Thank you so much for your support!

We are all incredibly touched by the immense amount of goodwill we’ve received for Picnic in the Park and there was a fantastic response from everyone on the day.

We’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who ran a stall or activity, performed, volunteered or donated.

Thank you to our Sponsors:

Sovereign Thriving Communities, Let’s Rent, Brooks Dye Works, Acorn Property Group and Galliard Homes, Fierce & Noble, St Werburghs City Farm, Amber Audio.

Thank you to the companies who donated raffle prizes:

Fierce & Noble, Watershed, Bird & Blend, Unicorn, Extract Coffee Roasters, Better Food, Teleperformance UK, The Wild Place.

Thank you to all those who donated to our crowdfunder, whether anonymously or listed below:

Leanne McEvoy, Matilda Vine, Charlotte Fine, Sue Grainger, David Western, Vanetta Spence, Jack Allen, Richard Leslie Dixon, Melissa Palleschi.

And last but not least, thank you to photographer Camilla May Hall who generously supported the event by taking these amazing photos.

Some lovely things people said about their afternoon at Picnic in the Park: 

“Just wanted to say thank you for today and let you know how much I enjoyed volunteering. It was such a lovely event and had a wonderful community feel to it.”
Emma (Volunteer)

“Congrats on the Picnic in the Park today it was really diverse and interesting and well laid out. Hope you’re pleased with your endeavours and achievements.”
Social Media Feedback (DM)

We have more exciting events coming up this Autumn and Winter including a Ceilidh Foodshare Fundraiser on Saturday 8th October.

Keep an eye on our website and social media for updates about other forthcoming activities.

Photos: Camilla May Hall

We were absolutely thrilled with the turnout at our recent Open Day. Jen, one of Centre Coordinators, did an incredible job arranging the event. She had big ambitions and her hard work really paid off – the Centre was well and truly buzzing!

It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces and meet some new members of the community. We are extremely grateful to all the artists, makers, musicians, yoga instructors and volunteers who helped us make the day so engaging, and gave visitors an authentic taste of what we offer here at St Werburghs Community Centre.

The feedback from the workshops with Lucy’s Little Crafters was extremely positive and the good news is that she’s going to start running weekly sessions. From September Lucy will offer craft sessions for pre-school children and their grownups from 9am – 10 am on Tuesdays. The Centre was so busy in fact that the cafe sold out of coffee and we had many happy visitors who told us how much they enjoyed the day:

“It was amazing because of the drums and a slide”. Zoe, aged 4.

“I want to thank the community centre for gifting my baby and I – as well as the rest of the attendees – such a lovely and unforgettable day. We especially enjoyed the African drumming sessions, the children’s playground and the delicious BBQ. The whole day was very well organised by all the employees and volunteers of the community centre. We can’t wait for next year! Thanks for everything, see you soon.”

If you can’t wait until next year either, then please do come along to one of our forthcoming community events:

Saturday 27^th August: Art Market (more details coming soon).

Sunday 11^th September: Picnic in the Park 2022, 1pm – 5pm (we’ll have a special calm zone here at the Centre).

Saturday 24th September: St Werburghs Super Saturday, a collaboration between us, St Werburghs Community Farm and Children’s Scrapstore.

Saturday 8^th October: Ceilidh Night Centre Fundraiser, 7pm (keep an eye on our social media for updates).

It is with great sadness that we are sharing the news of Roy Hackett’s passing on Tuesday 2^rd August 2022.

Roy was a Trustee on St Werburghs Community Association’s board since 1971 and a very active member of the local community. A founder of our member group, Bristol West Indian Parents & Friends Association, Roy was a frequent user of the Community Centre. Known most for his activism and fight for civil rights, Roy had been a Social Worker and had touched the lives of many people.

Rest in Peace Dear Roy.

We have a date for your diary! This year’s Picnic in the Park is taking place on Sunday 11^th September. Come along for an enjoyable afternoon for all ages in Mina Road Park, with stalls, music, food & drink, and a wide range of activities. This year we will also have a quiet accessible space in St Werburghs Centre with sensory activities.

There are so many ways to get involved:

• Come along on the day, bring a picnic or check out the range of delicious food on offer, watch some live entertainment or take part in an activity.
• Volunteer! Join us in the high-vis crew with a variety of roles to choose from.
• Run a Stall. We’re inviting local residents, artists/makers, businesses or charities to run a stall and show off what you’re good at. With a range of affordable rates – get in touch to know more.
• Run a workshop or Perform. We love the opportunity to showcase local talent, you may discover that your neighbour is an incredible performer. We are keen to hear from artists and workshop leaders who have the perfect entertainment for a family audience.
• Sponsor us! This community event is run entirely on donations and money raised during the day – who can resist a raffle?! There are so many ways to help out, you could donate a raffle prize, donate money towards a workshop or activity or contribute towards the overall costs.

To get involved contact Grania: events@stwerburghs.org.uk  or call 0117 955 1351. Visit the event page for more details: www.stwerburghs.org.uk/picnic-in-the-park-2022.

We are excited to announce that we have partnered with North East Bristol Enterprise Support run by YKTO. This is a free support programme designed to help entrepreneurs in Bristol get started or grow their business ideas. We will be hosting workshops as well as being able to support a few fortunate entrepreneurs with free room hire help them launch their new venture. In addition we also will be making a small hot desking space available to participants who would like to work on their business out of their house and really find their focus!

