PUBLICATION HIGHLIGHTS THE CHANGING LOOK OF AN EAST HULL COMMUNITY OVER A DECADE

Reported crime levels in an East Hull community fell by nearly 45% from 2006-2010 and calls to the Fire Service dropped by 75% between 2003 and 2010, according to figures released in a special publication from local charity EMS Yorkshire.

“A Road Map of Neighbourhood Management in Southcoates East”, published by EMS in January 2011, highlights the ground-breaking success of a community partnership to improving the Preston Road area. The team effort, which was singled out for national praise in 2010 for working together from the National Policing Improvement Agency.

The publication tracks the progress made by a neighbourhood management project, which focuses on crime, community safety, environmental improvements. The initiative was first set up by the Preston Road Neighbourhood Development Company in 2002, and is now run by EMS Yorkshire, with funding from Gateway, part of Hull City Council’s neighbourhood regeneration programme.

Figures published in the Road Map show that in 2003, some 353 calls were made from the area to Humberside Fire and Rescue. This would have been to tackle car fires or dumped rubbish which had been set alight. That number was cut to 90 in 2009.

Jan Boyd, EMS Chief Executive, says: “We’ve achieved some 21 city firsts, including regular patch walks by Police, EMS staff and Council officers, a witness support package and the first anti-social behaviour officer. EMS also fostered community pride with Park Area in Bloom, which saw the highest entry in the city, and the Doorstep Challenge.

“The Road Map is to update residents across Southcoates East on the work we’ve been doing with them and on their behalf. We want to involve local people more and are planning a neighbourhood management membership scheme so that residents can be our eyes and ears on in the area and we can respond to problems even better.”

A yearly survey of residents has shown improvements in their view of the area. In 2006, some 40% of people felt the level of dumped rubbish was too high and this was down to 25% in 2009. Fear of crime is also down with 85% of people now saying their personal fears were average to very low, up 19% since 2006. Residents also say they have noticed more police patrols.

The Road Map also informs residents that the Fire Service has made visits to some 730 homes to give safety advice and that Southcoates East Ward councillors have spent around £35,000 a year on environmental or community safety improvements over the last four years.

Don Smallwood, Chairman of the Preston Road Neighbourhood Development Company (PRNDC), said: “The community made it clear that regeneration money needed to be invested to make the area better and safer. This publication shows the progress we’ve made to tackle problems and introduce ideas to involve residents. PRNDC continues to fund the work and to see lasting change.”
Copies of the Road Map, so named because of the design of the A1-sized chart inside, are being delivered to all 4,500 households or can be obtained from EMS on 01482 709810 or email info@emsyorkshire.co.uk.

EAST HULL CHARITY SALUTES VOLUNTEER WITH FIRST CHRISTMAS SPIRIT AWARD

A church volunteer has been named as the winner of the first-ever Christmas Spirit Award, which has been launched by east Hull-based charity EMS Yorkshire for dedication to the community.

Keith Power, 76, of St George’s Walk off Staveley Road, has devoted hundreds of hours of service to St Aidan’s Church on Southcoates Avenue over the last 10 years. The citation for his award read: “He has quietly carried out many of the less glamorous tasks necessary to support the many organisations and individuals that use St Aidan’s. He has fixed things, opened up, set up for meetings, made coffee, cleaned, tidied, picked up litter both inside and out and much more. After finishing his morning shift, he often visited the sick and housebound”.

Church treasurer John Hallaway, who nominated him, says: “Most people who use St Aidan’s have been unaware of his quiet but important voluntary work. It’s only when he isn’t here that we realise the jobs we have to do. He’s a joy to have around. Recently, he suffered a heart attack and has had to scale back his work, but he’s still here doing things.”

The award has been introduced by EMS Yorkshire, in conjunction with Gateway, Hull City Council’s neighbourhood regeneration programme, and backed by Probe’s Food 360 project, The Co-operative on Preston Road, City Life Church Hull, St Aidan’s Church and the Freedom Centre.

Whenever the Church pays him or he receives a fee for his work, he habitually donates it to charity. Keith, who is married to Doris and has two grandchildren, said: “It’s something I enjoy doing and I’m always happy when I am giving. My work is simply to repay God for what he’s done for me. Three times I have nearly died in incidents in my life and I have suffered two heart attacks. I prefer to be out of the limelight but this award was humbling.”

