News, stories & updates

This week is Volunteer Week, and Young Bristol would like to share a special thanks to everyone who has chosen to support us in each and every capacity. This week, we would like to shine a light on our amazing volunteers, who help us to offer a safe and inclusive environment and facilitate a range of activities for young people.

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We heard from Soha, a volunteer at The Grove @ Bedminster Down, who spoke to us about her experience volunteering at our Community Youth Clubs.

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Soha began volunteering in 2023, after hearing about us in 2019 during an NCS programme. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to join us when she initially planned due to the Covid pandemic. She wanted to try volunteering as she hoped this would reignite her passions and hoped volunteering would help her to find herself! After meeting the team and joining in on her first session at The Grove, she knew she had made the right decision for herself and has loved volunteering ever since!

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"I love volunteering for Young Bristol because it reflects the journey I have been on and all the obstacles I have overcome throughout my life. But more than that, I feel like I am part of a team full of open-minded individuals who have the same goals as me!"

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Soha's favourite thing about volunteering at our clubs is that she has been able to work with a range of people, both staff and young people, who come from a range of different backgrounds, circumstances and walks of life, who all come together and support each other. She loves to see young people learn new skills and build new relationships and could not be prouder of what she has helped them to achieve.

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"I went into volunteering with the intention of rediscovering myself; which it certainly has done. However, volunteering has proved to be so much more than that and it has been the best decision I have ever made!"

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A huge thank you to Soha and all our other volunteers for all your continued support across our Youth Clubs, helping young people discover what they are capable of! If you would like to volunteer with Young Bristol, click here to learn more.

This week is Volunteer Week, and Young Bristol would like to share a special thanks to everyone who has chosen to support Young Bristol in each and every capacity. This week, we would like to shine a light on our amazing corporate partners, who have gone above and beyond to voluntarily raise money and support Young Bristol.

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One example, from our number of incredibly generous partnerships we have developed, is BBS Plumbing and Heating Supplies. BBS contacted us prior to their 90th birthday event, where they were looking to support a local charity to help benefit the next generation of Bristolians. Their initial fundraising efforts at their 90th celebration raised over £5,000 for Young Bristol!

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This week is Volunteer Week, and Young Bristol would like to share a special thanks to everyone who has chosen to support Young Bristol in each and every capacity. One group we would like to shine a light on is our Board of Trustees!

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Our Board of Trustees are a group of volunteers who help to drive our developing work with children and young people across Bristol.  We are pleased to work with 11 trustees, who are responsible for the strategic direction and development of Young Bristol.

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We asked our Trustees why they chose to support Young Bristol. Jonathan Webb, President, said:

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"Young Bristol is a wonderful charity. Its impact goes way beyond all the things it does for the young people of Bristol and the wider area. Whenever I meet people who have had their lives improved for the better through YB  I am reminded what a privilege and pleasure it is to be involved. "

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Carolyn Jenkins, Trustee, added:

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"Everyone at Young Bristol works hard to support young people, providing opportunities and experiences to enhance and transform lives - from youth clubs to outdoor activities and employment schemes. It is an honour to be part of such a committed charity and team, and so rewarding to see the many stories of positive impact across the city"

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Thank you to our Board of Trustees for your continued support and voluntary efforts to support Young Bristol and the young people of Bristol!

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If you would like to support Young Bristol but unsure where to start, click here and read more on how you can support us!

This week, we finished off the May Half term by hosting an Interclub Dodgeball tournament for young people across our Community Youth Club network to enjoy!

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Avon Youth Club kindly facilitated our Dodgeball tournament, where we saw representatives from Avon Youth Club, Hartcliffe Club for Young People and The Grove @ Bedminster Down, to compete and win this years dodgeball competition.

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The day saw young people take part in a junior and senior category, with a round-robin format. Each round consisted of 3 games, where young people competed against each other to win the most points and secure a place in the final!

This year, Young Bristol organised NABGC's 58th annual Canoe Test!

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Through the bank holiday weekend, young people from Young Bristol and those associated with the National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs took part in The Canoe Test 2024. The challenge took place over four days, with participants paddling down the River Wye.

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Young people completed this challenging event, with some achieving up to 100 miles of canoeing! The event taught all participants some life-changing skills in addition to canoeing, such as preparing their own food and setting up their own tents to camp in, which they can continue to use on future adventures.

