Building communities and big opportunities

Last week, we were delighted to invite the team from Unite Students to Ashton Vale Club for Young People. Across the two days of volunteering, seven incredible employees dedicated their day to help us improve our facilities for the benefit of young people!

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During their two volunteer days, the generous volunteers from Unite Students helped us by trimming the overgrown bushes and hedges surrounding our multi-sports court. This has helped to improved the court's appearance and has created a safer environment for our staff and young people when retrieving lost equipment.

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Once the overgrown hedges were cleared, the team helped us remove waste hidden within the bushes and retrieving equipment that had previously been inaccessible for staff and young people to collect due to the overgrowth.

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Thank you to the team at Unite Students for your continued support towards Young Bristol. We greatly appreciate your ongoing efforts and look forward to working with you on upcoming voluntary and fundraising projects. We would also like to thank John O'Conner for donating all the equipment that was used across both voluntary days!

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If you are interested in volunteering for Young Bristol, click here to learn more about all of our voluntary opportunities!

Last week, we were delighted to support three teams from Unite Students as they took part in their first walking half marathon fundraising event, in aid of Young Bristol.

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We were pleased to see 25 staff members from Unite Students take part in their first walking Half Marathon, raising money for Young Bristol. The teams completed their walk from Bath to Bristol on the Bristol and Bath Railway Path in under 5 hours! In total, the team have raised over £3,800 so far!

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Unite Students has been supporting Young Bristol since 2023. Last year, they helped us by running a survey, which provided evidence for Bristol City Council to help secure funding for additional services at the Hartcliffe Club for Young People.

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This year, Unite Students continue to offer their support in various ways. Their support includes participating in voluntary days, with an upcoming date set at Ashton Vale Club for Young People this week. The team are also working on a photography project, helping us develop our growing image library to help showcase our programmes.

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"This marks the second year of our partnership with Young Bristol and after helping last year by running a survey for Hartcliffe Club for Young People, we have really enjoyed having a more hands on approach by hosting fundraising events, the walk being the first to take place. The response we had to the half marathon walk was fantastic, and it was especially great that everyone walking knew the funds were going straight to Young Bristol before we set off. "

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Emma Powell, Insight Analyst at Unite Students

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A huge thank you to the Insight & Analytics, Procurement, and Transformation teams from Unite Students for your continued support this year! If you would like to donate to Unite Student's fundraiser, click here!

During our Holiday Clubs, we were delighted to offer young people the opportunity to learn and practice photography skills during selected sessions throughout the summer!

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Our Marketing team, along with our volunteer photographer Nicolo, visited a number of Community Youth Clubs, the Youth Club on Wheels, and external trips. Young people interested in photography were given creative freedom with our cameras, helping us to expand our image library. These images will be used in our marketing across social media, our eNewsletter, and on our website!

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We are pleased to see that several young people are now considering pursuing photography as part of their studies or as a hobby, thanks to their experience with our cameras over the summer. Our staff are incredibly proud to see such high-quality images produced through the effort of these young people. Some examples are showcased in the image gallery below!

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The photographs taken by young people will be printed and displayed in our Community Youth Clubs!

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If you would like to find out more about our upcoming programmes and activities, click here!

Last month, Young Bristol were pleased to be joined by Nicolo, who volunteered with us throughout the Summer to help us update our image library.

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Nicolo came to Young Bristol through Professionals UK, who support international students to find high quality Internships and volunteering opportunities in the UK. With a passion for photography and an interest in supporting young people, volunteering at Young Bristol was a perfect fit for Nicolo, helping us to update our image library throughout our Summer delivery.

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After our initial conversations, Nicolo agreed to join us for four weeks, where he would visit our programmes across the Summer to capture bright and bold photographs to showcase Young Bristol's inspiring and engaging brand.

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During the four weeks Nicolo volunteered with us, he visited our Community Youth Clubs, Outdoor Activities Centre, and our Youth Club on Wheels, and he joined groups on external trips. We saw Nicolo engage really well with our young people, showing versatility and being personable to everyone he met! Young people even had the opportunity to learn how to take photographs on his camera!

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"I wanted to thank you so much for the experience. It has taught me a lot. I think Young Bristol does an amazing job and in every club I went into, I felt at home. Each club gave a warm and familiar atmosphere and was full of energy. Certainly thanks to the sweetness of the little ones, but also to those who work with you, who you can see put their heart into everything. For a photographer like me, it was a great pleasure to work with you."

