Tag Archives: Communities

Urgent appeal launches for more Bristol foster carers

Today we are launching an urgent fostering appeal, asking Bristolians to take on the hugely important role of giving a home to a child in care.

Why now?

We’re calling on residents across the city to become foster carers following a steady decline in the number of people coming forward to foster with the council. At the same time, the number of children coming into care is continuing to rise.

We now have more than 750 children and young people in care in Bristol but only 353 fostering households in our city through the council. We are incredibly grateful to every single one of them for their support. But, unfortunately, it’s not enough. 

Because of the shortage of foster carers and the increase in demand, we need to place around 40 per cent of our children with private fostering agencies, or, in some cases, in children’s homes. Although a necessity, it can sadly lead to sibling groups being separated and children needing to live outside of our city, away from their communities, schools and friends.

That’s why we’re running an urgent appeal for the first three months of 2023, to encourage potential foster carers to come forward and offer local children secure and loving homes.

Previous response

When we reached out to you in 2020 with an appeal for emergency foster carers – to help us place a high number of children in short-term care during the pandemic – your response was incredible.

It resulted in twice the usual number of enquiries about fostering, leading to an extra 24 households being approved as emergency foster carers.

We need people to step up again as we’re at crisis point. This time we’re again looking for all types of foster carers – from short to long term as well as weekends and short breaks.

Who can foster?

If you have space in your homes and in your lives for a child who desperately needs you, please contact us to find out more about becoming one of our incredible foster carers. All you need is a spare room and to be over 21 years of age.

Foster carers come from every sector of society, income level, ethnic group, religion and sexual orientation.

You don’t need any qualifications to become a foster carer, but it helps if you already have experience with children or caring for people – whether that’s with your own family, childminding, or having worked in a caring profession.

Why foster with us

Bristol is not the only local authority to be facing a critical shortage of foster carers. It’s a national trend experienced in many parts of the country. One possible reason is the increased cost of living we are all facing. That’s why we’re offering a welcome grant of £500 to you, along with a weekly allowance and other benefits, when you start your journey with us as an approved foster carer.

Unlike fostering agencies that are run for profit, all our funding is spent on supporting local children through difficult times, placing them with kind and loving carers in homes where they can feel safe and thrive. 

All our foster carers get one-to-one support from a dedicated social worker, as well as training and skills opportunities, and wellbeing support so to be the best possible carers to Bristol children.

We also offer a range of benefits, such as free access to Everyone Active leisure centres and free events, such as theatre trips and social events at parks. 

What’s more, when you foster with us, you become part of a wider fostering family through Bristol Foster Carers Association, which links you up to other local foster carers and looked after children, which is a useful support network to draw on.

What it’s really like

Our foster carers tell us that, despite the challenges, fostering is the most rewarding thing they’ve done.

Alex Kear, a bus driver with First Bus, has been fostering with his husband for 11 years. He’s shared with us the impact fostering has had on his life and the lives of the children they’ve welcomed into their family.

Alex Kear

Alex told us: “The best bit is seeing children having fun, being relaxed and able to enjoy life which was difficult when living at home.

“It’s a joy to be able to see them progressing at school and achieving good results and making new friends in the fostering community. 

“The advice I would give to people considering fostering is to do it. It can be very rewarding to see the children you look after turning difficult corners in their lives that you have supported them through.”

If you’ve been thinking about opening up your home to a child who needs stability, love and support, now is the time to act.

It’s a lot to consider, which is why we recommend contacting our fostering team first for an information pack and an informal chat.

Visit our fostering website to find out more or call Bristol Fostering on 0117 353 4200.

Charitable Giving at Christmas

Councillor Ellie King, smiling, standing on the ramp of Bristol City Hall
Today’s blog is from Councillor Ellie King, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Communities

Christmas is known as the season of goodwill, and many people associate that with being generous to those less fortunate than themselves. However, the national cost of living crisis is having a huge impact on people in Bristol and I know this will be really difficult for many this year.

Having said that, Bristol never ceases to amaze me in how we come together and help others in their time of need. I am aware of some generous people who are wanting to give back to others this Christmas, whether that’s donating money, volunteering, or donating food. Time and time again, Bristol residents support each other. We saw it during the COVID-19 pandemic and we are seeing it again now.

Of course, you don’t need to donate money or food to make a difference. For you it could be picking up the phone to a family member or friend who you’ve not heard from in a while or checking on an elderly neighbour. There are also volunteering opportunities listed on the Can Do Bristol website.

If you are in the position to and want to help others with money or donations, here are a few ways you can do this:

Bristol Energy Network is doing great work to raise £100,000 to help Bristolians who are struggling to pay their energy bills. They’ve launched the Bristol Emergency Winter Fuel Fund, a city-wide crowdfund to be distributed by five community partners: Ambition Lawrence Weston, Heart of BS13, Re:work, Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust, and Eastside Community Trust.  If you’d like to donate or want to find out more about the fund, who is eligible and how it’ll work, visit their Just Giving page. Alternatively, you could also donate money to a council fund designed to support low-income households who can’t afford the basics like food, gas, electricity, or household goods. Donations can be made on the Bristol City Council website.

While these two funds will be supporting residents specifically, Quartet Community Foundation is raising money for community groups who support our citizens. Quartet’s Cost of Living Fund will help these groups ensure local people and communities can mobilise much needed support and advice. Quartet has a number of grant programmes that charities, voluntary or community organisations can apply to and any money that you donate will go towards these. These community groups did so much for residents during COVID-19 but they’re doing even more with less now. Some of them are opening their doors as Welcoming Spaces and will be facing their own rising energy prices – this fund will help them continue their fantastic work. If you would like to donate to the Cost of Living Fund, visit the Quartet website.

We’ve previously referred to our One City approach to this crisis, with community organisations all coming together to make a difference to residents’ lives. As part of this approach a network of Welcoming Spaces were opened across the city, with 84 now available for all residents to access. A map and list of these are all listed on the Bristol City Council website.  If you would like to support a space close to you with donations, get in touch with them and see what they need.

There are so many people having to choose between paying bills and eating, something that Feeding Bristol noted as being routine practice for some residents. If you would like to help provide food to people this winter, many supermarkets have drop-off points to donate food. Alternatively, you could donate to your local foodbank or club but you’ll need to check with them in advance to find out what items they need. You can find details of the city’s foodbanks on the council’s cost of living support webpage.

If you need any cost of living support or advice visit the council’s cost of living support webpage or call the We Are Bristol helpline for free on 0800 694 0184 between 8.30am and 5pm Monday to Friday. It will not be available on the Christmas bank holidays. Many local organisations are closing over the Christmas period but there will be a section on the webpage shortly with national helplines that will be available to help you should you need it.

Building a better Bristol

Bristol is a rapidly growing city. One of the fastest growing areas in England and Wales, our population has grown by 10% in the last decade. We need to work together to make sure that Bristol grows well, with local communities benefiting from the change happening on their doorstep. Regeneration will bring city-wide benefits so that everyone can thrive.

