It’s been a busy start to the year for the City Office and many of our city partners. In this newsletter, we have a few dates for your diaries including the next City Gathering, a couple of other events you may be interested in, a video for our children and young people as well as an update on the Citizens’ Assembly.
Next City Gathering and One City Plan refresh
The next virtual City Gathering will take place on Friday 12th March and we are busy planning an exciting and wide ranging agenda for city partners. As well as including a range of updates and themes, the main focus of the Gathering will centre on an update on the city’s recovery and resilience plans, with the launch of the refreshed version of the One City Plan and One City Economic Recovery Strategy.
Invites are being sent out from the City Office shortly, which will include more information on timings and booking instructions.
Stepping up applications ready to open
The Stepping Up leadership programme is now in its fourth year and has had a profound impact upon the lives and careers of a wide range of talented professionals in Bristol. The launch of the next cohort of the programme will start in April 2021, with applications opening on the 29th January. Applicants have until 26th February to apply.
As well as encouraging eligible professionals in your own organisations to apply, Stepping Up is also calling for organisations to sponsor participants in other organisations who may not be able to pay for the programme themselves. Alternatively, the programme is welcoming interest from more mentors to join, who can really make a difference in the professional life of participants.
If you would like to hear more about Stepping Up (cohort 4), have colleagues who may be interested, or you would like to sponsor a participant, one further virtual briefing will be taking place on Thursday 4th February. To register please click here
Join the Health and Wellbeing Board’s Stakeholder Event
On 2nd February 10-12pm, the One City Health and Wellbeing Board is holding an event for stakeholders to find out more about decision making in the health and care system as well as the role and function of the Board within the city. During the event, there will be an update on the current Covid-19 situation in the city, a focus on maximising the uptake of the vaccine locally and responding to the mental health impacts of the pandemic on Bristol as a whole. To find out more contact HWB@bristol.gov.uk or to register for this free event, please click here.
Showing Children and Young People in Bristol ‘We’ve Got Your Back’
Since Covid-19 restrictions came into force in March 2020, concerns have been raised that many young people in the city are feeling unsupported in the fight against Covid-19 and that the impact on their mental wellbeing, education, social lives and families has not always being acknowledged enough. To let our young people know we are behind them as a city and we recognise their concerns they may have about the impact of the pandemic on their futures, we have worked in partnership with the council and other city partners to produce a short video for social media to send them a message of support as well as a big thank you on behalf of the city for sticking with the guidance over the last year. Click here to see the video and please share amongst your networks.
Residents take part in Bristol’s new citizens’ assembly
Bristol’s first citizens’ assembly, where a group of residents are helping to shape the city’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, started last weekend on 16th and 17th January. This first weekend introduced the assembly to the deliberative democracy process and how citizens’ assemblies work.
Over a further 3 weekends during February and March the assembly will come together to discuss how we recover from Covid-19 and create a better future for all in Bristol, followed by other key topics:
- Environment and climate change – How do we rapidly reduce the impact of our homes on climate change?
- Transport – How do we change how we travel to benefit our health, our neighbourhoods, and the environment?
- Health and social care – How should we tackle health inequalities in Bristol?
Alison Crowther, an assembly facilitator said: “The feedback from the first assembly session has been very positive. Through my work I have seen the success of “public dialogue”. The richness of the data, the caring and knowledgeable advice citizens’ deliver help to create truly sustainable policy for the long term.’
In spring 2021, the assembly’s recommendations will be presented to the One City Economy Board and adapted into the city’s Economic Recovery Strategy; and shared across all the One City Structures as well as the council’s Cabinet as a key input in shaping the council’s future strategy and actions.
The assembly was created as a response to the city-wide ‘Your City Our Future’ conversation that took place last year, where more than 6,500 citizens shared their views and priorities on the future of the city across a range of themes.
Please share the Your City, Our Future website with your networks where they can find out more about the assembly.
Hundreds attend Covid-19 Vaccine Webinar
This week, the Bristol Race Equality Covid-19 Steering Group along with Bristol City Council and the CCG, held a session for stakeholders to learn more about the Covid-19 vaccine and to dispel some of the myths and misconceptions there are around having it. The session proved to be really popular with over 500 people joining the webinar on Tuesday evening.
The key speaker at the event was Dr Rajeka Lazarus, Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Principal Investigator for West of England COVID-19 Vaccine studies, Severn Pathology. Other speakers included a local Kingswood GP, a consultant in respiratory medicine from North Bristol NHS Trust, a BCC Public Health Consultant, a Community Development Manager, the CCG Clinical Lead for Research and Improvement and a retired inner city GP.
To see a recording of the event, please click here.
The Originators Fund 21/22 has now launched
The new round of the Cultural Investment Programme is now open and there are a number of information sessions running through February, where those interested can learn more about the fund, talk about projects or ideas, network and talk to the team. Please share the link above amongst your networks, here they can find information on the briefings as well as the guidance and application documents needed to apply.
The Originators Fund awards grants to Bristol-based organisations and individuals from £500 to £5,000. The projects awarded funding will need to take place between June 2021 and May 2022. The deadline for applications is midnight on Mon 8th March 2021.
The council has worked with a focus group of Bristol creatives, festival and community representatives and citizens to help simplify the application process. The re-designed process aims to improve accessibility and encourage a wide range of people to apply. The aim is to get more applications from currently under-represented applicants and create a programme across the city that tells the city’s story.
Updated business guidance
The page for Local Restriction Support Grants has recently been updated, please click on the link to find out more.
If you have any queries or would like to find out more, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us via hello@bristolcityoffice.com