Run for Young Bristol in 2025!

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

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‍The event took place at one of Young Bristol’s Community Youth Clubs, Broad Plain & Riverside Youth Project, with a jam-packed evening which saw speakers, performances and a presentation of awards.  

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We were thrilled to have young people from The Grove @ Bedminster Down and Youth Worker, Cassidy Cockram open the event. It was amazing to see the young people share their talents with the 100 people who attended.

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We heard from Young Bristol’s President, Jonathan Webb and Co-Chairs Victoria Matthews and Jamie Cameron, who outlined the charity’s impact over recent years, our key achievements and focuses for 2025 – 2028.  

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Lee Williams DL shared his experiences from the past seven years as Chief Executive of Young Bristol.  

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“Leading Young Bristol has been the honour of a lifetime. In those past seven years, I’ve witnessed incredible transformations: a shy teenager finding their voice as a leader, a struggling child discovering their passion through STEM programmes and countless young people who once faced uncertainty now stepping into bright futures with confidence. These moments remind me daily of why we do what we do.”

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The event welcomed supporters and key individuals who have been impacted by, and seen first-hand, the long-term positive effects of Young Bristol’s support. Alumni Junior Saunders spoke about his experience of Young Bristol as a young person, and how the support of Youth Workers can have a transformative impact on a young persons life. Junior welcomed the High Sheriff of Bristol Richard Cole, Lord Mayor Andrew Varney and Councillor Patrick McAllister to answer a series of questions focusing on the importance of youth work and its impact in communities across the city.  

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.  

This week, The Grove @ Bedminster Down hosted their annual Christmas Fair at Bedminster Down Ex Service Club! Over 100 local residents came through the doors, enjoying all of the stalls and activities we had on offer.

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This year, our young people led a social action project, where their voices were integral to shaping the stalls and activities. They even ran their own stall at the fair.

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The fair featured a range of other stalls, including tarot card readings, jewellery, a lucky wheel, and food stalls. Visitors also enjoyed activities such as a raffle and bottle tombola. We were even lucky enough to welcome Santa and his elves to the fair, who hosted a grotto to help raise funds for The Grove!

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To finish the Christmas Fair, the raffle ticket winners were announced, with some incredible prizes on offer, many of which were kindly donated by local businesses. These included a family pass to visit the SS Great Britain, go-karting tickets, and food vouchers. A big thank you to everyone who donated a raffle prize!

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We hope everyone enjoyed this year’s Christmas Fair. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped us raise significant funds, which will all be donated back to The Grove. Thank you to all the Young Bristol staff and young people who got involved—you made this event one to remember!

Computershare employees took part in the organisation’s annual ‘On Yer Bike’ fundraising event to raise money for Young Bristol!

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‘On Yer Bike’ has been successfully running for a number of years from Computershare's Bedminster Down office.

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The event saw just under 30 employees take on the challenge of cycling routes of 20, 55 or 70 miles in changeable weather across North Somerset in aid of the organisation.

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Lucy Newcombe, Chief Peopleand ESG officer at Computershare, said:

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“Our annual On Yer Bike event is hugely popular with employees who every year set themselves the challenge of riding some of the steepest hills in the area to raise money for an organisation that provides vital services for young people aged 8-24 in the city. We’re proud to support an organisation that aims to make a difference to the lives of local young people. Our employees enjoyed the experience, which included an after-event BBQ where they spoke to representatives from the charity and learned more about the important work it does.”

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Young Bristol was pleased in 2021 to be selected as Computershare's official regional charity for the company’s workplace giving programme Change a Life, which aims to empower people and communities facing economic and social challenges around the world. 

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Since then the partnership has helped to raise thousands of pounds, organised fundraising events and has seen Computershare employees volunteering their time at a number of the charity’s Bristol-based community venues.

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Thank you to Computershare for arranging this incredible event in aid of Young Bristol.

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All donations raised from the On Yer Bike event will help us to support young people across Bristol to discover what they are capable of!