To ensure these changes are as positive as possible, we have a vision to create vibrant communities with sustainable, inclusive economic growth. Quality affordable homes and job opportunities will be in locations where we can have reliable, frequent public transport connections and be within walking and cycling routes.

As I shared at last month’s State of the City Address, we are elected to shape the city and the outcomes we want for it. The changes coming for Bristol cannot be left to the chances of a developer aligning with an out-of-date Local Plan and a quasi-judicial process. So, we work to push the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, affordability targets, mixed tenures, modern methods of construction, and active frontages. We want to make sure the changes happen as coherently as possible. It’s essential we work in partnership with landowners, developers, and local communities, to create development frameworks which will set out the principles that will guide and inform how change will take place in an area.  

A map of Bristol with highlighted areas showing regeneration projects across the city. Western Harbour is highlighted pink, Bedminster Green is highlighted green, Southmead is blue, City Centre is purple, Whitehouse Street is deep blue, Frome Gateway is orange and Temple Quarter is red.

Bristol’s transformation is already in progress. Our regeneration programme stretches from Bedminster to Temple Meads, St Judes’s to Broadmead, and includes Western Harbour, Hengrove, and Southmead. This can seem overwhelming, especially after decades of under-delivery by the Council, but we have to recognise the changes are a key part of delivering much needed housing, transport infrastructure, and low carbon energy systems. We have to work with existing communities to manage Bristol’s inevitable growth and plan for it.

We need to deliver thousands of new homes by 2036 to match continuing population growth. We also need to invest in transport networks and infrastructure so people can work and learn. We all need to have access to green spaces, and community spaces. What’s more, we need to do this in a way that will help us be a carbon neutral and climate resilient city by 2030 while also improving wildlife and ecology. We have ambitious plans to support these goals.

We’re developing the District Heat Network, connecting energy users across Bristol to a ready supply of affordable, low-carbon heating. The District Heat Network includes the installation of new energy centres at Whitehouse Street, Frome Gateway, and the City Centre. Our Heat Hierarchy will be adopted by every developer when new housing projects are confirmed, energy efficient homes will make residents use of heat more efficient, lowering the cost.

The rivers Frome, Avon, and Malago run through some of the regeneration areas, but in many parts the Frome and Malago are hidden or unloved. Working alongside developers and landowners we have the opportunity to recover and restore these precious habitats. In Bedminster Green, the River Malago will be ‘daylighted’, uncovered from underground tunnels and its natural features restored. Restoring the river brings great benefits; improved flood resilience and biodiversity throughout the river’s course and new green public spaces for people to enjoy. 

We’re focusing on keeping the roots and history of Bedminster and making sure the heritage of industrial space works in harmony with the need for housing, jobs, and our response to the climate emergency to create a modern, thriving neighbourhood. 

We are creating new communities and revitalising Hengrove, with 1,435 new homes being built at Hengrove Park, 50% of these will be affordable. This means more homes for households who cannot afford to pay market rents or buy homes at market value.

To revitalise the local economy and help businesses on East Street, we are making sure that 5,000 residents in new housing in Bedminster Green and Whitehouse Street have easy access to shops with new walking, cycling and public transport routes. A few minutes more travelling will bring residents to the city centre and beyond.

We’re to create a network of low-carbon transport routes, which will make car-free travel in Bedminster and the surrounding areas easier and excellent public transport links connecting people to Temple Quarter. In June, we secured £95 million to kickstart its first phase of delivery around Temple Meads station. 

Our ambition for the Frome Gateway area, located in St Jude’s to the east of the city centre, is for an exemplar neighbourhood. We want it to be recognised for its unique identity, ability to support healthy sustainable communities, and high-quality and sustainable design. Regeneration there, as across Bristol, must include our commitment to retaining a range of employment to help ensure a diverse and growing economy. 

We know the community is strong and but also faces some of the highest levels of socio-economic deprivation in the city. Regeneration will need to provide meaningful opportunities to improve quality of life for the local community and access to opportunity. St Jude’s is also more vulnerable than other parts of the city to flood risk and heat wave caused by climate change and responding to this is a key priority. Our Bristol Avon Flood Strategy, in cooperation with the Environment Agency and developers, will deliver flood defences that work for Bristol: better protecting homes and businesses near our city’s rivers.

Change at Frome Gateway is not driven solely by Bristol City Council. We have to work with the network of landowners, existing businesses, community groups and cultural facilities. We’ve also partnered with South Gloucestershire Council, Wessex Water, and the Environment Agency secure funding to deliver the River Frome restoration project. 

In a similar way, the Council’s city centre team is working with businesses and other stakeholder groups to revitalise the city centre through the City Centre Development and Delivery Plan’. They told us what was important to them now and in the future looking at the centre’s character, economy, housing, movement, streets, parks, green spaces, and climate change, and our design proposals will focus on this guided by the ‘Citizens Brief’.

By planning and co-ordinating development we’ll able to think strategically about how a city impacted by the pandemic can recover and thrive with a modern, vibrant, commercial centre everyone can access.

Bristol will always be changing and growing in different ways, and we have to adapt and seize the opportunities this will bring us. By having a clear vision of the future we want, with sustainable and inclusive growth at its heart, we can build it together.

Want to know more?

Details about all the regeneration projects can be found on their websites.  

All our regeneration work is in service of the Bristol Local Plan, which Cllr Nicola Beech, who has responsibility for Strategic Planning, Resilience and Floods, talked about recently. 

We will soon be asking what people think of draft Whitehouse Street framework when the consultation opens on 17th November.

If you would like to help us shape these projects, or receive regular updates on project developments and engagement opportunities, please take a look at the websites and sign up to our mailing lists: 

Bedminster Green

Whitehouse Street

Frome Gateway

City Centre

Temple Quarter

Western Harbour

Southmead 

Investing in floating harbour’s wildlife and boating community

The map shows the location where the Capricorn Quay pontoon will be. On the waterfront opposite SS Great Britain.

The Floating Harbour in the heart of Bristol is over 250 years old. Functioning as a commercial dock until the mid-1970s, the harbour is now a major tourist attraction with museums, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, whilst also maintaining a working shipyard. It annually plays host to the Harbour Festival, one of the country’s largest free festivals.

Significant investment is needed to keep the harbour running, and our plans for a new pontoon at Capricorn Quay are a step in the right direction. We are creating a large floating ecosystem combined with new moorings.

The increasing the number of moorings by 32 will provide additional income that will assist management of the harbour and its wider environment.

Combined with an integrated floating ecosystem, that connects nearby protected habitats, to improve homes for wildlife as well as overarching biodiversity value and climate resilience for the city. This is in line with the One City Ecological Emergency Strategy goal for 100% of Bristol’s waterways to have excellent water quality which supports healthy wildlife.

