#take5 (Early Intervention & Prevention Fund Project Board) 

Which organisations are part of the partnership?

The partnership is made up of the five providers of victim services who work for the Police and crime Commissioner;

Victim Support, represented by Mark Thompson

VOCAS (Swan Advocacy), represented by Niki Westerling

Safelink, represented by Sarah O'Leary

Resolve West, represented by Julie Cox

Young Victims Service, represented by Claire Bowers

What made the partnership come together?

The Police and Crime Commissioner established a small fund for Early intervention and prevention work across Avon & Somerset and invited the service providers to work together to formulate a strategy to make an impact using this money. Facilitated by Mark at VOSCUR these five organisations have, over the course of several meetings and through the completion of allocated actions, developed a compelling support package for a local school that has been placed in special measures - with high associated pupil exclusion and absence indicators. 

What makes this partnership all the more remarkable is that the providers represent different skill sets, knowledge bases and histories that have come together to be able to make a real difference to hundreds of children over the coming year.

Please describe how working together has resulted in greater impact for people, place or communities:

Drawing on the respective strengths of the partners we have been able to develop a package of support that will make a difference for pupils, parents, teachers and the community. The partnership meetings were incredibly focused on the impact on service users and action points were allocated and completed as needed to ensure completion. This work included joint report writing, shared presentations and shared recruitment processes for the project staff member. By the end of this project we hope to be able to measure these impacts and report on whether this work can be replicated in other school establishments, broadening the potential impact that this project has. Throughout this process the partners have been proactive, good humoured, honest and accountable for their actions.

Tell us what the partnership has learned from working together:

This project is still in the mobilization phase, so the learning is ongoing.  

It has shown us that each organization has different expertise, flexibility and resilience. It has absolutely highlighted that organisations, that could be seen as being in competition with each other, can deliver meaningful, impactful projects that meet each organisation’s needs, remit and objectives. 

It has allowed us to learn from each other’s outcome measuring approach and has introduced other partners to team meetings, such as specialist staff from the Constabulary, that might never have taken place without this shared initiative. 

It has shown us the value of having facilitated meetings, to stay action focused and the end of project evaluation will provide each agency with a significant amount of useful data. 

We have learned that multi agency projects can develop compelling service offers, in a short amount of time, that offers great value for money. #take5

Wesport & Off the Record

Which organisations are part of the partnership?
Wesport (West of England Sport Trust) - Active Partnership covering the West of England and Off the Record (OtR) - local mental health movement supporting young people aged 14 - 25 yrs old, along with 3 local sports clubs: North Bristol Rugby Club, City of Bristol Rowing Club and Redland Green Tennis Club.

What made the partnership come together?
Both organisations hold a common passion for the positive impact physical activity can have on the mental wellbeing of young people. After a few meetings between us, we agreed to apply to the National Lottery Community Fund together to roll out our project idea; On and Off the Pitch.

Please describe how working together has resulted in greater impact for people, place or communities:
North Bristol Rugby Club really embraced the project; it was a topic very close to their heart having experienced mental illness within their coaching staff. Coaches learnt that they were already doing lots of positive things, and juniors came up with more ways to support each other. They were pleased their views were being taken seriously by the club. They have now created a welcoming ‘drop-in room’ for players to take some time out and have designed posters to promote mental wellbeing. “It’s got me and the club as a whole, thinking about the mental wellbeing of everyone here. We just want to make sure we look out for each other and offer support when we can.” As a result of the project, 4 local clubs have now signed up to the SRA Mental Health Charter and committed to actions encouraging the positive mental wellbeing of their members.

Tell us what the partnership has learned from working together:
The main thing we learnt is that there is a need for Mental Health Awareness training within the sports sector. Sports clubs are communities – like anything else – and can play a huge role in supporting young people’s mental health. Being a member of a sports club and competing can have both positive and negative impacts on your mental wellbeing. The pressure of competition and dealing with injury can be difficult to deal with, but the positive effects far outweigh this. Being part of a community, the camaraderie with fellow players and the relationship with your coach all contribute to maintaining good mental wellbeing, in addition to the positive impact of being physically active. We are currently exploring ways to continue the project by engaging with other sports clubs to extend the training and making connections with local authorities and schools who are doing a lot of work with mental wellbeing.
 

