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Bristol City's Robins Foundation and Young Bristol bring the BS14 X Robins Foundation programme to young people ages 12-19 living in South Bristol.
The BS14 X Robins Foundation launching Friday 11th February 2022, will bring positive sports activities to young people at BS14 Youth Club. The program will include issue-based discussions, provide opportunities to gain new skills and improve techniques, make new friendships, and explore future opportunities. The program is inclusive and accessible to all.
Young Bristol looks forward to working with the Robins Foundation, providing sport and learning opportunities to the wider community.
The weekly program will take place:
Every Friday, 6:30pm-8:30pm at BS14 Youth Club, Stockwood Lane, BS14 8SJ
Interested in joining the program? No need to book, just turn up!
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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.
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!
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.
Our Youth Mental Health Champions!
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.
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.
"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."
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.
Providing safe places for Bristol's young people
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.
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.
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.
Where you can find support and advice
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.
Young people
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.
Parents
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!
To find out more about our work with young people and the opportunities we provide click here.
We are delighted to announce the appointment of four new Trustees to Young Bristol's Board of Trustees- Cathy Dodsworth, Fahma Mohamed, Jay Nash and Shannon Ringland!
These appointments come at an exciting time for Young Bristol as we head towards our 100-year anniversary in 2028! Young Bristol were keen to recruit new Trustees who could complement the skills of our existing Board members; and who had the passion, desire and ability to help the charity achieve its ambitious future goals.
Young Bristol continues to prioritise the importance of our Board having a broad representation of skills, backgrounds and experiences; as well as a shared passion and experience of working with the youth sector.
Meet the Trustees:
Cathy Dodsworth
Cathy grew up near Blackpool, Lancashire, spending a great deal of her time at a local youth club. During this time, she enjoyed playing hockey, hiking in the Lake District and completing her Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award. When working in Plymouth, she assessed young people undertaking their DofE expedition across Dartmoor.
Now living in Bristol, Cathy is a Coach and Safeguarding Lead for her local rugby club. Her son also regularly attends boxing sessions at Broad Plain & Riverside Youth Project! Cathy has personally benefitted from, and is passionate about, the value that sport, outdoor activities and youth clubs bring to the lives of young people. Cathy is a HR Professional, with over 30 years experience across public and private sectors. She was delighted to take up the post of Trustee in January 2025, supporting the amazing things that Young Bristol achieves across the city.
Fahma Mohamed
Fahma is a passionate advocate for young people's rights and a leader in the youth sector. She currently serves as Project Manager at Girls Friendly Society, focusing on The Girls Rights Collective and the organisations 150th anniversary. Fahma's career has been defined by her work empowering young people, particularly in the areas of gender equality and social justice. She led a successful campaign against FGM as a teenager, securing over 250,000 signatures and contributing to a £35 million government initiatives to end FGM and forced marriage. This work earned her the Young Campaigner of the Year Award and an Honorary Doctorate in Law from the University of Bristol.
Fahma's previous experience includes working with young people to challenge harmful practices and support their personal development, particularly around issues of cultural identity and gender-based violence. As a Trustee at Young Bristol, Fahma hopes to bring her passion for youth advocacy, extensive experience and strategic insight to help shape the organisation's future and expand opportunities for young people across the city!
Jay Nash
Jay is the Director of People and Culture at Teach First, where he drives people strategy and execution to advance the charity's mission of tackling educational inequality. With over 17 years of experience in HR, business transformation and consulting, Jay brings deep expertise in people management, leadership and organisational development. Passionate about supporting young people, Jay understands the critical role organisations like Young Bristol play in fostering their growth and potential.
A keen outdoor enthusiast, he values the transformative power of nature and it's ability to build resilience. This year, Jay has completed the Cambrian Way, a challenging thru-hike that reflects his belief in personal growth through new and demanding experiences!
Shannon Ringland
Young Bristol holds a special place in Shannon's heart, as she had the privilege of attending the Outdoor Employment Programme 10 years ago, when she initially moved to Bristol. The programme was able to provide Shannon with invaluable skills and experiences that have shaped her professional journey.
Since leaving our Outdoor Employment Programme, Shannon has worked in many of the South West's top visitor attractions, and currently serves as HR and Operations Manager at Wake the Tiger. Her passion for the outdoors aligns with Young Bristol's mission to inspire and empower young people through outdoor activities and community programmes. Shannon has, first hand, seen the transformative power of these opportunities and is excited to contribute alongside fellow Trustees, staff and supporters to further our mission, ensuring more young people can benefit from the incredible work Young Bristol does.
You can find out more about our Board of Trustees, Patron and President here.
On Wednesday 15th 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.
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.
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.
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.
Lee Williams DL shared his experiences from the past seven years as Chief Executive of Young Bristol.
“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.”
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.