The project will provide a large area of floating habitat that will be both visually attractive and functional. It will transform this section of the harbour into a ‘living water park’, the subsurface forest of roots will provide shelter for fish and ideal feeding grounds, improving fish stocks.

The new reed beds will create approximately around 1,000 square metres of habitat that as an ecosystem will improve water quality, support stronger fish stocks and provide haven for birds. Residents and visitors will experience an enhanced waterfront, with visible greenery and more contact with nature.

The micro-wilderness of submerged roots creates an ideal habitat for millions of microorganisms, which use algae, carbon and excess nutrients in the water as a food source, purifying the water.

Biomatrix floating ecosystems, showing how the ecosystem supports wildlife.

The project will enhance the success of five eco-spaces already created in the harbour, including Harbourside Reedbed at Hannover Quay, Millennium Promenade Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) and Bathurst Basin Reedbed.

The location for this and design is supported by evidence in the Biodiversity in Bristol’s Floating Harbour report (2022), the harbour Environmental DNA (eDNA) survey and Bristol ecological network mapping.

The construction uses materials carefully selected for recycled content and only non-toxic materials are used. Once grown, the system is typically 60% living biomass and 30% marine engineered materials. The proposed pontoon is steel framed, it uses polystyrene marine floats with a hardwood deck-board finish. The location on the water is shown on the image below and held in place with mooring cleats and sunken chains.

The pontoon will be connected to the existing bridgehead (formerly used by ferries), and accessible by a gated footway ramp to match the pontoons. There will be service pedestals and emergency cabinets (lifebuoy, fire extinguisher, etc) on the pontoon, and a floating washroom facility alongside the harbour wall.

Community involvement includes educational visits for local schools and citizen science projects using technology such as underwater cameras.

We are writing to local residents to make them aware of the planning submission and provide more information about the plans.

Welcoming Spaces open their doors for Bristol residents

A sign hanging on a pole, with chalk text reading: Welcome please come in.

As we start to feel the cold of the winter months, some people across Bristol will be deciding between heating their homes and putting food on the table. This is an incredibly challenging place to be in and a place I wish we weren’t. With energy bills and other costs rising, we want to make sure that the Bristol residents most impacted by the national cost of living crisis have access to help and support.

Since April I have been having regular conversations with community partners, and it was clear back then that we needed to be ready for a gear change in autumn as the cost of living continued to increase. Until recently people haven’t needed to put the heating on much but, as the colder months begin, things will get more difficult for many. 

As part of these discussions, the concept of warm, Welcoming Spaces was developed. The first of these spaces are now open. We want to support residents struggling with rising energy prices without stigmatising people. We’re already seeing that some people who haven’t face financial challenge before now are, and it’s important to us that everyone feels welcome.

A Welcoming Space is a place that is already established in the community, for example a community centre, care home, children’s centre, or places of worship, where people can meet up, socialise, keep warm and if needed access support with the cost of living crisis. These spaces are inclusive, accessible and about communities coming together.

Venues will be responding to community priorities which means what happens in each space will vary, but is likely to include Wi-Fi, access to electrical charging points, activities and community meals. There will be support provided by city-wide organisations including practical advice about money and finance, emotional wellbeing, mental health support, and employment and skills.

We have created a map of the Welcoming Spaces which are currently operating and will add more as they open their doors in the coming weeks.

The map shows where all the Welcoming Spaces are in relation to Bristol wards.
The map of Welcoming Spaces across Bristol

Bristol is a city that will continue to step up and support each other in difficult times. Welcoming Spaces have been made possible because of our incredible community, voluntary, and faith organisations, as well as city council services responding to this crisis. They draw on a community infrastructure that was strengthened during the pandemic, including volunteer groups and facilities. It is for all of us to get behind them and do what we can to make them a success.

If you have a venue that meets the criteria of a Welcoming Space please let us know by filling out our online form. A Cost of Living Social Action Small Grant is available from Quartet Community Foundation to help organisations offer a space in their community.

There are already several city organisations working together to coordinate help for the Welcoming Spaces. If you could play a part and support Welcoming Spaces please complete the form on our website. This could include providing equipment or transport or support for advice on money, welfare and mental wellbeing.

If you’d like to make a difference in your community during the cost of living crisis and you have some time to spare there are also a range of volunteering opportunities available through Can Do Bristol, from befriending and peer support, to cooking and driving. It is now well established that volunteering has real benefits for our health and wellbeing.

We know we cannot solve the cost of living crisis, but by adopting a One City approach, everyone is able to come together and help reduce cost of living pressures in their communities. The One City cost of living plan is available on the council website.

On Tuesday 11 October, a group of Bristol leaders, including myself, wrote to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Simon Clarke MP to outline our partnership approach to supporting residents during the cost of living crisis and inviting government to visit to engage with us on how we’re responding. The letter also calls on government to improve the level of crisis funding available to local authorities to enable them to better plan support with partners.

If you or someone you know needs support, please reach out. Our We Are Bristol helpline is available for calls Mon to Fr 8.30am to 5pm – 0800 694 0184.

Bristol-City-Office-COL-Mayor-and-Partners-Letter-FINAL-LAW-CORRECT-Oct-22Download

Welcoming Spaces List:

Ashley

  • Bristol Citadel Salvation Army, 6 Ashley Road, BS6 5NL, Bristol, Tuesday to Thursday 3pm to 7pm, 0117 992788 – Food, Hot Drinks, Signposting, Community Activities and Wifi
  • St Werburghs Community Centre, Horley Road, St. Werburgh’s, Bristol, BS2 9TJ, Monday to Sunday 9am to 9pm, 0117 955 1351 – Wifi, computers, St Werburghs Food Share and SEND Activities for Families

Avonmouth & Lawrence Weston

  • Avonmouth Community Centre, Avonmouth Road, Bristol, BS11 9EN, Monday to Thursday 10am to 4pm, Friday 1pm to 5pm, 0117 9827445 – wifi, hot drinks, signposting, community activities, digital services and Wednesday Soup Lunch (£3); Thursday Lunch Club (£5 two courses meal, booking needed)
  • The Rock Community Centre, St Peters Hall, Ridingleaze, Avon, Bristol, BS11 0QE, Monday to Friday 9am to 1:30pm, 0117 9384636 – Access to advice support, community activities and wifi
  • Shirehampton Methodist church, Junction of the High Street and Penpole Avenue, BS11 0DY, Monday to Thursday 9am to 3:30pm, 07305 066478 – advice support, food and hot drinks
  • Port of Bristol Sports & Community Hub, Nibley Rd, Shirehampton, Bristol BS11 9XW, Monday to Sunday 9am to 10pm, 0117 9823927 – signposting, community activity, hot drinks, wifi, charging points
  • Ambition Lawrence Weston, Long Cross, Lawrence Weston, BS11 0RX, Monday to Friday 11am to 4pm, 0117 9235112 – access to advice support, signposting, community activity, hot drinks, wifi and digital services
  • St Andrew’s Church, Avonmouth Road, Bristol, BS11 9EN, Monday to Friday 10am to 2pm 0117 325 8720 – Hot drink and wifi
  • Community Church, @ Lawrence Weston, 170 Kings Weston Lane, BS11 0QP, Wednesdays 3pm to 6pm, 07969 345032 – Signposting, Community activity, Hot Drinks and WiFi
  • Oasis North Hub Bristol, The Long Cross Centre, Lawrence Weston, BS11 0LP, Wednesday 13:00 to 15:30, 07788 338701 – Access to advice support, access to wellbeing support, Signposting, Community Activity, Wifi, Charging points, Food and hot drinks

Barton Hill

  • Mind your music, Unit 23, Barton Hill Trading Estate, Maze St, Bristol BS5 9TQ, Monday 3pm to 5:30pm, 079361 82638 – Music workshops, Hot Drinks, WiFi and Open to people with mental health difficulties.

