getting up to once I leave and I am excited to see where it goes in the future – the Forum is currently looking for a number of paid and voluntary roles and there are many other ways you can help the Forum.
With my best wishes,
Beth
Feast for the Future
When: October 25th.
Cookery lesson time: 2.30 – 4pm.
Feast time: 4 – 5.30pm
Where: Coexist Community Kitchen, Epstein Building, Mivart St, Easton, Bristol, BS5 6JF, England.
To launch the next stage of our climate change we are running an accessible cookery lesson to make food. The food will be used for a community feast for Disabled people. At the feast we will talk a bit about the climate change projects we will be running. You can read more about the climate change project here.
At the cookery lesson you will learn how to bake delicious food that is also good for the planet. This ticket also includes a place at the feast afterwards. We will adapt what we make based on your needs and put plans in place to accommodate your access needs. You can get your free ticket for the cookery lesson here.
At the community feast you will eat the delicious food made at the cookery session. You will hear a bit about our climate change plans then get to socialise with other Disabled people over nice food. You can get your free ticket to the feast here.
You must identify as a Disabled person to take part. This can include people who are neurodiverse or experience mental health issues.
The event has kindly been funded by Burges Salmon and is being run by the Coexist Community Kitchen. Thank you to both.
Make Our Air Fair Protest
Update of 21st September.
The full council meeting has been rescheduled so we will now be protesting October 18th, 4-5pm, outside City Hall. We will talk to councillors as they enter the Full Council meeting and protest the Clean Air Zone’s impact on Disabled people. Join us as a Disabled person to show you care or as a non-Disabled person to say you care about climate justice in Bristol.
Hundreds of Disabled people are created and die because of Bristol’s dirty air crisis every year. It is harming our health, our communities, nature and planet. We need to clean our air quickly but the work doing this needs to centre the needs of the most disadvantaged in our city, not worsen inequalities.
The current plans for Bristol’s clean air zone will impact most on Disabled people, who are already struggling due to austerity, the pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis. By not accommodating our needs or offering enough support to upgrade vehicles, many Disabled people face losing access to a car and could be trapped in their homes. Follow this link for more information on how it will impact Disabled people.
Our freedom can’t be the cost of clean air.
Help from Home
If you can’t make the protest in-person but would like to help you can:
- Email us a quote on what you think of the Clean Air Zone plans and how they would affect you: cca.bristoldef@gmail.com
- Submit a complaint to the council. Follow this link for instructions.
Accessibility Information
Please email cca.bristoldef@gmail.com with any access needs. The below will be provided.
- Chairs for those who need them,
- BSL interpreter,
- Ear defenders to borrow.
GWR launches new Pay-As-You-Go smartcard
Great Western Railway (GWR) have introduced a Pay-As-You-Go smartcard scheme for the West of England. It was officially launched on 30th August and is now in use for travel across Bristol, Bath, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Chippenham.
This is a real step change with both daily and weekly capping so that customers get the best fare available for their journey, and as it links directly to your bank account, there is no need to queue for tickets at a machine or ticket office – instead just tap on gates or card readers at the start and end of their journey.
You can find more information about the scheme here https://news.gwr.com/news/gwr-launches-new-pay-as-you-go-smartcard-for-wider-bristol-area and details of how to sign up can be found on the special webpage – www.gwr.com/payg
Go Gentle Shows at the Exchange in September and October
Exchange continue their series of relaxed shows called Go Gentle with three new shows.
Show 1: Wednesday 21st September, 5pm, with Slaughter Beach, Dog and Dogeyed. Tickets to this event: https://www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/#date=2022-09-21&event_id=78222
Show 2: Saturday 24th September, 2pm, with Jake Morely. Tickets to this event: https://www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/#date=2022-09-24&event_id=78223
Show 3: Sunday 2nd October, 2pm, with Jeffrey Lewis and Erica Freas. Tickets to this event: https://www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/#date=2022-10-02&event_id=78754
Show 1 is £10, with advanced booking recommended as evening show is sold out. Show 2 is Pay What you Can (PWYC), but the recommended price is £5. Show 3 is £15.
Go Gentle is a series of relaxed shows at Exchange featuring both touring bands and local performers. They are cosy, with reduced capacity, a variety of furniture, and much more, to make them inclusive to everyone. Open to everyone and designed for people who will benefit from a more relaxed environment. Several of their staff have received Personal Assistant training, and they have the gold charter award from Attitude is Everything.
Find out more about Go Gentle here: https://exchangebristol.com/info/go-gentle-shows/
If you have any access requirements, queries, or concerns around covid please email info@exchangebristol.com.