The Bristol Young Heroes Awards

Which organisations are part of the partnership?
There are a number of amazing partners that help make The Bristol Young Heroes Awards happen; we have a number of incredible businesses who sponsors our awards, namely: GKN aerospace, Elm Tree Landscaping, Bristol Water, BOM IT, Boston Tea Party, Water 2 Business, Lancer Scott and Mobius Works. We have also developed a partnership with We The Curious and UWE who are vital in the delivery of the project. Our partnership also includes Matthew Clark, Reflections, Slater Menswear and Cabot Circus shopping.

What made the partnership come together?
Our partnership with the varied businesses and organisations has come about mainly via the passion and energy of the Community of Purpose team who have delivered the Bristol Young Heroes Awards for the last three years. Amy Kington (Community of Purpose CEO) identified that the Awards (an annual event which takes to recognise and celebrate the achievements of young people who overcome adversity to do something incredible) could be taken to the next level with sustained investment from sponsors and by utilising the expertise of organisations such as UWE and We The Curious. The partnerships that the Awards now enjoy are courtesy of investing time in meeting with key business leaders in the city and passionately promoting the work that Awards does in communities across the city.

Please describe how working together has resulted in greater impact for people, place or communities:
To put it simply, without the development of such important partnerships, the Bristol Young Heroes Awards simply would not be possible. Their impact, more specifically, can be summarised in the following ways:- 
- Financial: The significant investment of sponsors in the awards has ensured that we have been able to celebrate young people who would otherwise be marginalised or excluded and enable them to tell their stories.  
- Expertise: The expertise of organisations such as UWE (for instance, with their marketing and comms) has allowed us to maximise the coverage of the awards and steadily improve the diversity of communities and young people acknowledged at the awards; for instance, 25% of shortlisted nominees for BYHA 2019 were from BAME backgrounds.  
- Opportunities: The investment of partners is not solely financial; each partner has invested time in meeting nominees which has led to significant investment in opportunities. Last year, for instance, one nominee secured work experience with GKN aerospace while two others were invited to meet key leaders within a music studio.  
- Future opportunities: Partners have also committed to offering mentoring, work experience and skills workshops in order for us to launch Positive Pathways - a post-awards skills program which will be offered to all nominees to help boost employability and confidence.
 Ultimately, our partners have been critical in helping to grow the impact of the awards which make a genuine difference to young people and their communities. This is well summarised by one of the winners from BYHA 2019:- 
"being nominated for an award showed me that the things I do mean a lot to other people and that I can (and do) make a difference despite my age. It also made me feel deeply appreciated which has been instrumental in boosting my self-confidence."

Tell us what the partnership has learned from working together
We have learned a lot from working together with such diverse partners. The biggest impression the partnership has made is developing proof that businesses in the city want to invest in community action, young people and social development generally and that the voluntary and community sector can play a crucial role in brokering these opportunities. We have also learned that business engagement is an effective means of resourcing the voluntary and community sector and offers a new alternative to the traditional model of relying on grants and funding. Our partners have certainly learned a lot about the resilience, skill and creativity of young people and have benefited from being connected to the youth voice when it comes to considering how to make Bristol (and the world) a better place for future generations.