Bedminster

  • Bedminster Children’s Centre, South Street, Bristol, BS3 3AU, Monday to Friday 8am-4pm, 0117 3746362 – access to mental health wellbeing support, food bank, food club and access to advice support.
  • Victoria Park Baptist Church, Sylvia Ave, Bedminster BS3 5DA, Wednesday to Friday 10am – 2pm, 0117 9772484 – Access to advice support, Community activity, Hot Drinks, WiFi.

Bishopsworth

  • Bishopsworth Children’s Centre, Lakemead Grove, Bristol, BS13 8EA, Tuesday to Friday 8am-5pm, 0117 9781028 – access to mental health wellbeing support, food bank, food club and access to advice support.
  • Zion Arts Space, Bisopsworth Road, Bristol, BS13 7JW, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, when the café is open, Tuesday until 7pm, 0117 9231212 – Wifi, hot drinks, access to advice support and Saturday 12-2pm community café.

Brislington East

  • St. Anne’s Park Children’s Centre, Lichfield Road, Bristol, BS4 4BJ, Monday to Friday 9:30am to 4:30pm, 0117 3773189 – access to mental health wellbeing support and advice support.
  • Broomhill & St Anne’s Park Children’s Centre, Broomhill Infants School, Fermaine Avenue Bristol, BS4 4UY, Tuesday to Thursday 3pm to 4:30pm, 0117-3534276 – access to mental health wellbeing support, food bank, food club and access to advice support.
  • St Peter’s Methodist Church, 170, Allison Road, Brislington, BS4 4NZ, Tuesday 11am to 2pm, 01227 459449 – Food club, hot drinks and wifi
  • Bricks – St Anne’s Community Living Room, St Anne’s Road, Brislington, BS4 4AB, Thursdays 10am to 5pm, 07709 264 201 – Food, Hot Drinks, Signposting, Community Activities, wifi and charging points

Central

  • Redcliffe The Hub, 4, Waring House, Redcliffe, Bristol, BS1 6TB, Monday to Friday 8.30am – 10.30am and 1pm – 3pm with one evening session on Thursday – Wifi, Hot drinks, Community Activities, hot meals and computers

Clifton

  • Friends of Clifton Centre and Library, Princess Victoria Street, BS8 4BX, Monday 2pm to 4pm, Tuesday 10am to 1pm, Wednesday 10am to 4pm, Thursday 10am to 1pm – Signposting, community activity, hot drinks, wifi and digital services

Cotham

  • Everyone Active – Kingsdown, Portland St, Bristol, BS2 8HL, Monday to Sunday 9am to 3pm, 0117 9031633 – Free showers and free guest pass
  • St Mathews Church, Cotham, BS6 5TP, Saturday 9:30am to 12:30pm, 0117 944 1598 – food, hot drinks, wifi and charging points.

Easton & Lawrence Hill

  • Kensington Baptist Church, Stapleton Road, Easton, Bristol, BS5 0NX, Saturday 12-2pm, 0117 951 1202 – wifi, hot drinks, charging points, Saturday 12-2pm – community café.
  • Bannerman Road Children’s Centre, All Hallows Road, Bristol, BS5 0HR, Monday to Friday 8am-4pm, 0117 9030269 – access to mental health wellbeing support and advice support.
  • Eastside Community Trust, Easton Community Centre, Kilburn Street, Bristol, BS5 6AW, Monday to Friday 8am-6pm, 01179 541409 – wifi, hot drinks, community activities, Super Supper Club Wednesday evenings and charging points.
  • St Mark’s Community Café, St Marks Road, Bristol, BS5 6HX, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 9:30am – 4pm – Wifi, Hot drinks, community activities and Washing Machine/Tumble Dryer
  • Welllspring Settlement Centre, Barton Hill Settlement, 41 – 43 Ducie Road, Bristol, BS5 0AX – Monday to Friday 8:30-5pm, Welcome Café: Tuesday and Thursday 11am-2pm, 0117 9556971 – wifi, hot drinks, signposting, community activities, access to advice support and Community Eat Well Café.
  • Bristol Somali Resource Centre, Barton Hill Settlement, 41 – 43 Ducie Road, Bristol, BS5 0AX, Monday to Thursday 3pm to 5pm, Friday 11am to 4pm, 0117 9077994 – Wifi, charging points, advice support and hot drinks
  • Refugee Women of Bristol, Easton Family Centre, Easton, Bristol, BS5 0SQ, Thursday (Term-time only) 9:30am to 2.30pm, 0117 9415867 – advice support, mental health & wellbeing support, signposting to other services, community activities, hot drinks and wifi
  • Church of God Prophecy, 2 Tudor Road, Easton, BS5 6BN, Wednesday’s 11am to 2pm – wifi, hot drinks, food and charging points
  • Tawfiq Masjid and Centre, Aiken Street, Barton Hill, BS5 9TG, Monday to Friday 12:30pm to 8pm and Saturday to Sunday 9am to 8:30pm – wifi, hot drinks, direct access to mental health and wellbeing support, signposting, community activity, digital services and direct access to advice support
  • The Assisi Centre (Borderlands), Lawfords Gate, BS5 0RE, Monday and Tuesday 10am to 2pm, Wednesday (Bookings needed), Borderlands | Refugees | Charity I Bristol I England – Access to mental health support, Signposting, Community activity, Food, hot drinks, wifi and contact the venue for more information about activities
  • Shahjalal Jame Mosque, 468 Stapleton Road, Eastville, BS5 6PE, Monday to Sunday 3pm to 6pm, 0117 9519988 – Community activity, hot drinks, wifi and open to worshipers
  • Easton Jamia Masjid, St Marks Road, Easton, BS5 6JH, Monday, Wednesday and Friday 1pm to 4pm, 0117 951 0317, https://eastonjamiamasjid.co.uk/ – signposting, community activities, hot drinks and food
  • Food Cycle at Easton Christian Family Centre, Beaufort St, St Judes, BS5 0SQ, Wednesday 4:30 pm to 8:30pm, https://foodcycle.org.uk/location/foodcycle-bristol-easton/ – Food (free meals, no booking needed), Hot Drinks, wifi and Signposting
  • Bristol Oscar, 256 Stapleton Road, Easton, Bristol, BS5 0NP, Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm, 01179512200 – Signposting, Hot Drinks, WiFi and Open to Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Sufferers
  • Friends of Eastville Park – The Nissen hut, Eastville Park, Eastville, BS5 6QG, Monday and Thursday 10am to 2pm – signposting, community activities and hot drinks
  • Church of God Prophecy, 2 Tudor Road, Easton, BS5 6BN, Wednesday 11am to 2pm – Food, hot drinks and wifi
  • Chelsea Christian Centre, Devon road, Easton, BS5 6ED, Thursday 12:00pm to 15:30pm – Wifi, charging points, food and hot drinks

