Past News
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The Rainbow Centre for Children
07.01.2012The Rainbow Centre provides care and support for children and their families who are suffering from the effects of either a life threatening illness or a death in the family. Such loss can cause isolation or anger, resulting in a breakdown in family relationships. The Centre has created a homely feel and offers counselling, homeopathic consultations, music therapy and massage to those who need support. The Foundation awarded a grant of £1,604 towards essential building works at the Centre.
Web Site: The Rainbow Centre
Sea Mills Community Initiatives
08.12.2011An abandoned toilet block in the heart of Sea Mills has been completely transformed by Sea Mills Community Initiatives into a Cafe serving the local area. The Cafe, opened on 6th December, will be supported by over 50 volunteers enabling it to open 5 days per week. The Venue will be used for Community focused activities such as family support groups, youth work and debt advice. All profits generated will go back into the area to assist with other projects. The Foundation recently awarded £10,000 to assist with the building work and running costs of the Cafe.
The Royal Blind Society
15.09.2011The Royal Blind Society has been in operation for 140 years giving assistance to people who are blind or partially sighted and in charitable need. Over 500 grants are made each year for a wide range of purposes and they make dramatic changes to people's lives by helping them to live with dignity and independence. The Foundation recently awarded £1,965 to cover the accommodation costs of a family holiday for 5 eyeless children from Bristol. These holidays, with nursing support, give a welcome break to the whole family.
Web Site: The Royal Blind Society
The Wheels Project
02.09.2011The Wheels Project offers young people between the ages of 13 and 24 practical hands on training programmes based in its motor vehicle workshop in Brislington. The youngsters may either be disaffected, disabled, low achievers, unemployed and at risk of committing crime or at risk of being involved in a serious road traffic accident. Many of the young people, when they arrive, are experiencing difficulties with functional skills such as literacy, numeracy and interpersonal relationships all of which are needed for employment. The programme enables students to develop these skills through the practical activities in the workshop where they are taught at appropriate levels. Now in its 30th year, the charity plays a significant role in the community having worked to improve the outlook on life for over 2,000 young people. Further, the project has benefited the wider community through the gifting of 25 vehicles, renovated by the students, to local community groups.
The Foundation recently awarded a grant of £8,500 to support the work in Bristol.
Web Site: The Wheels Project
Handicapped Childrens Action Group
11.07.2011Following a £900 grant awarded by the Foundation to Handicapped Childrens Action Group, New Fosseway School, based at the Bridge Learning Campus, Hartcliffe has received a new specialist trike which is being enjoyed by the children.
New Fosseway School works with students who have a wide variety of needs associated with severe learning difficulties. The school provides a small, specialist learning environment which meets not only the children's educational requirements but also their medical, social and core needs.
Web Site: Handicapped Childrens Action Group
The Country Trust
10.06.2011The Country Trust organises and conducts educational expeditions for small groups of children from deprived areas of towns and cities thus enabling them to learn about how the countryside is managed and maintained. Linked to the National Curriculum these expeditions teach the children through a "hands on" approach. In 2010 nearly 1,000 children benefited from a farm trip; many of these children had not seen the countryside before. The Foundation recently awarded a grant of £2,500 towards The Country Trust's work with Bristol children.
Web Site: The Country Trust
Hartcliffe and Withywood Angling Club
09.06.2011Hartcliffe and Withywood Angling Club offers a scheme to divert young people, living in a deprived area of Bristol, away from anti-social behaviour, crime, drugs and alcohol misuse. Established in April 2007, the club has supported over 250 young people. Through strict conduct and behaviour rules, the club helps young people, within the environment of fishing, to gain new skills, build confidence levels and engage positively with others. The Foundation recently awarded a grant of £2,200 towards the club's work in Bristol.
John James nominated for Bristol Walk of Fame
28.04.2011The John James' plaque on the Bristol Walk of Fame at Bristol Zoo has now been revealed. The Walk of Fame has been designed as part of the Zoo's 175th birthday celebrations and can be followed around the 12-acre site. The city's favourite icons were chosen by a voting system at the beginning of the year.
Web Site: Walk of Fame
Gorilla donated to Room 13.
07.04.2011As part of Bristol Zoo's 175 year celebration the Foundation has donated a school gorilla to Room 13 which is an independent artists' studio based in Hartcliffe. Run by a team of students aged 9-11 the studio encourages children to follow their own ideas and work on creative projects. The aims of the school gorilla's project are to allow pupils to design and decorate their own gorilla and educate children about gorillas and their habitat. All school gorillas will go out on show in Bristol, with life sized gorilla sculptures, for 10 weeks this summer.
