Gorilla auction exceeds all expectations

Bristol Zoo's gorilla auction this evening raised an incredible total of £427,300.

Chipping Sodbury's very own Funky Gibbon went for £8,600.

Proceeds from the auction will be split between gorilla conservation work and local Bristol charity Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal, which raises funds for the Bristol Children’s Hospital and St Michael’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Special Care Baby Unit)

Congratulations to Bristol Zoo and all involved in the Wow! Gorillas project, which encouraged so much public participation - a real community event.

NHS Consultation - meeting tonight

North Bristol NHS Trust plan to become a Foundation Trust from December 2012. They want to know your views on the plans and are holding a meeting at Frenchay Hospital tonight, Wednesday 28 September. The meeting runs from 7pm to 8.30pm in the Monica Britton Museum. More information is available on the Trust's website.

Vote to get a community radio station in Yate!

Would you like a community radio in Yate?

If so, use your finger between 26 September and 23 October.

Go to http://communityforce.natwest.com/project/4548

(see instructions below on how to vote)
and vote for Yate Armadillo Community Radio.

If we get enough votes, we will get £6000 – enough to kit out a radio studio in the Armadillo, which will be led by young people, but will broadcast a full range of news, sports reports, adverts for local firms and groups – including live gigs by local bands. Unlike many community radio stations this will be youth led, a social enterprise giving a voice to our community. If you want in on this, vote today.

If you are unable to access the online site to vote, contact the Nat West CommunityForce helpline on 0800 2100 246. Or if you need minicom etc. call 0800 0155 545. They will be happy to let you know which charities, projects and groups have applied in your area.

You will be able to see all of the applications made in your local area.

Each person can vote up to three times, in any area. You can only vote once for each cause. You may decide only to vote for one cause, or may pick up to three. Multiple voting is controlled by way of email address therefore you will be required to register before you can vote.

How to vote

To register please go to https://communityforce.natwest.com/user/register and put in your email address and a password. Once complete an email will be sent to you, please click the link to register. You are now ready to vote!

You can then go to http://communityforce.natwest.com/project/4548, log in and click to vote.

Please get your colleagues to join in. Why not post it to your Facebook, Twitter, blog or other page?

Links to the CommunityForce site can be posted on social media sites etc. This is a great way to help us get as many votes as possible. So do please join in the fun and get posting!

Thank you for your support.

Go batty with the BBC on Wednesday!

A BBC Autumnwatch film crew are coming along next Wednesday to the bat walk at Goose Green at 7pm. They wish to film the walk and interview participants. They are hoping to get people to ask wildlife related questions to the camera which will then be aired during the Autumnwatch ‘unsprung’ show, where the questions will hopefully be answered by the team.

We are therefore hoping for a good turnout of local people and a handful of questions to ask. Here's what South Glos say about the bat walk:

"Walk around Goose Green Fields and along the River Frome in search of our magical native bats that can eat up to 3000 insects a night! Meet at the site entrance off Oak Close, Yate. 7pm to 9pm.

Free event! Children should be accompanied by an adult. Please wear sensible footwear and warm clothing. Bring a torch. No dogs allowed.

For more information call ✆ 01454 863592 text 07950 080 111”

Marks and Spencer want to come to Yate

The owners of Yate Shopping Centre have submitted a planning application for a Marks & Spencer Simply Food store in East Walk at the Yate Shopping Centre. They would occupy two of the four new units proposed for the extension to the rank where Superdrug is. The new shop would also sell some non-food goods. It is hoped that the new store will be open by late 2012.

The Shopping Centre has ambitions to attract other major brands now, perhaps to the other two nw units.

Five awards for Yate and West Dodington in Bloom

Committee members received the cup and five certificates  from award
winning TV broadcaster, author and horticulturalist Toby Buckland

At their first attempt Yate and West Dodington in Bloom have scooped a total of five awards in this year's Royal Horticultural Society South West in Bloom. They not only won a Silver Award in the St Bridget Cup category, there were also Neighbourhood Awards in the morning for Abbotswood Primary School, Jacobs Well Community Garden and the Friends of Kingsgate Park.

There was a particularly exciting moment when it was announced that Abbotswood School was being given a discretionary composting award and had won the Viridor School Composting Award.

Yate and West Dodington in Bloom has brought together many community groups and individual volunteers - congratulations to all involved!

Chipping Sodbury in Bloom, entering for the second year, also continued their success by winning a Silver Gilt award in the Preece Cup.

Temporary Tesco to close a week early

It has been announced on the YatePeople website that the temporary Tesco store in Yate Shopping Centre will close at 4pm on Sunday, 16th October, a week earlier than planned so that the site can be cleared and car park restored before the new Tesco Extra store opens at 8am on Monday, 24th October.