Filwood

  • Knowle Children’s Centre, Leinster Avenue, Bristol, BS4 1NN, Monday to Thursday 8am-4pm; Friday 8am-3:30pm, 01173532036 – access to mental health wellbeing support, food bank, food club and access to advice support.
  • Inns Court Christian Fellowship, Marshall Walk, Knowle West, BS4 1TR, Thursday 9am to 6pm, 0117 3771048 – Hot drinks and wifi
  • Inns Court Community Centre, 1 Marshall Walk, Bristol, BS4 1TR, Thursday 1pm to 3pm, 0117 9041220 – food club
  • Salvation Army, Padstow Road, Knowle West, BS4 1EN, Monday 10am to 2pm, 0117 9631655 – Advice support, hot drinks and wifi
  • Knowle West Healthy Living Centre, 2 Downton Rd, Bristol, BS4 1WH, Monday 12 noon to 2pm, 0117 9030018 – signposting, community activity, Hot drinks, Wifi and digital access
  • RE:WORK at Re:Store, 17-19 Filwood Broadway, Bristol, BS4 1JL, Monday to Friday 2pm to 4pm, 0117 9530689 – Community activity, food and hot drinks
  • St Barnabas Church, Daventry Road, BS4 1DQ, Thursdays 9:30am – 2pm – hot drinks

Frome Vale

  • Oldbury Court Children’s Centre, Frenchay Road, Bristol, BS16 2Qs, Monday to Friday 8am to 4:30pm, 0117 3532899 – digital access to mental health wellbeing support, food bank, food club and access to advice support
  • Bristol charities (Vassall Centre), Unit 1, The Vassall Centre Gil, Avenue Bristol, BS16 2QQ, Monday to Friday 8:30am – 5pm, 0117 965 9630 – Wifi, Signposting, Computer, Hot Drinks, Direct access to advice support and charging points
  • Brunelcare: Colliers Gardens Extra Care Home, 16 Colliers Gardens, Bristol, BS16 2NA, 0117 958 6336 – hot drinks and community activities

Hartcliffe & Withywood

  • Brunelcare: Waverley Gardens Extra Care Home, Waverley Gardens Queens Road, Bishopsworth, Bristol, BS13 8EL, 0117 964 1888 – hot drinks and community activities,
  • Withywood Church, Withywood Centre Queens Road, Bishopsworth, Bristol, BS13 8QA, Monday to Friday 8am – 5pm, 0117 987 8400 – wifi, hot drinks and signposting.
  • Hartcliffe Children’s Centre, Hareclive Road, Bristol, BS13 0JW, Monday to Thursday 8am-4pm; Friday 8am-3:30pm, 0117 9038633 – access to mental health wellbeing support, food bank, food club and access to advice support.
  • South Bristol Methodist Church, South Bristol, Methodist Church Hall, Mowcroft Road, Bristol, BS13 0LT, hot drinks, Food Club, tea coffee (Friday 10am-12 noon); Community Meal (last Wednesday of the month 5pm – 6:30pm)
  • Hartcliffe and Withywood Ventures Ltd, The Gatehouse Centre, Hareclive Road, Bristol, BS13 9JN, Friday 10am to 12pm – signposting, food, hot drinks, wifi and charging points

Henbury & Brentry

  • Henbury and Brentry Community Centre, Machin Road, Bristol, BS10 7HG, Monday to Friday 9:30 am – 7:30pm, 0117 9503573 – wifi, hot drinks, community activities, digital access to advice services, charging points, Community Fridge (Monday 10:30 -2pm; Thursdays 11am – 2pm); Cafe and Community meal (Tuesday and Friday 10:30am-2pm; Thursdays 4pm-7pm)); Breakfast (Saturdays 10am-1pm)
  • Everyone Active – Henbury, Avonmouth Way, Henbury, Bristol, BS10 7NG, Monday to Sunday 9am to 3pm, 0117 3532555 – Free showers and free guest pass
  • Branch Community Church at Emmanuel Chapel, Satchfield Crescent, Henbury, BS10 7BN – lunch box and hot drinks

Hengrove & Whitchurch Park

  • Brunelcare: ABC Extra Care Centre, 56 Beech Croft Kylross Avenue, Bristol, BS14 9LZ, 01275 540177 – hot drinks.
  • St Augustine’s Church, 2 East Dundry Road, BS14 0LL, Mondays 10am to 12noon, Wednesdays 2pm to 4pm, Saturday breakfast 10am to 12 noon, Sunday hot drinks 3pm to 4pm, 01257 891154 – food and hot drinks
  • Christ Church, Petherton Road, BS14 9BP, Tuesdays 2pm to 4pm Thursday 10am to 12noon, Fridays 1pm to 3pm, Sundays 11am to 12noon, 01275 891310 – Food and hot drinks
  • Hengrove Park Leisure Centre, Hengrove Promenade, Bristol, BS14 0DE, Monday to Friday 5:30am to 10pm, Saturday and Sunday 8am to 6pm, 01179370200 – Hot Drink and wifi

Hillfields

  • Hillfields Community Hub, Thicket Avenue, Bristol, BS16 4EH, Monday, Tuesday and Friday 11am – 3pm, 01179657711 – Wifi, hot drinks, signposting, community activities and phone charging points
  • Friends of Hillfields Library, Summerleaze, BS16 4HL, Monday 12:15pm to 18:00pm – access to advice support, signposting, community activity, hot drinks, wifi and digital services