EMS Neighbourhood Manager Andy Rees who presented the award in a ceremony at the Church, says: “Keith is precisely the role model we wanted to highlight for this award. He receives £200, a Fairtrade hamper, a gardening kit and Freedom Centre gym membership as a thank-you from the community. We received some great nominations but Keith’s story is so inspiring.”

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT AWARD 2010 – NOMINEES WANTED

The search is on for an unsung hero in east Hull whose good deeds can be recognised this Christmas by the charity, EMS Yorkshire.
The Christmas Spirit Award has been devised by EMS, which has just marked its first anniversary operating neighbourhood management services in the Southcoates East area of Hull. The idea is being backed by Gateway – Hull City Council’s neighbourhood regeneration programme, Probe (Hull) Ltd and the Co-operative store on Preston Road.

EMS Neighbourhood Manager Andy Rees explains: “We want to champion someone who does great work in the community for a club or group, or helps someone less fortunate. We know there are lots of selfless people who give up their time. We’re launching the search now so we can give the winner a great start to their Christmas and say a festive thank-you to them.”

Nominations can be made straight away and will be promoted heavily during the forthcoming Local Food Week, organised by Probe’s Big Lottery Fund-backed Food 360 Project at the Freedom Centre, Preston Road from Monday 29th November. Contact Andy Rees on 01482 709810, email info@emsyorkshire.co.uk or write to Andy Rees, EMS Yorkshire, Unit E, Preston Road Village Centre, Hull HU9 3QB, by December 17th, 2010, giving reasons why your nominee should be considered.

JAN BOYD REFLECTS ON A BUMMPER CROP OF PARK AREA IN BLOOM ENTRANTS IN 2010

It is so heartening to see the level of enthusiasm towards improving the community as shown by this year’s Park Area in Bloom competition. From the east of the city, this gardening challenge has boasted three city winners and more entries into the local heat than anywhere else in Hull.

Take the winner of the best front garden competition. John Parks clearly shows a passion for his hobby and he was encouraged to enter Park Area in Bloom a few years ago, spurred on by his late mum Gwen, who saw him win the local competition for the last three years but not be crowned city champion in 2010. The retired joiner has invested tremendous effort into planting displays and hanging baskets, and has even managed to harvest a crop of grapes in his back garden on Springdale Close. It was the sign that tickled me above his front door….”The weeds were winning until I started gardening”!

I started my involvement with the Bloom competition in 2004 as part the work with the Preston Road Neighbourhood Development Company. We had a handful of entries. We then started running Park Area heats with the Council. Now the campaign is organised by EMS Yorkshire, a social enterprise running neighbourhood management, with the support of Gateway, Hull City Council’s neighbourhood regeneration programme.

Admittedly, many of the entrants are retired but there is hope in the younger generation with keen input from Estcourt, Marfleet and Gillshill Schools. At EMS, we did recognise that some people would not wish to put themselves through the daunting process of Hull in Bloom, so we devised the Doorstep Challenge. It was a simple competition to challenge people to improve their front gardens, with the incentive of a free hanging basket to start them off, and a carrot of £100 in Morrisons vouchers for the winner.

Here, we came across great enthusiasm, and a younger breed of entrant, including pupils from Southcoates School. The winner, Diane Dabdoub, was keen on maintaining her rather large garden in Pembroke Grove until some roses, an heirloom from her grandmother, were removed by accident in a garden tidy-up project. She lost heart and only started making the effort again when the Council sent warning letters about the state of her garden. She won the EMS Yorkshire Doorstep Challenge competition in 2010, and now basks in the positive feedback from passersby for the big improvements she had enjoyed making.

We celebrate the Park Area’s achievements in 2010 with a ceremony this coming week, due to be attended by more than 90 people, in an area not renowned for its affluence, but is now gaining an increasing reputation for green-fingered enthusiasm.

Jan Boyd, Chief Executive of EMS Yorkshire, a charity and social enterprise which runs neighbourhood management and community safety initiatives in the Park Area of Hull. Tel: 01482 709810

EAST HULL CELEBRATES BLOOM COMPETITION WINNERS

Keen gardener John Parks has his late mum to thank for encouraging him to enter a gardening competition which has seen him win a Hull in Bloom title for the first time.

