Grassroot Communities

21/08/2026

🏈 Hengrove Sports Session! ⚽️

Last Wednesday, Mitch and the team were back out in Hengrove, continuing to build relationships with young people and grow our sports offer in the area.

The heat has been making getting stuck into sport a little tricky, but American Football was a BIG hit! 🏈 Mitch also proved he’s more than just a pretty face and has plenty of sporting talent beyond football! 😂

We’ve also been getting young people excited for our GC Sports Day on 26th August, 12–3pm (weather permitting). 🌞

📍 Hengrove Playing Field, right next to the small basketball court
🗓️ Every Wednesday, 4–6pm

Come along, try something new and get involved!

⚽️ 🏈 🥏 🎾 🏏 ⚾️ 🏀

20/08/2026

Recent concerns around anti-social behaviour in Redcatch have highlighted some of the challenges facing the local community.

Our detached youth workers were out in the area recently when they came across a group of young people who had been involved in setting fire to a chair. They spoke with local residents, listened to their concerns, found the young people and opened up a conversation about the impact of their actions.

This is a big part of what we do at Grassroot Communities. We meet young people where they are, build relationships, support them and challenge them to make positive choices and be the best version of themselves.

We’re now hoping to build on that conversation and get the group involved in some of our sessions, giving them positive opportunities to get involved, build confidence and try something different.

That’s youth work: being there, building trust and helping young people see what they can achieve.

https://f.mtr.cool/dxvdpsqzak

Call to parents to stop their children using Broadwalk 'like an urban theme park' as arson and abuse escalate

07/08/2026

⚽🌟 GC Sports Sessions are officially underway! 🌟⚽

We're so excited to be launching our brand new GC Sports Sessions across South Bristol this summer!

After listening to local concerns and spending time exploring the best spaces for young people, Laura and Maddie got to work planning sessions that are fun, welcoming and active.

Our first session in Withywood was everything we hoped for and more. The young people challenged the staff to a football match... and when you put some very competitive youth workers up against some even more competitive young people, there's only one outcome... 😅

🏆 The young people took the win!

It was full of energy, laughter, smiles and healthy competition. Seeing young people enjoying themselves, building relationships and having fun together is exactly what these sessions are all about. 🫶

You can catch us every week at:

📍 Mondays – Redcatch Park | 3pm–5pm
📍 Wednesdays – Hengrove | 3pm–5pm with Mitch & Kaiden
📍 Fridays – Hartcliffe/Imperial | 3pm–5pm with Laura, Maddie & Kaiden

These session times will change from September, but we're thrilled to be delivering free sports sessions throughout the summer holidays.

Keep your eyes peeled for more session updates... and we'll see if the staff can redeem themselves in the next football match! 👀⚽

06/08/2026

A huge congratulations to Betsy, the winner of this year's Bristol Birdman Fancy Dress Competition! 🦜🌟

Betsy wowed everyone with an incredible parrot costume and walked away with a fantastic Aardman swag bag as the prize. A very well-deserved win!

Every splash, laugh and colourful costume at Bristol Birdman helps make a real difference. The event raises vital funds for Grassroot Communities, supporting our youth and community work across Bristol all year round, helping young people access opportunities, build confidence and thrive.

Thanks to everyone who took part, dressed up and supported the day. We can't wait to see what costumes appear next year!

04/08/2026

🎨 Calling all young artists in BS3 aged 4–16! 🎨

If you're feeling creative this summer, why not enter the Big BS3 Summer Art Competition?

Whether you love drawing, painting, collage, digital art, or getting creative in your own unique way, this is a fantastic chance to showcase your imagination and celebrate everything that makes BS3 special. 🌟 The competition is open to young people and is a brilliant opportunity to get involved in something creative over the holidays. Find out more about the Big BS3 Summer Art Competition on the BS3Community website.

At Grassroot Communities, we're always keen to share opportunities that help young people discover new passions, build confidence, and challenge themselves. We might not be running this competition, but we love seeing organisations across Bristol creating opportunities like this for local young people.

If you're in BS3, why not give it a go? We'd love to see what you create! 🎨💙

BS3 Community Development

03/08/2026

☕🤝 Big things are brewing...

Last week, the Grassroot Communities team met with the brilliant team at Clifton Coffee Roasters to chat about the future of our partnership, and we're so excited about what's to come.