Horfield & Lockleaze

  • Ebenezer Church, 286 Filton Avenue, Bristol, BS7 0BA, 0117 9791399 – Wifi, charging points, Foodbank Outlet (Thursdays 1-3pm), community activities, access to mental health wellbeing support and Taste community cafe. (Thursdays 10.30-12.30pm
  • Everyone Active, Dorian Rd, Horfield, Bristol BS7 0XW, Monday to Sunday 2pm to 4pm and Shower 7pm to 9pm, 0117 9031643 – Hot drinks, free showers and free guest pass
  • Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust, 1 Fedden Buildings, Gainsborough Square, Lockleaze, Bristol, BS7 9FB, Monday to Friday 9:30am to 3:30pm, 0117 9141129 – advice support, signposting to other services, food, hot drinks and wifi
  • Lockleaze sport centre, Bonnington Walk, Lockleaze, Bristol BS7 9XF, Monday 11:30am to 13:30pm, 01174568955 – food and hot drinks
  • The Vench, Romney Ave, Lockleaze, Bristol BS7 9TB, Tuesday 9:30am to 3:30pm, 07710392078 – Food and hot drinks
  • Bristol Rovers Community Trust, Memorial Stadium, Filton Avenue, Horfield, BS7 0BF, Tuesday 1pm to 4pm, 0117 9522581 – Access to advice support, wifi, hot drinks, food and signposting
  • Holy Trinity church, Horfield, 43 Wellington Hill, BS7 8SP, Monday to Friday 9am to 10.30am, 07714255670 – Signposting, Community activity, Hot drinks and WiFi
  • Ardagh Community Trust, The Ardagh, Horfield Common, Off. Kellaway Avenue, Bristol BS6 7YL, Wednesdays 1 to 4pm & Thursdays 10am to 1pm (Garden Room) – Community activity, Hot Drinks, WiFi and Charging points

Knowle

  • Knowle Methodist Church, Knowle Methodist Church, 9 Redcatch Road, Knowle, BS4 2EP, Monday 11am to 2pm – wifi and hot drinks
  • Totterdown Baptist (Jerman Hall), Wells Road, BS4 2AX, Fridays 2pm to 6pm – community activity, food, hot drinks and wifi
  • Redcatch Community Garden, Broadwalk Redcatch Park, Knowle, BS4, Monday afterschool to 5pm, Tuesday 12pm to 5pm – Food and Hot Drinks.
  • Redcatch Community Church, Broadwalk, Knowle, Bristol, BS4 2RB, Friday 10am to 4pm – signposting, community activity, food, hot drinks and wifi
  • St Christopher Church, Hampstead Road, Brislington, BS4 3HN, Sunday 4pm to 6pm – Signposting, Hot Drinks, Wifi and Wheelchair access from Falfield Road entrance
  • Oasis Hub South Bristol, Melvin Square, Knowle West, BS4 1NH, Friday 11am to 3pm, 07814 079814, https://www.facebook.com/OasisHubSB/ – Access to advice support, access to mental health well being support, signposting, community activities, hot drinks and wifi

Redcliffe

  • The Hub, 4 Waring House, Redcliffe, Bristol, BS1 6TB, Monday to Friday 8:30am to 10:30am and 1pm to 3pm, Thursday 6pm to 8pm, 07928 249523 – Community activities, Food, Hot Drinks, wifi and computers

Redland

  • Cairns Road Baptist Church, Westbury Park, Bristol, BS6 7TH, Tuesday 6pm to 9pm, 01179425669 – Hot Drinks, Wifi and Charging points
  • Redland Park URC Church, Whiteladies Road, Redland, BS6 6SA, Wednesdays and Thursdays 10:30am to 14:30pm – Community activities, food and hot drinks
  • Tyndale Baptist Church, Whiteladies Road, Redland, BS8 2QG, Tuesday 10am to 16:00pm, 0117 973 7747, https://www.facebook.com/TyndaleBaptist – Hot drinks and wifi
  • Bethesda Methodist Church (The Spark Space), 138a Church Road, Redfield, Bristol, BS5 9HH, Wednesday 12 to 5pm, 01242  269803 – Signposting, Wifi, Community Activity, Food and hot drinks

Sea Mills

  • Sea Mills Methodist Church, Shirehampton Road, Sea Mills, BS9 2DY, Thursday 10am to 12pm – Community Activities, hot drinks and wifi

Shirehampton

  • Shirehampton Library, Station Road, Shirehampton, Bristol, BS11 9TU, Tuesday 3pm to 5pm – Food, Hot drinks, wifi and computers
  • Shirehampton Public Hall, 32 Station Road, Shirehampton, Bristol, BS11 9TX, Thursday 10am to midday – Community activities, hot drinks and wifi
  • Cotswold Community Association, Dursley Road, Shirehampton, BS11 9HX, Thursday 10am to 12pm – signposting, community activity, hot drinks, and wifi
  • St Mary’s church (Tithe Barn), High St, Shirehampton, BS11 0DW, Monday 12:30pm to 15:30pm – Community activity, food and hot drinks

Southmead

  • Southmead Development Trust, Greenway Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol, BS10 5PY, Monday to Friday: 8:30am to 8:45pm and Saturday to Sunday: 9am to 5pm, 0117 950 3335 – hot drinks available
  • Shahporan Islamic Centre Bristol, 3 Doncaster Lane, BS10 5QD, Monday to Sunday 4pm to 8:30pm, 07764 280004 – wifi, access to mental health wellbeing support, signposting, community activity and direct access to advice support

Southville

  • BS3 Community Development, The Southville Centre, Beauley Road, Southville, BS3 1QG, Monday to Thursday: 8am to 8pm; Friday 8am-6pm, 01179231039 – computers, hot drinks, outreach activity, access to mental health wellbeing support, signposting, community activities, digital services, access to advice support, Bedminster Food Club (at United Reformed Church on West Street); Café open from 8-5 daily (introducing pay it forward)

St. George

  • Speedwell Children’s Centre, Speedwell Road, Bristol, BS5 7SY, Monday  to Friday 9am-3pm, 0117 9030206 – access to mental health wellbeing support, food bank, food club and access to advice support.
  • The Beehive, 19a Stretford Road, Whitehall, Bristol, BS5 7AW (St George), Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9am to 12:30 noon, Tuesday and Thursday 9am to 4pm, 0117 9354471 – signposting, Community Activity, food, hot drinks, wifi and charging points
  • Kingswood Methodist Church, Grantham Road, Kingswood, Bristol, Monday to Friday 10am to 2pm (half-term), Saturday 10:30am to 12noon, 0117 373 1849 – Wifi, Food and Hot drinks

St Pauls

  • St Paul’s Nursery School and Children’s Centre, Little Bishop Street, Bristol, BS2 9JF, 0117 9030337 – access to mental health wellbeing support, food bank, food club and access to advice support.
  • St Agnes Chruch, Thomas Street, St Pauls, Bristol, BS2 9JF, Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm, 0117 9030337 – advice support, mental health support and food club
  • Everyone Active – St Paul’s, Newfoundland Rd, St Paul’s, Bristol BS2 9NH, Monday to Sunday 9am to 3pm, 0117 3773405 – Free showers and free guest pass
  • A.P.E Project CIC / St Paul’s Adventure Playground, Fern Street, St Pauls, Bristol, BS2 9LN, Thursday and Friday 3:15pm to 7:00pm, Saturday 1:00pm to 5:00pm, 0117 9542145 – signposting, community activities, food, hot drinks, charging points, open to children, families and young people.

