Bristol24/7’s Impact Report 2019

Some 350 representatives gathered in the foyer of Colston Hall one cold November evening in 2018 for the launch of Better Business and to support the wider Better Bristol initiative.

The aim of the ambitious project was to bring delegates from the private, public and voluntary sectors together with a shared goal of creating positive change in the city and facilitating collaboration on projects with the potential to make a difference to people’s lives.

The work Bristol24/7 has undertaken in the last year includes; providing a voice for communities across the city, creating opportunities in a number of sectors, addressing barriers to entry and a lack of diversity in certain industries, supporting charities and organisations to make a difference at a grassroots level, helping SMEs build a sustainable business and much more.

Better Business impact in numbers

None of this would have been possible without the support of our members and  key partners.

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Bristol24/7’s LGBTQ+ Editor told the story of some of Bristol’s LGBTQ+ Muslims

Independent journalism

The small, dedicated Bristol24/7 editorial team work hard to produce completely independent journalism and tell stories that would not otherwise be told.

Whether it’s writing an article on a project in Barton Hill started by women who fear the long-term consequences of a lack of children’s activities or shining a light on the experiences of LGBTQ+ Muslims, the reporting aims to go where other publications don’t.

Bristol24/7 has also partnered with Bristol Rovers Community Foundation to help support the return of the Bristol Rovers Women’s Football team, known as the Gas Girls. The coverage of sport in Bristol24/7 gives equal precedence to men’s and women’s sport; a real rarity for a media organisation.

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Read more: ‘People think they have to be one or the other, that they can’t be gay or Muslim’

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Bristol24/7 shares thousands of independent voices across its platforms, allowing communities to connect, raise important issues, stimulate debate and inspire positive change. The team won the most diverse publication award at the Bristol Diversity Awards 2019.

Four of the young people enrolled on the Stories from our City filmmaking course

Creating opportunities

Since the launch of our membership and Better Business, Bristol24/7 has been able to grow and diversify its work experience programme and secured the Employment, Skills and Learning Awards for work in this field.

Some 500 young people have completed placements to date, many of whom have gone on to pursue successful careers in media.

Following the success of How To Be A Chef, Bristol24/7 launched Stories From Our City, a 15-week course delivered in partnership with boomsatsuma to give young people from marginalised communities who are underrepresented in the industry the opportunity to learn filmmaking skills.

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Read more: Free film project for Bristol’s budding creatives

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Funding from Quartet Community Foundation helped support four people on this course and two further places were made available. The six students are supported by professional mentors, including Better Business members, such as Steve Garratt from Studio Giggle.

Bristol24/7 is working with member Develop Me to provide a 12-week web developer training to students who are otherwise unable to afford training. Code it Forward aims to tackle the challenge of how to open access to employment opportunities and grow Bristol’s diverse tech workforce.

The ambition is to transform access to education by removing the social and economic barriers of entry; allowing low income and/or under-represented individuals to access digital skills training connected to highly paid in-demand tech careers.

In April 2019, Bristol24/7 co-hosted an event with Babbasa to help connect more than 300 young people with potential employers and the partnerships team is now working with The Prince’s Trust on Get Hired. This event will connect young people with business leaders who can help them gain an insight into their specific industry, answer questions and, where possible, offer work opportunities following the event.

Better Business helped FareShare South West achieve its fundraising goal in the summer

Supporting local causes and charities

Since the launch of Better Bristol, Bristol24/7 has provided marketing support to four local charities and community organisations. In total, they have been given £13,000 worth of advertising. The partnerships team has also made connections between the charities and Better Business members and wider network, which have led to further support, collaboration and events.

FareShare South West was one of the four charities to receive marketing support.

Speaking about the impact of this, FareShare SW fundraising and communications manager Phoebe Ruxton said: “Being chosen to receive the Better Bristol ad grant this summer was a big benefit to our charity. While our impact is rapidly expanding, our communications platforms are still small, so having the backing of a local publication with such large reach really turbocharged our summer campaign.

“The effects are tangible- we managed to hit our summer fundraising target of £10,000, and recognition of FareShare South West in Bristol has increased. Ultimately, this helps us do more to tackle food waste and fight food poverty in our city and beyond. Thank you to the Bristol24/7 team and Better Business members for the support this summer.”

Bristol24/7 also supported homelessness charity Cardboard Citizens and business member Bristol Old Vic on the first-ever Cardboard Camps project. This gives those with lived experience of homelessness the opportunity to gain a qualification and tell their stories through a forum theatre performance.

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Read more: Telling the story of homelessness in Bristol

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In addition, Bristol24/7 was a media partner for Bristol Giving Day which raises vital funds for local charities.

Bristol24/7 is now collaborating with comedian Mark Olver on Belly Laughs, bringing comedy shows to independent restaurants, cafes and bars across Bristol and raising vital funds for local charities.

The Better Bristol team wanted to understand how charities and community groups are tackling issues in the city. Bristol24/7 took on a paid intern from key partners the University of Bristol to undertake an extensive piece of work including engaging charities in a survey. More than 50 charities took part helping us to see how best we could support existing projects, engage our members and fill the gaps.

Visit: b247.staging.proword.press/betterbristol/ for more information on the latest projects, partners and more and you can read the full impact report here.

Read more: ‘Working together, we can make our city better for everyone’