Report finds 420+ church-led projects supporting vulnerable people in Bristol
Photo: St Mary’s Church, Shirehampton
A new report has revealed the number of Bristol churches engaged in projects to transform their communities.
Read the Executive Summary
Bristol Thriving Communities is a collaborative project between the Good Faith Partnership and Christian Action Bristol. New research analysed 195 churches in the city, finding 427 individual church-led social transformation projects ranging from support for children, mental health and wellbeing provision, to providing community cafes and support to those in food insecurity.
This report builds upon the Bristol Churches Covid Recovery Report, published by Good Faith Partnership in 2022, which identified an increased appetite of churches to collectively address city-wide issues following the pandemic.
Amongst the report’s key findings are:
Two-thirds of Bristol churches run social action projects, of which 75% provide support for children or community hubs. Many of these are part of the national Warm Welcome Campaign, a network of over 5,200 spaces nationally which are free to enter, warm, and offer a listening ear and signposting to other support.
68% of churches support Bristol-based charities, tackling issues from homelessness and addiction to refugee integration.
A key theme from the series of direct interviews with 28 church leaders was praise for the success of inter-church collaboration in Bristol, both locally and across the city.
“Remarkable Coordination.”
“There is a real sense of networks of Christians working together for the kingdom in this city.”
“Efforts for church collaboration in Bristol have been a lifeline for me, I have not seen anything like it elsewhere.”
Alisha Cole, the author of the report, said: “In Bristol, we see churches as well-placed institutions to bring about hyper-local and city-wide social transformation. They make up a unified network of hubs found in every neighbourhood across the city, with direct experience of the contextual needs of the community and trusting relationships with the most vulnerable.”
“The report demonstrates that churches are more than just places of worship, but vital contributors to a thriving Bristol, collaborating with key charities, the local authority, and each other.”
Recognising the value of Bristol church social action, the Bristol Thriving Communities Report also aims to develop an equitable and sustainable infrastructure for the future of church-led social transformation in the city, so that even more needs are met. It identifies three key barriers (economic resource, human resource, and inclusion) to church communities being able to engage further in social transformation efforts.
Recommendations to overcome these barriers were co-designed with church leaders in a workshop to inform the priorities of the Bristol Thriving Communities team moving forward. These practical next steps include: developing models of economic redistribution to target areas of greatest need, stronger local coordination to encourage collaboration and overcome human resource constraints, and creating more opportunities for churches to engage as a strategic delivery partner with Bristol City Council in tackling key city challenges.