Grassroot Communities

Do you believe young people have all the talent but, in many cases, limited opportunities?

Grassroot Communities is an community and youth empowerment organisation based in Bristol. Its Founder and CEO Ben Carpenter has been delivering school, youth and community work projects based on the wants and needs of local people.

In September 2022, Grassroot Communities launched their first year-long Grassroot Activators Programme (GAP) for 16 to 30 year olds who are from marginalised communities across the city. A marginalised community is defined based on a young person’s geographic home location and confirmed through one-to-one discussion before selection.

The programme intends to annually support cohorts of up to 15 individuals through youth, community and nature-based work which will provide crucial stepping-stones into future employment and education opportunities. As one of this year’s Grassroot Activators share, “I’ve got goals and I’m ready to smassh them. 2023 is going to be good, I’m excited to see where life takes me”.

The programme is spread across six terms and focuses on

• Leadership

• Youth work

• Community development

• Community and environmental social action

• Entrepreneurship and social enterprise

• Business work experience

• Nature connection

• Community food growing

• Wellbeing.

written by Judith Davies

It runs two days a week on a Tuesday and Wednesday. The young people are matched with a business mentor and a youth mentor.

If you are business that would like to sponsor a young person or would like to volunteer to be a mentor, please do get in touch. Kirsty Green-Mann, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Burges Salmon has found, “The programme is run with real passion and clearly has a tangible impact. We’ve really appreciated the opportunity to provide not only financial support but to provide business mentors too. This makes for a much deeper collaboration and a meaningful relationship”

This is transformative education working in some of the most challenging communities in Bristol. This year’s cohort have been dedicated to the programme and as a result the midpoint evaluation demonstrates incredible impact. There has been a positive shift in life experience for all the participants. All of them are now experiencing high personal resilience. One young person stated, "I’ve surprised myself that I haven’t given up, as usually I do. More often these days than not, I feel that I can do it!”.

As part of the programme, the GAP Superstars took on a social action challenge. One group in Bedminster launched a community event called Creative Waves. One cold night in December, they collaborated with local businesses and provided food, drink and workshops that included skateboarding, graffiti, sports, arts & crafts and breakdancing. Last Saturday 10th June, the GAP group pitched for community funding to extend their project and by a landslide were voted by the local community in BS3 to receive over £3000.

The first Grassroot Activators are currently in their final term What’s the GAP? They are using their voices to recruit and amplify GAP, to the next generation of Grassroot Activators for September 2023/24. Follow @ grassrootcommunities on socials to hear their voices talk about what matters to them!

If you would like to interview the GAP young people and see how they are the change they wish to see in the world, email info@grassrootscommunities.org.