On Tuesday 15th October, we were delighted to see our Youth Club on Wheels feature on BBC's The One Show, highlighting the profound and life-changing work that the team behind this programme have delivered over the past five years!

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Our Youth Club on Wheels is a mobile youth service, providing detached support to young people aged 8-19 in hard-to-reach areas of the city and rural areas where there is currently no youth provision! Our sessions offer a number of activities to get involved with, including: sports, creative arts and the opportunity to learn new life skills!

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A parent from Speedwell's Youth Club on Wheels session explained:

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"Not only does it get them out the house and keep them off the street, it keeps them busy doing really good, fun and safe activities"

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The feature focuses on the vital work that our Youth Club on Wheels has provided to young people across a number of Bristol communities, offering them a safe space, engaging activities, a free meal, and a sense of belonging!

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Since its launch in 2019, the Youth Club on Wheels has supported nearly 1,000 young people and has become increasing popularity across the eight communities we currently serve. Both young people and parents have responded positively to our sessions, where we have also offered access to positive role models and a space where young people can thrive.

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Shea Stew, Youth Club on Wheels Lead added:

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"We create our own family whereever we are"

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During our sessions, we were joined by presenter Ashley John-Baptiste. From his own experiences growing up in care, Ashley understands the importance of youth work and positive role models, and was amazed to see the life-changing impact a youth provision like ours can have on the lives of young people.

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We were also joined by Leigh Middleton, CEO of NYA, who highlighted that many local youth clubs are closing down and revealed the need for more youth work to be available for young people in their communities.

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Ashley John-Baptiste, presenter from The One Show explained:

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"A warm space, a safe space and a meal here can make the world of difference"

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We would like to thank BBC's The One Show for the amazing opportunity to share the Youth Club on Wheels incredible work! If you missed our piece, you can watch it here!

We are delighted to announce Brandon and Brooke from the Hengrove Youth Club on Wheels session are the winners of our 2024 Film Making Competition!

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Last month, we hosted a Film Making Competition across our Community Youth Club and Youth Club on Wheels network. Young people from each club were encouraged to create a short film using a mobile phone, tablet or camera, to entered into our competition.

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We received a number of entries from across our club network, our judges chose one winner from the range of amazing creative skills that were showcased in the competition!

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The winners of our competition are Brooke and Brandon, two young people from our Hengrove Youth Club on Wheels session! In their film, the pair discussed urban exploring and the number of issues surrounding it. Both our winners were awarded with a £15 Amazon gift card each.

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Congratulations both! Keep an eye out for our next competition in November!

Community-based youth charity Young Bristol has become the third South West charity to win a place on the region’s Noble Deeds programme.

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Set up in 2021 by Bristol-based SME Noble, the Deeds programme provides digital marketing training & support to not-for-profits, helping them deliver vital services in the area. Increasing in-line with Nobles’ own turnover, this year the support package stands at £25,000. Young Bristol will use this to upskill its marketing team and ensure its services reach the young people who need them the most.

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Supporting children and young adults aged 8-25 during their critical out of school hours in some of the most challenging areas of the city, Young Bristol’s mission is to provide innovative programmes that create a positive and sustainable impact on the lives of young people.

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With eight community youth clubs across Bristol, a mobile youth club on wheels, outdoor activity centres and an employment programme just part of what the charity offers, the support from Noble will help the Young Bristol team prioritise where its digital marketing efforts will make the most impact. As well as helping the team to learn new skills and maximise their knowledge of social media, SEO and other digital promotion techniques for a lasting impact beyond the Deeds programme.

We are delighted to announce that we have officially published our 2023-24 Impact Report!

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This years Impact report demonstrates the positive impact we have had around Bristol during the 2023-24 period. The report reflects how we have provided safe, social spaces for young people to thrive in, despite their increasing needs caused by the cost-of-living crisis and the rising epidemic of knife crime in Bristol.

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"Working with Young Bristol has opened our eyes to how difficult it is for young people in Bristol and across the country, and how badly a lack of funding is impacting youth work and young people's livelihoods"

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BBS, Corporate Partner

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!