Stockwood

  • Stockwood Children’s Centre, Whittock Road, Bristol, BS14 8DQ, Monday to Thurs 8:30am-3:30pm, 0117 3533506 – access to mental health wellbeing support, food bank, food club access to advice support.
  • BS14 Youth Club, Stockwood Lane, Stockwood, BS14 8SJ, Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10am to 1pm – community activities, hot drinks, wifi and charging points

Westbury-on-Trym & Henleaze

  • Trinity-Henleaze United Reformed Church, Waterford Road, Henleaze, Bristol, BS9 4BT, Tuesday 2pm to 4pm and Friday 10am to 5pm, 0117 9623431 – hot drinks

The cost of living crisis is affecting more of us – including our pets

Coralie Farren, Chief executive of Bristol animal rescue centre posing with a dog in front of a wall with graffiti.
Today’s blog is from Coralie Farren, Chief Executive, Bristol Animal Rescue Centre

This winter is going to be challenging for everyone, as the rising cost of living continues to affects us. Pets might also suffer, as families struggle to afford their care.

Bristol Animal Rescue Centre has been helping, healing, and homing the city’s pets and wildlife since 1887, but our 135th year – has presented us with new challenges to overcome as the cost of living crisis, combined with a rising numbers of animals in need of our care, continues to impact us.

We’ve been working hard to ensure Bristol’s vulnerable animals receive the care they deserve, but we’re faced with many obstacles as we strive to deliver these vital services. From offering free and low-cost access to vet care for low-income pet owners at our Outreach Clinics, to donating pet food to local foodbanks, or caring for pets whose families are forced into the heart breaking decision to sign them over to us – our community needs us now more than ever.

Marvin Rees standing with Bristol Animal rescue Centre employees.

A recent national RSPCA survey found that 78% of pet owners think the cost of living will impact their animals, while 68% expressed concern that the cost of care was increasing. In addition, 19% were worried about how they’ll afford to feed their pets.

Here in Bristol, we’re seeing that this is a reality, from January to May this year, the number of consultations our Outreach vets & nurses did was 1,529, up from 990 for the same period in 2021. Our team is forecasting an even bigger leap over the winter months as the knock-on effects of the cost of living crisis further affect pet owners across Bristol.

Our own energy bills are estimated to go up by around £17,000 this year – a figure which could have been so much worse had we not fixed our tariffs earlier in the year. But who knows what the figure will be next year?

Ultimately all of this will put more pressure on our already stretched team. As we are a charity that relies almost entirely on donations from the local community to keep going, fundraising is tough for us in the current climate, when everyone is feeling the pinch.

A cat being cared for at Bristol Animal Rescue Centre.

For us, the welfare of our animals comes first, so we will do everything we can to continue to offer the exceptionally high standard of animal care that we already do. We’ve been supporting animals in Bristol for 135 years and weathered all sorts of challenging situations in the past. We are determined that we will continue to do so – but we need support to do it.

Anyone wishing to support our work can make a donation here: https://www.bristolarc.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

A place to call home – our vision for children’s homes across Bristol

Image of a red heart, with white outlines on a yellow background.

Making Bristol the best place for children to grow up in is something we’re passionate about. This is even more important when it comes to children in care. We want the children in our care to have a place they feel they can call home.

The circumstances in which children come into our care are often varied and complex. It’s vital we ensure no child is disadvantaged no matter their background or situation. Our teams are focused on ensuring the best possible homes are identified for them – this could be with a foster carer or in a children’s home.

In Bristol, we are working hard to increase the number of children’s homes we have locally so that children do not have to move away from the city and can stay close to their families, friends and schools. 

This is why we have set out a vision for our children’s homes across Bristol which involves focussing on opening smaller homes across the city to help children feel at home.

Our vision

We want our children’s homes to be homely and nurturing. We also strive for the children and young people who live in them to be looked after by kind, knowledgeable and experienced teams. The children should have lots of opportunities growing up, making sure they have access to the best education possible and giving give them the same or better opportunities as their peers so they can enjoy new and fun childhood experiences.

We also aim for the teams caring for children to have the supervision, support, training and development so that the care they provide is of the highest quality and they feel valued.

To help support this vision, we are currently re-profiling our existing homes by closing some of our larger homes and opening smaller homes for two to three children. This allows us to provide children with an environment that feels more like a home and gives them a better quality of care with more one on one support from our dedicated team.

Children are already benefitting from this strategy – we have opened three smaller homes across Bristol which currently care for seven children in total, with a fourth smaller home opening in autumn 2022. We also plan to open at least another three smaller homes in the next three years.

A photo of two houses next to each other, with the sky in the shot behind.

Positive feedback from Ofsted during a recent visit

Recently we have had the opportunity to share our plans with Ofsted. Ofsted’s National Director for Social Care Yvette Stanley, Ofsted’s Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman, and HMI Social Care Inspector Anna Greville visited one of our newer smaller homes and met with the Service Manager Tara Parsons, three of our registered managers and the therapeutic lead for the service. They also met with Mike Jackson, Chief Executive at Bristol City Council, and Gail Rogers, Head of Children’s Commissioning at Bristol City Council. During the visit we received very good feedback. Yvette Stanley said: “It was good to spend time with the residential staff teams who proudly shared their expertise and passion for their work and their children.

“It was also really helpful to meet the Chief Executive and senior managers and to hear about their plans for more therapeutic residential provision so that they can keep more children safely within their communities. Our thanks to all for their warm welcome and best wishes for their future plans.

My recent visit

I too had the pleasure of visiting one of our new children’s homes recently. There were a few things that I took from my visit.

The first is how being a city in which children have a home is a collective responsibility. These children have already been through a lot in their short lives, and they deserve to have somewhere they call home and stay in the city they are from.

The move from large to smaller family homes is welcome. This means more dedicated care and the creation of a more homely environment for the children.

Finally, I need to mention the commitment of the staff at the home I visited. They work tirelessly to make sure the children are well cared for and have access to lots of opportunities. Their situation means they won’t have a childhood like many of their peers, but the staff work to make sure they lead full lives and feel cared for.

Why not join the team?

If you want to be a part of the journey of our children in care, why not join our team during this exciting time?

We currently have vacancies for three Senior Residential Child Care Workers and one Residential Child Care Worker. The vacancies Senior Residential Child Care Workers close on 6 October 2022 and the vacancy for Residential Child Care Worker closes on 4 October 2022.

Launching a Living Rent Commission

Todays blog by Cllr Tom Renhard, Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery and Homes and Labour Councillor for Horfield

In Bristol we face a housing crisis.

We have almost 18,000 households (and growing) on our waiting list for social housing, along with over 1,100 households in temporary accommodation. The cost of renting in this city is one key cause alongside the lack of security that renters have in the private rented sector.

Over the past decade the cost of renting in the city grew by 52%, whilst wages only increased by 24% over the same period and current levels of inflation are far outstripping any growth in income. The spiralling costs mean housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable, pushing many further away from their place of work, family, and support networks, impacting across sectors and low and middle income households

Cllr Tom Renhard, end revenge evictions

This is why we have launched a Living Rent Commission.

