A Comprehensive Business Start-Up Course for Women

Price:                    £99.00* including all materials and tuition

Time:                    9.30am to 2.30pm

Date:                     Tuesdays only 21^st Jan – 18^th March (no session 18^th Feb)

Venue:                 Farmor’s School, The Park, Fairford, GL7 4JQ

Starting and running a business takes not just an idea but motivation, time, energy and skill. This is an opportunity to explore what’s involved and see for yourself just how easy it can be to set up and run your own business.

If you have a business idea, a hobby you’d like to make money from, or are simply wondering if you’ve got what it takes, then this course is for you. In the company of like-minded women you will learn a great deal, have a lot of fun and cover topics that include:

·         What is an Entrepreneur?

·         Why choose self-employment?

·         What are the skills and qualities of an entrepreneur?

·         Work-Life-Balance and your vision of your future.

·         Business Plans. What are they and who are they for?

·         You as your best marketing resource and use of social media for business.

·         Managing paperwork, your finances and what the taxman needs.

This flexible and comprehensive course, specifically designed for women, will answer your questions, help you risk assess your ideas and support you in exploring how being self-employed might work for you. The course runs one-day-a-week over an 8-week period. There is no session in half term week.

*A new partnership with Adult Education in Gloucestershire allows us to offer free places to qualifying participants. Please just ask if you think you might qualify.

For more information or to book a place
Email: sjm@sjmcoachingandtraining.co.uk or Tel: 01386 701868

Welcome to Longford!

What a welcome awaited Lewis Gordon has he moved into his new home in Longford from South Gloucestershire. Lewis moved to the Longford Lock Barns off Tewkesbury road on the 2nd January, just as the post-Christmas deluge and storms were about to take hold. Though he had been warned of potential flooding in the area, he quickly realised after parking his car, on that first day that there could be a major problem!

His new and concerned neighbours advised him that he should park his car on the higher ground on the opposite side of the Tewkesbury road if he did not want his car to become submerged! Lewis promptly responded, as the courtyard began to fill up rapidly under the torrential rain which the Courtyard’s single grid could not cope with. He was informed that during the famous floods of 2007 the lower two rooms of his accommodation, the “Chauffer’s Cottage”, had been entirely flooded too. Lewis did not hesitate and moved all his furniture and belongings to the upper floors as a matter of urgency, before deciding to stay with friends for a couple of nights. Fortunately for Lewis, remedial work on the flooring had been completed since 2007, which prevented any water entering the property on this occasion. Nearly a week later as the water started to subside, he was able to start a “normal” existence in his new Longford home. Lewis is very philosophical about the whole episode which he has tagged as an enlightening experience. The photo shows Longford Lock Barns about a week after the deluge still with a water depth of over two feet.

For the residents at the top of the Courtyard there was an eerie feeling of deja vu, as they had not forgotten their experience of the 2007 floods. Brenda Halls from the “Wagon House” remembers vividly how her home, although built at a higher level than the Courtyard, had all the downstairs rooms flooded at a cost of thousands and a great deal of disruption! Whilst her insurance company made full compensation, inevitably the insurance premiums have since become astronomical. On this occasion, although the water did not actually rise above the courtyard wall (approx. 6ft in height), Brenda and her husband could not wade through it to get to their car. The alternative route to the road was a trek through a field at the back of a neighbour’s house!

For the residents of Longford Lock Barns this was considered a “near miss”- the risk of flooding is a constant threat for them, and unfortunately, it is one which they all have to live with.

Flood Defence Success

On a brighter note it was good to see that the flood prevention work completed around Cypress Gardens and Evergreen Walk has had a profound effect. The stream flowing adjacent to Cypress Gardens now has a monitoring mechanism installed which controls the amount of water running through the stream. It is linked to the main reservoir and once a certain water level is reached in the stream, the water entering from the reservoir is significantly reduced to prevent the stream water rising above the banks. It has proved to be a really successful project, for which the Environmental Agency should be highly commended!

There was not a single sand bag in sight on my visit to the area and Patricia Carter a resident of Cypress Gardens, who lives adjacent to Evergreen Walk was delighted with the results. Patricia added that memory of 2007 was now despatched to “history”, for not only have there been tremendous flood defence developments, but the whole quality of life for the local residents had been improved greatly too.

