The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Norwich Youth Court just before Christmas on Thursday 22nd December, where he pleaded guilty to charges of affray and possession of an air weapon.

The charges relate to an incident on Bluebell Road on 8th October 2011 in Eaton Park, in which a 12 year old boy was shot. Two other youths, aged 14 and 15, arrested in connection with the incident were given final warnings.

Under the referral order, the offender is expected to agree a contract with a youth offender panel and encouraged to take responsibility for what they have done.

The teeenager was also ordered to pay £150 in compensation.

As this short film shows, hundreds enjoyed watching, rehearsing and performing in the Saxophone Massive, which opened the NNF11 outside the Forum.

William Galinsky, the festival’s Artistic Director said: “Sax Massive was one of the highlights of last year’s Festival.  Its success is testament to the appetite of people in this part of the world to be part of something extraordinary.  Next year’s programme is still under wraps but we can promise that NNF12 will include opportunities to get involved in exciting projects that will showcase more local talent and re-imagine how Norwich and Norfolk are seen by the wider world.”

This year’s festival finale was also free to the public – a late night wired aerial production in Eaton Park.

Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2012 runs from 11 – 26 May 2012

A 12-year old boy needed treatment in hospital after being hit by an airgun pellet near Eaton Park.

Police are appealing for witnesses, after a boy was shot by an air rifle. He was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich hospital just after 1pm on Saturday 8th October 2011.

The 12 year old was on Bluebell Road when he was hit in the right elbow with a pellet.

Officers are investigating whether this is linked to two reports of vehicles being damaged on Bluebell Road. In one case a bus was hit by an unknown object which smashed one of its windows and, in the second, a white van was hit by an unknown object that smashed a window: shards of the glass injured the driver.

Police would like to reassure the public these are isolated incidents and are following lines of enquiry.

Anyone who witnessed the incidents, saw any suspicious behaviour in the vicinity of Bluebell Road or has knowledge of the incidents should contact Bethel Street CID on0845 4564567 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

It’s part of a £1.3M project which will see a children’s charity open their new centre at the St Raphael Club.

The former St Raphael Club will become the base for The Hamlet Centre’s children’s activities and services. The charity supports children with special needs but have outgrown their base on Ella Road.

Work started last year on the major transformation of the building, which includes moving the charity’s popular toy library from Ella Road. Chief executive Michael Rooney said: “We will now open in September, not June, but it’s for a positive reason, meaning that all our children’s services can now be based at the new site, leaving all of Ella Road for our adult service.”

The charity are planning a summer family fete in Eaton Park on August 7th, proceeds of which will go towards their fundraising project.

As an example of this, the group are holding a Bat and Moth Hunt this Friday night.

The awards are presented each year by the Norfolk Biodiversity Partnership to the best community biodiversity projects in the county. They recognise the efforts of local people in achieving improvements for the wildlife of Norfolk and reward excellence in this area.

Scott Perkin, Biodiversity Services Co-ordinator for the Norfolk Biodiversity Partnership, said: ’’There are many wonderful stories behind this year’s award winners which demonstrate just how much can be achieved by enthusiastic groups and individuals keen to enhance their local communities for wildlife.”

Friends of Eaton Park were awarded “highly commended” in the group category. The Norwich Bat Group also won the Species Award for its “outstanding work to raise awareness of bats in Norwich through an inspirational programme of bat walks, talks, training and activities.”

This Friday’s event is between 8.30-11pm. Meet at the Rotunda in the centre of the park.

Avenue Junior School was named Sports School of the Year, while Norwich Parkrun won Club of the Year.

Norwich City Council honoured up and coming sports stars of the future,  coaches, teams and those who put hours into the service of sport at an awards ceremony last night.

Team of the year went to CNS under 15s Rugby Team, while Mark Bateman, from UEA City of Norwich Swimming Club, won Volunteer of the year. The award for Young Achiever was shared between Dan Chambers from Norwich Cycle Speedway Club, and Will Smith from City of Norwich Athletics Club.

Coach of the year went to Louise Bush, from UEA City of Norwich Swimming Club, while the award for Lifetime commitment to sport went to former councillor Roy Blower.

Martine Holden, leisure and sports development manager for the city council, said: “We’re very fortunate in Norwich to have lots of strong clubs with talented athletes and countless people who contribute so much to the sport they love. Every year we are overwhelmed by the quality of the responses we get. This year was no exception which always makes it very difficult to choose the winners.”

The free wired aerial production starts at 10.15 pm in Eaton Park.

It’s called “The World Tipped” and tells a tale of ecological crisis. The photo captures rehearsals in daytime but the performance itself will be at night, in front of a giant screen.

The performance will bring this year’s 16-day festival to a close. Artistic director, William Galinsky, said: ”Norfolk & Norwich Festival is thrilled with the audience response this year.  We have had record numbers at events like Saxophone Massive, Deabru Baltzak’s incredible The Wolves and for our wonderful weekend of free outdoor street theatre, which brought thousands of people to the City and Chapelfield Gardens.”

Next year, the festival hopes to attract even more world and UK premieres than this year,  to make Norfolk & Norwich “a truly world class festival.”

Due to limited parking at Eaton Park, organisers are advising people to walk or cycle. Some car parking will be available at Colman Junior School on South Park Avenue.

But if built, the historic park could become a beacon centre for tennis in Norwich.

Eaton Park has been identified as the ideal site by the Greater Norwich Tennis Partnership, because it’s central and accessible, with an existing café and other facilities on site.

Originally home to 29 grass courts, Eaton Park lost those courts last year because they were too expensive to maintain. Under these new plans 4 porous, hard-wearing courts would be built with floodlighting to allow all-year round use.

We’d like to draw on the many people taking photos in and around south Norwich to enrich our news output.

With the right shot, your photo could become headline news.

To find out more, join our South Norwich News group on Flickr.

Photo: John King

It may be that your shot captures an event or incident, potentially bringing a story to life for thousands of readers.

Take these shots taken John King and Caspar Evans, who’re both interested in photography.

The first captures the city’s newest skatepark being put through its paces. The second shows the sun rising as early morning bird-watchers set out in Eaton Park.

This is a chance to have your picture seen by a wider audience. You don’t have to be an expert photographer. It could be that you use your mobile phone, such as this image of a huge restaurant fire. Such photos can be emailed straight to editor@southnorwichnews.co.uk.

All photos are attributed and only used once copyright permission has been given.

Join our Flickr group and we’ll share our best shots of the local area with you too.

Photo: Caspar Evans

The 16-day festival launches with a free performance by 200 local saxophonists outside The Forum.

And the Festival Finale – which is also open to anyone – will take place in Eaton Park.

The NNF11 is extending the amount of free and ticketless events this year as part of its programme.

200 saxophone players will practice over the coming weeks for the Festival’s first performance – Andy Sheppard’s Saxophone Massive – on Friday 6th May. It includes saxophonists of all abilities, aged 8 to 80.

Over the first weekend, musicians, dancers and circus acts will perform in venues across the city centre, such as Chapelfield Gardens and The Plantation Gardens on Earlham Road. Huge mechanical puppets will perform a reworking of The Pied Piper of Hamelin along Gentleman’s Walk, which again is free and open to all.

The Festival Finale will be staged in Eaton Park. The piece of theatre combines “dramatic video visuals with breathtaking aerial performance.”

The free outdoor events are being sponsored by May Gurney. Their Direct or of Marketing, Andrew Slater, said:  “The MG Free programme, now in its fourth year, is designed to attract and engage people of all ages and from every part of our local community.”

Tickets for paid performances went on sale today. For details of the full programme of events, see the NNF11 website.