Young Bristol recognised at South West Business Awards!

We are delighted to announce Rosanna from the Avon Youth Club is the winner of our 2025 Film Competition!

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Last month, we were pleased to host a Film 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 is Rosanna, a young person from Avon Youth Club session! In her film, she discussed why she would like to be a xx and xx when she grows up. Rosanna was awarded with a £15 Amazon gift card for winning the competition. Well done to Kyah, Hartcliffe Club for Young People and Tico, Hartcliffe Club for Young People, who were announced as runners up of the competition.

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Congratulations Rosanna! During November, we are running a Christmas Card competition! Ask your local Club Leader for more information on how to enter.

This week, Young Bristol is celebrating National Trustee Week, which is an annual celebration of the achievements and incredible work Trustees offer to our charity, between Monday 3rd November - Friday 7th November.

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Young Bristol's Board of Trustees are a group of volunteers who help to drive our developing work with children and young people across Bristol. We are pleased to work with 11 trustees, who are responsible for the strategic direction and development of the charity.

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Meet our Trustee's - Cathy Dodsworth

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Cathy Dodsworth is a HR Director living in Bristol. She initially heard about Young Bristol through one of the coaches at my son’s rugby club, Owen, who is also an Outdoors Activity Instructor at Young Bristol.

She wanted to become a Trustee to combine her passion for volunteering and utilising her business experience, with learning about the charity sector. The work that Young Bristol does in supporting young people is something that she felt she could really add value to.

Over the past year, Cathy has really enjoyed visiting our youth clubs, meeting a number of young people we work with across the city, and witnessing how children benefit, grow and thrive as a result of our programmes and services. Cathy has also attend regular Trustee meetings, supporting with our finances, fundraising and future developments.

“A key highlight for me was being able to attend the Awards, AGM and Celebration event. Being able to recognise and celebrate the achievements of so many young people and staff was just fabulous to see. It was a great start to being a trustee and really brought home what Young Bristol can offer to our young people.”

One piece of advice Cathy would give to anyone looking to become a Trustee would be to be prepared to make the commitment to get involved and attend meetings or activities. Finding a charity that you feel passionate about, can really help you to feel like you can make a difference with your contribution.

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Meet our Trustee's - Shannon Ringland

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Shannon moved to Bristol in 2015 and began working at Bristol Zoo Gardens as part of the high ropes instructor team. This is where Shannon first heard about Young Bristol, with her colleagues speaking highly of the Outdoor Employment Programme (better known as the Instruictor Training Scheme at the time). Shannon joined the programme and found it a fantastic opportunity to meet like-minded people and develop new skills. A year later, she began working at the SS Great Britain, leading the “Go Aloft!” climbing experience, and has since continued to work in visitor attractions across the South West.

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Having experienced the positive impact of Young Bristol first hand, Shannon was excited to become a Trustee, and saw the role as a chance to give something back to a charity she respected, while also gaining valuable insight into how charities operates at a strategic level.

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Since joining the Board less than a year ago, Shannon has focused on learning more about Young Bristol’s programmes and priorities, while contributing to discussions about the charity’s future plans. She has particularly enjoyed celebrating the successes of the team and the young people we support.

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“Seeing the impact of the team’s hard work, through the success of fundraising events and the positive outcomes for young people, is incredibly motivating. Those moments of shared achievement really capture what makes Young Bristol so special.”

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For Shannon, becoming a Trustee has been both rewarding and inspiring, helping her to build confidence, broaden her perspective, and learn from fellow Trustees and the wider staff team. One piece of advice Shannon would give to anyone looking to become a Trustee would be to find a charity you feel passionate about, as that passion will make your contribution all the more meaningful.

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Thank you to our Board of Trustees for your continued support and voluntary efforts to support Young Bristol and the young people of Bristol! Find out more about our Board of Trustees here!

Young Bristol are delighted to announce, Chief Executive, Lee Williams DL has been appointed Acting Vice Lord-Lieutenant for the County and City of Bristol.