It was also noticeable that a section of fencing, which is about six feet in height, has been erected and strategically placed, adjacent to Evergreen Walk. It appears to provide additional support to the electronically controlled system and forms an integral part of the overall flood defences. Presumably, the barrier would also prevent any egress of water from the stream escaping into the surrounding residences.

When we assess the amount of flooding that has taken place recently in the South West of England, it is worth remembering that we should always be prepared for the unexpected, as both the weather and the seasons become increasingly less predictable.

Hucclecote Rugby Club – Gloucester’s Leading Amateur Rugby Club

As one of Gloucester’s leading amateur rugby clubs Hucclecote RFC have been established for nearly 50 years.

Originally Founded as Hucclecote Old Boys in 1968, by Tony Wainwright, the club was based at the old Hucclecote School and it was not until the school closed in 1987 that it became HRFC.

From those humble beginnings, the club can now offer rugby to three senior teams, several junior teams, and Mini rugby sessions for infants and a Ladies team. There is, also, a thriving Club House, which provides a social hub for players and supporters alike.

The senior 1st team play in the Gloucestershire Premier League and consistently manage to hold their own against high standards of opposition including Stroud Rugby club, the Gordon League club, and current league leaders Newent RFC.

The Club is delighted to have the former Wales B International Andy Phillips as the Senior coach and is proud of the fact that there are about twelve players aged U21 in the Senior squads, these players have developed through the Junior teams and played rugby at Hucclecote all their lives! More good news for the clubs future is the progress of the current U14 squad who have the potential and quality to continue this development process through to the senior teams.

Junior and Mini Rugby is a Thriving Section of the club! Coach Ray Davies, who has responsibility for all the Junior teams, has between 150 -200 junior players regularly attending the coaching sessions, which are held at the club on Sunday mornings from 10am. There are 10 junior sides, with ages ranging from U6 up to U16. Whilst all the teams are regularly involved in friendly matches and travel around Gloucestershire and the Bristol area to play matches. They also play in the prestigious County Cup, a trophy that everyone in the junior teams would love to win for their club. Currently, most of the teams have an abundance of players; however, the recently formed U16 team cannot yet field a full team and are in urgent need of young players. Therefore, anyone in this age group who has played or wants to play rugby should contact Ray directly, preferably by email on raydavis@blueyonder.co.uk or Tel No: 01452 558915.

Unfortunately, the Ladies Rugby team at this time is also struggling for players, and Coach Nikki Gordon is keen to recruit either new or established players to boost the squad. The team play in the Midland league which provides a very good standard of rugby, and training takes place on Wednesday evenings. So if you are 17 years of age or over and are interested please contact Nikki on 07725 910472, I’m sure she will appreciate your interest.

Chairman / Secretary, Mark Howkins has been linked to the club for about 38 years; during this time he was a regular member of the senior teams. Following retirement from playing, he continued to offer his services to the club in a number of different roles as a Committee member before accepting the Chairmanship, whilst combining the extensive duties as Club Secretary. Anyone who is interested in playing or becoming a club member should initially contact: Mark Howkins on 01452 611864.

Tony Wainwright continues his long standing association with the club as Club President, he is always active; if he is not coaching, refereeing or running the line, then he will be cooking up food for the players after training! Tony’s lasting memory, which to date is the pinnacle of the Club’s achievement was reaching the semi -final of the Pilkington Shield in 1994, when the Club, Tony and his team were robbed of a trip to Twickenham by a missed, last minute penalty, which went narrowly wide of the goal posts!

It is on this solid foundation that the club is formed and judging by the enthusiasm generated by Tony, Mark and their fellow committee members the club will continue to progress as a valuable social asset within the Hucclecote Community.

Longlevens Junior School Embark on a Trip to Remember

Earlier this year Longlevens Junior School embarked on a Pan European Comenius Project which involved linking with schools in France and Italy to exchange and share experience of school life and the ways in which schools operate in each country. Normally, Comenius projects involve the staff and teachers from each school in a series of exchange visits. However, Lewis Cook, Modern Foreign Languages co-ordinator and the project leader at the school, provided several pupils from the school with a wonderful opportunity to become personally involved also. He arranged for 10 pupils to accompany 4 teachers on a trip to their ‘partner’ school, the Institution Sainte-Marthe, Draguignan, in the Provence region of France.

Lewis, who is an avid Francophile, felt that, following a visit to Draguignan earlier in the year, the environment and circumstances were ideal to allow the children to participate fully in the project by visiting the French school.

