Community action/Bristol
The aim of this page is to recognise, celebrate and encourage the self-empowerment of community agency networks (CANs) and community groups' activism for climate, environment and many other sustainability topics across Bristol. It's an introduction to local networks, groups, and events.
- Bristol community climate and environment action is a separate page.
News
[edit | edit source]Bristol
South West England
UK
Europe
Cosmolocal
The Public Plate: a new model for responsible restaurants that bring people together, wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk (Mar 12, 2026) - How communities are stepping up to revive our tired towns and cities, positive.news (Feb 05, 2026)
- New national forest to see 20m trees planted, BBC News (Mar 21, 2025)
- ‘It bloody works’: why the world’s oldest cheddar-maker uses a ‘milk-source’ heat pump, theguardian.com (Sep 17, 2026)
- White storks: why introducing non‑native species in rewilding projects can be a good idea, theconversation.com (Jun 05, 2026)
- Citizens’ Assembly to invest £100,000 in West’s culture, westofengland-ca.gov.uk (Jan 16, 2026)
- Firefighters voice growing concerns over water supplies to tackle UK wildfires, theguardian.com (Oct 21, 2026) — Housing development recognised as one of a number of pressures increasing demand on an already stretched water network
- Volunteers became salmon, deer and earthworms. Then they set out to save their river, positive.news (Oct 19, 2026) — What does a polluted river feel like to a salmon? An unusual experiment is helping a Somerset community see its landscape through the eyes of wildlife – and plot a 30-year route to change it
- Severe drought declared in six areas of England as reservoirs run low, theguardian.com (Oct 15, 2026)
- Citizens need to power Europe's future, demnext.substack.com (Oct 02, 2026) — The EU can enable new democratic institutions: in European countries; with a European Citizens’ Assembly as a 4th branch of government, and by legally enforcing the Global Citizens’ Assembly on AI, Claudia Chwalisz and Another Democratic Future
- Reclaiming the streets: the architects clawing back Europe’s car-centric spaces, theguardian.com (Sep 09, 2026) — The European Prize for Urban Public Space’s shortlist highlights projects helping people cope with climate crisis
- We’re the mayors of Paris, Milan and Phoenix. The heat crisis has us all facing the same question, Emmanuel Grégoire, Giuseppe Sala and Kate Gallego, theguardian.com (Sep 07, 2026) — Our three cities are learning from each other about how to protect residents. These climate policies are also public health measures
- Community wealth building and collaborative finance, CASwiki (Nov 05, 2026) — What is the intersection between community wealth building and collaborative finance, how do the two relate to each other and how best might the activism for each collaborate with the other to mutual advantage?
- Shrinking Giants, Part 6: Beyond Fossil Finance, growingcommons.substack.com (Nov 01, 2026) — Moving towards post-growth in a world where states must grow or lose their security, Ronan Murphy
- Twenty years of Community Wealth Building, a rich global tapestry of cooperation, justice and local ambition [The Democracy Collaborative], Daily Alternative (Oct 22, 2026) — Twenty years on, Community Wealth Building is no longer an emerging conversation. It is an international movement of ideas and practice that continues to evolve in response to the crises and possibilities of our age. This compendium is both a reflection on that journey and an invitation to continue it
Networks and sustainability initiatives
[edit | edit source]- Heart of BS13, charitable organisation committed to sustainability, professional development, and income generation through social enterprise. added 14:16, 22 February 2025 (UTC)
- Ambition Lawrence Weston, resident-driven organisation striving to make Lawrence Weston an even better place to live and work. added 15:40, 21 July 2023 (UTC)
- Knowle West Alliance, rooted in the community, growing for the future
- Bristol 2015, European Green Capital, @Bristol 2015
- Bristol Green Capital (Partnership), the Partnership is a free membership organisation whose aim is to make Bristol "a low carbon city with a high quality of life for all". You can become a member as long as you are representatives of an organisation that wishes to play a role. Twitter: @bgreencapital
- Ecojam Bristol
- Sustainable Redland
- The Southville Centre
- Sustainability, information from the Univeristy of the West of England
- Transition Bristol
- Carbon Makeover, Knowle West
- Twin cities, information from Bristol City Council
CDC videos
[edit | edit source]Cosmolocal discovery club
Each week 3 different short videos from across the UK or world.
