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Category: Bedminster

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Bedminster

Sharing our space, sharing our resources

Bedminster opening
Photo credit: Titch Photographic

Everyone knows that we are all about sharing, here at Share Bristol, but we are about to take this to the next level!

We are delighted to announce that Share Bristol Bedminster will now be home to a Community Hub, offering a range of activities and resources for young people and adults. The Community Hub is one of the activities being delivered as part of the City Centre and High Streets Programme, funded by Bristol City Council and the West of England Combined Authority.

This, alongside support from the Wessex Water Environment Fund, has already resulted in us being able to extend our opening hours in Bedminster – from 1st July we have been open on Mondays from 5pm to 8pm. Our next steps involve recruiting a Community Hub Coordinator to manage all the activities that will take place, and to ask local organisations to get in touch and tell us what activities they would like to deliver from the Hub.

Our vision is that everybody shares, and we hope that by hosting this Community Hub at Share Bristol Bedminster we will bring greater awareness to the Library of Things movement and encourage more people to join our community and start sharing. And of course many of the activities will involve sharing things (including some of our Things to borrow), resources, skills, ideas and general good times.

If you would like to get involved, as our new Community Hub Coordinator, as an organisation who would like to deliver activities from the Hub, or as a volunteer, then please email us at hello@sharebristol.igocode.com.

Bristol City Council logo
West of England Combined Authority
Categories
Bedminster

Share Bristol Bedminster: Opening Party

Photo credit: Titch Photographic

On Wednesday 12th June, Share Bristol welcomed the people of Bedminster, Southville and beyond to our new Library of Things on East Street, located in the St Catherine’s Place shopping precinct. The Bedminster Library of Things is now the only occupied shop in the shopping centre, as the rest of the area is being redeveloped.

Joe Sims, of BBC Bristol was invited to cut the ribbon – but jokingly insisted he would only do the deed if he could cut it with giant shears. These were provided, as we have several pairs to lend out, but it turns out they aren’t really suited to cutting thin ribbon! He finally managed to chop through it though, to huge cheers from the assembled onlookers, who then trundled into the Share Bristol Bedminster to feast on goodies donated by Essential, Loungers and Bristol Beer Factory, with extras funded by Barcan and Kirby.

Around 70 people turned out to inspect the new location, bringing much needed life to the heart of East St.

We hope that Bedminster’s Library of Things will become the first place people think of going when they need something for around the house, garden or for a trip, but also that it becomes a true hub for the community – bringing people to the area for a variety of activities centred around sharing things, resources and knowledge.

Share Bristol Bedminster already has around a couple of hundred Things available, and more are being added every week. Many people assume that Share Bristol is primarily a tool library, but actually carpet cleaners, gazebos and pressure washers are just as popular as DIY tools.

The biggest thing donated to the charity so far is a roof box for a car, whilst the smallest is probably a tiny allen key.

We would like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who has helped us get to this stage and get our second Library of Things location open – too many people to list, but we are grateful to you all. 

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Bedminster

Share Bristol Bedminster takes first steps

On Wednesday 1st May, a group of dedicated volunteers and our Bedminster Library Manager, Lisa, opened the doors of Share Bristol Bedminster to the public for the first time. 

Whilst getting the new location fully up to speed is still a work in progress, we wanted people in south Bristol to have access to the Things they need sooner rather than later. So whilst volunteers clean, categorise, test, repair and service Thing donations at the Library of Things in East Street, people interested in joining Share Bristol can come in for a chat, sign up and start borrowing. 

The first week of lending saw six members borrow 12 Things, but only one of those members was brand new – the others have been borrowing from Share Bristol Kingswood for a while, but find that Bedminster is more convenient now it is open. 

TJ popped in to borrow a sander, and said, “I’m doing up my house and I’ve borrowed dozens of DIY tools from Share Bristol Kingswood, which has saved me so much money. Recently I wanted to borrow a sander but the type I wanted was only available at Share Bristol Bedminster on the day I needed it. So, I headed down to East Street to check out the new location and found it just as easy and convenient as usual – and it was nice to meet some different volunteers!”

For now, the Bedminster Library of Things is open on Wednesdays from 12 to 2pm and Saturdays from 10 to 2pm and has a limited number of Things to borrow. But with a grand opening planned for the middle of June, we are hopeful that over the next month we will receive many more donations of Things and many more local people signing up to be volunteers. 