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The Vice Lord-Lieutenant is appointed by HM Lord Lieutenant Mrs Peaches Golding OBE CStJ RNR and is subject to the approval of the King. The appointment recognises distinguished service to the community, predominately in a voluntary capacity. The Vice Lord-Lieutenant assists the Lord Lieutenant with a range of duties at her request, examples include, representing her to welcome Royal visitors to the County, deputising at formal functions, award ceremonies, citizenship ceremonies to name a few.

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On receiving this honour Lee Williams DL said,

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“Having been appointed a Deputy Lieutenant in July 2020 to now be appointed Acting Vice Lord- Lieutenant of the City you were born, educated and have spent your working life in, is a tremendous honour for myself and my family. I look forward to assisting and supporting HM Lord Lieutenant in performing her duties, deputising for her when required.”

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As Chief Executive of Young Bristol since 2018, Lee has led the Bristol-based youth charity to become a multi-award winning organisation that supports thousands of young people year-on-year; making a lasting and significant contribution to the city of Bristol. With deep corporate and voluntary sector  leadership experience and a passion for serving young people, Lee has been committed to advancing the growth, stability, and impact of our Mission across Greater Bristol communities.

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Lee’s history at Young Bristol stems back far before his role as Chief Executive. His early experiences as a member of a Bristol Boys Club in the1970’s, Lee saw first-hand how important a safe place, with caring adults that provide positive opportunities is in a young person’s life. It is these personal experiences, that has given Lee the insight to lead the charity with unwavering commitment through periods of change and growth, to have an impactful role in communities across Greater Bristol.

Lee’s lifelong passion is supporting community based youth provision; and this can be seen through his commitments outside of Young Bristol. Lee is a Trustee of several charities, member of Youth Organisation Governing Bodies and supports the High Sheriff of the City of Bristol on youth related matters.

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Lee’s appointment as Acting Vice Lord-Lieutenant is a testament to his commitment and dedication to his work with the voluntary sector, and desires for a brighter future for young people. Young Bristol would like to share their congratulations to Lee on this prestigious honour.

We are incredibly proud to announce that Reece Pennington-Field, Young Leader and young person at BS14 Youth Club, was awarded the 'Young Person of the Year' award at the NABGC Awards Evening 2025!

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The 'Young Person of the Year' Award is presented to a young person, aged 11-25, who has displayed a strong committment to their local club, its values, and the programmes they deliver. The award also looks for young people who have volunteered or shown leadership at their club.

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We would like to congratulate Reece from BS14 Youth Club's 'Looked After Children session', who was awarded the 'Young Person of the Year' Award at the NABGC Awards Ceremony 2025!

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Reece is an active member of BS14 Youth Club's 'Looked After Children' sessions, and has acted as a Young Volunteer at the clubs junior sessions since April 2024. Reece was nominated for the 'Young Person of the Year' Award after taking on a natural leadership role, where he has helped staff to run tuck shop and supported his peers. He also lends a listening ear and comforting words to new young people who join the sessions, allowing them a comforting space to talk about their situation, and uses his own experiences as example.

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On busy evenings, the club will always see Reece go above and beyond to help staff at the club, where he will always offer to help set up tuck, hand out or cook food for other members and wash up. Since spending time working with our Juniors, Reece has changed his pathway and is now studying Health and Social Care, working towards completing his Level 1 & 2 Youth Work qualifications. His long-term goal is to become a Youth Worker at his Youth Club!

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Reece's foster carer said:

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"Reece is nothing short of a real-life superhero, and we are beyond proud to have had the privilege of watching him grow into such a compassionate and thoughtful young man. Witnessing Reece walk this remarkable path has been an honour. We couldn’t be prouder of him and all he has accomplished."

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Young Bristol would also like to recognise Owen and Romaine who were nominated for the 'Outstanding Leader of the Year' Award as well as Mason who was nominated for the 'Young Person of the Year' Award this year.

On Saturday 13th September, Young Bristol were pleased to attend Tockington Manor Schools 'Russell Run', raising money for the young people we support across Bristol!

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Tockington Manor Schools 'Russell Run' is a 5km fun run, jog or walk that was open to all members of the family around the schools 28 acres of land. The event was named after a beloved former teacher.

