Bristol Children’s Playhouse
Bristol Children’s Playhouse is a community charity providing a range of family support and advice. They work against the isolation, deprivation and poverty of disadvantaged and dysfunctional young families in the Easton/Eastville area of Bristol.
Cherry D is supporting the playhouse in applying for funding to enable them to continue this work.
Bristol Hearing Voices Network
BHVN is an informal self help group promoting positive explanations of voice hearing and giving people a framework for developing their own ways of coping. The group is looking to develop both an additional evening meeting and a meeting for in-patients on psychiatric wards.
Cherry D is supporting the group to identify and develop a set of Policies and Procedures. We expect these to include Data Protection, Confidentiality, Health and Safety, Banking procedures including financial recording and reporting systems.
This will enable the group to tender for delivery of services and secure an income for the future and will also help to identify the tasks needed to maintain the group and will help to share responsibilities for these tasks between members of the group.
Avon Sexual Abuse Centre
Avon Sexual Abuse Centre (ASAC) provides a Bristol-wide psychotherapy and counseling service to women, men and children who have been sexually abused. ASAC have identified that there is an unmet need to provide therapy and support to sexually abused children throughout Bristol. They are currently receiving 2-3 referrals a week that they are unable to support due to lack of resources.
Cherry D is supporting on a long term fundraising plan including building a website, developing a media presence and commissioning research to support raising £150,000 to convert and equip an old garage into child friendly consulting rooms.
In December 2008 we secured £9,200 to pay the salary of a part time Development Manager and we are awaiting a decision from the PCT to fund an expansion in the provision of services for children in Bristol who have been sexually abused.
In June ASAC were awarded £12,500 by the Cadbury Trust to fund four support groups
• One for boys under 14,
• One for girls under 14,
• One for boys 14-18,
• One for parents/carers
Then in November 2009 after several months of application we were awarded £82,000 by Children in Need
Fareshare South West
FareShare South West collect food which would otherwise go to landfill from supermarkets and food manufacturers. Then they redistribute to community and voluntary organisations across the city providing training and work experience in their warehouse. They have established themselves very quickly, currently contributing to over 30,000 meals each month. However, there is still the potential to do more. More food is available and there are approx 25 more community organisations on a waiting list to receive the food. The team are planning to expand and have asked Cherry D for assistance to put into place the logistical systems to support expansion.
Cherry D is working with Fareshare to recruit more volunteers and looking at ways of providing business team building “away days” as a source of income.