Projects

Here are some of the projects that we have supported recently.

Fromeside Youth Centre's Skate Park

Young skaters are now able to catch some air whatever the weather at a new indoor skate park that’s opened in Winterbourne.
Scores of teenagers were queuing with their boards, bikes and scooters for the chance to try some tricks at the new Subside Indoor Skate Park at Fromeside Youth Centre when it opened.
The skate park project has been supported by Merlin and its residents. The housing society has provided a £10,000 grant to fund an apprentice for the next year, while residents from the Frome Valley Community Action Group donated £1,500 for new skateboards, BMX bikes and scooters.

Church View Play Area

We've supported residents from Church View flats in Filton to secure £50,000 from the Big Lottery Fund's Community Spaces programme to rebuild the children's play area. Together with £35,000 of funding from us, the project got underway in summer 2012 with sessions held with youngsters to find out what they wanted in their new play area.

The youths presented their plans to residents and even helped out with some of the building of the new play area. It was officially opened in the October 2012 half term. See a video made by the children from Church View below.

Wesley Hill Play Area

Children and young people are benefiting from a park makeover which has been funded by South Gloucestershire Council, in partnership with Merlin.
Wesley Hill Park in Soundwell has been revamped and its new facilities include a tree carved from the remains of a Norway Maple which has been recycled and carved into beautiful new play equipment. Other trees and shrubs have also been planted to replace the old Norway Maple.
As well as recycling the tree, we funded a new fence, a spinning cup for the play area and a decorative bench. South Gloucestershire Council funded a new fence around the play area, a new climbing frame and natural goal posts for the football pitch made from sustainably sourced chestnut poles.
Wesley Hill was recently named as a Queen Elizabeth II field to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Cooking with families

Young mums in Cadbury Heath are cooking up a treat thanks to a new course we funded.
Cooking 4 Families ran a 12-week course for parents and carers with young children in Cadbury Heath to teach them cooking skills and how to plan and budget for meals. Under the guidance of a qualified chef they are also learning skills to safely work in a kitchen and gaining a better understanding of nutrition.
Cooking 4 Families see many opportunities for this course including running it in other parts of South Gloucestershire as well as helping young people learn skills as they leave home through to widowers who often haven’t learnt cooking skills, plus many other ideas.

Bike Shelters (Patchway)

We've helped pupils at a Patchway primary school to get on their bikes by building a new cycle shelter for them.
Coniston Primary School’s new shelter, which was funded by the Community Investment Team and built by Merlin Works, was officially opened in September 2012. The school hopes it will encourage more pupils to choose to cycle or scoot to school, rather than be driven by their parents.
The school has been working with charity Sustrans for the past year to encourage parents and pupils to choose two wheels rather than four for the school run.
Sustrans works with over 20 schools in South Gloucestershire in partnership with South Gloucestershire Council and NHS South Gloucestershire.