The Bradley Stoke Journal

A 16-year-old A-level student from Bradley Stoke is sketching out plans to trek across the Andes Mountains and carry out conservation work in Peru.

Ross Startin, who is studying four AS-levels at Bradley Stoke Community School’s Post-16 Centre, is aiming to spend four weeks in Peru, as part of a World Challenge expedition in July/August 2013, for which he hopes to raise £4,000 worth of sponsorship from businesses in Bristol and south Gloucestershire.

During the expedition, Ross and a team of 15 students will go on short hikes to acclimatise themselves to the local food, climate and culture, followed by a four- to eight-day trek across the Andes Mountains, reaching altitudes of up to 5,000m; and visit villages and pre-Inca sites.

They will then get involved in community work (e.g. building shelters) or conservation work and finally, relax by exploring the area’s forests, mountains, jungles and coastlines during the fourth week.

Ross says:

“I am very excited by the prospect of taking part in the expedition, which will be a major challenge, but the most immediate challenge is how to raise £3,995 for the trip, so I am hoping that businesses and architectural companies in Bristol and south Gloucestershire will appreciate my enthusiasm and be interested in sponsoring my involvement.”

Read more about the aims of the World Challenge trip to Peru »

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Families from across North Bristol are set to benefit after a successful hamper appeal by Southern Brooks Community Partnership.

The charity asked schools, churches and residents to donate non-perishable foods and small gifts to make up hampers for local people who struggle financially at Christmas time.

Speaking about the appeal, Corrina Wood, Family Intervention Manger at Southern Brooks Community Partnership, said:

“We are in contact with over 100 families at any one time, many experiencing financial difficulties. The added strain of Christmas can, for some, be too much to bear. Research suggests that this is also a time when domestic abuse can escalate. Providing the family with additional food and gifts at Christmas can really reduce the stress.”

“Thanks to the generosity of local people this year has been our most successful to date, with over 60 boxes donated. In the current economic climate need is greater than ever so I’m delighted that we’ll be able to help more families this Christmas.”

The hampers will all be distributed to families in Patchway, Filton, Bradley Stoke, Stoke Gifford and Stoke Park in time for Christmas.

Photo: Lucas Martin (left) from Southern Brooks handing a hamper to local resident Bob Bentley.

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Fearless fundraiser Terri Jenkins will be going ‘Above and Beyond’ this weekend to raise money for a local charity

The assistant manager at Specsavers in the Willow Brook Centre, Bradley Stoke, will be going to extreme heights to raise vital funds for Above and Beyond, a Bristol charity that raises funds for all nine hospitals in the city centre.

She will be taking to the skies this Sunday (4th December) when she takes part in a sponsored skydive in aid of the charity at the Redfields Airfield near Swindon.

Ms Jenkins said:

“I’m really looking forward to the challenge but I’m also extremely nervous. When I first decided to take part in the jump, several other members of staff were keen to join in but what started as a group of volunteers ended up with me carrying out the jump alone, so I’ll definitely be asking them to dig deep!”

“Above and Beyond is a fantastic charity that does some great work with Bristol Eye Hospital and I’m pleased to be able to support them. I have already raised £395 in sponsorship but I’m still collecting donations. I hope that the skydiving challenge will help to add to the great sum of money raised so far.”

More: Specsavers Bristol aiming to raise £4,000 »

Next Friday (18th November) is BBC Children in Need Day and here at The Journal we’ve heard of a couple of events that are happening in the build up to the big day.

Greggs the Bakers in the Town Square at the Willow Brook Centre are holding a fundraising event tomorrow (Saturday 12th November) from 11am.

They are planning a tombola, a “guess the number of balloons in the car” challenge, children’s competitions and a raffle. The store promises to reward participants with cakes and doughnuts to take home.

Over at Bradley Stoke Community School, students have organised a Variety Show to raise money for Children in Need on Wednesday 16th November starting at 6pm.

Tickets are available from the school office at £3 for students, £4 for adults and £2 for 11 years and under.

The school says the event will only go ahead if sufficient tickets are sold, so please show your support.

Know of other Children in Need events happening in Bradley Stoke? Let us know and we’ll give you some publicity.

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? »

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 »