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We would like to extend a huge thank you to Nicolo for your support over the Summer, Young Bristol really enjoyed working with you!

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If you would like to volunteer for Young Bristol, click here to find out more information.

This summer, Young Bristol saw 21 days of Holiday Clubs delivered across 5 of our community venues and outdoor activity centre, working with new and existing young people, providing them with exciting and enriching new opportunities, access to healthy food and the opportunity to build new friendships.

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Young Bristol’s Holiday Clubs are located in numerous areas across Bristol. During the school holidays our Community Youth Clubs and Outdoor Activities Team ran engaging sessions during both the day time and evenings. These session provided young people with free activities, prepared meals and a safe space to have fun! Our programmes had a focus on supporting those who receive free school meals.

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"I feel like I belong at this club, the adults are welcoming and I find it easy to make friends with the other kids"

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This summer Young Bristol saw:

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• 2,383 contacts with young people
• 29+ Holiday Clubs sessions delivered.
• 14 communities supported across Bristol with our Community Youth Club and Youth Club on Wheels.

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A breakdown of where these contacts have come from:

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• 1,220 contacts with Young Bristol's Holiday Club's
• 571 contacts from external providers hiring our space
• 416 contacts with our continued Open access evening provision.
• 176 contacts with young people on our Youth Club on Wheels

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Young Bristol would like to thank our staff team, partner organisations and funders for helping to make this summer one to remember. We would also like to thank the Your Holiday Hub Bristol Programme, supported by Bristol City Council and The Department for Education, for supporting 5 of our Holiday Clubs at our city-wide Community Youth Club venues. We would also like to say a huge thank you to Fareshare for providing young people with some amazing food to enjoy across the Summer!

From Monday 9th September, Avon Youth Club's opening times will be changing! We are pleased to announce that the club will be open from Monday-Friday!

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Our Community Youth Clubs, for 8-19 year old's, are located in many areas across Bristol. Each of our Youth Clubs offer a safe and inclusive environment, staffed by caring, trained adults. Our Clubs provide creative, sports and inspiring activities and opportunities. Most importantly, they are spaces for young people to make lifelong friendships and have fun.

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We are pleased to announce that Avon Youth Club will now be open five days a week:

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Monday

6:00pm-8:00pm (Juniors: Ages 8-12)

Tuesday

6:00pm-8:00pm (Mixed: Ages 8-18)

Wednesday

6:00pm-8:00pm (Mixed: Ages 8-18)

Thursday

6:00pm-8:00pm (Mixed: Ages 8-18)

Friday

6:00pm-8:00pm (Senior: Ages 13+)

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Address: 98a Longcross, Lawrence Weston, BS11 0LP

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Looking for a Community Youth Club near you? See below for details on our other Community Youth Clubs, based in a number of areas across Bristol:

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• Ashton Vale Club for Young People – Silbury Road, Ashton Vale, BS3 2QE

• BS14 Youth Club – Stockwood Lane, Stockwood, BS14 8SJ

• Hartcliffe Club for Young People – Gatehouse Avenue, Hatcliffe, BS13 9AN

• Sea Mills' Boys' and Girls' Club – Bluebell Close, Woodleaze, Sea Mills, BS9 2HX

• The Grove @ Bedminster Down – 27a Cheddar Grove, Bedmnster Down, BS13 7EN

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To find out more information on our opening days and times, click here.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Board of Trustees of Young Bristol – a multi-award winning charity with an outstanding record of supporting young people in the Greater Bristol area for almost 100 years. As a member of our committed and enthusiastic Board, you will help shape the future of the charity – and support Young Bristol’s work to transform young lives in our local area.

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Young Bristol is recognised as Bristol’s leading provider of community-based youth services, through our community youth club network based in some of Bristol’s most challenging communities, and a valued provider of outdoor activities, holiday clubs, mobile youth services, as well as outdoor employment and informal educational opportunities. Through safe, fun, and supportive community spaces, it’s our mission to create a positive and sustainable impact, building brighter futures for our young people.

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The Board and Trustee Role

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We are now recruiting new trustees to complement the skills of existing Board members. We are looking for people who feel passionate about our mission as well as having the desire and ability to help Young Bristol achieve its ambitious goals as we head towards our 100-year anniversary in 2028.

The Board of Trustees is jointly and severally responsible for the overall governance of the charity. In addition, and in collaboration with its Chief Executive, it is also responsible for the strategic direction and financial health of the charity, the probity of its activities and developing the organisation’s aims, objectives and goals in accordance with the governing document, and legal and regulatory guidelines.