We are bringing the best, partnership focused organisations together to explore the issues facing renters.

The principle aims of the commission are to:

  • Improve affordability of the private rented sector
  • Understand the impact of regulation on rent prices including on housing quality and maintenance
  • Identifying the most effective rent controls
  • Consider what other powers are required
  • Consider how to empower tenants’ rights

The powers needed to ensure the rental market is accessible and works for all do not exist. The commission will make recommendations on possible rent stabilisation powers. The powers come from government and so we will work with Westminster on policy development to reform the private rented sector, enabling Bristol to become a Living Rent City.

While we will focus on delivering change for the tens of thousands of renters in Bristol, we are also making links with other urban areas and could see this work pave the way for rent reform that benefits millions across the country. This is our time to make the case for a Living Rent, and it has never been more important given the current cost of living crisis with no immediate end in sight.

We have a track record of supporting action to improve conditions for renters. Whether that be lobbying for the end to no fault evictions, that are a huge driver of homelessness in our city, or campaigning to bring in the eviction ban during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been pushing for renter reform for some time.

With cross party support, I wrote to the Secretary of State setting out the city’s support for the Renters Reform Coalition proposals for change. We will lobby to ensure these issues remain on the agenda. I will continue to fight for better protection for renters and ensure they are not driven out of Bristol.

220509-Cllr-Renhard-to-SoS-Michael-GoveDownload

So how can people contribute to the work of the Living Rent Commission?

We will be ensuring a wide range of people have the opportunity to be heard, including the lived experience of what it is like on the ground. I am grateful to the organisations who are prepared to work together on the Advisory Board and other organisations who will have plenty of opportunity to shape the work.

Get involved, so Bristol can have a clear voice on this – we need a Living Rent that is manageable for people and works for Bristol.   

Want to know more? Get in touch by emailing: city.office@bristol.gov.uk

Membership of Living Rent Commission Advisory Board as at 26/07/22:

  • Fair Renting Campaign
  • Generation Rent
  • ARLA
  • ALL Wessex
  • Shelter
  • Bristol Older People’s Forum
  • Ashley Community Housing
  • Black South West Network
  • UWE Student’s Union
  • UOB Student’s Union
  • We Can Make
  • Trowers and Hamlins
  • Brighter Places

Giant plans for affordable housing delivery

Today’s blog is from Councillor Tom Renhard, Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery and Homes and Labour Councillor for Horfield

Goram and Vincent were the giants of legend who created Bristol and some of its features, such as the Avon Gorge. They were the inspiration for the name of our Council owned housing company – Goram Homes – and now we are helping them to change the face of Bristol again.

This week at Cabinet, we approved the Goram Homes pipeline of council-owned sites to be developed by Goram and its partners. These sites will now be brought forward for new market rate and affordable homes.

There’s been a lot of talk recently about the need for new homes in Bristol, particularly affordable homes, and what the council and its partners are doing about it. We recently approved ambitious proposals to accelerate affordable housing delivery in Bristol to deliver 1,000 affordable homes each year from 2024. Goram Homes and their pipeline are going to play a major role in us hitting this target.

Because the land in the pipeline is council-owned, we have a greater opportunity to build the kind of homes that are needed in the city. Through the partnership model that Goram uses, we can also build developments at a faster pace, using new approaches like Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) to deliver homes that are more sustainable than those made with traditional building methods.

These aspirations are reflected in Goram’s updated pipeline. To take the city’s biggest and most ambitious future housing site – Hengrove Park – as an example, by adding this site to Goram’s pipeline, Bristol will benefit from over 700 new affordable homes when the build is completed. A significant proportion of these will be social rented council homes. That is 50% of the overall total of just over 1,400 sustainable new homes that will be delivered. In fact, out of the 2,992 new homes in Goram’s list of sites, 48% of them will be affordable – a far higher percentage than is likely with developers operating under a more ‘normal’ market model.

Affordable to whom?

We’re very aware that when we talk about “affordable” homes, it means very different things to different people. Put simply, it means housing for eligible households who cannot afford to pay market rents or are unable to buy homes at market value. Types of affordable housing include social rented properties, affordable rented properties, and shared ownership homes.

National policy defines affordable rents as 20% below the market rent. In Bristol, we’re committed to going further than this. Our priority is Social Rent, which is the most affordable of rented homes. Affordable housing providers in Bristol also cap each new letting at Local Housing Allowance levels, which are well below 80% of the market rent.

If you want to know more about affordable housing, this blog from the Bristol Housing Festival is a good place to start.

The council and Goram Homes’ approach will remain focused on building and supporting mixed, balanced communities. That means a mix of affordable and market homes, with sustainability and community at their heart. By delivering homes in such a way, we can make sure that we build the homes we need to give people from across Bristol the opportunity to call somewhere home.

Bedminster Lantern Parade

Today’s guest blog is from Ade Williams, chair of the Bedminster Winter Lantern Parade and Superintendent Pharmacist at Bedminster Pharmacy.

There is great power in togetherness, celebrating each other’s contribution to a joint endeavour. Yet as a society, we are faced with ever-present reminders that our communities are unfairly divided. Sadly the age at which we first experience this only continues to get younger, shattering something that is forever lost.

Over the last 18 months, many of us have discovered an awakened desire to see positive changes in our society. Sadly life with all its demands will start to rob us of the chance to pursue those changes. Do you remember saying, “When this is over, I will not go back to the old ways?”

Ade Williams, Chair of the Bedminster Winter Lantern Parade

Bedminster Winter Lantern Parade has launched a fundraising appeal to raise the £15,000 needed to deliver the tenth anniversary extravaganza, South Bristol’s biggest Winter event. As Chair of the organising steering group, I know a lot about the dedication and work of delivering this event. All the volunteers, artists, teachers, and sponsors that support children across our community express themselves, showcase, and celebrate their work together.

One of the core values of the Parade is that it is proactively inclusive. Children from the nine schools involved represent the ever-increasing rich diversity of our South Bristol communities. Some even over-representing the racial diversity and socio-economic profiles across our shared City.

One of the event’s ambitions is to tackle why some children create lanterns in school but do not participate in the Parade. We feel this is very important. Working with friends and peers to create something exciting must be matched with the joy and thrill of showcasing it. Suppose many more young people can see how much the community loves and appreciates them; the potential fruits of such life experiences can be transformational.

The Parade’s link to better health and wellbeing is an added bonus. Art and creativity are positive health and wellbeing influencers. Collective effort and volunteering increase self-worth while walking the length of the Parade will reduce your blood pressure, burn calories and increase your heart rate — likewise for dancing. As for dancing to the rhythm of the music, you have an expressive licence.

The Bedminster Lantern Parade is a transformational event. Your much needed financial support and contributions enrich our community, sowing seeds to produce a healthier, inclusive, equitable society. Building that better future is the collective effort linking us all together.

Join us here: https://www.lanternparade.org/