Web Site: Room 13
Whizz-Kidz
08.03.2011Whizz-Kidz is a UK wide charity that provides specialist mobility equipment, wheelchair skills training, advice and life skills to disabled children and young people. This support can literally change a child's life overnight by helping them gain the confidence and independence to realise their true potential and fully enjoy life at home, at school and at play. The trustees recently awarded a grant of £12,000 to cover the cost of mobility equipment for children who live within the Bristol boundary.
Web Site: Whizz-Kidz
Above and Beyond
07.03.2011Above and Beyond supports all nine Bristol City hospitals and has recently raised £1.6m towards the transformation of the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre. The Centre provides treatment for cancer and delivers specialist radiotherapy and haematology services to patients in Bristol and surrounding areas. The Centre originally opened in 1971 and many areas had not changed in the last 40 years. The Foundation granted £5,000 towards the refurbishment which was completed in January. The Centre now has a bright and welcoming redesigned reception area with a centrally located patient counselling service and cancer information centre. In addition the number of clinic rooms has doubled and two new consultation rooms have been created. An arts programme has made the centre less clinical and much more homely.
Web Site: Above and Beyond
University of Bristol
05.03.2011Cancer remains the leading cause of death in children despite the enormous progress that has been made in the treatment of the disease. Deaths from cancer in children do not occur evenly, some children respond less well to treatment than others, so one way to improve survival is to identify those children who are likely to have a poor treatment response and then give them especially intensive therapy in an attempt to cure them. The Foundation awarded a grant of £7,450 to provide the chemicals and reagents necessary to carry out tests at the University of Bristol this year. The aim of the project is to apply recent scientific research to develop a test that can identify children with cancer who are likely to have a poor response to treatment thus enabling them to be given intensive therapy which it is hoped will increase their chances of survival.
DCF Premier Workshops
17.02.2011DCF Premier Workshops Trust has been operating in Bristol for 25 years providing a service to people with disabilities. The workshop provides varied work, crafts, gardening and work on behalf of other companies, all of which helps to encourage independence, self belief and responsibility. The Foundation awarded £400 to assist with the costs of their Christmas party. Everyone had a great time.
Web Site: DCF Premier Workshops Trust
Headway Bristol
15.02.2011Headway Bristol is a local charity located at Frenchay Hospital offering support, community outreach and services, a drop in centre, resource library and information for brain injury survivors, their families and carers. At their centre they aim to support brain injured people to achieve social rehabilitation; activities are developed around the interests, abilities and needs of those attending.
Headway Bristol holds many events during the year including an annual Christmas party for their service users, volunteers and staff which is very much looked forward to each year. In 2010 the Foundation contributed £390 towards this party to pay for a few little extras. A great time was had by the party goers.
Web Site: Headway Bristol
The Rock Community Centre
14.02.2011The Rock Community Centre in Lawrence Weston is a community facility providing activities identified by the local people. Many activities are held at the Centre throughout the week including an over 50's club. Their Christmas party was thoroughly enjoyed in December. The Foundation contributed £270 to assist with the party.
Web Site: The Rock Community Centre
University of the West of England
11.01.2011The University of the West of England is working in partnership with the Bristol Urological Institute, the University of Bristol and the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre to conduct research into circulating tumour cells found in the blood of people with advanced cancer tumours. The Foundation awarded £40,000 to enable the partnership to purchase the first Veridex Circulation Tumour Scanner in the South West that can detect very low numbers of this type of cell in cancer patients. It will allow doctors and scientists to investigate the characteristics of the circulating tumour cells compared to the cells of the primary tumour and therefore gain a greater understanding of what is controlling the spread of the cancer. It is thought that if we knew this, the scientists could design better drugs to target the disease.
Marie Curie Cancer Care
07.01.2011Marie Curie Cancer Care provides free nursing care to people with terminal illnesses in their own homes. By providing specialist care and support at home, Marie Curie nurses help to fulfil the patient's wish to spend their last weeks and days surrounded by the people and things they love as opposed to the routines of a hospital. In 2009, 15 Marie Curie nurses cared for 191 patients in Bristol providing expert nursing care and support for their families and carers. The Marie Curie Nursing service relies on donations to be able to continue caring for people with terminal illnesses in the Bristol area.
In November 2010 the Foundation awarded Marie Curie Cancer Care a grant of £19,000 towards their 2011 City of Bristol costs.
Web Site: Marie Curie
Alabare
06.01.2011For some ex-service veterans adjusting to civilian life proves difficult. Depression, mental health problems, financial difficulties and lack of skills can lead to unemployment, relationship breakdown and homelessness.
Alabare's Bristol home for veterans, opened in November 2010, offers a unique combination of accomodation and support to ex-service personnel. Staff give support with areas such as education, employment, and housing, and veterans are assisted to access specialist help both for a range of mental health conditions including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and substance addiction. Veterans are enabled to develop life skills such as budgeting and maintaining a home; skills they may not have needed whilst serving in the forces.
