fbpx
Photo of volunteers in homeless charity at christmas

CARING AT CHRISTMAS MOVING FORWARD SAFELY – COVID UPDATE FROM OUR CARING AT CHRISTMAS PROJECT MANAGER Caring in Bristol wanted to update our supporters on our plans regarding our Caring at Christmas Project and the developing Covid situation. As you’ll be aware, Covid-19 numbers are on the rise across Bristol and there is uncertainty regarding […]

Read more

16.12.2021

CARING AT CHRISTMAS MOVING FORWARD SAFELY

Mythbusting Homelessness Dismantling negative stereotypes surrounding homelessness by looking at the facts. By Bea Swallow Reading time: 5 minutes. Myths and stereotypes surrounding homelessness are extremely common and increasingly problematic, providing the foundations for further stigmatisation of an already marginalised group. Misconceptions around homelessness are arguably born and bred in the media, with poignant narratives […]

Read more

08.12.2021

Mythbusting Homelessness.

Solving homelessness, on a budget. 5 ways you can help solve homelessness as a student.  By Bea Swallow Reading time: 5 minutes Two years ago, I uprooted my sleepy seaside existence in Cornwall to begin a new life in Bristol, studying at university. Where I grew up there were undeniably areas of extreme poverty, and […]

Read more

24.11.2021

Solving homelessness, on a budget. 

Hostile Architecture Hostile Architecture

The City The Never Sleeps – Hostile Architecture in Bristol Reading time: 5 minutes By Bea Swallow Photography by George Etheredge Hostile architecture is a controversial method of urban design, specifically implemented to prevent perceived unwanted or intimidating behaviour in public spaces, such as loitering, conducting illegal activity, or rough sleeping. Installations are subtle and […]

Read more

24.11.2021

The City that Never Sleeps

As the temperatures drop and the days get shorter, Caring in Bristol are hard at work preparing for the colder months. Reading time: 5 minutes We are grateful for the positives of this year – the amazing support of Caring in Bristol volunteers and supporters, who have committed thousands of hours to staffing and fundraising […]

Read more

25.10.2021

What will homelessness look like in Bristol this Winter?

The Bristol Homelessness Prevention Project is a new joint project by homelessness charity, Caring in Bristol and housing advice agency, CHAS Bristol. Both organisations are proudly Bristolian and share a dedication to tackling the problems the city faces around homelessness. The BHPP brings together unique expertise from each and a wealth of combined experience working […]

Read more

19.10.2021

Call for Proposals

Two months ago today, we launched Bristol Goods. Bristol Goods is a brand new project supporting people at risk of or with recent experience of homelessness to move towards food independence, an increased connection with their community, and maintain their tenancy. Shoppers are those who are at risk of homelessness and have recently experienced street […]

Read more

29.10.2021

Reflecting on two months of Bristol Goods

TAP for Bristol marks its second birthday this week. Reading time: one minute The contactless donation scheme is a partnership between Caring in Bristol, Bristol City Centre BID, and Redcliffe & Temple BID created to give generous Bristolians a secure, novel, way of giving money to help solve homelessness in our city. TAP for Bristol […]

Read more

20.09.2021

TAP turns two!

In March of 2020, in just a matter of days, tens of thousands of people experiencing or at risk of rough sleeping were brought inside. Reading time: three minutes As the first wave of the pandemic broke across the country, local authorities, agencies, charities and other partnership organisations working under government direction were able to […]

Read more

30.07.2021

In for Good? Our response to the Kerslake Report

On July 30th, the volunteer team for our groundbreaking food support programme Cheers Drive will make their final delivery. Reading time: three minutes This feels like a significant moment: since its creation in March 2020, Cheers Drive has delivered 166,000 meals, serving over 850 people living in hotels and temporary emergency accommodation. It’s brought together […]

Read more

23.07.2021

Saying Goodbye to Cheers Drive

Volunteers make the work we do possible. For as long as Caring in Bristol has existed, our projects have been powered by people who have generously offered up their time, skills, and expertise because they know that homelessness is unacceptable and unnecessary. A number of our volunteers found themselves furloughed during the early stages of […]

Read more

01.06.2021

“Helping and serving others has given me a sense of purpose” – Kritika’s Story

Looking back on a twelve months of pioneering food aid. Having grown from an emergency humanitarian response to the pandemic into a fully-fledged citywide food support service powered by an army of volunteers, Cheers Drive reached the milestone of a year in operation in late April. Today, we are pleased to be able publish the […]

Read more

25.05.2021

One-year Impact Report: Cheers Drive

Last week, we marked the launch of our Blueprint for Change with an online panel discussion. We know that progress doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and so we were delighted to be joined by three speakers from Bristol organisations bringing about positive changes: Poku Osei, CEO of Babbasa, Anna Smith, CEO of One25, and Jess Bunyan, […]

Read more

21.05.2021

Four takeaways from the launch of our ‘Blueprint for Change’

On May 17th, funding for emergency accommodation in Bristol for people who have been designated as having No Recourse to Public Funds will end. One group of people facing homelessness rendered especially vulnerable during the pandemic are European Economic Area nationals without worker status and people seeking asylum who have been designated as No Recourse […]

Read more

27.04.2021

An end to ‘Everyone In’ could push dozens of people in Bristol onto the streets overnight

