25 May

“Where are you really from?” – Exploring Migration and Identity

THURSDAY, 17 JUNE 2021 FROM 19:00 –21:00

Bridgwater Together & The Eclectic Collective presents  

Free  · Online event

“Go back to where you came from! We don’t want you here.” Who is ‘we’? and where the hell am I supposed to go ‘back’ to?” An event exploring migration and identity in Somerset, maybe? Yes-ha! There will be diverse topics of discussion with our esteemed guest speakers, talking about their own experiences of migration and the impact they have felt on their identity as well as opportunities for the audience to connect and form a network with each other in the smaller workshops held in breakout rooms.

To join the event visit eventbrite and register and a zoom link will appear

Co organiser Roshan Adve says “We are hoping to bring people together to reconstruct the values we hold as British people, shed light on Britain’s colonial past, revise the language around migration, explore the causes and consequences of Racial Imposter Syndrome and much more!”

Workshops

1) “Re-examining Britain’s past: An accurate history of colonialism” – Delving into Britain’s guilt-ridden, imperial past and exploring how the effects it had on migration are felt today.

2) “So you think you’re British? Reconstructing British values” – A workshop on scrapping the façade of British values we are taught in school and brainstorming new values that society should aspire towards.

3) “Revising the language around Migration: Debunking migration myths” – A socio-linguistic analysis on how the negative language that politicians and political parties use around migration trickles into our culture and how to recognize and counteract this.

4) “What Are You? Exploring the Mixed Identity” – A workshop exploring the difficulties people face expressing and coming to terms with their racial identities in a majority white area and the experience of racial identity dysphoria.

The event will be livestreamed

For more information go to  Facebook or contact the organisers at eclectic.antiracism@gmail.com

 

 

18 Apr

Town Tree Fund Seeking Sites for Re-Forestation

The re-forestation of the town centre starts with Castle Street

Last year Bridgwater Town Council set up a ‘Tree Fund’ to encourage the blossoming of the town and to help to tackle climate change and to promote biodiversity. The more biodiverse an area is the healthier an areas wildlife ecosystem is. Climate warming is due to an overload of carbon and other human activity gases into the atmosphere. Trees take in the carbon and capture it and lock it into its roots, branches, shoots, and leaves. Then the tree gives us back our clean air we breathe. The tree root structure locks soils and mud into place which helps prevent flooding. Town council’s outgoing  In December 2020 the first trees planted with the help of the tree fund went up in Hamp Green Rise and are now in Spring bloom. This week has seen another development, residents taking it upon themselves to re-forest as can be witnessed with the new initiative of Town’s tree expert Roy Cheek who has overseen the establishment of a new tree lined avenue in Bridgwater’s historic Castle Street.

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14 Apr

‘Last Chance to Save Local Democracy’ says Town Council Leader

And it’s thumbs up for the Stronger Somerset case from Council leader Smedley and his panda tee shirt

Bridgwater Town Council recently voted unanimously to support the STRONGER SOMERSET case for Unitary reorganisation in Somerset and with the deadline of April 19th now with us, councillors are urging members of the public to respond to the Government Consultation. Town Council leader Brian Smedley (Labour, Westover) says “The only chance people will get to have their views heard on this will be to reply to the Government consultation as the Secretary of State Robert Jenrick appears to be ruling out any vote by the people of Somerset. That suggests to me a very flawed process and that he doesn’t think the people actually matter. He’ll be taking the decision but he will at least need to look at what people are saying in their replies. Town Council has responded in detail to the questions and we urge everyone to study the 2 choices and to make their own response in time for the deadline. This might even be the last chance to save local democracy.”

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12 Apr

Solution for Bridgwater Dock’s Boating Community in Sight

Bridgwater Docks- a solution is in sight

For over a year now the future of Bridgwater’s famous Docks has been in doubt as its owner Somerset County Council and Canal and River Trust, who operate the Docks, have discussed termination of the lease. Caught in the middle are the boating community who live there and trying to bring all sides together to find a solution is Bridgwater Town Council. Finally, as the end of April deadline set by Somerset County Council for boaters to leave the Docks approaches, Bridgwater Town Council managed to get all sides around a table to agree a way forward and things are looking up again. How we got here is reported below.

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12 Apr

Almost Back to ‘Normal for Bridgwater’

Mayor and Pub landlady meet up for the first time in a while as Bridgwater re-opens

It’s Monday 12th April 2021 and the biggest step yet in a post covid return to normality is being taken across the High streets of the UK. Some pubs have been trading since just after midnight and some traders opened their doors as early as 6am. Here in Bridgwater it’s no different and the streets have been filling up nicely with cafes doing a roaring trade, with gazebos and beer gardens aplenty while hairdressers have seen queues since early morning often down the street and around the block  . Although in no particular need of a haircut himself, Mayor of Bridgwater Leigh Redman has been out and about seeing what’s open and talking to traders and shoppers .

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