Avon and Somerset VAWG Transformation Fund Project

What made the partnership come together?
In December 2016 the Home Office invited PCCs to bid to a new 3-year Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Transformation Fund. The fund this superseded was supporting a number of vital services including a part time Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA). 
Separately the Sexual Violence Consortium approached the OPCC with a number of ideas that the PCC could put forward for this fund.  
It was agreed collectively that in order to maintain essential services and also ensure a transformative element, a multi-agency bid would be submitted consisting of the following elements, to bring about a model to help the most vulnerable survivors engage, cope and recover: 
1.    Specialist Learning Difficulties (LD) Independent Sexual Violence Advisor 
2.    Specialist Sexual Violence Befriending Support (specifically for survivors with needs linked to mental health (MH)) 
The proposal was successful and a grant of £123,465 over three years was awarded from April 2017.

Please describe how working together has resulted in greater impact for people, place or communities:
The success of this partnership is evidenced in the publication of an academic evaluation that showed 
• Womankind’s service supported survivors with complex mental health issues including BAME survivors who saw significant improvements to their health and wellbeing. 
• SAFE Link service broke new ground in the support and protection of survivors with LD. it gave them a clear message that their experience mattered. These outcomes have been achieved through partnership working at three levels Collaborative working between Commissioner and Providers linked to their specific expertise ensured the project’s success. Regular meetings between SAFE link, Womankind and SARSAS front line workers strengthened referral pathways and staff benefited by sharing resources, expertise and peer support. We have raised awareness of the VAWG project to non SV services and opened up new referral pathways ensuring survivors get the right service at the right time.
 

Tell us what the partnership has learned from working together:
The OPCC has been able to share how it works to maximise the potential of and comply with government grants The formal evaluation of a government grant can provide an important platform to share findings with senior stakeholders inc. MoJ and DCC to influence wider change. For example, the evaluation is being used to inform the national end to end review of the Criminal Justice response to rape following the Deputy Chief Constable's (who is the NPCC RASSO lead) attendance at the launch event. The review team felt that both the services evaluated were profound in the support they provided to victims and stated it is amazing to see the amount of impact these services had on those they worked with, and with such a small amount of funding too. o Overall the knowledge within and outside of the partnership of the needs of survivors with LD and MH and how to respond has increased dramatically and will serve to improve services and outcomes over the longer term.

The System Change Group

Which organisations are part of the partnership?
16-25 independent people,  ARA, AWP, BNSSG Clinical Commissioning Group, Bristol City Council commissioners, Bristol Drugs Project, Bristol Mental Health, Golden Key programme, Independent Futures, Missing Link,One25, Riverside, Salvation Army, Second Step, St Mungos.  This is the current membership of the group although other organisations have been involved with the group previously.

What made the partnership come together?
In recognition that the support system  for people with complex needs does not always work in the best way possible, people from across a range of sectors, including health, housing, substance use, criminal justice came together to form the System Change Group. Members in the group identify and act upon the blocks and barriers in the system that prevent people from navigating the system effectively. Members believe that the system should meet the needs of individuals, individual should not have to meet the needs of the system and that organisations, as parts of the system, work in siloed ways but the needs of our clients cut across services and sectors. Therefore members in the group seek to work together, overcoming some of these boundaries to effect change, making services the best they can be.

Please describe how working together has resulted in greater impact for people, place or communities:
The group is intentionally made up of representatives from a range of sectors and includes a representative of lived experience. This diverse membership allows the group to see how different parts of the system interact with each other and helps members gain a better understanding of the gaps in the system and the blocks that clients face. Having multiple perspectives in the room allows for new ideas, more joined up working and makes it easier for members to look beyond organisational boundaries and work together to create better experiences for those we support.  
The group have worked to create a number of changes in the system including changes to commissioning processes that better consider people’s simultaneous needs, improving the rate of successful applications to adult safeguarding for people with substance misuse issues, adoption of psychologically informed approaches in services and improved access to GP surgeries for homeless patients.