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The Russell Run celebrated the start of the school year, inviting the schools students, families, staff, alumni and dogs to come together in fancy dress and take part in the event. It was great to see a day full of excitement, laughter and fun.

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Tockington Manor School have kindly chosen Young Bristol as their 'Charity of the Year' for the 2025-26 school year. As part of this partnership, they also plan to host a Christmas Fair, Christmas Jumper Day, Carol Service, a school triathlon day, a Disney Day and a number of non-uniform days.

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Thank you to everyone at Tockington Manor School that has helped to make the first fundraising event of the year a success. We look forward to working with you throughout the school year!

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Simon Long, Club Leader at The Grove @ Bedminster Down!

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Simon has worked with young people across South Bristol for the past 5 years, where he gave up his career in construction to help inspire young people! During his time supporting young people, he founded Hartcliffe BMX, with the aim of helping to keep young people fit and active, and has also worked with our Hartcliffe Club for Young People, where he progressed from a sessional youth worker to the club’s Leader.

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Simon now joins us as Club Leader at The Grove @ Bedminster Down, where he is excited to engage with young people in a new community!

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We hope you will join us in welcoming Simon to the Young Bristol team! Find out more about our team here!

Young Bristol are delighted to be shortlisted for the 'Community Impact' and 'Business Leader of the Year' categories at the South West Business of the Year Awards 2025!

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The South West Business of the Year Awards celebrates the very best business successes from across the region. The shortlisted and winning businesses are those that are innovating, disrupting and thriving – and want to showcase their achievements.

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Young Bristol has been shortlisted for the 'Community Impact' award for 2025, which highlights businesses or individuals in the region that have demonstrated a commitment to ‘giving something back’, through CSR initiatives or charitable activities. Young Bristol has a legacy spanning nearly a century, and is an organisation that is continually evolving to meet the needs of Bristol’s youth. During the last year, we continued to provide safe spaces, skills training, and life-changing experiences that supported thousands of young people to thrive. 

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We are also thrilled to share that Young Bristol's Chief Executive, Lee Williams DL, has been nominated by the judges of the Awards for the 'Business Leader of the Year', which showcases the most impressive business leaders from nominated businesses. 

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Thank you to the South West Business of the Year Awards for recognising the fantastic work of Young Bristol, and the passionate, hard-working and dedicated people behind the organisation. Our team look forward to attending the Awards Ceremony later this year.

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Lucrezia Chiarle, Youth Club on Wheels Assistant Youth Leader!

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Lucrezia has worked with young people through creative, community and care-based roles over the years. With a background in the arts, she brings a passion for self-expression, DIY crafts, and inclusive spaces into her youth work. As a multidisciplinary artist and community organiser, she uses creativity as a tool for connection, storytelling, and identity exploration. Since 2017 Lucrezia has led workshops, participatory events, and group sessions focused on ecological and social issues, through art and collective making, often working with themes of transition, empowerment, and emotional wellbeing.

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She joined Young Bristol with a strong belief in the power of community spaces to support young people in discovering their voice and potential.

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We hope you will join us in welcoming Lucrezia to the Young Bristol team! Find out more about our team here!

Young Bristol are incredibly proud to share that Charlie Sinclair, Club Leader at BS14 Youth Club has completed her Level 3 Youth Work qualification!

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Charlie completed her Level 3 Youth Work qualification with South Gloucestershire Playscheme in 2025. Since beginning the course, Charlie has learnt how to engage with young people in a youth work setting, and how she can promote young people’s personal and social development, enabling them to have a voice and influence in the community.

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We are proud of Charlie for completing her Youth Work training, as this not only helps her to develop professionally, but has a huge impact on our delivery. Charlie has already used her learning to plan the clubs sessions and has changed the way she engages with our young people. Congratulations!

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- Andy Kimber, Head of Operations & HR

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At Young Bristol, we continue to reinforce our strategy pillars by developing our people and programmes by providing opportunities for personal and professional development, skills for life and opportunities to grow.

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Congratulations Charlie on completing your Level 3 Youth Work qualification!