Projects
Welcome to our community projects page!
Here you’ll find initiatives organised by the Community Hub and Bristol Charities to support and bring together the Oldbury Court community.
Have a browse or click below to select a project:
VASSaLL Food Club
Our volunteer-run Food Club supports families and individuals in BS16 who are on low incomes, providing access to low-cost, nutritious food each week while reducing food waste. Families pay an annual fee of £1 to join the Food Club, and £4 for each weekly shop.
A typical "Food Club Shop" includes fruit and vegetables, tins, cereals, dried foods such as pasta and rice, chilled items including meat, cheese, vegetarian options, and some treats. Some of our food is supplied by FareShare South West and is surplus, so it varies each week!
To enquire about joining our waiting list for food support, please get in touch!
Tea and Tots
Local schools identified that some children were starting school without access to early play opportunities, which are crucial for developing motor skills. To help address this, the Hub includes a soft play area specifically for under-5s.
Tea and Tots is a weekly session full of laughter and fun, offering local children the chance to play in our well-equipped play space and providing an opportunity for parents to meet each other over a cup of coffee. This initiative is a partnership between Bristol Charities and Life Church Bristol.
We also have plans to start a regular session for children with special educational needs.
Older people's Lunch Club
Frome Vale scores between very high and medium risk on the Age UKs loneliness heat map.
Our Lunch Club offers a warm and welcoming space for older people to meet, socialise, and enjoy a hot meal together. The food is lovingly prepared by Props, a local charity that supports individuals with learning disabilities to train for fulfilling work opportunities.
Our guests frequently share how much they value both the delicious meals and the friendly company.
Fix it Forward
The Fix It Forward initiative brings together volunteers, local partners, and community members to transform gardens and homes for people in need. Working alongside organisations such as Life Church Bristol and The Noise, the project combines DIY, gardening skills, and plenty of enthusiasm to make a practical difference in people’s lives.
These transformations not only improve living conditions but also help reduce isolation and build stronger community connections.
Read more about this project here: Fix It Forward Georgia's Garden.
Family Support Project
We collaborate with local schools, including Frome Vale Academy, to identify local families who would benefit from some extra support.
Our hub team and support worker provide tailored assistance. This might include small grants for urgent needs like furniture or appliances, practical help with housing or gardens, and advocacy with landlords or utilities. We also connect families to additional support programs.
Soup and Social
Soup & Social is our friendly, free community drop-in, offering a welcoming space for local people to meet and chat with neighbours over a free toastie or bowl of soup, with tea and coffee. Everyone is welcome - whether you want some company, would like to find out more about what's happening at the Hub, or need a chat with a member of our team.
Every other week, Housing Matters joins us to offer advice and support with housing issues. During the colder months, Soup & Social also forms part of our winter support, providing a warm, welcoming space where people can spend time without worrying about the cost.
Frome Vale Community Activators
Our Community Activators project supports local people in Frome Vale to play an active role in shaping and strengthening their community.
Community Activators are local residents who help connect people, share information and encourage neighbours to get involved in community life. They also help residents develop their own ideas and access support such as our Grassroots Grants, ensuring local knowledge and voices are at the heart of decisions about what happens in the area. By building connections between residents, community groups and local organisations, the project aims to strengthen community cohesion and help create a more connected, resilient Frome Vale.
Phone box group
We helped bring local residents together to form the Oldbury Court Phone Box Group, but the project itself is firmly community-led, with local people making the decisions about the phone box and its future. Since the group was formed, the box on Gill Avenue has survived an arson attack and has now been cleaned up ready for the next stage of its transformation.
Plans include repainting it in its original telephone box red and creating a new fish-themed art installation inside. This is an ongoing project, with the group continuing to shape the plans and taking responsibility for looking after the phone box as a community asset into the future.
VASSall Clothesline
The Vassall Community Hub sometimes hosts a Clothesline shop in partnership with Mercy in Action, providing high-quality, free clothing and shoes to local low-income families. We also collaborate with Baby Bank to offer free, pre-loved baby equipment and clothing to those in need.
Seasonal projects have included a Christmas Gift Shop, ensuring every child in our Families Program receives a quality Christmas present. Other initiatives have included distributing free school uniforms and supplying warm winter clothing to help families during colder months.
Youth Club & School Holiday support
Oldbury Court Youth Club provides a fun opportunity for kids to get out, play and make new friends. We offer the club for free in partnership with Children's Scrapstore, WECIL and LPW.
We sometimes also run school holiday activities, including participating in the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme to provide healthy meals, enriching activities, and free childcare places to children from low-income families. In the past we have hosted activities in the Hub as well as organising trips to local attractions such as We The Curious, Puxton Park and the SS Great Britain.
Secret Soup Society
The Secret Soup Society is on a mission to fight food waste and nourish communities. Using surplus ingredients, they craft delicious soups at the Vassall Community Kitchen and distribute them to food projects and events across Bristol, including here at the Vassall Community Hub.
As a volunteer-led organisation, they envision a sustainable food system where no one goes hungry. Their mission is to provide nourishing, healthy soup, support those in need, and raise awareness about the environmental and social impact of food waste.
