Our Creative Wellbeing Project achieve their Arts Award Bronze!

This week, Young Bristol are excited to celebrate Volunteers' Week, recognising the contributions of volunteers across the UK, between Monday 2nd June and Friday 6th June.

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Throughout the week, we have been shining light on our amazing volunteers, who support us across the charity to offer a safe and inclusive environments, where young people can feel empowered, included ands not alone!

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Our Volunteers: Katie

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Meet Katie, a volunteer at BS14 Youth Club's Looked After Children sessions. Katie has volunteered on the sessions since February 2023.

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Katie found out about volunteering with Young Bristol through an online search, hoping to volunteer with young people in the Bristol area. She was hoping to get more experience working with young people, as they were going through the adoption process and so wanted to boost her confidence, as well as improve her application.

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“I love that we give the foster families the chance to have a break, that the children learn to socialise and have fun. I’ve seen children join the Club being very nervous and socially anxious, and then grow in confidence!”

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Since first volunteering, Katie says she has gained a lot of confidence and it has been a great insight into the foster system and how supported the young people are. Katie feels that volunteering has given her a sense of purpose, and would recommend volunteering to anyone as she has found her experience fun and rewarding!

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Our Young Leaders: Lola

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At Young Bristol, we have a network of 8 Young Leaders, who help staff members to run activities, sell snacks at the Tuck Shop and settle in new young people.

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Meet Lola, who is one of our newest Young Leaders to the team across our network. Lola initially joined Sea Mills Boys and Girls Club last year, and loved playing games spending time with others and having fun at the club.

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She wanted to become a Young Leader at the club as she believes it is important to help the people around her and enjoys supporting the junior members at the club and residents in her local community. As a Young Leader, Lola has so far enjoyed interacting with both young people and staff.

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"One piece of advice I would give to anyone wanting to become a Young Leader is just go for it! Just make sure that you continue to support those around you no matter what!”

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Our corporate partners: TLT

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TLT is one of our amazing corporate partners, from our number of incredibly generous partnerships we have developed, who have gone above and beyond to voluntarily raise money and support Young Bristol.

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Over the last two years, TLT have held a number of fundraising events, including their Christmas Quiz Night, Bingo Night, World Cup Sweepstake and Olympic movement challenge. Each event encouraged their team to get together and raise money for Young Bristol!

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Are you looking to take part in exciting activities this month? Young Bristol have a range of activities, events and opportunities for young people and the wider community! Find out below what's on in your local area this month!

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Spoken Word Competition

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For this months competition, young people will create a video or audio spoken word entry no longer than 2 minutes long, that will follow the theme of ‘young people’.

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When: Monday 2nd June - Friday 20th June

For: Ages 8-19

How to enter: email jbt@youngbristol.com

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Essex Adventure Weekend

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The Essex Adventure Weekend is a residential camping weekend away, filled with a range of exciting activities, that will offer something for all to enjoy!

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When: Friday 20th June - Sunday 22nd June

Where: Thriftwood Scout Centre

For: Ages 13+

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Also this month...

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Community Youth Clubs - For 8 – 19 year olds and are located in many areas across Bristol, open up to 5 nights per week. Each Club offers a safe and inclusive environment, staffed by caring, trained adults. Click here to find out more.

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Outdoor Employment Programme - Our free programme for young people aged 16-25 helps to develop new skills and gain nationally recognised qualifications in a variety of outdoor activities. Click here to find out more.

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Youth Club on Wheels - Our mobile youth service works with young people aged 8-19 in hard-to-reach areas of the city and rural areas where there is currently no youth provision. Click here to find out more.

This May 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 Dodgeball Tournament at Avon Youth Club, welcoming over 33 young people from across our club network to take part. The day brought together young people from Avon Youth Club, Hartcliffe Club for Young People and The Grove @ Bedminster Down.

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After some intense matches, it was announced that Hartcliffe Club for Young People were awarded the junior trophy, and Avon Youth Club 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 Avon Youth Club for facilitating our dodgeball tournament, who provided activities for our young people when they were not taking part in matches. To find out more about our Community Youth Clubs, click here!

This year, Young Bristol were pleased to organise the NABGC Canoe Test, celebrating the 60th year of paddling with young people down the River Wye!

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Across the bank holiday weekend, 32 young people from Young Bristol as well as young people associated with the National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs took part in The Canoe Test 2025. The challenge took place over four days, with participants paddling up to 100 miles down the River Wye.

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Young people taking part in The Canoe Test showed incredible dedication across the weekend, with the majority completing the full 100 miles! The event saw the group learn life-changing skills, grow their confidence and make friends for life!

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The four days of canoeing down the River Wye were 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 ensure all young people participating in this years Canoe Test had an incredible experience!