2024 has been a year full of milestones for Young Bristol. Throughout the year, we have seen amazing opportunities, impactful partnerships and incredible transformations!
As we reflect on an amazing year, we are proud of everything we have achieved over the last 12 months!
January
In January, Jesse and Cheralee completed their Level 2 Youth Work qualification!
Throughout 2024, 8 members of staff were supported as they worked towards their Youth Work qualifications. At Young Bristol, we remain committed to supporting our teamspersonal and professional development, prioritising their long-term growth, and ambitions.
February
A year of incredible recognitions! February saw the first of many celebrations, with Kyle from Hartcliffe Club for Young People awarded ‘Volunteer of the Year’ and Hartcliffe Club for Young People winning the ‘Your Park’ Award. Young Bristol, staff and young people received 9 local and national awards.
March
Our website is live! We launched our new website in March, showcasing a new and bright look, with an improved user experience that better allowed us to showcase our impact and work.
And the winner of our competition is… in April we announced the winners of our Creative Writing Competition, Peyton and Orla!
Throughout the year our team developed a programme of exciting opportunities which engaged 464 young people from across the city, taking part in events, activities, competitions and trips away.
May
We built new and existing relationships in 2024, with Computershare volunteering at our Youth Clubs and young people visiting Glastonbury Festival in May!
Corporate partnerships continue to make a huge difference – helping us to develop our provisions through fundraising, volunteering, donating and raising awareness of our work. Thank you to our partners who go above and beyond!
June
Young Leaders were excited to receive their new uniforms in June – making them feel part of the team at Young Bristol!
Throughout the year the number of young people who volunteer across our programmes continued to grow, with 27 young people volunteering their time and giving back to other young people!
July
Another year of amazing opportunities, reaching even more young people!
July saw a jam-packed city-wide programme of activities, workshops and exciting offers during the summer holidays. From caving and kayaking with our Outdoor Activities team to cooking workshops, trips and a sports day at our Youth Clubs.
August
Our fundraisers took on new challenges, ran marathons and competed at our annual Golf Day during 2024!
August saw 8 runners raise over £2,200 by taking on the South West Tough Mudder!Thank you to the individuals, groups and Corporates who pledged to fundraise for us this year.
September
We celebrated our impact in September!
We were proud to share our 2023 – 24 Impact Report which highlighted how we continue to support thousands of young people to feel empowered, included and not alone.
The feature highlighted the profound and life-changing work that the team behind this programme have delivered over the past five years – supporting nearly 1,000 young people across 16 communities.
November
Transforming our venues and investing in our infrastructure during 2024!
November saw the transformation of Ashton Vale Club for Young People, with a new multi-media suite, heating system, flooring and ceiling. Alongside our Clubs, Pooles Wharf Outdoor Activity Centre had exciting developments to the centre’s facilities and outdoor area!
December
As we come to the end of 2024, it has been incredible to look back at another impactful year, as we continued to play a crucial role in supporting young people and their communities!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
We were delighted to receive a total of 47 entries from across our Youth Clubs, showcasing lots creativity through some fantastic designs!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Local McDonald’s Franchisee, Laura Wilder, who owns and operates McDonald’s Fishponds, says:
“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.”
Shea Stew, Young Bristol Youth Club On Wheels Lead adds:
“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.”
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Now more than ever before, young people and families across Bristol need the support of charities like Young Bristol.
Next year, you can make a difference by taking on a challenge whilst supporting a local cause. Whether you want to take part in a fun run, build up your physical fitness with a half marathon, or push yourself to the limits with an Ultra challenge - grab your trainers and get fundraising!
"The day was perfect for running and it was great to meet everyone running for Young Bristol - the build up was made easier knowing you're raising money for a worthwile cause.”
Tough Mudder - Saturday 16th August 2025, Gloucester
Running for Young Bristol is straightforward - and FREE! We'll cover the place cost for you, and you will get your own complimentary Young Bristol branded vest. All we ask is that you pledge to fundraise for us!
If you would like to find out more information about these events, click here!
"Fundraising for Young Bristol was a real privilege. What’s more, as soon as I explained to people what the charity does, and how it does it, they immediately “got it” and could see how their financial support would make a real difference in a real community.”
Erik, London Marathon runner
How your support will make a difference.
Here in Bristol, Young Bristol continues to respond at the frontline with great initiatives to keep young people engaged, inspired, empowered and active.
£50 pays for a young person to go on a residential experience
£260 pays for two evenings of Youth Work for 50 young people with a qualified youth worker
£350 pays for one young person on our Outdoor Employment Programme to gain a First Aid qualification
£1,250 allows the Youth Club on Wheels to deliver sessions in a community with no provision for a whole month
Our Fundraising Team are here to support you! If you are interested in signing up to run for Young Bristol, or take part in a race not listed above then please contact our friendly team. Get in touch with our Fundraising Team on 0117 929 2513 or email info@youngbristol.com.