2022 was an exciting year of community action, bumper events and new facilities across our fabulous Patchway community and we want to remind everyone of some of the highlights that this community created and supported as we progressed our Three Year Plan. Please click on the links to reveal more about each highlight.
It was the year our fantastic new Pavilion at Scott Park opened its doors to the public providing a brand new sports facility and café offer for users and residents with local sports teams impressed with the new changing room facilities, and Snack Attacks moving from the Roundabout to the Park to run the café. The Casson Centre in Rodway Road re-opened following refurbishment offering a bright new space for the Town. We had an Award ceremony for our 2022 calendar winners and a long service award, and Patchway Town Council achieved the highest accolade possible - Local Council Award Scheme Quality Gold.
In May, Cllr Jon Butler handed over to Cllr Dayley Lawrence as Mayor and Chair of the Council with several initiatives launched including selecting the Mayor’s Charities as The Link Club and 2nd Patchway Scouts with £1802.55 raised so far. Cllr Lawrence visits have included Patchway Cadets, 2nd Patchway Scouts, Coniston Primary School, opening Lovell Place Care Home, and judging for the John Lewis Bear Competition at Cribbs Causeway.
In June, the Town celebrated the Queen’s Jubilee in style with a bumper weekend of activity including:
A candlelit walk
Music festival at Scott Park
Lighting of The Beacon at Bristol BMX Track
Beacon Bingo at Coniston Café
Street parties across the town visited by the Mayor
We celebrated international links with our Twin Towns of Gauting, Germany and Clermont L’Hérault by hosting a delegation from both towns to Patchway in May showing them the highlights of our town and surrounding area. In October, Mayor of Patchway Cllr Dayley Lawrence and residents from Patchway reciprocated with a Civic visit to Gauting to celebrate 20 years of twinning. And we launched our Twinning Pen pal scheme between Patchway and Gauting.
Our sports facilities returned to full use following Covid with the football pitches, new 3G pitch, and cricket nets in demand by local sports teams including Patchway Town FC, local residents ‘mates teams’, and several Stoke Lane FC teams. And over 800 children and young people received Free Summer Sports Sessions funded by Patchway Town Council delivered by Signature Sports Coaching. Across our outdoor spaces, we worked with Bromford and South Gloucestershire Council to look at the future of The Parade and where the area can be improved, we installed new lamp posts in Scott Park to enhance security for all residents and user groups, and we purchased Christmas Light motifs for the whole Town.
The Town Council Local Nature Action Plan was introduced to support the environment and biodiversity with initiatives including 10 'Bee Hotels' at the Tumps and BMX Track, high level squirrel feeders, and outline plans for a grant funded Community Orchard at The Tumps in progress. We purchased and installed PPE recycling boxes around the town to reduce waste, and we held a biodiversity morning with Council ground staff, Councillors and Coniston Primary School.
Patchway Town Council awarded £3050 in grants for local organisations including Men In Sheds, Wednesday Lunch Club, Pretoria Road Allotment Association and The Link Club. We worked with Foundation for Active Community Engagement (FACE) and South Gloucestershire Council to ensure youth provision for Patchway was being delivered to a majority of young people to a good standard. And we worked with FACE to repaint the skate park area in Norman Scott Park.
In October, the Community Hub opened at the Casson Centre in response to the cost of living crisis as a warm place for everyone across the community to access hot and cold refreshments, craft activities, support, community larder, blankets and weekly Bingo . Driven by Cllrs Isobel and Roland Walker, the Hub has provided support and services for hundreds of local residents and received £3330 in external grant funding.
The Town remembered the fallen with the Remembrance Day March and Service starting in Coniston Road and concluding at the Memorial in Scott Park. Representatives from the Town Council including the Mayor joined the March with the Chair of South Gloucestershire Council, Jack Lopresti MP, the Royal British Legion, cadets from the Army, Navy and Air forces, and Scouts and Rainbows.
In November, the Town Council held a huge Music & Fireworks Event at Scott Park for over 3000 people with food, drink, stunning entertainment, and an electric atmosphere for residents, visitors and vendors. And later that month, the festive season was launched with a Christmas Lights Switch-On & Festive Fair at Holy Family Church with Santa Claus and His Very Tall Elf making a special appearance.
The Community Hub hosted a Santa’s Grotto and Festive Crafting Sessions in the build-up to Christmas with 200 children and young people visiting across three very busy days. And through the Hub, over 400 children and young people across Patchway received gifts donated from local businesses, organisations and residents.
Across the year, our food vendor scheme raised £6631 that has been reinvested back into the Town, whilst ensuring a great culinary choice for our residents.
As you can see from these highlights, 2022 was a year of community engagement, exciting new projects, civic pride, and celebrating all that is fabulous about the Patchway community.
As we enter the Town’s 70th Anniversary year, please do stay in touch with your Town Council working on your behalf through our social media, our Local News page on the website, and one of our new 2022 initiatives, the hotly anticipated monthly Town News hosted online and in print at a number of Patchway locations.
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