A grant of £10,000 was awarded by the Foundation to assist with the running costs of the Bristol home.
Alabare have homes for veterans in Bristol, Plymouth and Weymouth and plan to continue the expansion of their veterans' programme of support with the opening of further projects across the South and South West.
Web Site: Alabare
Jessie May Trust
16.12.2010The Jessie May Trust provides respite and palliative care at home to children and young people with life limiting illnesses. Many have rare genetic, metabolic and neurological conditions and are expected to die before the age of 19. The quality of the lives of the children is vastly improved by being at home with their families where they are loved, cherished and stimulated. Spending time in hospital can lead to boredom, isolation and major disruption for parents and siblings. Care in the home offers improved emotional well being and increased family cohesion. However, caring for a terminally ill child 24 hours a day can prove extremely demanding. Respite for parents is essential allowing them to take a break from 24 hour care. £20,000 was awarded by the Foundation in November, enabling 4 families in Bristol to receive respite care in 2011.
Web Site: Jessie May Trust
The Bristol Rotary Club
10.10.2010The Bristol Rotary Club's 48th Annual Charity Concert was held in October at The Colston Hall, enabling approximately 1,500 senior citizens across Bristol to enjoy an afternoon of music and songs. The Foundation awarded a grant of £1,500 to assist with the running costs. The concert was clearly enjoyed by all. Here are some of the excerpts from the many thank-you cards received by The Rotary Club.
"Everything was first class and very enjoyable"
"A fabulous concert and enjoyed by all who came with me"
"Another outstanding performance, enjoyed every minute"
Web Site: Rotary Club Bristol
Lifeskills Bristol
06.09.2010A grant of £2,000 was awarded to Lifeskills Bristol towards the cost and delivery of safety education and training for older people. Lifeskills-Learning for Living is a permanent regional safety education and training centre built as a realistic village in The Create Centre. It is designed to help children, adults with learning difficulties and older people learn about safety in a fun and practical way. The village has houses, a shop, building site, playground, stream, railway and farm. All of these deliver various safety messages with the help of the Centre's volunteer guides.
Web Site: Lifeskills
Motability
23.08.2010Motability was founded in 1977 in order to improve the lives of severely disabled people in the UK who tend to find mobility one of the biggest challenges they face. Motability provides vehicles, powered wheelchairs and related services enabling disabled individuals to enjoy greater independence and the freedom to live their lives in the way many take for granted. Last year 40 disabled people in Bristol became mobile with the help of Motability. The Foundation awarded a grant of £10,000 towards their work in Bristol at the August Trustees' Meeting.
Web Site: Motability
Trinity Care Service
05.07.2010Trinity Care Service runs a day centre and outreach service for the over 60's in Bristol. The main aim is to support people living in their own homes thus enabling them to maintain their independence. Services provided include a mini-bus to and from home, a three course meal, laundry, shopping, chiropodist and many activities. The Foundation recently awarded a grant of £1,000 towards the expansion of the mini-bus service into the Bedminster area of the city.
Web Site: Trinity Care Service
Knowle West Health Association
21.06.2010Congratulations to Knowle West Health Association recently awarded The Queens Award for Voluntary Service. The Charity aims to promote and improve the health and well being of people residing in the Knowle West area of Bristol. The organisation runs a number of projects and groups to support the local community. One of these is a foster carers group which operates on a weekly basis enabling foster carers to share experiences and knowledge, develop new skills and receive support in an often demanding but rewarding role. The Foundation recently awarded a grant of £1,000 which will assist with the running costs of this group.
Web Site: Knowle West Health Association
Dream Holidays
16.06.2010Cystic Fibrosis is a life threatening disease which affects between 8-10,000 people within the UK. Patients suffer from frequent lung infections and severe breathing difficulties which result in regular medication and often frequent hospital visits. Dream Holidays was founded 18 years ago and now provides respite holidays for over 120 families per year within the UK who have been severely affected by having a child with Cystic Fibrosis. It can often be difficult both financially and logistically to take a holiday. Dream Holidays fully co-ordinate and take care of all arrangements which results in a rest for the whole family. The Foundation awarded a grant of £1,050 in May to send a family from Bristol on holiday this summer.
Web Site: Dream Holidays
British Red Cross
10.06.2010Refugees and asylum seekers are amongst the most vulnerable people in the UK, suffering from poverty, high levels of isolation, lack of access to services, racism, prejudice and discrimination. Thousands simply cannot afford food or clothing and lack basic essentials, like toiletries. Many recognise the Red Cross from their country of origin so turn to them in the first instance. British Red Cross in Bristol have been providing needs-led support to refugees and asylum seekers since the beginning of 2008. The Foundation awarded a grant of £1,000 at the May Trustees' Meeting to help towards their work in Bristol.
