The Bradley Stoke Journal

Local MP Jack Lopresti joined the Stoke Gifford Branch of The Royal British Legion (RBL) to launch their Poppy Appeal at Bristol Parkway Station last Friday (28th October).

The station is one of the main sites for the branch’s fundraising efforts, along with Sainsbury’s supermarket in Stoke Gifford and the Willow Brook Centre in Bradley Stoke.

The branch, which covers Stoke Gifford, Little Stoke, Filton and Bradley Stoke, runs its appeal year-round and last year raised a record amount of £30,000 locally.

Money raised goes to help current and ex-service personnel and their families. The RBL is the largest welfare charity in the country distributing £1.4 million in support every week.

Mr Lopresti said:

“I’m delighted to be here to help the RBL launch their local Poppy Appeal. I have a huge amount of respect for the charity, and ran the Bristol Half-Marathon for the Stoke Gifford Branch earlier this year.”

“The RBL provides fantastic support for those who have given so much in the defence of our country, and is often a lifeline for our brave servicemen and women, and their families. I hope that the Stoke Gifford Branch can achieve another record-breaking year this year, and continue with the vital work they do for those who have sacrificed so much for us all.”

More: Could you help collect for the Poppy Appeal? »

[Advertising Feature] The Fireworks Shop in Patchway, North Bristol, has opened again for business and will be trading through to Monday 7th November.

Whether you are having a Guy Fawkes party at home or taking fireworks to your friends, don’t miss the opportunity to buy all your specialist, display-quality, fireworks from our store at Coniston Road (just off Patchway Roundabout) [map].

We sell everything from large single rockets to multi-shot cakes, single ignition and selection boxes, down to simple sparklers. We have the lot – all at discount prices!

Be the envy of your neighbours and have your own private display at home. Fun for all the family.

The Patchway Fireworks Shop is fully licensed and registered with South Gloucestershire Council for the sale of fireworks.

Trading hours are 9am to 9pm Monday to Sunday, until Monday 7th November 2011.

All fireworks sold comply with EU legislation and meet British Standard BS 82762525.

Have a great Guy Fawkes night and remember to be safe and to follow the Firework Code.

More: How to find the Patchway Fireworks Shop »

South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) has announced that a range of new measures are to be introduced to improve road safety on Bradley Stoke Way, in the vicinity of the Willow Brook Centre.

The news follows two serious accidents on this stretch of road this year alone, both of which involved children who were using informal crossing points between Savages Wood and the shopping centre.

A public petition for improved road safety measures launched after the most recent incident attracted 2,600 signatures in just six days after it was officially launched by concerned parents and residents on 15th September.

The planned improvements announced today include extending the existing 30mph speed limit zone and constructing a new light-controlled pedestrian crossing.

SGC officers and executive member for planning and transport Brian Allinson met with representatives from local schools on Tuesday 18th October to discuss concerns about road safety at the location and consider options for improvements.

The meeting heard that following the recent serious injury accident on Bradley Stoke Way in September, the council had implemented a number of measures to tackle traffic speed, including introducing additional road signs and markings and requesting police mobile speed enforcement.

Cllr Allinson also announced that a programme of work has now been drawn up to extend the area covered by the existing 30mph speed limit and to change two existing dropped kerb crossing points into one new light-controlled pedestrian crossing.

More: Proposed measures to be discussed at a public meeting on Tuesday 1st November »

The construction of a new Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre in Bradley Stoke reaches another milestone this week when the roof is put into place on the structure.

Work on the building, located between Bradley Stoke Way and Wheatfield Drive (close to Primrose Bridge) has been underway since June and is set to be on target for completion by the end of the year.

The centre, which is expected to come into use in mid-January next year, will replace the existing West of England facility that has been based in Nailsea, North Somerset, for the last 25 years.

The charity behind the project has set up a live camera feed on its website, allowing people to monitor progress as it happens.

The Mayor of Bradley Stoke, Cllr Ben Walker, and other guests of the charity visited the site today to hear about progress on the building from charity leaders and supporters.

The new centre will allow the charity, which relies entirely on donations from the public for funding, to provide the physiotherapy, oxygen therapy and other treatments to many more people with the condition in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

Multiple Sclerosis directly affects about 1,700 people in the Greater Bristol area and the MS Therapy Centre already helps 285 people, but the membership continues to grow.

Mike Gelder, chairman of the Moonstone Appeal, which was set up to raise the funds for the new centre, said:

“We are extremely pleased with the progress of the construction here in Bradley Stoke, which has been made possible entirely because of the generosity of several charities, companies and private individuals who have backed our campaign.”

More: Charity offers sponsorship opportunities at the new centre »

A 31-hour marathon hockey match that took place in Bradley Stoke earlier this year has been officially recognised as setting a new world record.

South Gloucestershire Hockey Club staged the event at Bradley Stoke Community School (BSCS) over the weekend of 28th/29th May, aiming to beat the record for “the world’s longest continuous hockey match”, which stood at 30 hours and 15 minutes.

After months of scrutiny and deliberation, Guinness World Records has now confirmed that the 32 players who took part in the match are now officially record-breakers.

The event also raised more than £5,200 for Cots for Tots, a £1m appeal for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St Michael’s Hospital, which cares for premature and critically-ill babies.

It was organised by the hockey club’s third team goalkeeper Darren Bane, whose son Matthew was born more than three months premature, and spent his first six months at the NICU. He said:

“Waiting for Guinness to officially confirm our world record claim was almost as painful as taking part in the match itself.”

“The publication of their latest book led to an influx of record claims, so the assessment process took a bit longer than it usually does.”

“For us, it has been a very anxious few months waiting for their decision, but now they have officially recognised our achievement, I am delighted.”

More: How the local community helped the record breakers »