2022 is the Year of the Sociable Street

Here’s an update from Ben Barker, convenor of the Let’s Walk Bedminster project: 

We, and several other local community groups, have declared 2022 to be our Year of the Sociable Street.  

Over the year we want more people to think of their streets as places to meet neighbours rather than just to park a car. Through word-of-mouth, social media and local magazines we will be encouraging people to walk and cycle around their neighbourhood (broadly BS3). This is as much a health as a transport project.

We’ve already started our ‘say good morning campaign’.

Our first ‘event’ will be the Bedminster Winter Lantern Parade on 8 January.  Another big street event will be Upfest later in the year. There will be a week of Window Wanderland from February 27. We are collaborating with the Blooming Bedminster network which includes community gardeners that tend roadside ‘waste’ patches; promotes our annual Front Garden Awards, our Secret Gardens weekend and the BS3 Wildlife Group.  There will be at least one Arts Trail in 2022 as things begin to perk up after covid (fingers crossed!!).

Hopefully, lots of streets will be opened for Playing Out and street parties will start again. We’ll be encouraging as many of these activities as possible. We’ll also be suggesting that streets introduce a notice board, a box library, seating and other shared items. Some streets already have WhatApp.  Of course, we’ll be urging people to keep their footways clear of rubbish, overgrown hedges and other obstructions and helping them to do so, if necessary.

We hope to involve local primary schools, development trusts and the Bedminster Business Improvement District as all are interested in people reaching them on foot or bike rather than in a car.

We don’t have any money for this experiment and don’t require any, although, if you insist, we won’t spurn a donation towards the purchase of bulbs, art work and other jolly things.