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Young Bristol is passionate about ensuring the whole organisation represents the diverse communities across the region and we welcome applications from anyone who may feel a connection with our work. There is no need for any prior experience as a trustee, however, candidates should ideally be able to demonstrate:

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• A track record of sound judgement and effective decision making
• Empathy with and a desire to support young people
• A commitment to promoting equality and diversity
• The ability and willingness to devote the necessary time and effort
• The disposition to speak their mind and offer constructive challenge when appropriate
• Willingness to be available to staff for advice and enquiries on an ad hoc basis
• The ability to work effectively and collegially as a member of the Board
• An understanding of the respective roles of the Board and the senior management team

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We are particularly interested in experience in the following:

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• The youth sector e.g. youthwork, schools, safeguarding and all aspects of engagement with young people
• Property management and development
• Governance.

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The Trustee appointment is a voluntary role, with an initial term of three years and renewable twice. Board meetings start at 5.30pm at least six times a year in person in Bristol.

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How to apply

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Please send a CV and short covering letter outlining why you would like to join and what you would bring to the board of Young Bristol to Lee Williams, Chief Executive of Young Bristol, at lw@youngbristol.com. For further information or a discussion in confidence please contact the Co-Chair of the Board, Jamie Cameron, at Jamie.cameron@burges-salmon.com.The deadline for applications is 30^th Sept 2024 and interviews will be held shortly thereafter.

Last week was the fifth and final week of Young Bristol's Summer Holiday Provision. We saw delivery from 4 of Young Bristol’s Community Youth Clubs, Youth Club on Wheels and Outdoor Activity Centre, working with new and existing young people, providing them with exciting and enriching opportunities, access to a free hot meal and the opportunity to build new friendships.

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The fifth week of our Summer Holiday Provision saw:

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• 196 contacts with young people across our Holiday Clubs and Open Access provision
• 13 sessions across the city
• 10 communities supported through our Community Youth Clubs and Youth Club on Wheels.

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Key highlights of the week:

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This week, Young Bristol hosted an Interclub Watersports Day at Poole's Wharf Outdoor Activity Centre, bringing together young people from Ashton Vale Club for Young People, Sea Mills Boys and Girls Club and The Grove @ Bedminster Down. Young people learnt basic paddling skills and competed in confidence building games on kayaks and canoes. Congratulations to Sea Mills Boys and Girls Club for winning our first Watersports Day!

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We invited a group of young people from Ashton Vale Club for Young People to Za Za Bazaar in Bristol's City Centre. Young people experienced eating foods from a number of different countries and cultures as well as building new and existing friendships!

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Young people from BS14 Youth Club went on a trip to Great Avon Woods. During the trip, young people explored the grounds, learnt about aging of trees and looked for local wildlife around the woods.

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Young Bristol would like to thank our staff team, partner organisations, and funders for helping make last week part of the summer of a lifetime. We would also like to thank the Your Holiday Hub Bristol Programme, supported by Bristol City Council and The Department for Education, for supporting our Holiday Clubs at our city-wide Community Youth Club venues.

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Find out more about our holiday programmes here.

This week, Young Bristol hosted an Interclub Watersports Day at Poole's Wharf Activity Centre, bringing together young people from three different communities across the city!

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This week, Young Bristol hosted an Interclub Watersports Day at our Pooles Wharf Activity Centre! We saw three teams from across our Community Youth Club network, taking part in different games and activities to earn points towards the Young Bristol Shield! The day brought together young people from Ashton Vale Club for Young People, Sea Mills' Boys' and Girls' Club and The Grove @ Bedminster Down.

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Young people started the morning with kayaking, learning basic paddling techniques on land, before getting into kayaks and paddling through Bristol's iconic Harbourside. The group took part in confidence building games and races to encourage them to practice their paddling techniques.

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The second half of the session, young people were able to use their paddling skills in Canoes. Each of our Clubs teamed up and took part in a race across the Harbour, with each team attached between two canoes!

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After a long session of paddling, young people enjoyed pizza and healthy snacks inside our newly refurbished Pooles Wharf! To decide the winner of this years Watersports Day, two teams took part in a relay race to decide the overall winner!

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Congratulations to Sea Mills' Boys' and Girls' Club on winning our first Interclub Watersports Day! Well done to all the young people that took part in our Watersports Day, showing great teamwork across the day!

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To find out more about our programmes, including our Community Youth Clubs or Outdoor Activities, click here!