Get ready for an out-of–this-world adventure at the library this summer – it’s Space Chase, the Summer Reading Challenge 2019.

Our super space family, the Rockets, need your help to track down books that have been nabbed by aliens!

As you read six library books over the summer, collect special stickers (including some stinky ones!) to complete your mission folder and get your medal and certificate. It’s fun and free to take part!

Please encourage your children to visit the library and sign up and see the difference the Summer Reading Challenge makes to their reading.

“My son really enjoyed the challenge and it kept him motivated to keep reading over the school holidays which will really help when he goes back to school.” (parent, Cadbury Heath)

“It was fun, cool, amazing and I loved it.” (child, Bradley Stoke)

This year’s Reading Challenge runs from Saturday 13th July to Saturday 14th September.

South Gloucestershire libraries are also staging FREE drop-in activity sessions throughout the school holidays (see below for local events).

More: Reading Challenge activities at Bradley Stoke Library »

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A new initiative to cut food waste and tackle food poverty has been started through the installation of a self-service community fridge at a church in Stoke Lodge.

Café Church Bristol (formerly known as Amberley Road Baptist Church) has installed the fridge in a self-contained outhouse that has been built into a recess within the existing church building.

Three times a week, volunteers from the church collect unwanted produce from two local supermarkets (Marks & Spencer and Lidl) in order to re-stock the fridge. In the first week of operation, the partner stores provided large quantities of fresh fruit and veg, along with bread and other bakery products.

Unlike foodbanks, which require their users to be referred by local agencies through a voucher scheme, community fridges are open for everyone to use. They complement foodbanks by providing a source of fresh food (as opposed to long life products) and typically have more flexible opening hours.

Local residents can also place their own excess food in the fridge, so that others can make use of it and prevent it going to waste. This might be fruit and veg from people who ‘grow their own’ and have more than they can use themselves, or food that would otherwise be disposed off before going on holiday.

The food collected from stores has gone past its ‘best before’ but is still good enough to eat. Volunteers check the contents of the fridge twice a day, but say it is ultimately up to the person taking the food to check that it’s OK. No food past its ‘sell by date’ is allowed.

More: Full instructions for use are displayed alongside the fridge »

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Things are warming up for our community choir as we move from spring into summer and our programme fills up, writes Sue Callow of Stokes Singers.

Our Singing Workshop at the end of April brought together 50 voices, including those new to part singing, and members of Stokes Singers, Crossbow Singers, Bradley Stoke Community Singers and the Good Afternoon Choir at Yate. Three songs in three-part harmony were taught by three musical directors and lots of cake was eaten, so it was a very enjoyable afternoon. Photos can be seen on the website www.stokessingers.org.uk and we hope to repeat this event later in the year with room for more participants to join us.

At the time of writing, we’re planning music for our set at the annual Stoke Gifford Fête on Bank Holiday Monday 27th May. Then, on Thursday 13th June, we’ll be at Southmead Hospital from 7pm until 7.45pm as part of the Brunel Buskathon which raises funds for the hospital’s charity. The atrium has amazing acoustics and our musical directors Sian and Phil love the opportunity to perform there. It’s always good to see some friendly faces as patients, staff and visitors stop for a while to listen.

The biggest event of the summer for us is our own concert which will be at the Church of Christ the King, Bradley Stoke BS32 8EE on Saturday 29th June. ‘Summer Serenade’ is a mix of music ranging from gentle melodies to lively show tunes and we are looking forward to performing the songs we’ve been working on. Doors will open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

Stokes Singers have chosen St Mungo’s as the charity to receive donations from interval refreshments. St Mungo’s is a national charity “working together to fight homelessness and change someone’s life”. In Bristol, it runs rough sleeper outreach services and a range of housing and support services. Their representative will explain more about their work during the evening. More information is also available at www.mungos.org

Advance tickets for ‘Summer Serenade’ at £5 for adults and £2.50 for ages 5-16 are on sale at the start of June from choir members or from Gillian on the Stokes Singers number 07486 570910 – please note this is a new number and be prepared to leave a message. There will also be tickets available on the night at £6 for adults and £3 for children.

We look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

Photo: Singing Workshop at the end of April.

This article originally appeared in the June 2019 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine (on page 35). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH (except August), to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.

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By Ailsa Young of Bradley Stoke Lions Club.

You may have seen some of our Lions Club members at the Willow Brook Centre this Easter handing out our Lions’ ‘Message in a Bottle’. This is a small white and green plastic bottle which contains a form which someone on constant medication for any reason can fill in with their personal details, their medical condition, what medication they are on, any allergies, their doctor’s details and any health visitor’s details, plus a few other pieces of relevant information.

This essential information would then be readily available to the emergency services should the person suffer an accident or sudden illness at home and be unable to communicate with the ambulance personnel.

To ensure the emergency services know this information is on hand, the bottle is then placed in the fridge, a green label is put on the outside of the fridge and another label is stuck on the inside of the front door, at eye level, to ensure that any emergency services personnel are made aware the person has the bottle. This ensures that they can render safer and speedier first aid by short cutting time-consuming fact-finding enquiries about the patient.

Having this information available could be a life saver, particularly for someone who is frail or elderly, or for someone whose first language is not English.

This is a service the Lions provide free of charge in the hope that lives can be saved by having a simple little bottle of information in a fridge!

If you do not already have a Message in a Bottle and feel that you need one or know of anyone whom you feel may need one, then please get in touch with the Bradley Stoke Lions on 0845 8336745 or 07737 106836.

The Lions’ Message in a Bottle is supported by the ambulance, police, fire & rescue services, emergency doctors and NHS primary care trusts.

• Bradley Stoke Lions Club on Facebook

This article originally appeared in the June 2019 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine (on page 22). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH (except August), to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.

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