Tell us what the partnership has learned from working together:
System change cannot be generated in isolation, by working together members of the group have been able to create tangible change. The group is a forum to share not only what members have done, but how they've done it i.e. one member shared how their organisation adopted a restorative approach with the explicit aspiration that others use this information to generate further change. 
By having a space in which to share both the challenges and successes they face, members can hold each other to account and inspire each other; when people share what they’ve done this generates more activity. 
A key factor in the development of system change has been highlighting the importance of lived experience. Lived experience representation in the group has demonstrated by working together we are able to break down barriers of ‘professional’ and ‘non-professional’ opinion. This has created an environment where all perspectives are considered, particularly those from people who have direct experience of receiving services, when seeking to make changes.

Talking Tables

Which organisations are part of the partnership?
LinkAge Network, 
Lawrence Weston Community Farm, 
St Werburghs City Farm, 
Windmill Hill City Farm

What made the partnership come together?
The three city farms plus LinkAge Network came together to bid for Bristol Ageing Better funding around food and nutrition. We were successful and Talking Tables was born! The project delivers cookery sessions at all farms for older adults at risk of social isolation and loneliness. LinkAge Network is the contract lead and recruits participants, monitors the work and pulls together partnership meetings twice a year. The farms each deliver three cookery programs a year. Talking Tables wanted to work with all three farms because firstly, it could reach further across the city while still being local to participants.  And, secondly, although there is one contract uniting Talking Tables, each farm has its own identity, resources and skill set. Therefore, Talking Tables can test slightly different approaches under one contract, and then come together to share learning.  Talking Tables is the first time the three farms have worked together.

Please describe how working together has resulted in greater impact for people, place or communities:
Working together has given us the opportunity to bring local farm cohorts together in larger groups. Notably, Talking Tables participants came together to put on a meal for the public as part of the Bristol Food Festival, 2019. Planned and staffed by Talking Tables participants, they sold out tickets for a Mexican meal using Windmill Hill City Farm’s cafe.  
The three city farms enabled Taking Tables to be delivered locally communities. Keeping delivery local is important when alleviating isolation and loneliness because participants are introduced to a local community, to which they can travel easily, and find more opportunities beyond Talking Tables, such as volunteering roles and social spaces. 

All three farms have said that they could not deliver Talking Tables without the LinkAge Network Project Co-ordinator. The post has worked hard to reach people truly at risk of isolation and loneliness and support them to access the farms. 

Tell us what the partnership has learned from working together:
The partners come together twice a year to share recent learning and discuss conundrums. We meet at the farms so that staff can see around each other’s space and understand how they use cooking space differently. Farm staff have shared tools such as recipes, how to manage difficult group dynamics and celebratory books.  
Partnership meetings have also been a time to explore and discuss issues we want to improve. For instance, one farm ring-fenced a Talking Tables program for participants who identify as LGBT+. The learning was shared as a partnership so that we could all improve our inclusivity.  
For LinkAge Network, learning has been around the art of managing a multi-partner contract and the enrichment different providers can bring to the table. It has also brought home to LinkAge the magical effect of the green environment on mental wellbeing, which we could not have offered without the farms.
 

The Bristol & South Gloucestershire IRIS Partnership

Which organisations are part of the partnership:
IRISi - a Bristol- based social enterprise established to promote and improve the health care response to gender based violence.  IRISi supports the commissioning and rollout of the IRIS programme to general practices. 
Next Link - the leading, local provider of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) support services.  Next Link hosts the IRIS services in both Bristol and South Gloucestershire. 
University of Bristol - Centre for Academic Primary Care - where the original IRIS research was developed and progressed. 
Each partner continues to work, both individually and together, to develop and enhance health-based responses to domestic violence and abuse.

What made the partnership come together:
The IRIS programme began as a two-site research trial in 2007.  It aimed to determine whether a training programme in general practice coupled with a simple referral route to a specialist in a DVA organisation improved clinical practice and identification of patients affected by DVA and so improved support for patients. Bristol was one of the research sites involving Bristol University and Next Link 
The research and IRIS programme were focused on partnership work from the outset. Staff in both organisations co-created and developed the IRIS programme, working together on the research for three years including at a strategic and programme planning, operational and delivery level.  Bristol was the first area to commission the IRIS programme at the end of 2010.  The national IRIS project developed from this work and was based at Next Link until 2017 when IRISi was established as a standalone organisation.

