News / KNowle West
Advice centre celebrates 25th anniversary
An advice centre is celebrating a milestone birthday after fighting off closure fears earlier in the year.
Filwood Hope first opened on Filwood Broadway in Knowle West in 1996.
But in April of this year, the charity ran an emergency appeal to raise enough funds to prevent it from closing.
is needed now More than ever
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, a special service attended by the bishop of Bristol was held at St Barnabas Church.
Pearl Aitken, who has been the manager of Filwood Hope for almost 15 years, said: “The value of being accessible to the community for all that length of that time is quite incredible.”
The advice centre employs three advisers and can see up to 75 people a week.
As well as counselling, it offers a range of other free services including debt, benefit and housing advice.
Going forward, the charity is hoping to gain more volunteers and trustees.
And though it now has partial funding until 2025, it has launched an anniversary appeal to help fund its future work.
Filwood Hope manager Pearl Aitken and chair of trustees Ed Palairet – photo: Charlie Watts
Charlie Watts is reporting on Knowle West as part of Bristol24/7’s community reporter scheme, a project which aims to tell stories from areas of Bristol traditionally under-served by the mainstream media
Main photo: Charlie Watts
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