Young Bristol's 2024 Highlights: A Year to Remember!

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!

Merry Christmas from the Young Bristol team!

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To everyone celebrating Christmas and other festive traditions at this time of year, we wish you a day full of love, laughter and joy! Thank you to everyone who has supported us in 2024!

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Our Community Youth Clubs, programmes and office will be closing over the Christmas period. Please see below to find our last days of delivery and when we will reopen:

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Ashton Vale Club for Young People

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Last session on Monday 23rd December

Reopen as normal from Monday 6th January

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Avon Youth Club

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Last session on Friday 13th December

Reopen as normal from Monday 6th January

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BS14 Youth Club

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Last session on Thursday 19th December

Reopen as normal from Monday 6th January

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Hartcliffe Club for Young People

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Last session on Friday 20th December

Reopen as normal on Monday 6th January

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Sea Mills Boys and Girls Club

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Last session on Thursday 19th December

Reopen as normal from Tuesday 7th January

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The Grove @ Bedminster Down

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Last session on Wednesday 18th December

Reopen as normal from Monday 6th January

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Youth Club on Wheels

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Last session on Monday 23rd December

Reopen as normal from Monday 6th January

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Outdoor Employment Programme

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Last session on Thursday 12th December

Reopen as normal from Thursday 9th January

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Office

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Last operating day on Tuesday 24th December

Open and operating from Thursday 2nd January

We are delighted to announce that Esme from Ashton Vale Club for Young People and Maisie from Sea Mills Boys and Girls Club are the winners of the 2024 Christmas Card Competition!

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Last month, we hosted a Christmas Card Competition across our Community Youth Clubs. Young people from across network were encouraged to draw a Christmas design that to be featured as this year’s annual Christmas Card!

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We were delighted to receive a total of 47 entries from across our Youth Clubs, showcasing lots creativity through some fantastic designs!

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The winner from our junior age group is Esme, aged 12, from Ashton Vale Club for Young People. The winner from our senior age group was Maisie, aged 13, from Sea Mills Boys and Girls Club! The pair have each been awarded a pack of cards that feature their design as well as a £15 Amazon gift voucher!

Last week, we were delighted to invite the team from Computershare to The Grove @ Bedminster Down, where five employees dedicated their day to help us improve our facilities for young people!

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During their voluntary day, the volunteers from Computershare helped us around the club by painting the doors and the skirtings inside the club. This has helped us to brighten the inside facilities at The Grove, helping to create a well-respected, safe area for young people.

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Thank you to the team from Computershare 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!

In an inspiring partnership with local youth charity, Young Bristol, Laura Wilder, Franchisee of the Bristol Fishponds McDonald’s, has transformed her restaurant into a safe and welcoming space for young people. This partnership comes as a result of McDonald’s Makin’ it initiative, run in collaboration with BBC Children in Need - to better support young people and unlock genuine opportunity.

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Surrounded by several schools, Laura noticed an increasing number of young people gathering at her restaurant after school. Over time, she began to know the regulars by name, fostering relationships that have led to a much greater impact than anticipated. Laura’s presence as a mentor and positive role model grew as she took on a key role of providing reassurance, advice, and support to these young people.

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In a bid to extend the positive impact beyond just the students who were visiting her restaurant, Laura formed a partnership with Young Bristol, the city’s leading provider of community-based youth services. The charity is well known for its extensive community youth club network across some of Bristol’s most challenging neighbourhoods and run a variety of initiatives including outdoor activities, holiday clubs and an outdoor employment programme which helps young people develop life skills.

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Recognising the potential of combining their strengths, Laura personally funded six youth work sessions, which saw Young Bristol’s innovative Youth Club on Wheels parked outside her McDonald’s for a 3-hour window each week. This mobile youth service created a fun, interactive space for the youth, with various activities designed to engage, inspire, and positively influence their lives.

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Over the course of the project, 24 young people from the local Fishponds community took part, solidifying the initiative’s success. This partnership between Young Bristol and McDonald’s has had a profound effect on the local community, all through crucial funding from BBC Children in Need. Not only has Laura’s restaurant become a gathering spot where young people feel safe, but it has also fostered anew, mutual respect between the McDonald’s team and young people in the area. Fishponds McDonald’s and Young Bristol look forward to continuing their partnership, with a new aim to provide employment opportunities for young people.

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Local McDonald’s Franchisee, Laura Wilder, who owns and operates McDonald’s Fishponds, says:

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‍“My team at McDonald’s Fishponds and I, together with Young Bristol, are deeply committed to creating lasting change in our community. We see the bright potential in every young person, and it inspires us to create a safe and welcoming space where they can connect, learn, and truly thrive. Together, we've already begun to see the positive impact of our partnership, and we’re excited to build on this foundation. Our goal is to open even more doors for growth and empowerment, ensuring that the youth of Bristol have the opportunities they deserve to shine.”

