Coming together to develop our 2025-28 strategy!

This week, we were delighted to invite the team from Leggwork to BS14 Youth Club, where four employees dedicated their day to help us improve our facilities for young people!

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During their voluntary day, the volunteers from Leggwork painted around the door frames and the skirtings in the main space at club. The team also painted our newly created meeting and quite space. This has helped us to brighten the inside facilities at BS14 Youth Club, helping to create a well-respected, safe area for young people.

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Thank you to the team from Leggwork for your continued support!

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

This month, two incredible trainees from Young Bristol's Outdoor Employment Programme joined Super Sliders Ice Sports Foundation in St Moritz, Switzerland to take part in their Gold programme!

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Our Outdoor Employment Programme has been involved with the SuperSliders Ice Sports Foundation since 2022, where a number of trainees have been involved with and taken part in their Bronze and Silver Programmes at Bath Univeristy's bobsleigh track. Dan and Jack, two Outdoor Employment Programme trainees, took their sliding experience to the next level, being offered to complete their 'Gold Control' award at the Olympia Bobsleigh run in Switzerland!

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Over their three day trip in Switzerland, they completed seven runs of the track, tackling speeds of over 100km/h and incredibly tight corners, covering 1.7 km in under 90 seconds! Dan and Jack were awarded with the 'Gold Control' certificate for their time and efforts across the week!

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We would like to extend a huge thank you to Super Sliders ISF, who have made this once in a lifetime opportunity possible for our trainees! If you would like to find out more about how you can get involved with our Outdoor Employment Programme, click here!

At Young Bristol, we are committed to continuing our mission of supporting young people by providing safe places, a supportive environment, and activities and opportunities where young people can feel empowered, included and not alone!

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We are pleased to welcome the Governments development of a new ten-year National Youth Strategy to tackle the challenges for this generation of young people, and ensure that every young person can thrive.

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Young people aged 10 – 21 (aged 25 with SEND), are being encouraged to take part in this once-in-a-generation strategy, bringing the power back to young people and their communities, and improving youth focused services.

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It is vital that we encourage young people to use their voice, ensuring that they remain at the core of what we do.

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Your future is on the menu! Tell the Government what they can Deliver You. Have your say and place your order here!

We are pleased to announce that booking for our Easter and May Half Term Outdoor Activities is now live!

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Join Young Bristol and experience the thrill of the great outdoors! With a range of activities on offer, from paddling Bristol's own Harbourside to climbing through an underground adventure, there is something for everyone to enjoy! Book your Outdoor Activities sessions here!

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Full Day Wet and Wild - £45pp

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Channel your inner Robin Hood as you learn archery skills and embrace the art of bushcraft, alongside cooking over an open fire. Then experience the aquatic thrills with kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding across Bristol's iconic Harbour. Find out more information and book your Wet and Wild session here.

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• Thursday 10th April 2025
• Thursday 29th May 2025

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Full Day Wild Adventure -£45pp

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Explore an underground labyrinth with lots of twists and turns, gentle and more challenging climbs and crawls. You will continue your day by channeling your inner Robin Hood as you learn archery skills that will have you hitting a bullseye in no time! Find out more information and book your Wild Adventure here.

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• Monday 14th April 2025

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Half Day Kayaking - £20pp

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A perfect session for beginners, and those with a little experience. Spend the session learning about the basic paddling techniques and take part in fun, confidence-building games that encourage balance, agility and teamwork. Find out more information and book your Half Day Kayaking session here.

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• Friday 11th April 2025, 9:00am - 12:00pm
• Wednesday 16th April 2025, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
• Thursday 17th April 2025, 9:00am -12:00pm
• Friday 30th May 2025, 1:00pm -4:00pm

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Half Day Paddleboarding - £20pp

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A perfect session for beginners, and those with a little experience. Spend the session with us learning about the basic paddling techniques and enjoy playing fun, confidence-building games that encourage balance, agility and teamwork. Find out more information and book your Half Day Paddleboaring session here.

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• Wednesday 9th April 2025, 1:00pm -4:00pm
• Friday 11th April 2025, 1:00pm -4:00pm
• Tuesday 15th April 2025 1:00pm -4:00pm
• Thursday 29th May 2025, 9:00am - 12:00pm

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Half Day Caving - £20pp

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A perfect session for beginners, and those with a little experience. Explore an underground labyrinth with lots of twists and turns, gentle and more challenging climbs and crawls. From large inviting entrances to a superman’s squeeze, Adventure underground while having fun, building confidence and seeing unique rock formations all under the illumination of nothing but your head torch. Find out more information and book your Half Day Caving session here.

