Features / #BristolCharityAdvent
#BristolCharityAdvent day 10: Ablaze
Ablaze work across Bristol in primary and secondary schools, to help raise attainment levels in pupils who are struggling with their learning.
They focus their efforts on the most deprived areas of the city, in schools with low Ofsted gradings, high percentages of pupils receiving free school meals, high proportions of pupils not achieving Level 4 or above in reading, writing and maths, and where many pupils speak English as an additional language. The charity works closely with Bristol City Council to identify schools in most need of an external intervention to raise pupils’ attainment levels.
Ablaze work in primary and secondary schools across Bristol
As well as supporting primary school pupils with literacy and numeracy, the Ablaze volunteers also go into secondary schools to work on skills that will help Bristol’s teenagers on their paths through life – from practicing interviewing techniques, to raising self-esteem in pupils who are at risk of failing their GCSE exams.
is needed now More than ever
The mentoring can encourage pupils to continue their education and apply for university and college courses and apprenticeships, or to consider their job prospects and make steps towards their desired career.
Ablaze was previously funded by Bristol City Council, but lost their grant from the council due to funding cuts to education. They now rely on corporate donations to continue their work helping Bristol’s school children. Aside from offering financial support, businesses are also able to arrange to volunteer with several of the charity’s programmes, allowing them to fulfil their corporate social responsibility aims.
An ongoing partnership with Airbus resulted in a year-long mini apprenticeship – the Airbus Flying Challenge – for students of Bristol Metropolitan Academy in Fishponds. Pupils were supported by 15 mentors from Airbus in a programme that aimed to develop confidence and self-esteem, alongside applied skills in science, technology, engineering and maths.
The 30 young people worked with Airbus engineers at the Filton site to experience first-hand what it means to work in an aviation engineering environment, and by the end of the course had made a flying aircraft. Airbus staff also support seven local primary schools through Ablaze and have 100 regular volunteers in Bristol
primary schools this year.
To find out more about the work Ablaze does around Bristol, or to get your business involved in one of their programmes, visit www.ablazebristol.org.
Read more: #BristolCharityAdvent Day 7: FND
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