A retired joiner, Mr Parks (67) of Springdale Close, Preston Road Estate, picked up the title of Best Front Garden in the city-wide competition after three consecutive years of winning the award in the Park Area in Bloom challenge. The judges said: “As soon as you enter the Close, you know which garden has entered Hull in Bloom as the front garden is full of colour, with a very patriotic St George’s flag floral display.”Mr Parks was encouraged by his mum Gwen, who died last year at the age of 84.

He says: “I’ve been doing the garden for about seven years and my mum urged me to enter the Preston Road competition as she thought I’d win. One of the community wardens also encouraged me so I did and have won it for three years running. I was shocked to win the Hull title this year. My mum would have been so proud. We liked to have our breakfast and dinner in the garden, which is full of hanging baskets and a mix of everything from roses to gladioli. The St George’s flag display was full of begonias.”

Green-fingered Margaret Cundill of Westerdale Grove received the city award for Best Basket/Container. The judges said: “A wonderful sight greets you as you walk into the garden, with a variety of baskets full of colour.”

Meanwhile, Denis Shaw from Arthur Lucan Court picked up the title of Best Senior Citizen’s Garden, with the following endorsement from the judges: “Again Denis has produced eye-catching, well-maintained displays. His enthusiasm is shown in the care of the garden.”

Ken Cromack from St John’s Grove, a previous winner who launched the competition in East Hull earlier this year, was given two highly commended accolades, one for Best Full Garden and the other for Contribution to Wildlife.
The competition in the Park Area was run by the environmental charity EMS Yorkshire in conjunction with Gateway, Hull City Council’s neighbourhood regeneration programme. The winners from Park Area progressed to the city competition, and they received their awards at a ceremony at Hull Guildhall. A separate awards evening, for winners of the Park Area in Bloom competition, will take place at the Freedom Centre, Preston Road, on Wednesday 13 October. Jan Boyd, Chief Executive of EMS Yorkshire, says: “There’s a great spirit among residents in Park Area to take part and it’s so good to see that we had the most entries in the city competition once again. We’ll look forward to celebrating all of our entrants at the awards night in October.”

DOORSTEP CHALLENGE WINNER ANNOUNCED

East Hull resident Mrs Diane Dabdoub had become so fed up with receiving Council letters calling on her to tidy up her front garden that she decided to make the effort in 2010, and won a competition.

Mother of two, Diane, 42, of Pembroke Grove, had lost heart in maintaining her large corner plot after workmen accidentally dug up some rosebushes, which were her grandmother’s, about five years ago, as part of a garden improvement scheme. After becoming bored with the plain gravel, she spent the last three months doing up her garden with a range of plants, helped by her sons Andrew (17) and Lewis , 13. Her garden was noticed by Andrew Rees of East Hull-based neighbourhood management charity EMS Yorkshire, which has been running a doorstep challenge competition.

She won £100 in Morrison’s vouchers, plus some garden equipment donated by Probe’s Food 360 Project, which promotes grow-your-own produce.

Diane says: “I wanted to have a garden back and it’s a big plot, so I decided to plant some colour. The buzz for me is that people come by and admire the garden and tell me how lovely it is. I’ve tried to do it as cheaply as possible, picking up plants at markets and on special offer to see what grows. I want to build and develop it more and hope to put a fountain in. It’s been a team effort so the boys will get a treat.”

Winning entry living on Pembroke Grove with her property surrounded by construction work but still trying to improve aesthetics. Please mention the £100 of Morrison’s vouchers first prize donated by EMS and note that local businesses of The Co-operative and Food 360 have provided the runners up prizes (£20 from each business, which Robin at the Co-op will use to put a hamper together – wine, cheese, chocolates etc) Runners up prizes are for hard work put into gardens at their respective properties. Release must contain the comment “Doorstep Challenge, part of gateways neighbourhood management initiative for East Hull, delivered by EMS” as this is part of the SLA between Gateway and EMS.