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Shea Stew, Young Bristol Youth Club On Wheels Lead adds:

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‍“Going into the project we did not know what to expect, but I was utterly amazed at the response from the young people and the community. It quickly became clear that there was a genuine need in Fishponds for something for young people. We really enjoyed working with McDonalds, and would love to see a bigger partnership in the future, as we know youth, community, and burgers, is a great combination.”

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Since the start of the partnership with BBC Children in Need, McDonald’s has supported more than 185 youth projects employing more than 320 youth workers and improving outcomes for over 42,500 young people .McDonald’s customers can donate to BBC Children in Need by rounding up orders at the kiosk and via the McDonald’s App.

Young Bristol were thrilled to attend the Children and Young People Now Awards, where our Youth Club on Wheels had been nominated as a finalist in 'The Youth Work Award'!

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The Children and Young People Now Awards showcase innovation and outstanding practice across the children’s services sector. Young Bristol joined organisations from across the sector at the Awards gala on Thursday 28th November, at the Novotel London West in Hammersmith, to champion the vital work that our services provide to children, young people and families.

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Young Bristol's Youth Club on Wheels was nominated for 'The Youth Work Award', which highlights initiatives that have done the most to promote young people’s personal development and help them achieve their potential. The Young Bristol team were proud to be finalists for the award alongside children's services from across the UK.

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!

Young Bristol were pleased to see Ashton Vale Club for Young People go through a number of refurbishments this month, with exciting developments to the clubs main, open space.

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As part of Young Bristol's 2022-25 Strategic Priorities, the charity has focused on investing in our infrastructure and resources to give young people and their local communities an environment they can thrive in.

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The work at Ashton Vale Club for Young People has hugely improved our former Silver Social room, which will now be used as a multi-media suite, helping our team expand the opportunities they can now provide for young people who attend our sessions. Improvements to the club have also seen the installation of a new heating system, new flooring and new ceiling. The improvements will also benefit the wider community who utilise our Community Youth Club during the daytime.

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We are committed to continuing our mission and stratgeic investment by providing safe, welcoming spaces for young people, where they can build friendships, access support and be themselves.

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Before:

This week Young Bristol is celebrating Youth Work Week, an annual celebration of all things youth work between Monday 4^th – Sunday 10^th November 2024. This year, The National Youth Agency’s Youth Work Week explores, ‘A right to youth work for all – delivering positive futures for young people’.

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This years theme highlights the many ways that youth work spaces are made accessible to all, enabling young people to explore and celebrate their own identity and values.  

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At Young Bristol we are committed to continuing our Mission and our strategic investment, providing safe places, a supportive environment, and activities and opportunities which support young people to feel empowered, included and not alone

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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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Championing youth participation

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It is vital as an organisation that we continue to keep young people at the heart of everything that we do.  

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Through consultations, regular discussions, workshops and events, we give young people the opportunity to discuss and share their issues and ideas, inform programme development, raise awareness of young peoples’ needs and challenge stereotypes.  

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We continue to encourage and support young people to volunteer across our programmes; where they can gain new experiences, develop their skills and empower them to succeed

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During 2023 – 24, we encouraged and supported 27 young people to volunteer. Young Leaders helped at their Youth Clubs and trainees from our Outdoor Employment Programme supported our Gig Club.

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Here are some stories from young people who are Young Leaders at our Youth Clubs:

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Eli, age 16, has overcome a number of challenges prior to joining The Grove. Prior to joining the club, Eli spoke very little English.

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Despite the challenges he has faced, Eli has shown exceptional dedication and commitment to our Club and has been a great role model for other young people.  

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Eli completed his Young Leader training in February 2024. He now actively volunteers two days a week at the club, where he uses the skills he learned to help and support younger members by teaching and coaching them how to play football.

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Gracie, age 15, has overcome so many hurdles presented to her and has grown in ways we could never have imagined.

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Despite these challenges, Gracie has integrated incredibly becoming a key member at BS14 Youth Club and strives to maintain her own mental health and as Gracie looks to the future, she dreams of becoming a Youth Worker after completing service in the Army.

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With Gracie growing as a natural leader, the team at BS14 Youth Club arranged for Gracie to begin volunteering as a Young Leader at the Club’s Junior sessions.

We continue to prioritise young people as we look to the future. To find out more about our work with young people and the opportunities we provide click here.