Please describe how working together has resulted in greater impact for people, place or communities:
To date, general practice teams in 49 surgeries in Bristol have been trained and are now IRIS DVA Aware Practices.  The programme began in South Gloucestershire in 2013 and general practice teams in 28 surgeries have been trained.  All patients in these practices have access to the IRIS service and support.   
In Bristol, 1,124 women have been directly supported through the local IRIS programme and in South Gloucestershire, 562 women have been directly supported. 
IRISi provides regional oversight of all IRIS programmes and supports the IRIS teams in each locality. 
IRISi and Bristol University have adapted IRIS for sexual health services and Next Link will be the local delivery partner.  All three partners have submitted a research application to develop an IRIS programme for pharmacy.  Both of these programmes, if funded and commissioned, will see the effectiveness of the partnership and reach to more local people expanded and extended.

Tell us what the partnership has learned from working together:
There has been a historical gap between health and the specialist third sector working together in the field of DVA, and a lack of joined up work between academia and frontline services meaning that research hasn’t been put into practice or made a difference in ‘the real world’.  Our partnership work has bridged the gap and joined the dots. 
We have sometimes struggled and felt like we were speaking different languages but knew that our end goals were the same and so found a common language.  This learning informs the national work of IRISi. 
The co-creation model of IRIS in general practice is being replicated in ongoing partnership work as we know that there are benefits to specialists in different fields coming together to work on a shared goal. 
Dissemination of our work has been possible through many and varied channels given that each partner has distinct and complimentary networks.

YALLA WALK

Which organisations are part of the partnership?
Many Minds, Bristol Refugee Festival, Borderlands, Nilaari, Bristol Old Vic, The Naturals Theatre Company, The Galleries Shopping Centre

What made the partnership come together?
Yalla Walk came about as a response to a report published by the Runnymede Trust called Bristol: A Divided City? highlighting significant ethnic inequalities and segregation in the city. This led to a series of City Conversations’ hosted by BBC Bristol, Ujima and the Bristol Old Vic.  
Many Minds decided to respond by bringing together social sector, arts and businesses for a creative project to share stories and make an ambitious outdoor participatory performance with people different cultural backgrounds who experience discrimination to break down stigma and promote inclusion as part of the Bristol Refugee Festival. 
Outreach drama workshops sessions were delivered over 15 weeks by Many Minds in partnership with Borderlands and Nilaari to recruit refugees, asylum seekers and people from BAME backgrounds onto the project. The Naturals Theatre Company brought expertise in outdoor performance and the Bristol Old Vic and The Galleries provided space for rehearsals. 

Please describe how working together has resulted in greater impact for people, place or communities:
The participants on the project all went through remarkable personal journeys from being involved in the process. 90% of participants reported greater confidence and sense of wellbeing and feelings of inclusion. Over 40 participants were involved in the project and we successfully engaged with over 20 refugees and asylum seekers in an outreach setting, some of them joined the open access workshops and were in the performance. Many of our regular performers and members reflected that having new members from diverse backgrounds was their favourite thing about the project and that they learnt a lot they didn’t know before about the asylum process. 
The project has helped barriers of people participating as well as accessing the arts as audience members and audience feedback showed that it made people understand and empathise more with refugees, asylum seekers and people who have experiences of mental illness.

Tell us what the partnership has learned from working together:
We have learnt about the importance of building relationships over a long period of time and finding ways to maintain these relationships past the life of a project. Many Minds and Borderlands had worked together before and had therefore build trust with people that access the drop in centre and were able to build on those relationships to encourage engagement in workshops. It was important that we met and worked with participants in settings where they were comfortable before they felt able to come to a new location.  
Good communication and working relationships with staff across all the partner organisations was paramount to the success of the project and has also had ongoing benefits for participants. Many have benefited from free tickets to performances at Bristol Old Vic and one young refugee also went on to go on to the prestigious outdoor performing course that the Naturals Theatre company run. 
 