If you can help with any of this, please let us know! You can find a list of Things we need here, and details of what volunteering for Share Bristol involves and how to sign up here.

The door to Share Bristol Bedminster opens into the Library of Things
Categories
Bedminster

‘Maybe May’ for Share Bristol Bedminster

We have been talking about opening a Library of Things in Bedminster for many months – we were thinking about April, but then it seemed like it may be May, but it is now actually happening! 

Anna Ralph, one of our Trustees, says: ‘After months of preparation and hard work, we are opening the doors of Bedminster’s Library of Things for the first lending session on Wednesday 1st May. However, this is very definitely a gradual opening, so we are calling this ‘Maybe May’ for Share Bristol.’  

But what does Maybe May mean? Well it means we’re taking our first steps at running a Library of Things across two locations and it MAY not all go smoothly as we would like but MAYbe you can help us with that by volunteering some time or donating a Thing to lend out? 

So Maybe May means bear with us, we’re working hard to get Share Bristol Bedminster open as soon as possible so people can start sharing, but it isn’t going to be perfect from day one. When we opened Share Bristol Kingswood we only opened on Saturdays until we recruited more volunteers, and had about a fifth of the Things to borrow we have now! Share Bristol Bedminster is already off to a stronger start though, thanks to the fantastic support of our south Bristol volunteers and supporters. 

We’re hoping that with the doors open we will recruit even more volunteers and get more donations of Things to lend out, so do have a think about whether you can spare some time or have something in your house that you never use which could be of use to the community. 

We’re working on an official opening in June, but until then we will be open on Wednesdays from 12 to 2pm and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm. And if these opening times don’t suit you or we don’t have the Thing you want to borrow, remember that when you join Share Bristol you can borrow from Bedminster or Kingswood Library of Things – you just have to remember to pick the Thing up from the right place, and drop it back to where you got it from. 

So, MAYbe (hopefully) we will be seeing you in Bedminster soon! (Or Kingswood). And thank you so much for your patience!

Categories
Bedminster

Share Bristol has been heading south for a while….

Share Bristol Bedminster Library of Things

...but it looks like our Bedminster dreams are finally coming true

After a year in the planning, at the beginning of March we finally signed the lease for a unit in Bedminster, allowing us to finally bring the sharing experience to south Bristol. 

Probably the most common question we’ve been asked over the last few months is where the Bedminster Library of Things was going to be, but we weren’t allowed to say until everything was signed, sealed and delivered. Now we can finally reveal that the location will be 47 – 49 East St, Bedminster, BS3 4HB. To save you heading for a mapping app, this unit is more commonly known as Shoezone, at the entrance to St Catherine’s Place. 

We’re very grateful to Firmstone, the developers of the building, for granting us a lease of up to two years, the 63 people who donated to the Aviva Crowdfunder appeal last year, and Bristol City Council who have pledged a grant to help us get the unit back into a fit state. Plus all the people who have donated Things for us to lend out, and our BS3 volunteers who have been waiting patiently for this news. 

We still need more donations of Things to lend out, so please check out our wishlist, we need more volunteers to help us fix things and run lending sessions, and we need the wonderful BS3 community to support us by signing up for an annual membership, which will allow a full year of borrowing for free. 

With a fair wind behind us (by which we mean the dedication of our amazing volunteers), we plan to open Share Bristol Bedminster in April 2024, so watch this space and please help where you can! 

Categories
Bedminster Recruitment

Job opportunity!

Ben throwing his arms up in glee in the Kingswood Library of Things

Are you a practical person who’s great with people? Passionate about reducing waste and pragmatic about how we do that? Do you want to play a key part in helping Bedminster consume less whilst doing more? 

If so, we’ve got an awesome part-time job for you! 

Share Bristol is looking for a Library Manager to look after our Bedminster Library of Things, opening soon. You will be responsible for making sure the Library runs day to day, with the support of a volunteer team, that our members are happy, and that our Things are repaired and maintained. 

We’re offering a minimum of 8 hours work a week to start, at £11 per hour, and free membership of Share Bristol. When you work is open to negotiation – you will need to be available to staff the Library once or twice a week but this will be on a rota with Trustees and volunteers. 

