‘Community Ambassadors’ given £15,000 boost by two housing associations

Young people in the Brislington, Hengrove and Whitchurch Park areas of Bristol will have a new club brought right to their door to brighten up the days after lockdown, as youth charity Young Bristol gets a £15,000 boost from housing associations Sovereign and Clarion.

Young Bristol’s newly launched youth club on wheels - which includes a chill out area with table and seating and pull-out awning - will deliver socially distanced sessions after school, including sports and creative activities.

Those visiting the youth group will also be encouraged to take part in social action projects, such as volunteering, engaging with the elderly or those with special needs, litter picking and improving community gardens, with ideas developed and delivered by the children and young people attending.

It is hoped that the sessions will encourage young participants to talk about issues that matter to them, as well as increasing interaction with their local community.

Clarion Futures, the charitable foundation of Clarion Housing Group, will provide £10,000 through the #iwillFund for the Community Ambassadors Programme (CAP) and Sovereign will provide a further £5,000 funding to deliver the ‘Clarion Futures Mini-Community Ambassadors Programme’ (MCAP).

Marta Rios, Youth Engagement Project Manager, Clarion Futures, said: “Our nationwide Mini Ambassadors and Community Ambassadors programmes are a great way for young people to gain skills and qualifications whilst making a difference in their community through youth social action. We’re delighted to be working with Young Bristol and Sovereign and we’re sure that both programmes will be a huge success, allowing young people in Brislington, Hengrove and Whitchurch Park to support their community and develop skills to enable them to follow their dreams.” 

Daisy Mummery, Community Development Officer, Sovereign said: “The MCAP programme, which launches in September, will run over six months for teams of up to ten young people aged 8-11 years’ old, who are passionate about making a positive difference in their communities. Meanwhile CAP is a 12 month programme, open to young people between the ages of 11-25 years.

“As well as making new friendships both programmes will help to instil confidence and self-esteem while generating a lasting interest in helping the community - developing key skills such as communication, team work, resilience and responsibility.”

Young people completing the programme will also have the opportunity to join one of Young Bristol’s community youth clubs, their creative and sports programmes and their popular Kayak Club. 

Lucy Saunders, Development and Fundraising Manager at Young Bristol, said: “Now more than ever, young people need access to opportunities which provide positive differences to themselves and their local communities. The Ambassadors programmes will offer a really exciting opportunity for young people to shape, influence and support their wider community.

“The social action programme will provide a vital gateway for young people to play an important role in community life, whilst also reducing the risk of them becoming involved in anti-social behaviour. We look forward to working with Sovereign and Clarion Futures on this new project later this year.”