Fast Track Cities

Which organisations are part of the partnership?
Brigstowe have been delivering HIV specialist services in Bristol and surrounding areas for over 23 years with our central aim: to improve the lives of people living with HIV. 
Fast Track Cities is a global partnership between cities and municipalities around the world and four core partners - IAPAC, UNAIDS, UN-Habitat and the City of Paris. 
Alongside Brigstowe the partnership for Bristol to become a Fast Track City included a steering group made up of: 
-    Person living with HIV 
-    Terrence Higgins Trust
-    Bristol City Council (BCC) Public Health
-    Public Health England
-    Unity Sexual Health Service
-    Councillor Asher Craig (Deputy Mayor with responsibility for Public Health)
-    Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol
-    Catherine Dodds, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy at Bristol University
-    HIV Service at North Bristol NHS Trust
-    Sarah Chitty, GP / Researcher at Bristol University.

What made the partnership come together?
We have all the prevention tools we need to end HIV transmission: 
-Condoms
-PrEP - a medication that can reduce the risk of HIV transmission through sexual contact by 99% -Treatment as prevention - people living with HIV who are on HIV medication for more than six months, cannot pass on the virus.

HIV services in Bristol and nationwide are fragmented with a large number of different service providers and commissioners who were not working together to tackle the complex issues that fuel onward transmission and the multiple disadvantages faced by people living with HIV. 

Brigstowe invited the initial steering group members to come together at the beginning of 2019 to talk about how we can work together to organise Bristol’s response to HIV. 
To become a Fast Track City (FTC) we would need to: 
-Arrange FTC Task Force Planning meetings
-Develop an Action Plan
-Hold a city-wide consultation meeting(s)
-Mayoral signing of the Paris declaration
-Hold working groups post consultation.

Please describe how working together has resulted in greater impact for people, place or communities:
We have worked together to carry out a full needs assessment covering all aspects of HIV including prevention, stigma and quality of life.  This included a consultation with people living with HIV, carried out jointly by Brigstowe and BCC. 
Based on this, we worked together on an action plan with the aim of ending HIV transmission as well as HIV stigma and discrimination by 2030.  In October, Brigstowe, supported by the other partners, organised a city-wide consultation on the action plan which was attended by 70 people representing people living with or at higher risk of HIV, along with professionals from relevant organisations. 
The Mayor of Bristol signed the Fast Track City declaration on 30th November 2019 at Brigstowe’s World Aids Day event, committing the city to work together to achieve the goals set out above.  In January, members of the group will be meeting to agree how we can implement the action plan.

Tell us what the partnership has learned from working together:
We have learnt how much more can be done when people from a wider range of backgrounds, organisations and perspectives come together to achieve a common goal.  Examples of this include: 
-The ability to draw on a range of networks and contacts to ensure a greater reach and influence. 
-The power of combined knowledge and experience which have allowed us to understand better the issues we are seeking to tackle and agree an appropriate action plan. 
-How much more can be achieved when we combine our resources including time and money. 

Through working together, we have observed the incredible amount of goodwill but also the lack of resource available in both the voluntary and public sectors.  We are exploring all the possible options to ensure we obtain the resources needed to maximise the impact of this initiative.  It’s clear that we have a much better chance of leveraging funding through our partnership.

Young Bristol & Alive Activities - Intergenerational Relationship building

Which organisations are part of the partnership?
Alive is the UK’s leading charity enriching the lives of older people in care and training their carers. 
Alive:  
-Engage older people creatively through meaningful activity sessions 
-Train and support care staff to enhance older people’s wellbeing and deliver outstanding care at every opportunity 
-Reduce older people’s social isolation by connecting them to their local communities  
Young Bristol is a youth-driven charity that works to offer a choice of opportunities and experiences for all young people. Our Community Youth Clubs for 8 - 19 year olds are located in many areas across Bristol. Community Youth Clubs help inform and equip members to make healthy and safe life choices, as well as lifelong friendships. 
At our clubs we work to use early intervention to prevent problems affecting young people developing to a critical point, aiming to become a force for good in the community and a source of pride for the city.

