About Us Our History It began in 1987... Caring in Bristol started its journey as Caring at Christmas. It was formed in 1987 by members of the Julian Trust Charity in response to an identified gap for people experiencing homelessness during Christmas and the New Year. It opened the same year in St. Thomas’ Church; a 24 hour shelter ran over the five day festive period. The project rapidly grew in size and popularity, moving around each year to several different venues until finding a more secure home at Little Bishop Street, St Pauls, in 1996. By 2006 we were operating the Bristol Nightstop project to help find emergency accommodation in trained volunteer hosts’ homes for young people aged 18 – 25 who were facing homelessness. In 2013 we changed our name to Caring in Bristol. This reflected our aspiration to make a bigger impact in the city all year round. Nightstop expanded its provision and in 2016 we took on the 365 Shelter to provide emergency night shelter support to people experiencing homelessness every night of the year. Developing our handbooks As a new millennium arrived, the charity expanded to develop an annual survival guide for people experiencing homelessness. This was designed to help guide volunteers, workers, and beneficiaries on where and how to find services across the city. This resource has evolved to become “The Caring in Bristol Handbook” and is joined by “The Housing Support Handbook" – a preventative resource to help address many of the issues that lead to homelessness. They are now distributed to and downloaded by thousands of people and organisations. "Good Food Does Good" In 2020, with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the dormitory-style shelter and Nightstop projects ended. However, we continued to support people affected by homelessness in the face of rapidly-changing circumstances. We responded as soon as the pandemic hit with our Cheers Drive food delivery scheme which provided 160,000 healthy, delicious meals to 850 people in temporary accommodation and those who were sleeping rough. The success of this emergency response led to the Bristol Goods project, using a food club model to help prevent homelessness in the city, and support those recovering from it. This food-led initiative was also expanded to create Bristol Youth Goods, a resource for young people in Bristol to access food and housing information. Campaigning During the Covid lockdowns we drew attention to the experience of homelessness during the pandemic, and the extreme invisibility it created. Caring in Bristol continued to operate during this period, because our services were needed more than ever. Young people With the creation of Project Z, we now have youth work practitioners to support young people facing homelessness. They have developed a style of working alongside young people facing or experiencing homelessness, building relationships and supporting them to determine and reach their own housing and life goals. They also began to provide training and group sessions in the purpose-built youth hub. These activities further support the young people's aspirations and needs. Prevention The launch of the Early Doors project in partnership with Housing Matters works in various parts of the city to provide advice, support and information to tackle a wide range of issues that are contributing to the problem of homelessness for people in Bristol. This work is an area of expansion for the team which is growing to meet the need in the city. It now offers one to one support, co-production group work, and community training. It also launched a housing advice drop in, working with Housing Matters and Shelter Bristol. People Power Caring in Bristol's volunteers have always been an integral part of many of our services and projects, giving up thousands of hours every year to further our work. In 2024 we welcomed a volunteer manager into post to support the now massive pool of volunteers that work throughout the year. This enabled a new volunteer portal to be launched as a resource to support them in booking and managing their activities, and strengthen communication. A first for Bristol Caring in Bristol has continued to look for gaps in provision, and after meticulous planning and preparation, our emergency youth shelter (Z House) was launched in July 2024. We know that young people are disproportionately affected by homelessness, so the creation of this shelter is a vital addition to resources in the city. It operates every night of the year, and we hope that our learning from the project will encourage other cities to open them too. Z House Our purpose-built youth shelter was designed and constructed in 2023/4 from scratch, creating comfortable and homely bedrooms, and a new welcoming youth hub for shared meals, meetings, and group work. Winter work steps up As winter 2024 began, Caring in Bristol began work on supporting the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) initiative in Bristol. Working alongside the St Mungo's outreach team and overnight workers, our volunteers took on the setting up of pop-up emergency shelter provision, welcoming guests, and contributing to their smooth and safe running. Our Caring at Christmas project is still an important project for us. It has changed in response to need since it launched in 1987. It has grown into the largest Christmas project of its kind in the Southwest, and a complex operation. A small team, supported by hundreds of volunteers, now delivers a pop-up day centre with restaurant-quality food, vital resources, and festive entertainment over the seven-day Christmas period. It helps to prevent an immediate crisis when needs arise at a time of year when other services are closed or at reduced capacity. Ready for the future... Caring in Bristol continues to develop its services, ensuring that we put people first, listen to real need, and deliver lasting change. We are always mindful of making sure that all of our services and projects fit current needs and create impact. Our creativity and agility mean that we respond in a timely and appropriate way, thanks to the dedication of our volunteers, trustees, staff, and the many partners and supporters who share our beliefs and values. There is still much to do, and we're ready to do it! Manage Cookie Preferences