Young people recognised for Bristol Young Heroes Award 2024!

Thanks to Bristol City Council Community Infrastructure Levy Fund, we are pleased to see Pooles Wharf Outdoor Activity Centre under refurbishment, with exciting developments to the centre’s facilities and outdoor area!

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Since its inception in 2000, our Pooles Wharf Activity Centre has evolved to become one of Bristol’s premier providers of outdoor pursuits. The vibrant hub is home to a broad range of water-based opportunities for Bristol’s young people and the wider community, as well as hosting Young Bristol’s Outdoor Employment Programme, Kayak Club, Holiday Clubs and more!

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As part of the charity’s 2022-25 Strategic Priorities, we have focused on investing in our infrastructure, resources and buildings, ensuring young people and their communities have an environment that they can thrive in.

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The centre’s refurbishments have been made possible by Bristol City Council's Community Infrastructure Levy Fund as well as matched investment from Young Bristol, which has enabled us to give a much-needed modernisation to the centre. The refurbishments to the centre include slip resistant safety flooring, energy efficient lighting throughout, fully accessible bathroom, as well as the addition of double glazing to further boost our energy efficiency, helping to bring down the cost of utilities.

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The funding from Bristol City Council as well as our investments, have allowed us to transform the space, giving young people, schools, youth groups and the wider community an improved experience when accessing and using the facilities at the centre.

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The improvements, which began earlier this year, have also seen the installation of a new kitchen, toilets, interior and exterior lighting, windows and flooring, as well as an expansion of the downstairs entranceway.

On Friday 5th July, we were pleased to attend the Bristol Young Heroes Awards to support our 6 young people and teams who were nominated as finalists. Young Bristol would like to congratulate all the nominees and winners at 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 a 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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Dasha, Outdoor Employment Programme - Sporting Hero

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Congratulations to Dasha from Young Bristol's Outdoor Employment Programme, who was awarded the Sporting Hero Award at the Bristol Young Heroes!

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Dasha was nominated for the Sporting Hero after overcoming considerable challenges during 2023 whilst maintaining a focus on helping others and forwarding her own potential through sports and academic studies, which has been highlighted since joining our Outdoor Employment Programme. Dasha has become a real inspiration to all the other young people attending both the Outdoor Employment Programme and The North Avon Canoe Club.

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Phil Harris, Outdoor Employment Programme Lead said,

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You are an inspiration to the sport, you are an inspiration to us and you are an inspiration to all the other young people on the Outdoor Employment Programme. I’m really excited to see where this journey takes you in the future.

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When receiving her award, Dasha added

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A big thank you to everyone for supporting me through my paddling journey!

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Missie, The Grove @ Bedminster Down - Super Hero

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Congratulations to Missie from The Grove @ Bedminster Down, who was awarded the Super Hero Award at the Bristol Young Heroes!

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Missie was nominated for the Super Hero Award as she has demonstrated remarkable resilience and dedication as a Young Leader. She has grown to be a beacon of inspiration for all and Missie has been able to build strong relationships with both staff and young people since her time at The Grove. Even in the face of personal loss when her beloved Nan passed, Missie has found solace and purpose in her volunteer work at her local youth club

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Jesse Payne, Club Leader at The Grove @ Bedminster Down said,

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Missie, you are an inspiration to everyone here at The Grove, from the staff, the young people and even myself – this is why I love doing my job is because of young people like you!

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When receiving her award, Missie added,

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Volunteering gives me a reason to be who I am and to help others. I would encourage others to volunteer. A massive thank you to everyone for pushing me to get to the stage I am at today.

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Looked After Children Group, BS14 Youth Club - Team of Heroes

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The BS14 Looked After Children team were nominated for the Team of Heroes Award after leading Open Access club sessions, specifically targeting "Looked After Children", which is the only session of it's kind in the local area. The group have welcomed 70 young people since it's launch, with 797 total contacts with these young people!

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Andy Kimber, Head of Operations said,

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I just want to thank you for the work that you do. Your commitment to young people, your commitment to BS14 Youth Club – the centre could not run without you.

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When receiving the teams award, Kat added,

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We love our jobs and you guys are all just so inspiration. This is why we do what we do as Youth Workers.

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Tremaine, Hartcliffe Club for Young People - High Sheriffs Award

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Tremaine was nominated for the High Sheriffs award as he has helped to make a massive impact at his local youth club and in the local Hartcliffe community! He has delivered social action projects, which has helped to improve the lives of local families and and residents as well as increasing the number of opportunities on offer in the area.