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• Friday 7th April 2025, 9:00am - 12:00pm

This February half term, Young Bristol have offered a wide range of activities for all young people to take part in. From sporting to creative activities, we’ve had something for everyone!

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This week, we hosted an Interclub Football Tournament at St Brendan's Rugby Football Club, welcoming over 50 young people from across our club network to take part. The day brought together young people from Ashton Vale Club for Young People, Hartcliffe Club for Young People, Sea Mills Boys and Girls Club and The Grove @Bedminster Down.

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The Interclub tournament started with teams playing 4-5minute matches in a round-robin format, with supporters cheering on their teams from the sidelines.

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After some intense matches, it was announced that Sea Mills Boys’ and Girls’ Club and The Grove @ Bedminster Down would play against each other for the junior trophy and The Grove @ Bedminster Down would play against Hartcliffe Club for Young People for the senior trophy!

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We are proud to announce that Sea Mills Boys’ and Girls’ Club were awarded our junior trophy and The Grove @ Bedminster Down were awarded the senior trophy!

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Well done to all the young people who took part. It was fantastic to see them interacting and making new friends, as well as engaging other young people from across our network.

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We would like to thank St Brendan's Rugby Football Club for facilitating our football tournament, as well as Rachael's Buffets, who supported us to provide food for young people!

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To find out more about our Community Youth Clubs, click here!

At Young Bristol, we are committed to continuing our mission and are proud to celebrate our incredible people, achievements, and impact we make across Bristol's communities.

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Our programmes provide a safe place, supportive environment, and activities and opportunities where young people can feel empowered, included and not alone

However, our vital work could not have been achieved without the dedication of our amazing volunteers, corporate partners, donors and fundraisers who go above and beyond to support us each year.

Earlier this year, Young Bristol celebrated those people who make a difference across our charity, at our Celebration, AGM and Awards event on Wednesday 15^th January. The event brought together 100 people to highlight the outstanding staff members, Trustees, volunteers and supporters who continue to go above and beyond.

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The event also championed the young people whose lives have been transformed with the support of Young Bristol, and who have gone on to achieve incredible things during 2024. Certificates were presented to 10finalists for Young Bristol’s ‘Young Person of the Year’ Award, and a trophy and prize package was given to our 2024 winner, Eve Jackson. Trophies were also awarded to our 2024Competition Winners and Young Bristol’s Shield was presented to the winning Youth Club, Hartcliffe Club for Young People. 

Young Bristol are proud to be one of fiveorganisations supported by The Genge Fund, who have raised and donated £4,000to our charity so far!

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Through Quartet Community Foundation, The Genge Fund was set up by Ellis Genge, an England Rugby player and proud Bristolian. The Genge Fund was born out of a deep-rooted love for the city and a passion for giving back to the community that shaped him, with the aim to empower children through sports and education.

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We were pleased to see Ellis visit BS14 Youth Club, where he joined young people in a number of sporting activities and answered any questions they had about rugby and his story!

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"The visit made Ellis feel emotional, as some of the young people reminded him of himself at their age."

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Miranda McRitchie, Athlete Manager

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Our team were excited to attend 'The Genge Funds' Gala Dinner at Ashton Gate, an evening celebrating the incredible work being done to support local charities. The event saw attendees enjoy a three-course meal and hear directly from Ellis Genge during a Q&A session. It was inspiring to hear about his journey, passion and the vision behind The Genge Fund.

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Thank you Ellis Genge and The Genge Fund for your incredible generosity. The money raised from the Gala Dinner will go towards funding our new 'Outdoor Activity Taster Programme', as well as our Interclub football tournaments! Thank you to everyone who has supported this fantastic initiative, helping to support Bristol’s young people!

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If you would like to find out more about supporting Young Bristol, click here to learn more!

This week, Young Bristol are supporting Children's Mental Health Week, celebrating young people building resilience, embracing self-awareness and forming connections with others, between Monday 3rd February and Friday 7th February.

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This year, Places2Be is exploring the theme 'know yourself, grow yourself', which aims to empower young people to understand their emotions, reactions and motivations, helping them to grow and thrive!

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At Young Bristol, we are committed to continuing our Mission by providing safe places, a supportive environment, and activities and opportunities where young people can feel empowered, included and not alone.

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Our Youth Mental Health Champions!

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A Youth Mental Health Champion plays a key role in advocating for young people's mental health and wellbeing by raising awareness, starting important conversations and signposting to important resources.

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Meet Kat, Club Leader at BS14 Youth Club. Kat is one of our Youth Mental Health Champions! As a Youth Worker, Kat is passionate about young people's wellbeing and believes in the importance of supporting their mental health, ensuring they receive the help they need.