Web Site: British Red Cross
FareShare South West
21.04.2010Congratulations to FareShare South West! Winners of "Britain's Most Admired Charity" received at the Third Sector Awards earlier this month.
Thousands of tonnes of perfectly good in-date food are landfilled each year as a result of packaging errors, promotions and discontinued lines yet there are over 4 million people in the UK who cannot afford a healthy diet. Among this 4 million are the homeless, elderly, disadvantaged children, refugees, the mentally ill and those with physical health problems.
FareShare South West was set up in 2007 to work with both the food industry and disadvantaged members of the Bristol Community to address this imbalance by redistributing quality surplus food to groups working with vulnerable individuals in and around Bristol. FareShare also offers volunteering and training opportunities in their Bristol based warehouse.
The Foundation has awarded grants, over a 2 year period, of £60,000 to assist with the running costs of this charity.
Web Site: FareShare South West
At- Bristol
17.03.20102010 is At-Bristol's 10th anniversary and to mark this important milestone they will almost completely redevelop the Ground Floor of Explore. A new exhibition called 'All About Us' will enable visitors to explore new and exciting elements of human biology and environmental science using a mixture of highly interactive exhibits. This will teach new concepts as well as extend prior knowledge and skills. Visitors to At-Bristol will be able to conduct their own experiments in the "Live Lab". The Foundation awarded a grant of £10,000 which will significantly contribute towards the fitting-out of the laboratory preparation area which forms an integral part of this exhibition.
Web Site: At-Bristol
SkillForce
15.03.2010The Trustees recently awarded a grant of £4,000 to SkillForce to contribute towards its work in Bristol. SkillForce works with secondary schools aiming to encourage and motivate young people, who might otherwise find it difficult to succeed in education, to reach their full potential. The instructors, many ex-service personnel, instil respect and mutual support and act as positive role models. They assist the young people to succeed by inspiring an "I Can" attitude to life. The mix of classroom learning and outdoor team building activities ensures that the programme remains motivational and interesting.
Web Site: Skill Force
Relate Avon
14.03.2010Relate Avon provides emotional and psychological support for families by offering skilled assistance to those that are experiencing difficulties. Typically these families have to deal with conflict,domestic violence, divorce, very difficult children and school absence. A range of services are offered to deal with these issues including counselling, psychosexual therapy and lifeskills training. The grant of £1,500, recently awarded by the Foundation, will enable Relate Avon to purchase two new computers to improve the service offered to its clients.
Web Site: Relate Avon
Church Housing Trust
08.03.2010At the February Trustees' meeting £10,000 was awarded to Church Housing Trust to assist with their fundraising to refurbish the shared kitchens and provide fridges for homeless people at the hostel based in Jamaica Street. The Hostel provides 57 bed spaces for homeless men and women with a broad range of support needs including substance misuse, alcohol dependency and mental health problems. The ethos is to offer support and give residents the confidence and skills they need to make a successful transition to independent living.
Web Site: Church Housing Trust
Paul's Place
19.01.2010Paul's Place is a charity that supports physically, cognitive and sensory impaired adults in Bristol. The aim is to provide a quality of life for all physically impaired adults aged 18-60, enabling them to gain the most fulfilled life members can achieve. Many services are provided at Paul's Place including day facility, evening activities, respite trips and a carers' support programme. Over the last two years the membership in Bristol has doubled and the charity has sought to increase the size, offering new facilities throughout. Following the charity's extensive fundraising, the Foundation has awarded a grant of £10,000 to help reach the target.
Web Site: Paul's Place
Trees for Cities
11.01.2010Trees for Cities aims to enrich biodiversity, tackle global warming, create social cohesion and beautify our cities through community tree planting, education and training initiatives in urban areas of the greatest need. A grant of £1,500 was recently awarded by the Foundation to Trees for Cities to assist with the costs of The Ridgeway Cycle route transformation in Bristol. The local community are planting over 3,000 trees along the cycle path that runs along The Ridgeway playing fields in the Hillfields area of the city, providing a screen from the adjacent industrial site which will then encourage the path's use by pedestrians and cyclists.
Web Site: Trees for Cities
Bristol Old Vic
09.07.2007The Foundation recently pledged £250,000 to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre, one of the country’s oldest working theatres. As featured widely in the press, the Bristol Old Vic has announced a start date for the £7 million programme of renovation works. The theatre closes on 1 August 2007 for preparation work for the refurbishment which will include new seating, a new air cooling system, lifting of the stalls floor levels for improved stage visibility and installation of disabled lift access as well as structural repairs. To donate towards the £2 million still required please follow the link to their website.
Web Site: Save Bristol Old Vic
John James Blue Plaque
21.03.2006On 25th July 2006 John James would be 100 years old.
It is fitting therefore that a Blue Plaque was unveiled today on the site of John's birthplace - 96 Philip Street, Bedminster. This is the site now of Windmill Hill City Farm.