THE COMMUNITY BUSINESS CHALLENGE

BRISTOL

#CBCHALLENGE BRISTOL

The Winners

All seven of our inspirational finalists were awarded with cash grants and M&S business skills support at our Bristol final in October 2019. Find out more about them by watching their inspirational films, below.

APE Project: St Pauls Adventure Playground

St Pauls Adventure Playground is a community cultural safe space which has provided support for children, young people and families in St Pauls Bristol since the 1970s. APE Project Community Interest Company has run St Pauls Adventure Playground on Fern Street since Bristol City Council withdrew funding in 2017. APE Project is looking for a cash grant to pay for a project manager to open their new community bakery. They are hoping M&S can offer commercial and financial advice to make sure the bakery generates a healthy income to support vital services at the playground.

Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust

Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust manage a 45-acre Victorian cemetery and green space in the heart of Bristol, used by more than 200,000 people every year. Everything they do is about protecting, preserving and enhancing this important heritage site, leisure space and café.

 They are hoping for a grant and business skills support to improve visual merchandising and customer service in the cemetery shop.

Community In Partnership Knowle West

Community In Partnership runs Filwood Community Centre for the benefit of local people in Knowle West and south Bristol. Based in Filwood, the centre offers creative and community spaces, activities and events. It is also home to the Filwood Fantastic project which runs workshops to do up the centre and the local high street Filwood Broadway, and offers support and materials for residents to develop creative their own events and activities.

They are hoping for a grant to fund an intense programme of outreach so many more local people will know what’s happening and how they can be involved. From M&S, they would like strategic communications support so they can boost their profile in the community.

The Ardagh Community Trust

The Ardagh Community Trust provide facilities, services, employment, work experience and volunteering opportunities at their community cafe, currently trading seasonally in an external goods yard in North Bristol. The café will become part of a new, fully accessible and year-round community facility in January 2020 and the Trust is seeking grant support to pay for an increase in part-time staff hours. 

They are hoping M&S will be able to provide commercial and facilities management advice so they can maximise their income while increasing their positive impact on the community.  

Redcatch Community Garden

Redcatch Community Garden is space for the whole community to come together, socialise, volunteer and learn about sustainability and growing fresh, healthy food. They grow and sell food and produce in their café Roots and collected unwanted fruit and vegetables from the local community. They have applied for funding to refit a catering container to safely prepare and cook healthy, affordable food, provide training and employment opportunities. They are hoping M&S can support the project with food safety compliance training. 

St Werburghs City Farm

St Werburghs City Farm is a peaceful, inner-city green space accessible to all. St Werburghs City Farm’s Propagation Place project works with volunteers to grow vegetable and herb plug plants which are sold at a discount to local allotment holders, schools and community groups.

They have applied for a cash grant to cover computers, printers and irrigation equipment to help them upscale and professionalise Propagation Place, as well as M&S support to help them improve their stock management and packaging processes.

Windmill Hill City Farm

Windmill Hill City Farm in Bedminster is a 4.5 acre green oasis just south of central Bristol. It has an annual footfall of over 120,000 visitors and 350 volunteers keep it thriving. The farm works to improve the lives of local people through education, addressing disadvantage, providing facilities and community development. 

They are looking for visual merchandising support from M&S to improve the layout of their farm shop, which sells produce grown on-site. They are also seeking funds for energy efficient, glass-fronted refrigerator units, bespoke shelving and potentially a milk dispensing machine.