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"We, as a society, are getting really good at recognising mental health needs in adults but I feel in that process, young people have been forgotten. That's where I believe Youth Workers step in."

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Youth mental health is important to her as she believes if you give young people the skills they need to manage their mental health now, you are giving them transferrable skills they can take forwards into their adulthood, which in the long run can help ease the strain on adults mental health services. When working at the club, Kat regularly checks in on young people's mental health and allows them to reflect on their own feelings, behaviours and management tools that work best for them.

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Providing safe places for Bristol's young people

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Our work provides young people with safe, welcoming, inclusive places where they can be themselves, build friendships, and access support when they need it most.

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Our Youth Clubs and services continue be at the core of communities, giving young people the safety and support that they cannot find on the streets, acting as the bridge between home and school life.  

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• 1,345 young people were supported through our open access sessions throughout 2023 – 24.
• Our 9 community venues in North, East and South Bristol continued to open their doors up to 4 nights per week.  
• During 2023 – 24, 16 communities were positively impacted by our work, with 3 new communities supported by Young Bristol who had not previously received any youth services.
• We’ve invested £528,280 into capital improvements at a number of our community venues since 2022; making improvements that would help to create environments that young people can thrive in.

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Where you can find support and advice

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Did you know one in five children face mental health issues? Whether you want to access helpful resources, start a conversation about mental health or are seeking professional advice and guidance, there are many ways you can begin to make a difference to a young person's mental health and wellbeing. If you or someone you know needs support, check out the links below for some recommended local and national services.

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Young people

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• Mind - A mental health charity, whose aim is to ensure no one faces mental health alone. Offering online support and guidance that young people that can access on their website 24/7.
• Shout - A free, confidential24/7 text support service for anyone in the UK who is struggling with their mental health. To start a conversation, text 'SHOUT' to 85258. Shout's team of trained volunteers are trained to listen at any time, day or night.
• Samaritans - Aims to provide support through phone, letter, email or in person. Whatever problem you are facing, Samaritans are available 24/7, 365 days a year!
• Kooth - an online wellbeing community where you can get free, safe and anonymous support. The forum is a judgement-free, safe place for anyone to get advice, help others and share their stories.

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Parents

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• Young Minds Parent Helpline - Offering tailored advice to parents, guardians and other family members who are concerned about a child's mental health. Advice for all young people who are under 25 over the phone or through their online chat.
• Shout - A free, confidential24/7 text support service for anyone in the UK who is struggling with their mental health. To start a conversation, text 'SHOUT' to 85258. Shout's team of trained volunteers are trained to listen at any time, day or night.‍
• Samaritans - Aims to provide support through phone, letter, email or in person. Whatever problem you are facing, Samaritans are available 24/7, 365 days a year!‍
• MindEd for Families - A free e-learning portal, offering information and support about mental health and well-being. Available 24/7 on their website!

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To find out more about our work with young people and the opportunities we provide click here.

Young Bristol are incredibly proud to announce that Eve, member of Sea Mills Boys and Girls Club, was awarded our 2024 ‘Young Person of the Year’!

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On Wednesday 15^th January, Young Bristol welcomed our supporters, Patron, President, Board of Trustees, staff team, and young people and their families to our Celebration, AGM and Awards Event. The event celebrated a year of growth, impact and stories from individuals across the organisation.

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As part of the event, ten finalists were invited for this years ‘Young Person of the Year’ award, which recognises the amazing achievements of young people across the city, that attend our sessions and programmes. The award was judged anonymously by a panel, with the winner receiving an incredible prize package.

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On the evening, young people were presented with a certificate from His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant Mrs Peaches Golding OBE CStJ and award sponsor Clarion Future’s, Laura East. A gold envelope revealed that Eve, age 15 from Sea Mills Boys’ and Girls Club was this years winner! She was presented with a trophy, voucher from Browns Brasserie and iPad. Congratulations Eve!

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Well done to all finalists who were selected for this years award. You should be incredibly proud of your commitment, growth and impact that you are having in your programmes and communities!

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Young Person of the Year 2024 Winner - Eve’s story:

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Eve, aged 15, became a member of Sea Mills Boys and Girls Club in 2018. When Eve first joined the club, she was very shy, only joining activities with her existing friends, taking a while to warm up and talk to new young people.

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Since joining the club, the team has seen her confidence flourish, where she now leads the club's Young Leaders with confidence, manages the tuck shop, and inspires others with her dedication.  

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Her Club Leaders said:

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“We couldn't be more proud of her dedication to Sea Mills. She has shown how much the Club means to her and has had such a large effect on the other young people, which has meant more senior members at the club are now wanting to step up and have a similar role and impact as Eve!”

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To find out more about our opportunities for young people across Bristol here.