Supporting Voluntary and Community Action
We are pleased to announce the winners of the Bristol Social Impact Awards 2024! The awards ceremony took place on the evening on February 29th 2024 at South Bristol Skills Academy in Hengrove.
Below are the winners for each category:
BXCellence is being celebrated for its direct work with marginalised young people in the city – particularly those at risk of crime or serious youth violence, prison leavers, and those in custody. BXCellence is recognised particularly for its collaborative partnership working with schools, prisons, community, and local authorities to provide trusted tailored training, support, mentoring, and advice and guidance that are innovative and yield positive outcomes.
We would also like to shine a spotlight on the other amazing people shortlisted in this category, Common Ambition Bristol and Bristol Play and Youth Alliance.
Brigstowe, the Bristol-based HIV support charity, is celebrated for their work on the Common Ambition Bristol partnership with health services, the council, and community organisations – ensuring that people living with HIV and communities are central to the co-production of services.
Bristol Play and Youth Alliance – formed as a merger of Playful Bristol and The Youth Work Alliance in 2023 – is recognised for its positive strides in partnership working and collaborative leadership to meet the needs of children and young people.
Sparks, which has re-purposed the former Marks and Spencer Building in Broadmead, is being celebrated for its community efforts to bring sustainable shopping and environmental education to the city; for catalysing a movement for change in the high street, and for regenerating the building into an inclusive hub for creatives and diverse communities alike.
We would also like to shine a spotlight on the other amazing people shortlisted in this category, Avon Needs Trees and Bristol Climate and Nature Partnership.
Based at FutureLeap on Gloucester Road, Avon Needs Trees boasts over 1000 local volunteers who plant and care for trees each year.
Bristol Climate and Nature Partnership is a unique network of 1,100 organisations united by one vision: a zero-carbon, nature-rich, socially-just future for our city.
The Carnival not only celebrates the legacy of African Caribbean arts and culture, bringing people together from St Pauls, the wider city, region, and nationwide – it is also recognised for being inclusive in its practice as an employer, as well as through all its community work and events.
We would also like to shine a spotlight on the other amazing people shortlisted in this category, Better Biliengual CIC and Latinas in Bristol CIC.
Better Bilingual is recognised for its amazing work promoting the inclusion of Bristol’s multilingual and migrant children in our schools.
Founded by Laila Garzon Deguer, an Argentinian living in Bristol, Latinas in Bristol was set up to support women who are living throughout the city in socially isolated situations.
Mothers for Mothers provide support to women and their families with maternal mental health and emotional wellbeing needs. They are celebrated for showing resilience in their service delivery and managing to extend their support network – particularly recently through a demanding period of unexpected growth following the closure of another charity.
We would also like to shine a spotlight on the other amazing people shortlisted in this category, Postscript 360 and Spring of Hope.
Despite the challenges of the pandemic and a depleted team, Postscript 360, led by CEO Terri McDonald, showed its resilience in continuing the work of its small frontline team, which supports people to overcome prescription drug dependence through their wrap-around service and therapy.
Spring of Hope, a project of InHope, is Bristol’s only women’s emergency night shelter, and is recognised for its resilience during the upheaval of the pandemic, and post-COVID for the city’s most vulnerable women – including those who may be homeless or experiencing abuse or violence.
Survivors Leading Essential Education and Change (SLEEC) is a survivor-run organisation that changes conversation, supports survivors of rape and sexual violence, and is celebrated for their groundbreaking work striving to dismantle the roots of male violence.
We would also like to shine a spotlight on the other amazing people shortlisted in this category, Esprit Concrete and Sparks Bristol.
Shortlisted for their transformative work in Southmead, Esprit Concrete’s innovative approach utilises parkour, to equip children and young people with the tools to navigate not just physical obstacles, but life’s challenges as well.
Additionally, the team at Sparks are recognised for repurposing Broadmead’s iconic Marks and Spencer building into a vibrant sustainability and studio space.
Kyle joined Hartcliffe Club for Young People at the start of 2023 and has overcome personal barriers to become a volunteer at the club in his own right. He is particularly recognised for supporting other children, and for his work to support the club’s “awakeathon” fundraising event for a homelessness charity.
We would also like to shine a spotlight on the other amazing people shortlisted in this category, Ilyas and Jasmine.
As a dedicated member of the Youth Board for Integrate UK, Ilyas is recognised for how he has consistently demonstrated a strong passion for advancing inclusivity and diversity. His example sets a precedent for boys and young men to be unafraid to express vulnerability while inspiring active engagement with critical community issues.
