‘A long-standing tradition of welcome can be seen in Bristol’s buildings’

Bristol was officially recognised as a City of Sanctuary in 2011. The scheme supports local organisations and individuals in the Bristol area to “uphold Bristol’s long-standing tradition of welcoming and providing safety across the city and every sector of the society, so that wherever people seeking sanctuary go they will feel safe, find people who welcome them and understand why they are here, and have the opportunity to be included in all activities”.

Free of charge and taking place across the city, Bristol Doors Open Days champion openness, inclusivity and the democratisation of place. To develop this in 2017, we have invited local charities to participate and focus public attention on the great work that they do behind closed doors as spaces of sanctuary.

This long-standing tradition of welcome can be seen in the history of Bristol’s oldest building, St James Priory (venue 38) where, like their Benedictine predecessors, a charity now extends hospitality in the original sense of the word. The St James Priory Project Charity provides unique services to support people during difficult periods in their lives, particularly those with a mental health problem, and also for those in recovery from drug and alcohol dependence. Walsingham House is a men’s mental health crisis centre operated by St Mungos, while St James House provides residential accommodation and support for people in recovery from addiction.

As well as churches, chapels have always been seen as places of sanctuary, and many of these well built and simple structures have been converted for charitable use. In an old Providence Chapel in Grosvenor Road, St Paul’s, charity One25 specifically supports vulnerable women street sex workers. Visitors to the One25 drop-in centre (venue 46) will be able to see how the space has been set up to be welcoming and relaxed, as well as see inside the life-saving night outreach van.

The YMCA provides safe accommodation for people in need all over the world and offers specialist support to young people and families. Bristol’s YMCA movement has always been strong: the YMCA Cricket Club has been going since 1878, and they are soon to open a new hostel in the old Police Headquarters in Bridewell Street (venue 35) The building, on the site of the 13th century city gaol, has many original features that tell of a long and colourful history.

The ancient almshouses in Bristol are a reminder that wealthy groups and individual benefactors have provided charity for the vulnerable over centuries. Both Merchants Hall (venue 51) and the Colston’s Almshouse Chapel (venue 40) will open their doors to those wanting to know more about the philanthropic work of the Society of Merchant Venturers, whose charitable work is nowadays focused on education, elderly care and social enterprise.

The Julian Trust (venue 44) began in 1986 when a small group of concerned individuals felt there was a need to do something for those who were sleeping on the streets of Bristol. They decided that an emergency night shelter was needed to provide the first rung on the ladder out of homelessness. After a decade of operation out of temporary buildings, the Julian Trust moved into its new home in Little Bishop Street, St Paul’s, with a 50 year lease from Caring at Christmas – hoping that the need for a night shelter will disappear before 2046.

There is increasing understanding about how architecture and your environment aids healing; that well-designed spaced can improve our sense of well-being. The charities mentioned care for the most vulnerable in Bristol, but even those of us who are fortunate to have homes and families sometimes need additional care and support owing to illness.

Bristol Doors Open Days visitors who are interested in medical history can create their own itinerary by touring the old General Hospital with developers City and Country (venue K), learning about the history of homeopathy from the Portland Centre for Integretive Medicine (venue 52), and seeing the latest in hospital design and architecture at Southmead Hospital (venue 89). In nearby Pill, the facilities on offer for those living with cancer will be on show at the national centre for Penny Brohn UK (venue 98), which runs the only residential centre of its kind in the UK.

Anna Farthing is the producer of Bristol Doors Open Days, is a free festival organized by The Architecture Centre, taking place from September 7-10 2017.

Read more opinion: ‘We walk by and pretend homeless don’t exist’