What made the partnership come together?
Alive has been leading the way in intergenerational work for 10 years. Over the last four years it has begun to expand its expertise into community engagement and development.  
Making Pals, Alive’s largest project to date, works to connect care homes with their local community.  As part of this work Alive was contacted by Young Bristol, a team of young people had chosen to complete a social action project for Alive as part of the National Citizenship Service. 
The positive impact of encouraging older younger people to spend time in care homes was immediately apparent. Due to the success of this two-week project,  
Alive and Young Bristol met to figure out ways they would be able to continue working together. A successful bid was submitted to the Quartet Foundation to pair three Young Bristol Youth Clubs with nearby care homes through a series of activities and day trips.

Please describe how working together has resulted in greater impact for people, place or communities:
Through a total of nine day-trips, and many more care home visits, the three partnerships have developed a lasting relationship with each other. One partnership has been very successful, with several young people developing long lasting friendships and vising their friends in the home on a regular basis independently of the youth group activities.   
Not only does this provide much needed social interaction for the care homes residents but also provides free activity to care homes.  
As part of the project the younger people took part in an Arts leadership award and have gone on to deliver arts activities in the home for residents. One partnership has led to young people completing work experience with the care home as well as gaining employment. 
The legacy of the project has been considerable, with gardening projects, summer BBQs and Christmas activities taking part in the six months since the last formal activity. 

Tell us what the partnership has learned from working together:
-Older young people and older people have a natural connection, especially when they share a locality. When deciding on destinations for day trips a lot of the suggestions were the same regardless of their age.  
-Alive and Young Bristol organisations work well together and have a lot to offer both each other and their beneficiaries.  
-Young people were able to support their community through social action and intergenerational projects and activities. 
-We can encourage community cohesiveness and social integration by facilitating a two way sharing of skills, knowledge, ideas and experience between different generations. 
-Instigating contact between care homes and youth clubs helps to break down any negative stereotypes young and older people may have about each other and increase empathy respect and understanding between them.  
-This initial partnership between Alive and Young Bristol has resulted in further joint working between the organisations. 
 

East Central Bristol - Places of Possibility

Which organisations are part of the partnership?
Felix Road Adventure Playground is a fully independent children’s charity run by the community in Easton. Established in 1972 as a children’s adventure playground Felix Road has worked with generations of children and families. In 2016 Felix Road’s management committee adopted a new vision to make Felix Road a Place of Possibility. 
Up Our Street is an engagement charity bringing people together to create change in their neighbourhood. Delivering communications and community development projects that inspire, inform and motivate people to action. Our focus is Easton and Lawrence Hill home to a diverse population with a spirit of resilience and a history of grassroots community activism. 
Easton Community Centre was started in 1989. Our vision sees the Community Centre at the heart of our community providing a sustainable, secure, culturally diverse and accessible space that is valued and supported by the people of Easton and Lawrence Hill. 

What made the partnership come together?
The three organisations have been exploring greater partnership and collaboration for the last 2 years. Our shared aim is to join up community facilities across this area, establishing a merged development trust that is an anchor organisation for the area, creating new services through collaborative partnerships and new ways of working. Our vision is a community campus of joined up spaces and services, integrated into the everyday life of its residents that includes:

A world leading adventure playground with community kitchen, high quality nursery and green oasis, which is an inclusive play haven for children, young people, parents and carers alike.  
A vibrant front-facing community centre, where people have access to all their employment and volunteering needs through the co-working and enterprise hub, outreach projects and skill sharing activities.  
Alongside these locally rooted community assets, an award-winning engagement service delivers place-based community development projects, community research and communications, which enrich and define a community in action.

