Bristol
Every night we support 139 people in Bristol with our homelessness and mental health services.
We work with people to prevent them becoming homeless in the first place. Our outreach team is out day and night, supporting people those who are on the streets of Bristol. And we also provide specialist emergency accommodation to help people get back on their feet, and longer term homes for people who are ready to live a more independent life.
Our mental health services offer tailored support when people need it. And our Bristol Recovery College and Putting Down Roots offer training and mentoring to help people fulfil their ambitions as they move away from homelessness for good.
Preventing homelessness
We know that the best way to end homelessness is to stop it happening in the first place. That’s why our rough sleeping prevention team steps in urgently to help people in Bristol about to face homelessness.
Everyone’s situation is different. Our job is to find the right solution for each person that we are helping. We can support them to find a new place to live or to keep their current home. We can help them to manage their finances and access mental health support. And because we work so closely with partners across the city, we can do all of this quickly and effectively.
Outreach on the streets
Helping to make it someone’s last night on the streets has long been part of what we offer in Bristol. Last Winter our Outreach team helped more than 500 people who were sleeping rough in the city.
John is one of our Outreach Workers, supporting people who are sleeping rough every day. He has lived experience of homelessness too, so really understands the challenges facing the people he helps. He had the extraordinary experience of working through the Covid-19 lockdowns.
Moving into a home
For people with a history of sleeping rough, the move from supported accommodation to their own home can be a really challenging step. Without the right accommodation and support, people can end up returning to the streets.
Increasing house prices mean that the private rented sector in Bristol is not an option for the people we work with, so specialist accommodation is a big part of our work.
In 2020, St Mungo’s worked with Bristol City Council to provide 21 one and two bed flats in East Bristol, for people who were ready to move on from fully supported accommodation, but still needed our help.
As well as a home, we provide ‘floating support’, where staff make weekly visits and are available for appointments when people need extra support.
By offering long term stability to people and the skills needed to live independently, the cycle of homelessness really can be broken.
Rebuilding lives
Our role doesn’t end once we support someone into a home. We are here to help people turn their ambitions into reality.
At Bristol Recovery College our specialist tutors offer accredited courses in English, Maths, Digital Skills and Wellbeing. And our Progression Coaches work closely with students to help them find a job.
Students at our Putting Down Roots gardening programme learn horticultural skills as they work as a team on our garden in city centre Castle Park.
In September the Bristol Recovery College welcomed the people we support from across the city to their autumn term open day.
Bristol Mental Health Support
At Bristol Mental Health Support we understand that life can be difficult. Our team are here to offer support to people for housing, health and making connections, helping people to turn things around and move forward with confidence.
Bristol Mental Health Support is available to anyone aged 16 and over who is living in north or east Bristol.