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Despite his own personal issues as well as the additional pressures of being a young carer at home, Tremaine has been involved with a number of groups, which have influenced major decisions that have been made for Bristol's young people city-wide. These groups include advisory panels, Young Bristol's Youth Voice and he has also met with Avon and Somerset Police, discussing ways to educate young people about prevention of involvement ingangs and knife crime.

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Web Matthews, Trustee at Hartcliffe Club for Young People said,

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When Tremaine started to volunteer, we had to put a cap on how much he attended. He wanted to be here 5 nights a week and weekends. I would be proud to have you as a son anytime. Here at the club, you have a big opportunity to grow and develop. Dare I say it, one day you will replace me - but not quite yet.

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When receiving his award, Tremaine added,

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The award itself, it’s fantastic I am grateful for it and it has touched me at the bottom of my heart, but there is something else more than that. I want to say it’s the people I have with me. They have supported me through everything. There wouldn’t be a Tremaine without them, even when I am down at my lowest, they help me.

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We would also like to extend a huge congratulations to Kyle, Amelia and Hartcliffe 10 who attended the Bristol Young Heroes Awards and were nominated as finalists in a number of categories. It was amazing to hear about the inspirational young people in Bristol who are making differences to the city everyday!

Young Bristol are excited to announce that we have received grant funding from the KFC Youth Foundation!

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Ashton Vale Club for Young People, Hartcliffe Club for Young People, Sea Mills Boys' and Girls' Club and The Grove @ Bedminster Down were all selected amongst various other local organisations across KFC restaurant communities in the UK. Our aim with the funding will be to empower young people to reach their full potential!

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At Young Bristol, we believe that every young person has the right to discover what they are capable of. We work with young people aged 8 - 19 (up to 25 for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) in 16 communities in and around Bristol, in-turn, supporting their families and wider communities. The funding received from the KFC Youth Foundation is vital as it will allow us to continue our work with Bristol’s young people by supporting their clubs core needs.

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Young Bristol would like to extend a huge thank you to the KFC Youth Foundation for recognising the work we do to help build positive futures for the young people of Bristol!

We are pleased to announce that we have been able to purchase our Young Leaders their own uniforms. Our 8 Young Leaders were excited to feel like part of the team with their new Young Bristol branded hoodies.

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Across our Community Youth Club network, we have a number of young people who are excited to join our voluntary team as young leaders! The role of our Young Leaders is to support the staff team and junior young people by running their own sports or crafts activities. Our Young Leaders also help with other jobs throughout sessions at their club such as running the Tuck Shop and supporting registrations.

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Young Leaders also help new young people to settle into the new environment. The team do this by introducing new young people to our current groups that attend and make sure they get involved with team sports and craft activities, which will help them to form new bonds!

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We would like to extend a huge thank you to the Leonard Laity Stoate Charitable Trust who provided us with the funding to purchase our Young Leaders uniform! If you would like to learn how you can become a Young Leader, click here to find your local Youth Club or contact us!

We are delighted to announce the appointment of India Crawford, Fundraising Coordinator and Louis Goldspring, Fundraising Coordinator!

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India has experience of working with young people as both a Teaching Associate and a doctor based in Bristol. She has also previously helped with fundraising, supporting educational opportunities in the UK and abroad. India is looking forward to working with the Fundraising Team, ensuring Young Bristol can continue to make a positive impact through its programmes and services. Outside of work, India loves to cook and bake – and tries to balance this with a mix of long walks, cycling and Pilates!

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Louis recently graduated University, studying Politics and International Relations. He has also worked in the charity sector since graduating, where he has worked as a Street Fundraiser for a homelessness and housing charity. Louis also had experience coaching young people in cricket. Louis is excited to join us as part of the Fundraising Team, where he plans to help us to secure funding for our current and future projects, as well as helping us to continue supporting young people. Outside of work, Louis enjoys sports - in particular cricket!

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We hope you will join us in welcoming India and Louis to the Young Bristol team!

Recently, we nominated three Young Bristol staff members to receive an invitation to the royal families garden party, held at Buckingham Palace.

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Lucy, Head of Fundraising and Development, was nominated to receive an invitation as she has made significant contributions to our charity, enabling us to secure the resources required to deliver its strategic objectives, both now, in the past and in the future!

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Web and Jacky, from Hartcliffe Club for Young People, were also nominated to receive an invitation as the pair have shown incredible commitment to Hartcliffe's community and Youth Club for many years!

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Web Matthews said:

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I would like to thank Young Bristol for giving me the opportunity to attend this special occasion, I was deeply honored. The day was an excellent opportunity to visit the palace and see others who are doing so much in their communities. It has been a absolute pleasure serving young people. The relationships gained throughout the decades has meant so much to me.

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We would like to extend a huge thank you to our staff team and volunteers who continue to support Young Bristol. The contributions you make are invaluable to us!

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!