We welcome applications from candidates who are under-represented in the environmental and charity sector.   

To apply, please review the job description and person specification attached, and send a CV and covering letter to hello@sharebristol.igocode.com by 8pm on Wednesday 15th November. 

Library-Manager-Bedminster-JD-PSDownload
Categories
Bedminster

Bedminster Update

Share Bristol team

Earlier this year we all got very excited, as we were offered an empty shop in Bedminster for our second Library of Things. We then had the opportunity to double any donations for the project through the Aviva Crowdfunder, so we grabbed this with both hands and are hugely grateful to the dozens of people who helped us raise thousands of pounds in the spring. 

Donation jar

It initially looked like we might be able to get in and get set up pretty quickly, but there have been long delays from the other side, which have been completely out of our hands. So, we still don’t have an opening date. This is disappointing for us, and we know it is disappointing for the people in south Bristol who really want a Library of Things so they can borrow instead of buying. 

Whilst we may not have the keys to the Bedminster site yet, we have been working hard behind the scenes to get ready for when we do, including:

  1. Raising thousands of pounds through the Aviva Crowdfunder and applying for grants to fit out the Library
  2. Recruiting and inducting two new Bedminster-based Directors onto the Board
  3. Attending BS3 events and building networks to build awareness of Share Bristol
  4. Applying to transition from a Community Interest Company to a full Charity to help us generate more support and keep our costs down when we open the second Library
  5. Updating our website so that it will be clearer for people to find where we are and when we are open when we have two sites
  6. Working on our branding, database set up, policies and procedures ready for when we are not just a single site organisation
  7. Advertising for and creating a waiting list of willing and eager Bedminster volunteers
  8. Putting out press releases to generate interest in the Bedminster Library ready for when it opens
  9. Getting ready to recruit a part-time Library Manager for Bedminster
  10. Setting up hundreds of people from south Bristol with an account on our database, so they are ready to press the button to join and start borrowing when the Library opens
  11. Securing dozens of donated Things ready to be lent out from the Bedminster Library, then cleaning, checking, PAT testing and listing them on our database

Our work continues on all of these things, and we still need more volunteers in the Bedminster area, so if you can help please get in touch. 

And if you are one of those south Bristol people who donated to our Crowdfunder, or have signed up to volunteer, or donated a Thing, or set up an account ready, please bear with us. We will get there, so thank you so, so much for all your support and your patience. 

Categories
Bedminster

South Bristol campaign succeeds, and continues!

In 2023 we are planning to bring Share Bristol to South Bristol, opening a second library in Bedminster. But this costs money that we can’t afford from our existing membership subscriptions. Luckily, in March 2023 we secured a ‘match fund’ from Aviva Community Fund, meaning that for every pound donated, Aviva also donated a pound.  

Over the course of six weeks, 63 supporters donated just over £3,500, as did Aviva, meaning that we now have £7,000 towards the new library! We’re so grateful for everyone who helped us get to that huge number. And the publicity we gained from the campaign meant April was our busiest month ever for new memberships and borrowing. Win – win!

But there’s more good news – Aviva are allowing us to continue using the Crowdfunder and will continue to double donations until their funding pot runs out!

Annual membership of Share Bristol usually costs £50 per year, and then everything is free to borrow. However, we are offering gift certificates for a year’s membership for every £50 donated. So if you want to join the Library, you can donate £50 through the Crowdfunder page, receive a gift certificate to start your membership whenever you choose and Share Bristol will receive £100 in total! This will make a real difference to our funds, help our Kingswood library be on a firmer footing and help us open our BS3 branch. 

But one of the principles behind Share Bristol is that borrowing should be affordable for everyone, so Concession memberships for people receiving benefits are £20 for a year, and every £20 donation will also attract a £20 gift voucher – enough for a year of membership for someone on a low income, or a down payment for a Standard Membership. 

The takeaway from all of this is: if you’re going to join Share Bristol, please donate through the Crowdfunder page, as we will get double the income thanks to Aviva. 
You can find out more and donate here: https://www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk/p/bringsharebristoltobs3

Categories
Bedminster Kingswood

Opportunity to double your impact

Our story about Share Bristol bringing a Library of Things to South Bristol certainly generated a lot of interest last month – if you shared our posts on social media or told your friends, thank you. Now we’re offering you a unique way to join our club, and either become a Member for the first time or renew your Membership. 