Jasmine Tippett was nominated for bringing her sunshine personality to all that she does, making connections, building people up, and for working so hard for her community. She has been particularly recognised for her work volunteering at Springfield Allotment in Knowle, and for her work with We Are More afterschool club.
The Youth Opinions group, a project of Youth Moves, are recognised for their amazing volunteering to ensure young people in South Bristol have a voice in the services they receive.
We would also like to shine a spotlight on the other amazing people shortlisted in this category, Ava, Chelsea, Konnie, and Shayna, as well as Mariama Adan.
Ava, Chelsea, Konnie, and Shayna are commended for giving so much of their time, kindness, and commitment to volunteer for Fun 4 Families UK, accompanying families on events and giving support and advice.
Mariama is recognised for her indispensable contributions to the VCSE sector and her work at Integrate UK as a dedicated activist on inclusivity and mental health, as well as for inspiring her peers.
Mamas Bristol are recognised for their initiatives to meet the needs of the community – providing advice and signposting support, hosting free or low-cost fun and community events, and redistributing supermarket surplus, among other activities.
We would also like to shine a spotlight on the other amazing people shortlisted in this category, Fun 4 Families UK CIC and BS13 Cooking Club.
Esther and Kelly, under the banner of Fun 4 Families, are recognised for their work to make their South Bristol community a better and safer place to live.
The BS13 Cooking Club are recognised for their voluntary work breaking barriers within their community and showing skills how to prepare meals within a budget and preventing isolation.
Local leaders in mental health for over 40 years, the Bridge Foundation are recognised for their strong and innovative governance, through, for example, a Joint Leadership Model and an effective Diversified Income Model.
We would also like to shine a spotlight on the other amazing people shortlisted in this category Ara Recovery for All and Bristol Women’s Voice.
Ara Recovery for All have developed a sophisticated governance framework that delivers commissioner requirements around value for money and KPI monitoring, as well as measuring the improvements to people’s lives.
Bristol Women’s Voice are nominated for their proactive governance, such as creating a chairing rota and ensuring diversity of trustees to reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.
Described as an unsung hero of community support and inclusion, Michelle has worked tirelessly to support her community through her work with BSWN, St Pauls Learning Centre, Malcolm X, and Babbasa. Her values of fairness, integrity and equity shine through to demonstrate her commitment to communities in need of her help.
We would also like to shine a spotlight on the other amazing people shortlisted in this category, Judit Davis and Desmond Brown.
From food clubs, and the Malcolm X Elders, to brightening up St Pauls via guerilla gardening projects and supporting young people through the Grassroots Activator Project and Full Circle – Judit is yet another unsung hero.
Desmond Brown is recognised for his work tackling institutional racism, advocating for justice for under-served communities, and his incredible work and commitment when working with young people.
Nominated for their innovative and unique contribution to equity and diversity in the city, WECIL’s Access and Inclusion Team, known as WAIT, is a team of disabled volunteers who selflessly give up their time to improve the accessibility of Bristol and the surrounding areas.
We would also like to shine a spotlight on the other amazing people shortlisted in this category, ADHD Bristol Collective and South Bristol Youth.
ADHD Bristol Collective are recognised for creating an incredible community that supports those with ADHD. The collective has an immense social impact, transforming lives.
South Bristol Youth are recognised for their engaging programme of global citizenship activities throughout the academic year – which opens up aspirations and experiences to disadvantaged children and young people in schools in South Bristol.
Family and Friends BS13 is celebrated for all the efforts that they make to bring community together in BS13 and welcoming new people moving to the area. They organise events and support activities that enable members to be confident, allowing them to discover and improve their own skills and assets to share with the community.
We would also like to shine a spotlight on the other amazing people shortlisted in this category, the Assessment and Triage Team at Bristol Law Centre, and Mothers for Mothers.
Assessment and Triage Team at Bristol Law Centre supports individuals who are facing barriers to justice – supporting approximately 4000 help-seekers per year – unpicking complex legal issues such as accessing benefits and remaining in their homes.
Mothers for Mothers is recognised for the work they do to provide vital support for vulnerable mothers, with a focus on inclusion and diversity in their work and using lived experience peer support at the core.
And that’s a wrap! We wish we could highlight all 270+ nominations that we received – but in place of that we wanted to thank everyone who made a nomination or were nominated, your passion for making our local community a better place was amazing to witness!
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