Love Bristol
The Festival’s aim was to bring about social transformation in South Bristol and inspire young people from outside the area to give there time and skills to those less able than themselves and in the process generate a great family festival. The aim also included strengthening existing projects and initiatives with long-term regeneration in mind.
A hundred projects were completed by over 750 enthusiastic volunteers. Each day the delegates enjoyed a great programme of seminars, worship, bible teaching and prayer. On two evenings there were special celebrations.
About 10,000 people visited the festival site in the course of the five day event and about 6,000 attended the Sunday festival day. There had been few projects on this scale in South Bristol before and its success was a tribute to all the dedicated volunteers who made it happen.
There was an Extreme Zone located on the Skate Park adjacent to a play area and in the Sport Zone young people took part in coaching, matches and demonstration relating to football, cricket, basketball and Ultimate Frisbee. Local sports stars gave time to making this zone very special. There was a Creative Zone, Family Zone and Community Zone all providing entertainment, opportunities for participation and a sense of community interaction which is rare these days. Many more projects were included which made a long-term impact on the locality raising the profile of an area in which many live who feel excluded from mainstream society.
Love Bristol Stories
Obviously we cannot include all the great responses that we received following the Festival, but here are some:
‘Local youth felt they were worthwhile with such high quality work being done’. Hareclive Youth Project.
‘We had a really good turn out of kids playing sports. We also cleaned the Park and spoke to lots of parents there.’ Dame Emily Park.
‘Pupils, staff and parents have all commented on how much the work done has changed the look of the school and lifted the morale and attitude of everyone’. Southville Primary School.
‘The delegates and volunteers were excellent. They worked hard and related well to visitors making it a very successful event’. Wellspring Community Church.
‘The volunteers were very mature in their approach and were happy to work or speak to the locals and never complained about anything … it has really benefited the community’. Hartcliffe & Withywood Lighthouse.
‘This is a great start to our garden (for disabled) actually happening. Some of the volunteers want to come back to help’. Disabled Christian Fellowship.
‘It has made a real difference to the residents’ environment and has got them talking to each other more’. Priory Youth Housing.
‘The team worked exceedingly hard, completely clearing the area and shifted some 3 to 4 tonnes of rubbish and green waste’. Holy Cross Church & Inns Court Residents Association.
‘My husband is disabled and I have been waiting for help for a year from Social Services. I find it incredible that after speaking to Heather for two minutes, whom I had never met before, that such an incredible job was done on my garden. It is much appreciated’. Hartcliffe resident.