Cheers Drive is one year old this week. As the country looks back on the past twelve months, we are marking the first anniversary of what has been an unprecedented programme of citywide cooperation that has forever changed the way we think about food aid in Bristol. Kat Caldwell is Caring in Bristol’s Operations Manager. […]

Read more

31.03.2021

Cheers Drive: one year of pioneering food aid

Caring in Bristol’s vision is creating a city empowered to solve homelessness and we do that by collaborating with our community to create permanent change, in Bristol and beyond. As a local charity we are inspired by joined-up creative community action, as we truly believe that it is the most effective way to create change.  […]

Read more

23.03.2021

The St. George street coming together to help end homelessness

Demand for our services has grown throughout the pandemic, and we have been able to broaden and deepen the types of help we can offer thanks to our generous supporters: people who give individually, and charitable trusts and foundations. In this blog we will shine the spotlight on two foundations that we have had long […]

Read more

18.03.2021

Meet two funders helping to support our essential work

We look at what the chancellor’s announcement and its implementation will mean for people at risk of and experiencing homelessness in Bristol in the coming year. Caring in Bristol’s Director Ben Richardson says of the budget: “Bristol needs further funding to help keep members of our community safe and off the streets, and unfortunately this […]

Read more

04.03.2021

Budget 2021: Caring in Bristol’s response

Caring in Bristol is a people-first organisation. All of our services are designed around the needs of the people who use them, and are constantly evolving and improving as we incorporate their feedback. This is especially true when it comes to Cheers Drive. We believe that food support doesn’t have to be prescriptive, and that […]

Read more

24.02.2021

Cheers Drive: Moving towards independence

As the Covid-19 vaccination effort continues nationwide, we are working to ensure that all of the people we support in Bristol can access a vaccine. This includes supporting those who have had to self-isolate because of positive tests with food and supplies, and distributing guidance on how to register with a GP to people in […]

Read more

10.02.2021

#VaccinesForAll

Find out how our amazing city persevered in the face of particularly challenging circumstances to deliver Christmas cheer and great food to people affected by homelessness across the holidays. Three days, 125 volunteers, almost 400 individuals supported by a brilliant, compassionate city. The Caring at Christmas 2020 impact report is live now, and you can […]

Read more

01.02.2021

Read the Caring at Christmas 2020 impact report now

Our Youth Services Team are amazing. Year-round, they work to support young people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness, providing practical assistance with housing, employment, and money, as well as offering vital mental health support and compassion for people who are sometimes facing very difficult circumstances. As we approach the third week of […]

Read more

15.01.2021

How our Youth Services Team are caring for young people in lockdown

Volunteers are a part of everything we do at Caring in Bristol. Our vision is of a city empowered to solve homelessness, and working with people in our community who are generous enough to give up their time and skills to help out is central to achieving this. It’s a great way to make new […]

Read more

08.01.2021

Bee’s story: volunteering with Caring in Bristol

As we begin the new year entering another national lockdown, the current circumstances we face as a city are particularly challenging for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Covid-19 means that shelters are still unable to operate safely. Sub-zero night time temperatures are dangerous for people who are rough sleeping, and whilst the Severe […]

Read more

07.01.2021

January 2021: an update from charity director Ben Richardson

At its heart, Cheers Drive is about community. Conceived in under a week as a rapid response to Covid-19, the project has to date delivered over 140,000 meals to people facing homelessness amidst the pandemic. This has required a huge effort from many different individuals and organisations within Bristol, all whom have pooled their talents […]

Read more

26.11.2020

Profile: Coexist Community Kitchen

Caring in Bristol launches ‘No Outsiders’ campaign as homelessness is set to rise to catastrophic rates in the city Bristol-based homelessness charity calls on public help, amidst growing concerns for rising homelessness as a result of Covid-19 Local charity Caring in Bristol, is growing increasingly concerned for those at risk of homelessness due to the […]

Read more

28.07.2020

#NoOutsiders Campaign

As of the 20th May Caring in Bristol’s Cheers Drive project will have delivered 50,000 takeaway meal packs in Bristol to those who are homeless and vulnerably housed. The project by the homelessness charity, launched on the 6th of April to support an immediate need during COVID19. Cheers Drive feeds on average 380 homeless people […]

Read more

27.05.2020

50 thousand meals! #CheersDrive

Leading homelessness charities, voluntary organisations and community action groups in Bristol have joined forces to provide daily collaborative services for people who sleep rough in Bristol during the COVID19 Crisis. The charity collective are currently delivering a single point of food provision for those sleeping rough, that will run at the same time, the same […]

Read more

30.04.2020

Collaboration is Key

This is not a homelessness intervention, it’s a humanitarian intervention. Moving people into hotel rooms is not ending homelessness in Bristol, it’s a temporary and very imperfect sticky plaster. A real homelessness intervention would start with asking people what they actually need or want, and look at ways of supporting that, so please don’t be […]

Read more

22.04.2020

An important message

  I was a couple of weeks away from completing my house sale when the Covid-19 situation escalated here in the UK. Suddenly, my house sale was looking uncertain and I could see myself being in limbo for some time. In anticipation of whatever drastic measures would be announced, I contemplated heading up to West […]

Read more

20.04.2020

A blog by our amazing volunteer Costas

Homeless & Need Help?