Community action/United Kingdom/Climate emergency, Community action/United Kingdom/Community involvement, Community action/United Kingdom/Food activism / ...This week's featured Global videos / ... read more about Cosmolocalism
Events
[edit | edit source]Bristol
UK and international
- Bristol Repair Cafe dates on creativemedia.org.uk
UK events
Nov 9 - 15, 2026 (Mon - Sun) — Living Wage Week, livingwage.org.uk- Nov 13, 2026 (Fri) — Kindness Day UK, Nov 13 annually, aiming to increase the value of kindness in society as well as increase the amount of kind acts that take place, making kindness a greater part in our daily life, kindnessuk.com
- Nov 15 - 21, 2026 (Sun - Sat) — Road Safety Week, brake.org.uk
- Nov 21 - 29, 2026 (Sat - Sun) — National Tree Week, The Tree Council's annual tree celebration. People across the country planting thousands of trees to mark the start of the winter tree planting season. "Trees and hedgerows are some of the most powerful tools we have in the fight against climate change.", treecouncil.org.uk
Global or international events
- Nov 05, 2026 (Thu) — Media Liberation Day, Change the Media, Change the Future, mediarevolution.org
- Nov 13, 2026 (Fri) — World Kindness Day, Nov 13, annually, highlighting good deeds in the community focusing on the positive power and the common thread of kindness for good which binds us, randomactsofkindness.org
- Nov 15, 2026 (Sun) — World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, third Sunday in November each year, worlddayofremembrance.org
- Nov 16, 2026 (Mon) — International Day for Tolerance, Nov 16 each year, fostering respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world's cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human, unesco.org
- Nov 19, 2026 (Thu) — International Men's Day, Nov 19, annually
- Nov 27 & 28, 2026 — Buy Nothing Day, en.wikipedia.org
- Nov 27, 2026 (Fri) — Citizen Friday, actionism.space
2021-2030, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, International community action events
Bristol video
[edit | edit source]
Community involvement
[edit | edit source]The Bristol Democracy Project, Getting People Involved In Decision Making In Bristol
Localism
[edit | edit source]Bristol Independents campaign
Communities online
[edit | edit source]- The Knowledge, Knowle West's community website, added 17:51, 18 November 2022 (UTC)
Community and voluntary action
[edit | edit source]Food activism
[edit | edit source]
Video archive
Networks, sustainability initiatives and community involvement
- Bristol Food Network
- Edible Bristol, Growing the UK's first edible city. Edible Bristol volunteers cultivate food justice by supporting communities, individuals and businesses to grow food across the city. link checked 15:11, 31 July 2023 (UTC)
- Bristol Food Union, added 16:40, 25 May 2020 (UTC)
- Bristol Junk Food on facebook
- 91 Ways, using the power of food to bring people together
- Allotments and gardens, information from Bristol City Council
- Edible futures
- Grow Wilder, Avon Wildlife Trust
- Avon Organic Group
External links in this section checked 14:38, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
Local food
Community farms
- Lawrence Weston Community Farm, community-managed project that aims to improve the quality of life for local people. added 15:50, 21 July 2023 (UTC)
Community supported agriculture
- Sims Hill Shared Harvest, community supported agriculture scheme
City farms
Policy
Past events
- Jun 4 - 5, 2016, Get-Growing-Garden-Trail-2016.pdf
- Apr 29 - May 7, 2016, Bristol Food Connections, bringing people and good food together
- May 1 - 11, 2014, Bristol Food Connections, bringing people and good food together
- May 5, 2014, Eat-In! Bristol
Food security
- FoodCycle Bristol Barton Hill, added 14:17, 12 November 2021 (UTC)
Community energy
[edit | edit source]
Networks
- Bristol Energy Network, umbrella organisation for all community energy groups in Bristol and the surrounding area
External links
- Bristol Energy Co-operative
- Bristol Green Doors, domestic green refurbishment & retrofitting
- Demand Energy Equality, Bristol-based energy justice project that seeks to empower and power low income households
- Bristol Smart Energy City Collaboration
- Easton Community Energy Group, Laying a brand new grid with David and Damon in Bristol
- 1010uk.org (no date found)
- Owen Square Community Energy, cooperative member-based local energy supply company jointly operated by Easton Community Centre, local energy group Easton Energy Group and Bristol-based microgrid developer CEPRO
Funding
Land
[edit | edit source]- Stokes Croft Land Trust, "Stokes Croft is one of the most independent and iconic areas of Bristol. Now it is time to secure the future of our community's land… for the community. " added 16:35, 10 November 2021 (UTC)
- Bristol Community Land Trust, link checked 16:35, 10 November 2021 (UTC)
Housing
[edit | edit source]
- WeCanMake, community land trust and neighbourhood test-space in Bristol, imagining and making new ways to create homes that build social infrastructure and community wealth. added 17:07, 13 January 2025 (UTC)
- Tiny House Community Bristol, "registered Community Benefit Society, formed by a grassroots group of driven people who are pioneering a socially and environmentally regenerative housing movement for all."
- Green building: Bristol Green House, link checked 10:46, 31 July 2023 (UTC)
Social inclusion
[edit | edit source]- The Matthew Tree Project, poverty fighting charity based in Bristol
- re:work
Community resources
[edit | edit source]
- Artspace Lifespace, registered Charity recycling vacant, under-used and problem properties into thriving creative resources. Artspace Lifespace on youtube.com, added 15:56, 4 March 2024 (UTC)
- Zion Community Art Space, Bedminster Down
- Environment centre: Create Centre and Ecohome, hosting a range of events and exhibitions, owned and managed by Bristol City Council.