Clifton Coffee were incredible supporters of Bristol Birdman 2026, generously donating the proceeds from their coffee sales on the day to help fund our youth and community work. That support has a real impact long after the event is over.

If you've spotted the Bristol Birdman logo on their amazing Suspension coffee, you've already had a glimpse of what's possible. Trust us, that's only the beginning. We've got some exciting ideas brewing together for Bristol Birdman 2027, and we can't wait to share more with you.

Partnerships like this are what make Bristol Birdman possible. They don't just help create an unforgettable event, they help us continue delivering opportunities, support, and safe spaces for young people and communities across Bristol all year round.

A huge thank you to everyone at Clifton Coffee for your continued support. It was an absolute pleasure brewing up ideas together, and we're looking forward to what's next!

💙 Want to be part of Bristol Birdman 2027? Whether you're a local business interested in sponsoring the event, a team ready to take on the challenge, or someone who simply wants to support the cause, we'd love to hear from you. Together, we can make next year even bigger and better.

31/07/2026

🎨 What a way to finish the Creative Club arts and crafts term!

For our final session, everyone transformed ordinary wooden spoons and recycled materials into brilliant characters full of personality. We saw everything from a turtle superhero and a ninja to stage performers and plenty of other wonderfully whacky creations. It was amazing to see everyone's imagination come to life and how differently each young person approached the challenge.

This term has been all about trying new things, getting creative, and building confidence. We've loved seeing the group grow, support one another, and create things they're proud of.

Next week, we're switching things up with a Games Term! We'll be exploring all kinds of games, from board games and sports to drama games and team challenges. The goal is to take inspiration from everything we play and, together, design our very own game by the end of the term. We can't wait to get started!

A huge thank you to the Factory Foundation for funding Creative Club through to the end of the summer. Their support means we can keep running sessions throughout the school holidays, giving young people more opportunities to be creative, try new activities, and spend time together in a safe and welcoming space. Their commitment to supporting projects that help children and young people learn, create, grow, and strengthen their communities is making a real difference.

Our plan is to start another age group once this lot have moved up a year, so if you know any young people who'd enjoy a free club all about getting creative then please get in touch.

See you next term! 🎲🎭🎨💙

30/07/2026

Today our Gabes met up with the young legend Charlie to talk about drama! - The acting kind mind.

Charlie is following his heart and reaching for the stage, joining the Young Company drama club at the Bristol Old Vic. Gabes attended the same club years ago and now helps facilitate the sessions so he had some tips and tricks for getting the most out of the experience.

"I can see that Charlie has a lot of energy and enthusiasm for theatre and it's clear that he'll smash it as part of Young Company!"

We're really happy to have gotten these two chatting as we're always looking to help young people follow their passions.

If you know a young person who’s ready to find their voice, build confidence, and get involved in something creative, then our GAP programme could be a perfect next step.

GAP supports young people to access activities, mentoring, and opportunities that help them grow.

Follow the link to find out more about GAP: grassrootcommunities.org/gap/

Bristol Old Vic

28/07/2026

“How do you get young people to engage?”

That was the question an Ofsted inspector asked.

The answer?

“Give them a choice.”

Not a target.
Not a programme.
Not a tick-box exercise.

A choice.

"You don't have to work with us. But if you do, we'll help you achieve what matters to you. Or you tell us what your goals are, and we'll work on those together."

The result?

Young people were turning up at 8 a.m. to tell Ofsted how much the support meant to them.

Sometimes we overcomplicate engagement.

Young people don't just want services done to them, they want to be part of shaping them.

Give them agency.
Give them ownership.
Build genuine relationships.

It's not rocket science.

It's basic human relationships.

Full episode:
https://f.mtr.cool/hlihoqwnch

23/07/2026

"I think everybody could benefit from youth work."

That's a bold statement, but one that sparked an important conversation in our latest panel discussion.

Too often, we place professions into separate boxes:
"I'm a teacher."
"I'm a social worker."
"I'm a psychologist."

But youth work isn't confined to one setting.

At its heart, youth work is about building relationships, empowering young people, helping them find their voice, and supporting them to navigate life. Those principles have value across education, health, social care and beyond.

The panel also explored an important distinction:

Every young person can benefit from having the right mentor.

But youth work is more than mentoring.

It's a profession, built on values, ethics, skills and practice. It deserves to be recognised as exactly that.

Full episode:
https://f.mtr.cool/ghivydrruf