Obviously a lot of logistical planning and risk assessment was needed to ensure that the trip would be both successful and memorable. Meetings with the parents/pupils were held to communicate accurately what was being planned and to share the proposed selection process which would be undertaken by the pupils involved.

The selection process was in itself a learning experience for the children and included a letter of application, an interview, followed by a series of teamwork and individual exercises before the final 10 pupils were chosen. The process, which was equivalent to a Job Application Process, provided all the children with a valuable life experience at a very early age. Lewis also provided extra French tuition for the group in readiness for the trip.

Whilst there was some funding for the trip it was necessary to generate further funds to ensure all costs were covered. To do this a series of fund raising events were promoted and these accumulated over £500 which was allocated towards the spending money for the pupils.

After flying from Birmingham to Nice, they travelled by minibus to Draguignan where the teachers and pupils alike stayed at a hotel in the town. Not only did this allow the teachers to maintain supervision but it also allowed both parties to review their daily activities together.

The timetable of events and activities provided a variety of situations which engaged the children continuously and included joining the French pupils in classroom studies, performing a song in English for the school and exchanging communication addresses to allow Skyping, emails and pen pal letters - all of which enhanced the total learning experience!

The excursion, however, was not all ‘work’ as three out-of-school events were planned to give the children a real taste of French living.

Initially, there was a ‘Pétanque’ (or Boules) afternoon in the Town Square in which everyone joined in enthusiastically and a trip to the seaside proved to be an exhilarating exercise. However, last but not least, the finale involved spending an evening with a typical French family. Children and teachers were invited into the family homes of students from the school to be entertained and join in a typical French evening. This wonderful experience included an evening meal, which lasted up to 3 hours, and, as several families had invited close friends to the soirée, there was much to discuss and share. The evening proved to be a resounding success for everyone.

On return to Longlevens the group provided feedback from the trip to a full school assembly which gave them the opportunity to re–live their memorable experiences in France.

Let’s congratulate Lewis, Dave Smith, the Head teacher and the School for providing such a valuable learning experience for their pupils.

Barnwood Primary School - Christmas Update

As we come towards the end of the year I caught up with Anne Davies, Head teacher at Barnwood Primary school who updated me on the autumn and Christmas activities at the school.

As part of the Christmas preparations there will be the range of annual events for the children to take part including: An Infants Nativity play, A Visit to the Pantomime, School Parties and Discos.

However, there will be a change to the format of the schools end of year presentation this year. In conjunction with St Lawrence’s Church the Christmas Production this year will be in the form of “ISing POP” Concerts and will be performed at the Barnwood Park Arts College on 9th December. The venue has been chosen to ensure that all Parents, Carers, Guests and friends of the school and Church have the opportunity to see at least one of the Concerts, which are expected to be highly entertaining.

iSingPOP is An organisation that specialises in teaching groups and Individuals to sing, whilst promoting spiritual, moral, cultural and social development of pupils in the Community.

Former Year 6 pupils who have moved to secondary school had experience of the iSingPOP approach from being involved in the Gloucester Schools Leavers Service held at the Cathedral earlier this year. The Barnwood Pupils are looking forward to the prospect of learning new songs, singing and acting techniques as well as performing in front of the anticipated large audiences!

The Autumn Term saw the end of the schools involvement in some extremely successful Comenius projects. However, to ensure that the link to European schools is maintained, Barnwood school has been partnered with the Layrac primary school in Agen, France. Although, the project is still in its infancy the Year 2 Pupils are eagerly establishing strong Communication links between the schools.

There was a visit from the Bishop of Gloucester’s representative; part of whose role is to observe and support the school‘s Religious Education programmes. The Bishop’s visitor took an active part in and enjoyed the discussions on the RE focus day, the theme being: Parables and their meanings.

Visits to the Barnwood Arboretum and the Steam Museum in Swindon proved both enjoyable and important learning experiences for the pupils involved. The Steam Museum visit gave the pupils a chance to dress up in Civilian Clothing from the World War Two period, which they had been studying as part of their history curriculum. At the arboretum the pupils focussed on the array of natural colours of the leaves and shrubs, from which they produced some excellent artwork which is now adorning the walls of the school.

Whilst Christmas signifies the end of the school term it is a particularly poignant time for Mrs Chris Trout the Deputy Head of the school as she is retiring after being associated with the school for over 25 years. A popular member of staff, Mrs Trout will undoubtedly be missed by both Pupils and Colleagues alike. Let’s wish Mrs Trout long and healthy retirement.