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The four days of canoeing down the River Wye was all under the expert guidance of Young Bristol's Commercial Activities team, ably supported by a number of volunteers, all giving up their bank holiday weekend to to ensure all young people participating in this years Canoe Test had an amazing experience!

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Thank you to everyone who helped to make this years Canoe Test a truly unforgettable event full of learning, laughter and friendship-building!

Last week, Young Bristol were pleased to be in attendance at World Youth Clubs Leadership Institute 2024 in Atlanta, alongside some other great youth organisations from NABGC, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, Liberia and Georgia as well as states across USA!

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During the first few days at World Youth Clubs Leadership Institute, attendees were given the opportunity to explore the facilities on offer for young people across Atlanta! Our team were also able to meet and connect with individuals from across the globe, who shared their experiences of youth work from different countries!

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Later in the week, World Youth Clubs Leadership Institute delegates and 14 other nations were recognised at the Boys & Girls Club of America's 118th Annual Conference! It was amazing to connect with youth working peers to explore strategies and share insights. Later in the conference, we heard from some of Atlanta's alumni, including singer-songwriter Usher, who had previously attended youth clubs in Atlanta as a teenager.

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We would like to thank World Youth Clubs for hosting another great conference this year. Young Bristol representatives enjoyed their time in Atlanta and have brought all their learning and growth back to Bristol, ready to apply and benefit our young people! We are excited to hopefully attend next years conference.

This month, we were pleased to take a number of young people who attend our Community Youth Clubs and Outdoor Employment Programme to visit Glastonbury Festivals site!

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We are pleased to be partnered with Glastonbury Festival this year, with a number of our trainees attending the Outdoor Employment Programme volunteering at the festival!

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Last week, Glastonbury invited a number of our young people to join them on the festivals site! Young people received a full site tour and were able to see behind the scenes as well as the iconic stages being built!

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After an amazing tour of the site, the group then went on to paint bins that are planned to be used across the site! Young people and staff got stuck in and painted some incredible and creative designs.

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I knew bin painting would get the young ones really engaged but I was also pleasantly surprised to see how much the older trainees and enjoyed getting stuck in. It was really great to hear the comments on the coach home about how much they really enjoyed the day!

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We would like to extend a huge thank you to Glastonbury Festival for inviting our young people to leave their mark at this years festival. We hope to continue working together and hope to get involved with future activities on offer!

On Sunday 19th May, 9 runners signed up to run the AJ Bell Great Bristol run, to raise money for Young Bristol!

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Our 9 runners set off from the heart of Bristol City Centre and lapped around some of Bristol's most iconic landmarks and enjoyed the scenic views. The group that chose to fundraise for Young Bristol, set off from the starting line in the morning, and crossed the finish line with impressive lap times. Each of our runners pledged to raised a set amount, and each one smashed this target! Thank you to the group for all your fundraising efforts!

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Thank you to our 9 runners who took part in the Half marathon in aid of Young Bristol!

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If you are interested in taking part in a third party fundraising event for Young Bristol, click here to learn how you can fundraise for us.

Young Bristol are proud to announce that our young people have been shortlisted for the Bristol Young Heroes Awards 2024!

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The Bristol Young Heroes Awards recognises and celebrates the valuable contribution that Bristol's young people make to the city. The awards shine light on those who have overcome difficult circumstances, made a difference to the lives of others, or have achieved something extraordinary this year!

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On Tuesday 14th May, our six shortlisted nominees attended the Bristol Young Heroes Awards Nominee reception at City Hall, hosted by Community of Purpose.

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The evening was an amazing event for all finalists of the award to meet the other nominees, collect their finalists certificates and were introduced to the awards fantastic supporters who can offer young people potential life changing opportunities.

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We wish shortlisted nominees the best of luck at the Bristol Young Heroes Awards on Friday 5th July:

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• Amelia, Environmental Hero - Hartcliffe Club For Young People
• Dasha, Sporting Hero - Outdoor Employment Programme
• Hartcliffe 10, Team Award - Hartcliffe Club For Young People
• Kyle, Action Hero - Hartcliffe Club For Young People
• Looked After Children group, Team Award - BS14 Stockwood Youth Club
• Missie, Super Hero - The Grove @ Bedminster Down

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Young Bristol would also like to recognise Ellis and our Outdoor Activities team, who have achieved incredible things during 2023! To find out more information about their nominations, click here!