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Thank you to everyone who helped to make this years Canoe Test a truly unforgettable event, celebrating its 60th anniversary. It was amazing to see a weekend full of learning, laughter and friendship-building!

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If you would like to find out more about our upcoming opportunities that are available across our network, visit our 'What's On' page here!

Young Bristol were pleased to see BS14 Youth Club go through a number of recent refurbishments, with exciting developments to the clubs art room!

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As part of Young Bristol's 2025-28 Strategic Priorities, the charity continues to focus on investing in our infrastructure and resources, giving young people and their local communities an environment they can thrive in!

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The work at BS14 has most recently seen a huge improvement to the clubs art room, with new equipment, supplies and mural all being added to create a more inspiring, creative space for our young people. We hope that these improvements will improve the creative opportunities we can offer from the club!

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We would like to thank Lauren Sinclair for creating our mural and bringing our young peoples visions to life in the art room! A huge thank you to Masters for installing our new equipment!

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

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Before:

Young Bristol were pleased to see Avon Youth Club go through a number of recent refurbishments, with exciting developments to a number of the clubs facilities.

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As part of Young Bristol's 2025-28 Strategic Priorities, the charity continues to focus on investing in our infrastructure and resources, giving young people and their local communities an environment they can thrive in!

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The work at Avon Youth Club has hugely improved the clubs external appearance and safety, with a new front door and a magnetic lock, fire exits and roller shutter being installed at the club. We hope that the improvements will benefit both our young people and the wider community who wish to use our club during the daytime!

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We would like to thank The Asda Foundations Places and Spaces grant scheme for funding our recent refurbishments, helping us to maintain high-quality facilities across our network! A huge thank you to Masters for installing all our new refurbishments!

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

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We are pleased to announce that booking for our 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 29th May 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 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 Paddleboarding session here.

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• Thursday 29th May 2025, 9:00am - 12:00pm

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We are delighted to announce that our Chief Executive, Lee Williams DL, has been shortlisted for the 'Public and Third Sector Leader' at the South West Leadership Awards 2025!

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The South West Leadership Awards celebrates leaders across the South West who have demonstrated positive impact and shown extraordinary leadership, with the awards showcasing the achievements and success of businesses across the region.

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Lee was appointed Chief Executive of Young Bristol in 2018 and has seen the charity through a continuous period of change and growth. He has also been instrumental in providing strategic leadership and financial management at Young Bristol.

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Lee was nominated for the 'Public and Third Sector Leader' award as he has provided the strategic direction and financial management required to drive Young Bristol to become a multi award-winning provider of youth services; building brighter futures for young people across Bristol.

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We wish Lee the best of luck at the awards ceremony on Thursday 17th July at the Bristol Harbour Hotel!

This week, Young Bristol are supporting Mental Health Awareness Week, celebrating the power and importance of community, between Monday 12th May and Friday 16th May.

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This year, the theme of Mental Health Awareness Week is 'Community', which explores how being part of a safe and positive environment can provide a sense of belonging, support, give a sense of purpose.

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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 in Bristol's communities, where young people can feel empowered, included and not alone.

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Our Youth Mental Health First Aider!

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A Youth Mental Health First Aider plays a key role in supporting and providing guidance to young people aged 8-18, who may be experiencing poor mental health. They are committed to recognising signs, offering initial assistance and connecting young people to professional help.

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Meet Jason, our Head of Youth Work. Jason is a trained Youth Mental Health First Aider! Jason is passionate about supporting young people through situations they face around their mental health, and wants to be someone that our young people can trust, talk to and take advice from.

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"One moment that made me feel like I made a difference was when I first engaged with someone who was having a panic attack, and helped them through a grounding method. When a young person is in a crisis moment, being there and knowing you've helped is a great feeling!"

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Mental Health is important to him as he believes looking after your mental state of mind is just as important as looking after your physical health. Jason understands that this is something that everyone can be affected by, and as a young person himself, knew someone close to him that suffered with their own mental health. He saw how much a small amount of support can transform someone's state of mind, which inspired him to learn more!

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One piece of advice Jason would give to anyone struggling with their mental health and well-being would be to reach out and talk to someone - from a friend or family member to a youth worker, teacher or mental health first aider. Let them know how you are feeling and what's going on.

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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, programmes 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.  Since April 2024, we saw:

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• 21,392 attendances with young people ages 8-25.
• Our 8 Community Youth Clubs providing a safe place for 1,121 young people aged 8-19, continuing to open their doors up to 5 nights per week, 48 weeks of the year.  
• 11 rural and urban communities were positively impacted by our work, where there is currently no youth provision.
• More than 2,000 meals provided through our Community Youth Clubs, helping to address food poverty and holiday hunger.
• An investment of £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.