B.R.C condemns recent Robbery

The Beechmount Residents Collective ( B.R.C ) condemns the recent Robbery of local shop Costcutters,this follows an attempted robbery of another local shop during the week in the Beechmount area.

Local shops give a much needed service to the people of Beechmount,the robbery on Wednesday night and attempted robbery during the week is an attack on the whole Beechmount Community.

Over the past number of months Beechmount has become a playground for anti-social behaviour people need to stand together and reclaim this proud area.

The Beechmount Residents Collective is utterly disgusted of what has happened and our thoughts are with the members off staff within the shops as these would be frightening experiences.

Misuse of Fireworks during the run up of Halloween.

The time has come again when kids and adults alike get ready for the Halloween celebrations from fancy dress, trick or treating and watching firework displays at organised events or home displays.

Fireworks can be fun, and are a part of the Halloween celebrations, though the celebrations can turn to tragedy as a result of serious burns or disfigurement if fireworks are misused.

Unfortunately, a small minority of anti-socials are using fireworks irresponsibly and causing a serious nuisance within the Beechmount community. Youths have been using fireworks as weapons to harass local shops and residents to possibly injure individuals.

We, the newly formed Beechmount Residents Collective, would urge businesses and individuals who sell fireworks to the youth of Beechmount, and beyond, to cease immediately before a child, or any other member of our community, ends up in a critical condition.

If any resident has any information on those who are selling fireworks to young people please don’t hesitate to contact a member of the Beechmount residents collective (B.R.C) or email us on beechmountcommunity@gmail.com

Death driver’s back on our streets

On Saturday night (29th of September) in Beechmount avenue death drivers where back on our streets.

The stolen car that was 'joy riding' up and down Beechmount Avenue had narrowly missed numerous houses along the way and a shop front. The vehicle then proceeded to crash into a set of newly erected traffic lights, the vehicle was then set alight and left in the street burnt out.

40 plus youths were gathered in Beechmount Avenue and the surrounding area for over 3 hours before the car came into the community. The youths were drinking alcohol and could be seen and heard by many residents shouting, antagonising, throwing bottles and other projectiles.

Residents of the area have approached the Beechmount Residents Collective and have stressed their concern about the on-going situation in the community. Issues of anti-social behaviour and most recently the case of car crime, something that has been on the rise for the past number of months in the area. After talking to the residents it is clear to see that Saturday was the worst case of anti-social behaviour that the residents have witnessed in some time.

The PSNI were no where to be seen around the area on Saturday night, which appears to be, might I add, quite frequently the case. The PSNI claim to be defending our working class community. Yet this is another clear example that the PSNI are unable and are completely uncommitted to dealing with these issues. Many of these anti-social elements (hoods) are known to the PSNI but seem to be immune from prosecution and are allowed to have free reign in the community to continue with their anti-social activities.

The scenes witnessed on Saturday night instilled fear into motorists passing through the area and residents of the area. Also the young children of the area have been left scared and deeply upset. This type of behaviour is completely inappropriate and unwanted in and by the Beechmount community.

The Beechmount Residents Collective (B.R.C) would like to stress that our community needs to come together, self empower and stand against the anti-social elements that wish to decimate our proud community.

Update Thursday 4th of Oct:
The Above statment was sent to the Andersonstown News to highlight the concerns of the people of beechmount, The A.T.N ran with the Story in todays paper...

The link below is the scenes from Saturday night that has been uploaded on youtube, a 20min video of the stolen car:  
(please note this is not to promte the video in any way)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxBBMzGbqVE&feature=share&list=UUzgMTgHRV81QKh0i_t62d1A

Ally gates Restored.

At the newly formed (B.R.C) Beechmount Residents Collective meetings a number of issues were brought up, ally gates being one of the issues. Residents were concerned about broken ally gates that have been attracting anti- social elements to the back of there homes.

The B.R.C got in touch with a Welder and yesterday (sat 11th of aug) the ally gates were fixed.A big thank you to the welder for restoring the ally gates that will bring some peace at mind for local residents.

Andersonstown news:

Letter from Newly formed Beechmount Residents group

On Friday 3rd August 2012, a well known political party organised a mass leaflet drop in Beechmount in a malicious attempt to frighten people from contributing to the newly formed residents group here. This followed our successful public meeting held the previous Wednesday despite attempts of sabotage from both the parish priest and the aforementioned political party.

This leaflet was entirely inaccurate in its accusations and tried to scare the people of Beechmount with bizarre allegations such as 'dissident' republican infiltration and by raising emotive topics such as rape as well as several other groundless accusations and insinuations. We do not intend to engage in a tit for tat leafleting war with any political party, it is the right of all residents (of all political persuasions and none) to organise within the streets where they live and this is happening.

The emergence of an independent residents group has clearly frightened those who think that they have the right to own and control the districts in which we live. The political party who visited and leafleted Beechmount on Friday largely represent the interests of business men, landlords and the new property class, we the residents of Beechmount cannot afford to escape from the realities of our situation.

We wish to stress

• The newly formed people's residents group is just that, a peoples group not steered or directed by any political party. People of all political beliefs and none are welcome. The same cannot be said of the old residents association.

• We have no problem engaging with genuine statutory bodies and hold bin men, firefighter’s ambulance crews in the highest esteem. However we do not view the forced promotion of the PSNI (on a politically driven agenda) as necessary for genuine development of our community.

• We envisage circumstances where we will engage positively with young people involved in anti-social behavior, handing that task over to the agent handlers of the PSNI clearly has not worked. This is not merely a political issue; it is a vitally important social one causing daily crisis in our streets.

ON THE SUBJECT OF THE PSNI: Should a resident wish to phone the PSNI they will do so...it is their life. We don’t feel the need to spoon feed state policing to the people of Beechmount but rather put our energy into making it a better place to live. We will not however facilitate PSNI intelligence gathering by identifying or providing to them, details of local youths, residents or those with alternative political beliefs.

• At no time have we mentioned the development of a vigilante group (there will be no vigilante group) yet Beechmount has been plagued with every form of anti-social activity in recent years and people are crying out for intervention. The people will in time decide how best to deal with these issues.

• We are not out to dispute claims of some good work done by the previous residents association, yet we say clearly that more needs to be done to restore pride and security to the people of Beechmount that we as residents will be working on.


Signed: Liam Morrison & Tommy Doherty

Andersonstown news (thursday 9th of august) the 'old' Beechmount resident’s assoc attacked the newly formed independent residents group

In the Andersonstown news (thursday 9th of august) the 'old' Beechmount resident’s assoc attacked the newly formed independent residents group with lies.

For the people that attended the meeting there were residents with different political views &     none. We called the meeting to reclaim the residents group for the people of Beechmount to bring some peace & pride to the community.

This is the newly formed Beechmount Residents Collective (B.R.C) Blogspot to keep the people of beechmount up to date on the B.R.C activity in the area.

The B.R.C is a independent residents group for the people of beechmount and will be working on issues facing our community.