We have secured a ‘match fund’ from Aviva Community Fund, meaning that for every pound you donate, Aviva will also donate a pound. But this isn’t just a donation that will help make sure that Bristol gets a library south of the river, there’s also a clear benefit for you. 

Annual membership of Share Bristol usually costs £50 per year, and then everything is free to borrow. However, we are offering gift certificates for a year’s membership for every £50 donated. So if you want to join the Library, you can donate £50 through the crowdfunder page, receive a gift certificate to start your membership whenever you choose and Share Bristol will receive £100 in total! This will make a real difference to our funds, help our Kingswood library be on a firmer footing and help us open our BS3 branch. 

But one of the principles behind Share Bristol is that borrowing should be affordable for everyone, so Concession memberships for people receiving benefits are £20 for a year, and every £20 donation will also attract a £20 gift voucher – enough for a year of membership for someone on a low income, or a down payment for a Standard Membership. 

The takeaway from all of this is: if you’re going to join Share Bristol, please donate through the Crowdfunder page, as we will get double the income thanks to Aviva. 
You can find out more and donate here: https://www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk/p/bringsharebristoltobs3

Categories
Bedminster Recruitment

Sharing could be heading south

We’re often approached by people who want a Library of Things in their corner of Bristol. There’s a few things that need to stack up – a Share Bristol location needs cheap or free premises, good numbers of people walking past, transport links and parking nearby, a bit of money to fund the set up of the premises, a strong local community who are happy to change their habits and borrow instead of buy, and local volunteers to run the lending sessions.

But we also need enthusiasm, time and skills from one or two people who can coordinate everything and make it happen, with help from our existing team of course.

We’re currently in talks regarding premises in East Street, Bedminster, near Southville. This looks like a really good option, with the stars aligning. However we need that person with good knowledge of the area and some time and enthusiasm to make it happen! They would be invited to join our Director team and play a role in shaping how Share Bristol develops in the future too.

Could you be that person, or maybe you know someone that fits the bill?

Our current Director team are keen and happy to help, but we are busy running the organisation and the existing library of things (as well as our day jobs!), and lack ‘boots on the ground’ knowledge of Bedminster.

We need someone who can:

  • oversee the set up of the premises – furniture, racking, decorating and so on
  • coordinate the local donation of things, so we have lots to share when we open
  • work with local organisations to make sure that everyone knows who we are, and that we are working in partnership and collaborating wherever possible
  • generate publicity and excitement in the Bedminster area
  • research and agree on the best opening times
  • lead the recruitment of volunteers to staff the library, including trusted keyholders
  • lead the drive to attract members to join the library
  • volunteer to lead lending sessions when the library opens, whilst we continue to grow the volunteer team and potentially get the funding to employ someone part-time

The existing team can help with:

  • securing the premises and associated services e.g. utilities
  • making funding applications
  • social media, website presence etc
  • health and safety requirements
  • budgets and financial management
  • sourcing things to borrow, and storing things until the library is ready
  • setting up the new library on our existing lending software
  • transferable paperwork e.g. volunteer forms, interview questions, policies and procedures
  • all the governance around running an organisation e.g. Companies House returns
  • being extra pairs of hands when needed

If you’re local to the Bedminster or Southville area and can lend a hand, then please get in touch. Even if you don’t think you can take over the coordination role or don’t want to be a Director, please get in touch and let us know what you could offer an East Street library of things, and we will be in touch in due course.

Pop in and see us in Kingswood when we are open for a chat, or email us at hello@sharebristol.igocode.com to tell us a bit about you and we will get back to you.

Or you can jump right in and apply to be a Director! As well as someone to take the lead in Bedminster, we are also looking to increase our capacity and expertise in the Director team by recruiting someone with strong marketing and engagement expertise, plus a finance lead. Pass it on! A new opportunity, for you and us? | Share Bristol – A Library of Things

Supported by individual givers and:

South Glos Council logo
Foyle Foundation logo
Bristol City Council logo
Sovereign logo
Aviva Community Fund logo

Share Bristol is a registered charity (England and Wales, 1205666) and a registered company (England and Wales, 12596714), at 1-5 High Street, Bristol BS15 4AA.

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