‘Charities are the lifeblood of the city’

Charities are the lifeblood of the city. They look after the most vulnerable in an emergency, provide beds during the cold nights, get people to the doctor and provide hot food.

But they give Bristol so much more than that as well. Charities and voluntary organisations provide opportunities for young people they wouldn’t otherwise have had, protect and look after our parks and provide a voice for the voiceless.

In fact, in every corner of Bristol, you will find volunteers aiming to make their communities a better place and, often, we forget how important they are to the fabric of our city.

Running a charity isn’t easy; there are funds to be raised, money to be managed and trustees to be found. That’s only the beginning. As they grow, just like any business, staff need to be recruited, buildings have to be maintained and volunteers need to be supported.

In fact, some of our most innovative charities, like Southmead Development Trust, Knowle West Media Centre and Bristol Community Transport have taken their work a step further. These organisations are building houses, running busses and supporting tech start-ups in deprived areas of the city.

Knowle West Media Centre, an organisation Voscur supports

I have had the privilege of being the chair of Voscur, an agency which sits at the heart of charities in Bristol, and  I stood down after five years on the board this week.

Voscur exists to help startup charities, such as Safe Space, and large charities, like Southmead Development Trust. The organisation helps with fundraising, governance and money management. Voscur makes sure the charity sector has a voice at the highest levels of decision making.

Like a trade body, it works largely behind the scenes, but without the agency many of the charities in the city would not be able to complete their important work.

Last year, the organisation supported 422 charities, helped raise £5.6m and provided training for over 800 people. Voscur’s network of advocates made sure charities have a voice in everything from NHS strategy and tackling youth violence, to libraries and housebuilding.

Whilst our national politicians argue, we would do well to remember how peace and tolerance are built in our communities. It is built by those who are willing to reach out to others, understand and help them.

With each visit to a neighbour, each meal cooked in a community and every event held in the church hall, people build understanding between those who are different.

Every small acts of kindness weaves a strong fabric that keeps our society strong. Voscur sits at the heart of this incredible network of people and ideas, keeping it strong for everyone’s sake.

Voscur is the support and development agency for the charity and voluntary sector in Bristol, supporting organisations to create long lasting impact in the city.

Sandy Hore-Ruthven has just stood down as chair of Voscur after five years. He is standing as the Green party mayoral candidate.

Sandy Hore-Ruthven

Read more: ‘Can charity survive in a gentrified Bristol?’