Grangetown and Ashbrooke - Down Your Way

At a presentation on March 23, one of these students, Dominic Wilkinson, received a cheque from the Catenian Association’s Bursary Fund from Sunderland Circle’s Schools Liaison Officer, Bro Tony McCourt, to help with his expenses while in Lourdes. Dominic has raised funds for the pilgrimage in previous years as well as participating last year. He is a keen sportsman, especially rugby, playing for Sunderland RFC, and wants to pursue a career in sport after university. The Catenian Association is a Catholic men’s society which established the Bursary Fund to encourage and assist Catholics, between the ages of 16 and 25, to actively involve themselves in projects for the benefit of the community at home or abroad involving the implementation of Christian, and particularly Catholic, principles.

Thornholme Residents’ Association held their latest meeting last week at Ashbrooke Sports Club with Paul Baker in the chair. Also present were councillors Iain Kay (Millfield) and Peter Wood (St Michael’s ward); members of the Northumbria Police community team and council officers Ken Heads (Infrastructure and Commercial Manager), Julie Tunstall (Parking Enforcement) and Peter Graham – who deals with traffic regulation orders. The main business was a discussion about the planned Ashbrooke and Thornholme CPMS (Community Marking Management Scheme) due to be introduced in the summer and led by Ken Heads. He explained the background to the scheme and the Council’s previous experience with schemes around the Royal Hospital and Stadium of Light. This scheme would operate six days a week (Monday to Saturday) and help to ensure parking for local residents and businesses. The latest crime statistics for the area were also discussed by the police. The next meeting (6pm start) will be held on Monday, April 18 at the same venue.

Carers who would welcome some time to relax and share time to socialise and enjoy the company with others in a similar situation, are extended a warm invitation to come along to St Nicholas Church Hall, Queen Alexandra Roa on Wednesday April 6, from 10.30am until noon. Stephanie Clark , (0191 5226444),Vicar at St Nicholas, is the lead for a new council-funded project, which sees the Church Hall being used over the next twelve months as a welcoming community connector hub, for people in and around St Michael’s Ward. Stephanie will be working closely with local ward Cllr Michael Dixon (0191 551 7090) and council officers. Please see the telephone numbers provided if you would like to find out more details.

Sunderland Rotary Club recently had a talk from Carol Harrison, from STEM, which is an abbreviation for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. What she had to say really brought a positive response. Contact with Carol arose because some of our members are concerned that engineering has lost its way in our area and young people need to be encouraged to consider it as a career choice. So currently we are working with a group of professionals in local industry and higher education, particularly from our own University, to find ways of drawing young people into educational choices which offer real work opportunities in engineering and technology. As we have learned, so many degree courses lead to no relevant employment. These disciplines do and are part of our heritage. And this is not just for lads. You may just know that the leading engineer of our new bridge is a young woman.

The latest of the regular, five-weekly, Northumbria Police PACT (people and community together) meetings for St Michael’s ward was held on Tuesday last week at Auckland Homes, Hill View. Joining members of the community police team and ward residents was St Michael’s councillor Peter Wood. The meeting discussed the latest crime statistics for the ward (which showed a fall in the number of burglaries taking place) and other issues raised by residents – anti-social behaviour near to the city centre, obstructive parking of cars both on the street and pavements, drugs and speeding traffic. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 19 at the same venue, starting at 6 pm.

St Michael’s Resident’s Association will hold it AGM on Wednesday, April 13, commencing 6.30pm, at the usual venue, Auckland Homes, Hill View Road.

Friends of Backhouse Park and Barley Mow Park next meet on Tuesday, April 12 at 7pm, at the Back on the Map building, (ex-branch library), Villette Road, venue, when Pauline Hilton will give a talk on Backhouse Park/Hendon.