Dedicated volunteers known as the Manor Road Gym Users Group have rallied round to save the Manor Road Gym from closure got together on Saturday October 4th armed with brooms, buckets and scrubbing brushes and started giving the gym site and parts of the building a clean up. Broken glass was swept from the hard courts and weeds and debris were removed from around the site. Skirtings, doors and walls were scrubbed and pathways cleared.

There is still much work to be done but the results of the morning's hard work made a real difference. The aim is for the work to continue so that the gym can continue to be well used and kept open. The group has volunteered to take over the cleaning and caretaking of the gym from Brighton and Hove City Council and is determined to ensure the facility continues to thrive.

The volunteers were grateful for assistance from Helen of the Green Gym, eb4U Sports Co-ordinator Ronnie, Neighbourhood Wardens Imogen, Jason and Laura, PEP Community Development Worker Fintan, members of Manor Road Residents Association, members of AFC Ashmoore, members and parents from Reflexions Dance Academy, members from the Gym-Pan-Zee Acrobatics Club, the Steiner School, Councillor Craig Turton and especially the children, who all worked really hard.

It is hoped that regular clean up days with volunteer task forces will meet regularly in the future to continue with the good work.

Bates Celebrates

On the 20th of September a Celebration Day took place to let people know what is going on in Bates Estate and to get young people involved. It was an eventful day and there was lots to do for children and adults including dragon making, music making and card making with hand massage for the adults.

It was a great success and at the end of the day the residents from Bates Estate and Moulsecoomb who came along to the workshops with their children did a procession around Bates Estate with the dragon and musical instruments that were made. The weather was lovely and everyone had fun, the children waved at the residents on the Estate who were watching the procession from their windows.

Wednesday 15th of October was also a big day for Bates Estate as the doors were to open for the new community flat office funded by eb4u. The mayor of Brighton and Hove Jeane Lepper came and cut the ribbon to open the doors for us all. There is a room to hire for community use. The World Wide Web project has a room there run by Jill Mercer; also there is the Mousecoomb Forest Gardens group, the CAB debt advice centre, Community Workers and there is also a drop in centre for computer use.

It was so nice to see such a good turn out of 48 people. They all enjoyed a toast and something to eat. The director of eb4u, Graham Maunders, was also there to reign over the opening. Their number is 690 245 if you want to know more. Good luck to Beryl Goodall who was once with us at the Phoenix and now has joined the community flats as a volunteer worker.

Written by Jan Netley.