Please describe how working together has resulted in greater impact for people, place or communities:
Collectively we provide strategic direction and stewardship for much loved community assets, ensuring their availability for future generations. 
Impact: 
- Children and young people have access to a free adventure playground in perpetuity. 
- All residents have access to affordable and accessible community spaces and services. 
- People have access to knowledge and agency to develop themselves regardless of wealth or background.  
- People and communities celebrate diversity and work together harmoniously across difference. 
- Children, young people and adults are informed and engaged citizens who recognise inequality, working together to shape the places where they live and play. 
- Ideas, actions, people, and places connect so that small acts combine into big social change. 
- The synergy of the natural and built environments supports community life to thrive for future generations. 
- The organisation is healthy, resilient and financially sustainable.  
- The organisation continues to reflect, learn from and respond to the needs of this community.

Tell us what the partnership has learned from working together:
We have learnt that our shared values make us stronger together: 
Social Justice - every action we aim to reduce inequalities in our neighbourhoods and preserve the right of every person to a healthy happy life.  
Grassroots - accountable and responsible to the local community at all times. Decisions that affect people are made with them. 
Agile - our culture is experimental and innovative, dynamic, constantly learning and responding to new ideas. 
Trusted - we have long-standing relationships in the community built over decades on mutual trust and respect. 
Place-based - we are grounded in our local community and create accessible and welcoming spaces where people of all ages can come together and connect. 
Empowerment - we believe in a place where people of all ages experience empowered ownership, community belonging and civic responsibility. 
Sustainable - financially and environmentally, working to ensure that the work we do today does not deplete the resources available in the future.

The Call In

Which organisations are part of the partnership?
The Call In was established in February 2019 and is a partnership between Golden Key, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and Bristol City Council. The Call In aims to divert young people away from crime by providing one-to-one mentoring support and a programme of tailored activities to help young people realise their potential and achieve positive life changes.

What made the partnership come together?
The Call In was established in response to growing concern around the prevalence of drug-related offending and youth crime in East Central Bristol. The experience of the police was that being stopped and searched, arrested and faced with the threat of imprisonment did little to support young people to achieve positive changes in their lives. Aware of similar schemes in the US and London, the police proposed a new way forward - The Call In. The Call In mentor service, overseen by Golden Key, supports young people to identify their needs and aspirations and supports them to engage with activities that promote personal development. The police identify individuals who meet the necessary criteria for the programme and facilitate various group activities with young people, while Bristol City Council provide educational and development opportunities including: college courses, work placements and apprenticeships.

Please describe how working together has resulted in greater impact for people, place or communities:
Community engagement is a key aspect of the Call In, panels consist of community leaders, council members, police officers, mentors and partner agencies. This collaborative way of working has built and strengthened relationships between the police and community. Young people also attend panels, giving them the opportunity to have their voices heard, as well has to gain a sense of the police and the community’s investment in the Call In and young people. Having the opportunity to access education, work placements and apprenticeships through Bristol City Council has enabled young people to increase self-confidence and realise their own potential. Given that the alternative to young people taking part in the programme is being prosecuted through the court process and in most cases, a prison sentence, the Call In is a highly cost effective diversionary scheme that has enormous positive impact for the lives of young people, their families and communities.

Tell us what the partnership has learned from working together:
The Call In partners are a diverse group and collaborative working between the partnership has been integral to the success of the Call in to date, especially in working together to ensure policing priorities were met alongside mentors establishing rapport and trust with young people. By modelling a trauma-informed approach to working with young people and focusing on their strengths, Golden Key's Call In Lead has been influential in supporting the police in building trust with young people. This is particularly significant given the tensions that can exist between young people and the police within the wider community. Also police involvement in activities alongside young people has started the process of re-building positive relationships and has begun to break down perceptions of the police and authority. In recognition of their work, the Call In mentors recently received an award for partnership working at a celebration event hosted by Bristol City Council’s Employment, Skills and Learning service.