North and East Bristol Enterprise Support is fully funded by Bristol City Council and the West of England Combined Authority under Universal Business Support. The programme is open to anyone living or trading North of the river in Bristol who has an idea for a business, has recently started a business, runs an existing small to medium enterprise, is self-employed or is a sole trader.

Running until March 2023, the programme will offer free workshops in marketing, finance, branding, business planning, strategy and much more. It will also provide access to e-learning platforms, 1:1 advisor support, networking groups and other events.

Launch event: Sunday 11th September

We will officially launch the St Werburghs Business Hub with YTKO on Sunday 11th September at Picnic in the Park from 1pm – 5pm. Come down for day of fun, food, music, workshops and market stalls.  Chat to us at our stand to find out how we can help to get your business thriving or make an idea a reality. We will be able to advise on the next best steps and which services might be most useful to you. 

If you are interested in hearing more about St Werburghs Business Hub or would like to take part, then please do email jess@stwerburghs.org.uk.

Our annual Open Day and User forum has become an important date in our calendar. Every year we invite our members, tenants, trustees, neighbours, friends, family and our wider community to join us in celebrating what we do here and to share ideas. This year is no different and we’re excited to welcome you all here again on Saturday 23rd July for our 2022 Open Day and User Forum from 10am – 4pm in collaboration with the St Werburghs Super Saturdays event series.

The Open Day is an opportunity for us to showcase the diverse range of activities and services offered at our Centre. Join us for food, drink, activities, stalls, music and more – there will be lots to enjoy for children and adults alike! Younger visitors can have fun on the free bouncy castle or explore our new playhouses in the Centre’s community garden, whilst grown-ups can browse the market stalls or find out how they can support St Werburghs Foodshare. Our wonderful café Neck of the Woods will be offering a tasty selection of savoury dishes, sweet treats, delicious drinks and an al fresco BBQ. The Centre’s Trustees will be running a User Forum to gather feedback and hear ideas from member organisations and Centre users.

How you can get involved:

• If you would like to book a stall, hold a talk, workshop, taster session or presentation then get in touch and we’ll try to fit you in. The space for stalls and workshops will be free of charge, just email jen@stwerburghs.org.uk.
• We’re also looking for some volunteers to help welcome guests into the centre and gather information via questionnaires. If you can spare a couple of hours, send us a quick email reply to get involved.
• We would be thrilled to see you there, so please help us spread the word and bring your loved ones along to enjoy the entertainment.

UPDATE!

Here’s the activity line-up for the day:

• Impact Dance Kids: 9.30am – 10.15am (max age 7) and 12.15pm – 1.15pm (children of all ages)
• LGBTQIA+ Community Yoga: 10am – 11am
• Graffiti Drawing Station: 10am – 1pm
• Music Time: 10.30am – 11.30am (ages 0-5)
• Lucy’s Little Crafters: 11.30am – 12:30pm
• Children’s African Drumming and Dance Workshop: 12pm – 1pm
• Amara Therapies Yoga 2pm – 3pm

Please do spread the word and we hope to see you there!

St Werburghs Community Association is looking for a

Temporary Event Manager

13 weeks, starting 20^th June 2022 finishing 16^th September 2022

Hours: Average 10 per week – flexibility is essential in the lead up to the event.

Salary: £14.67 per hour.

We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and well organised person to join St Werburghs Community Centre’s team as Event Manager to manage our annual community event – Picnic in the Park.

The successful candidate will have creative ideas to develop and promote this community-led event, ensure it runs smoothly and is of benefit to the community, whilst ensuring all licensing requirements are met.

SWCC team has over 10 years of event management experience and will offer guidance and support, as necessary. We are a friendly team working in the heart of Bristol. You will have an opportunity to meet a lot of people, have fun and learn on the job.

Application Deadline:  Monday 13^th June 2022, 12 midnight

Interviews to be held: Wednesday 15^th June 2022

To start: 20^th June 2022

To apply: the application pack is available to download at the top of this page or e-mail Alison Saunders, Finance & HR Manager to request a pack: alison@stwerburghs.org.uk

PLEASE NOTE – WE DO NOT ACCEPT CV’S

St Werburghs Centre, Horley Road, St Werburghs, Bristol, BS2 9TJ. Tel: 0117 955 1351

Registered Charity No: 1074495, Company Limited by Guarantee No: 3713212

Mental Health and Wellbeing:
Responding to individuals with mental health support needs
Thursday 26th May 2022, 9.30am – 1pm
£65 per person

St Werburghs Community Association is running a mental health training course here at the community centre. Our staff would like to be able to respond to mental health difficulties in the community with more resilience, and, as employers, we have a duty of care to support our staff to cope with confidence with whatever situations may arise.

We’re pleased to be able to open up the half day training course to other community organisations who feel their frontline staff could benefit. Not only will your team feel supported and better equipped to help those most in need, but they will meet and network with others working in similarly challenging roles.

Last night we were able to host our AGM for our members. It’s a great time for us to celebrate our successes over the year and look at the whole picture of the centre and its impact.

We would like to take this time to thank all of the members, staff, trustees, funders, tenants and the community for helping us through one of the toughest years for community spaces we have ever seen. From this support we are so pleased we have been able to stay open throughout the pandemic delivering vital services to people most at need.

We are happy to say we are now fully open to all groups and are so happy that we are feeling the buzz of activity once again.

If you would like to read the 2020/2021 AGM report then please click this link the top of the page.