Bristol City Leap will support local charity Grassroot Communities with over £35,000 of funding over the next five years. The money will help increase access to science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) training and careers for disadvantaged communities and encourage more people to take up careers in the local green economy.

Bristol City Leap’s funding will pay for one young person a year to take part in the Grassroot Activators Programme (GAP). GAP provides young people with the tools and opportunities to reach their full potential in education and employment through a yearlong programme delivered over two days a week. This includes providing advice and help with interview techniques, CVs and job or university applications.

In addition, members of the Bristol City Leap team will provide mentoring and coaching to young people already engaged in the GAP scheme to demonstrate opportunities in the decarbonised economy and broader STEM fields.

The partnership between Bristol City Leap and Grassroot Communities will help provide a secure future for young people in Bristol by giving them the skills and knowledge to thrive in their professional lives.

Supporting more people to take up careers in the decarbonised economy supports Bristol City Leap’s commitment to local job creation whilst also addressing workforce shortages and skills gaps which are some of the key challenges on our road to carbon neutrality.

Bristol City Leap will work with Founder and Project Lead Ben Carpenter, who is the inspiration and driving force behind Grassroot Communities, he commented:

 “The GAP initiative is based on 5 years of talking to young and older people in communities across the city about what young people want and need. We are now coming to the end of the GAP pilot year 2022/23 and in short the programme model has been proven to work. We are much appreciative to Bristol City Leap committing to sponsor a young person onto every year of GAP for the next 5 years. The ripple effect on the individual young people and their wider communities will be huge.

“We strongly believe that when young people fall (back) in love with nature and directly feel the impact on their own wellbeing and witness it on others they are more likely to look after it. This directly links with term 5 of GAP and we are proud to be working in partnership with Bristol City Leap and hope that future GAP participants who have a passion towards the environment will directly become part of the journey towards decarbonising the city and planet.

“If you are a business or an individual who would like to support young people to be the changes they want to see, please get in touch to explore this opportunity further.”

Over the next five years, Bristol City Leap has committed to delivering over £61 million in social value as well as creating at least 410 new jobs in Bristol. By working closely with organisations like Grassroot Communities it is possible to ensure this investment is delivered in a way which benefits local people the most.

James Sterling, Communications and Engagement Manager from Bristol City Leap added:

“Young people can enjoy exciting and rewarding careers in the green economy knowing they are protecting the future of our planet, whilst entering into skilled roles that will provide stable employment for generations. By ensuring equal access to training, education and jobs we can make sure that our path to a decarbonised Bristol supports a just transition, ensuring that no one is left behind.  

“We are committed to supporting a Just Transition through Bristol City Leap’s 20 year partnership and we are proud to be supporting Grassroots Communities over the next five years. We have been s so impressed with Ben Carpenter and his ability to engage and deliver improved outcomes for young people in disadvantaged communities and we know that our funding will enable even more positive outcomes for the people of Bristol.”

Councillor Kye Dudd, Cabinet Member for Environment, Ecology, Energy and Waste said:

 “Our drive to deliver a net-zero city requires effort across all sectors to ensure we decarbonise every aspect of our economy. Achieving this aim will require investment, innovation, enterprise and community support to sit alongside the political support our administration has provided to date. The development of the city’s green economy will not go far however without the diversity of skills required to deliver our ambitions. This support for Grassroots Communities demonstrates the commitment we and our Bristol City Leap partners have made to securing the labour market the city needs to build a sustainable and climate resilient city.”

For more information on Bristol City Leap’s £1 billion decarbonisation plans, visit: www.bristolcityleap.co.uk