Mrs Davies adds her own message :” I would like to thanks Mrs Trout for all that she has contributed to our school, both as deputy head teacher and class teacher and I wish her a very long and happy retirement and thank her for her valuable contribution to school life and the education of the many children in her care”

I’m sure you will agree that we are fortunate to have such a progressive school, which continues to provide such excellent educational opportunities for the Children of our Community and wish all the Pupils and Staff an Enjoyable Christmas and a Successful 2014.

Longlevens Neighbourhood Partnership ‐ Celebrating Our Community Spirit

The Longlevens Neighbourhood Partnership under the new Chairmanship of Peter Baun recently held a memorable Charity Fundraising event at the Community Centre. The event was attended by nearly 100 people, including City Councillor Paul James, and the new vicar of Holy Trinity the Revd. Dr Gwyneth Gibbens. Everyone had a thoroughly enjoyable evening, by socialising, dancing and being entertained by some quality artistes.

It was Peter’s second venture as Chairman and he should be congratulated for his passion and determination to make the evening such a success. Undoubtedly he was well supported by his Committee and his equally enthusiastic wife Christine who helps to organise and dance with the Phoenix Troupe.

The event was held to celebrate the “spirit of our community”, and to promote the Longlevens Neighbourhood Partnership which subsequently donated the proceeds which raised over £300, to local charitable organisations. Everyone who attended were of the opinion that the entertainment was first class!

The performance of the Phoenix Belly Dancing Troupe was most enthusiastically received. The Phoenix Troupe, are strictly amateur in status, but take their performances very seriously and adopt a professional approach to all the shows. They are very popular and always in demand for charity events.

Turquoise Nights, a popular singing duo, performed a variety of songs which included numbers they had actually written themselves. Their memorable performance had people up dancing and joining in with the songs as well! Take a look at their web site for more information: toneno12@blueyonder.co.uk

As well as both groups donating financially to the event they also extended their performances times, which contributed greatly to making the evening one to remember. During the evening a Raffle Draw included prizes donated by popular local businesses which included: ICON Hairdressing, Ell’s Kitchen and the “King Teddy” Pub, and complemented the Community Spirit of the evening.

Peter and the Neighbourhood Partnership should be commended for their efforts in the Community, and particularly with this most recent promotion. Already Peter and the Committee are busy planning their next venture, which I am assured will provide another opportunity to enjoy a social gathering combined with more excellent entertainment.

The Sun is Always Shining in Armscroft!

Our Community magazine is always looking to support local business initiatives and the Tanning Beautique in Armscroft, is one which came to our attention for several reasons: It is the only business in Armscroft, the tanning element of the business is a unique feature in the area also and finally, the salon is managed by seventeen year old, Sophie Tredgett, daughter of the Owner! The Tanning Beautique, is aptly named, and is the joint idea of Jamie and Sophie Tredgett, a Father-daughter combination, who have always lived in the Armscroft Community. They decided it was the right time to put their idea into action.

The availability of the Corner shop, tucked away on Armscroft road presented them with the opportunity to launch their business which had been operating since May this Year. Jamie, as a Director of the Tredgett Building Contractors Company, re – fitted the shop to a very high standard, whilst ensuring that stringent Health and Safety measures have been incorporated also. The Salon has a really professional finish.

Sophie, as the Beautique Manager, is enjoying her role and is trying to establish a sound business foundation from which to develop their tanning and beauty business further and is in discussion with Jamie about plans for the future.

The Beautique offers a range of tanning and beauty procedures; Artificial Tanning Options include: Vertical Sun Beds which are available on a “Walk in” basis, however, for those requesting the Spray on Tanning process, this does require an appointment. Sophie is assisted by a fully qualified Beauty Therapist and a Nails Technician which ensures that clients can confidently take advantage of the Nails, Eyebrows, Lashes and other beauty techniques that are available. The business now has a number of regular clients; however, there are clients who turn up on an ad-hoc basis also, undoubtedly the salon is gaining recognition, locally.

Christmas and New Year is expected to be a popular time when people, who are still dreaming of the tremendous summer we had this year are thinking of topping up their tans, to look a little healthier for the Festive season. Try it, as it may work for you? Let’s Wish both Sophie and Jamie every success with the Tanning Beautique and hope that their initiative is rewarded with a long term business success in our Community.