- Peak oil: Building a positive future for Bristol after Peak Oil
Citizens data initiative
Maps for community action
- bristolstreets.co.uk, map based information about transport and other things in and around the city of Bristol. See also BristolStreets
- Bristol City Council mapping website
- Sustainable energy: Bristol solar map on bristol.gov.uk
Funding
Apps for sustainability
- Bristol Parkhive, provides an index of over 200 of Bristols parks and green spaces and provides ample additional information for users. European Green Capital
- Bristol Pound Mobile App
Community currencies activism
Commons
[edit | edit source]
- Bristol Commons, added 22:28, 15 March 2026 (UTC)
Arts, sport and culture
[edit | edit source]More video: Make Sunday Special Bristol City Council - Come and enjoy a car free Bristol City Centre, June 2013 YouTube
- Knowle West Media Centre, arts centre and charity based in South Bristol, on the Knowle West estate, supporting people "to make positive changes in their lives and communities, using technology and the arts to come up with creative solutions to problems and explore new ways of doing things." link checked 15:34, 18 November 2022 (UTC)
- Bristol Civic Society
- Happy City
- At-Bristol science centre
- Make Sundays Special
- Wikipedia:Bristol#Twin cities: Bristol was among the first cities to adopt the idea of town twinning. Its twin towns include:
- Other twinnings include:
- Porto, Portugal since 1984
- Tbilisi, Georgia since 1988
- Puerto Morazan, Nicaragua since 1989
- Beira, Mozambique since 1990
- Guangzhou, China since 2001
Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle
[edit | edit source]- Bristol Computer Reuse
- Bristol Wood Recycling Project, a not for profit social enterprise, dependent on volunteers as well as paid staff, and part of the National Community Wood Recycling Project W
- Children's Scrapstore
- Recycling and waste, information from Bristol City Council
Regular events
Bristol Repair Cafe first Saturday monthly in Fishponds
About Bristol
[edit | edit source]
From Wikipedia:Bristol
Bristol ( ) is a city and ceremonial county in South West England. It is on the River Avon, and bordered by Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south, with a short coastline on the Bristol Channel to the west. The county includes most of the Bristol conurbation, but the urban area extends into South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset, and North Somerset.
Bristol was ranked as Britain's most sustainable city (based on its environmental performance, quality of life, future-proofing and approaches to climate change, recycling and biodiversity), topping environmental charity Forum for the Future's 2008 Sustainable Cities Index. Local initiatives include Sustrans (creators of the National Cycle Network, founded as Cyclebag in 1977) and Resourcesaver, a non-profit business established in 1988 by Avon Friends of the Earth. In 2014 The Sunday Times named it as the best city in Britain in which to live. The city received the 2015 European Green Capital Award, becoming the first UK city to receive this award.
In 2019 Bristol City Council voted in favour of banning all privately owned diesel cars from the city centre. Since then, the plans have been revised in favour of a clean air zone whereby older and more polluting vehicles will be charged to drive through the city centre. The Clean Air Zone came into effect in November 2022. W
Bristol archive
[edit | edit source]Past events
2017
- Jun 8 - 25 Festival of Nature, a wild adventure up the River Avon
- March 25 Up Our Street Festival of Solutions 2017, Easton Community Centre, Kilburn Street. Priorirty for residents of Easton and Lawrence Hill
- February 22 Bristol Soup
2016
- Sept 2 - 4 Radical Technology Revisited conference
- Jun 4 - 5 Get-Growing-Garden-Trail-2016.pdf
- Apr 29 - May 7 Bristol Food Connections, bringing people and good food together
2015
- Bristol is European Green Capital for 2015, bbc.co.uk Events, information from bristol2015.co.uk
- August 22 Fair in the Square to "celebrate 20 years of the National Cycle Network with a fun-filled festival and Lullaby ride."
- July 4 - 5 International Fairtrade Towns' Conference @Bristol Conference Centre
2014
- February 8 Bristol Futures Forum
- February 24 - March 9 Fairtrade Fortnight in Bristol
- April 26 - May 26 Bristol Walking Festival
- May 5 Eat-In! Bristol
- June 7 - 15 Festival of Nature, June 14 - 15 Harbourside event
- June 12 Painting the Town Green event for community and voluntary organizations in the lead up to Bristol Green Capital 2015
- June 14 - 22 Bristol Big Green Week
- June 22 Bristol's Biggest Bike Ride
- September 13 -14 Bristol Green Doors 2014
- November 25 Making Bristol's Streets Special, Civic Society Annual "Big Event"
| Authors | Phil Green |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Cite as | Phil Green (2013–2026). "Community action/Bristol". Appropedia. Retrieved November 12, 2026. |