Winner- Mrs. Dabdoub of Pembroke Grove Runners up- Mrs. Sue Holmes, Troutsdale Grove and Rosina Moment, St. John’s Grove

WOMEN IN BUSINESS – BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE, SEPTEMBER 2010

Jan Boyd is Chief Executive of Environmental & Management Solutions Ltd which is a registered charity and a multifaceted company offering a range of services to meet the needs of both local communities and business’s alike.

Chamber of Commerce members will be particularly interested in the environmental consultancy and health & safety side of the business. Jan can provide a documented health and safety policy, risk assessments for all significant hazards, and produce a health & safety manual, as well as provide health & safety advice.

Jan says: “Health & safety has never been as important in the workplace as now and we offer the range of services from testing portable appliances to risk-assessing any activity a company may be involved in.”
On environmental issues, Jan covers developments in UK and EU legislation, waste and energy management and environmental training. Jan and her team also deliver neighbourhood management on the Southcoates East Ward of Hull which is funded by Gateway Housing Renewal Pathfinder. Contact EMS Yorkshire at Unit E, Preston Road Village Centre, Hull, HU9 5QB. Tel 01482 709810 or email jan@emsyorkshire.co.uk. Website: www.emsyorkshire.co.uk

LIFESTYLE TEAM HAILED FOR NEIGHBOURHOOD CLEAN-UP

The neighbourhood manager of East Hull-based charity EMS Yorkshire has praised a Lifestyle team for their tremendous efforts in cleaning up their community.

Girlz Only, part of a youth group at the East Hull’s women’s centre, Purple House, accepted Andy Rees’s invitation to do a litter-pick around the Preston Road Estate. It is one of a number summer activities in their debut year in the Lifestyle Competition, run by Humberside Police. The team is Cordie Walker, Courtney Rowan, Bethany Jackson, Selina Johnson and Natasha Rowan, all 13

They collected some 15 bags of rubbish from around the Portobello Street area, splitting the load into recyclables such as bottles, cans and paper. They have pledged to join Andy each week to repeat the exercise elsewhere on the Estate. They are being rewarded for their hard work with lunch from the Co-operative store on Preston Road.

Andy says: “They worked really hard and I was so pleased to have their help. They were prepared to improve their neighbourhood and put the effort in. They could be doing other things during their summer holiday but this shows real commitment.”

Robin Storry, Co-operative store manager, said: “These girls and their families are my customers so I was pleased to offer my support and keep them motivated. Kids can get a bad name especially when they are bored in the holidays, but Girlz Only are doing us proud.”
Cordie Walker, 13, said the team was looking to clean up along Preston Road this week and had plenty of activities underway: “We’re growing vegetables on an allotment to give away to the community, thanks to the help of Probe’s Food 360 Project, and we’re planning to have a bun sale to raise money for the Purple House.”

LIFESTYLE TEAM HAILED FOR NEIGHBOURHOOD CLEAN-UP

The neighbourhood manager of East Hull-based charity EMS Yorkshire has praised a Lifestyle team for their tremendous efforts in cleaning up their community.

Girlz Only, part of a youth group at the East Hull’s women’s centre, Purple House, accepted Andy Rees’s invitation to do a litter-pick around the Preston Road Estate. It is one of a number summer activities in their debut year in the Lifestyle Competition, run by Humberside Police. The team is Cordie Walker, Courtney Rowan, Bethany Jackson, Selina Johnson and Natasha Rowan, all 13

They collected some 15 bags of rubbish from around the Portobello Street area, splitting the load into recyclables such as bottles, cans and paper. They have pledged to join Andy each week to repeat the exercise elsewhere on the Estate. They are being rewarded for their hard work with lunch from the Co-operative store on Preston Road.

Andy says: “They worked really hard and I was so pleased to have their help. They were prepared to improve their neighbourhood and put the effort in. They could be doing other things during their summer holiday but this shows real commitment.”

Robin Storry, Co-operative store manager, said: “These girls and their families are my customers so I was pleased to offer my support and keep them motivated. Kids can get a bad name especially when they are bored in the holidays, but Girlz Only are doing us proud.”
Cordie Walker, 13, said the team was looking to clean up along Preston Road this week and had plenty of activities underway: “We’re growing vegetables on an allotment to give away to the community, thanks to the help of Probe’s Food 360 Project, and we’re planning to have a bun sale to raise money for the Purple House.”