Impact
“On The Hill is a lovely community place to come to and I’ve made new friends here. There is always something to do and friendly faces. I love being able to say to my family, I’m sorry I’m out meeting my friends.”
We are so proud to serve over 15,000 people a year from Bedminster Down, Bishopworth, Headley Park, Bedminster and beyond.
We’re so much more than a café - we’re a safe space for new mothers, a place for older people to actually chat and socialise, and a community hub for everyone and their family use our spaces.
Social Impact and Community
As a Community Benefit Society are governance objects are:
To carry on any business for the benefit of the community by creating a safe creative space for all local residents to use, regardless of age or background and to encourage intergenerational co-operation and growth of local capacity and decision making by but not
limited to
❖ Facilities for the use of the local community to ensure a healthy active and economically thriving population
❖ Services for the local community, directly or indirectly including:
❖ Community Café
❖ Leisure and special occasion events
❖ Meeting Spaces
❖ Opportunities for community engagement, volunteering and the empowerment of local people.
What does this mean in practice?
Being community owned and run we can listen to and collaborate with the local community to see what is needed and find a way to make it happen! We can offer space and support to people who want to set up their own groups, which has happened with our Knitting Group, Writing Group, Cribbage Group and BS13 Climate & Nature Group to name a few.
We are also a connector. We can bring external agencies into the space that can support the needs of local people, ensure that their voices are heard with the Council and also through opportunities that are on offer across the city. These are as far ranging as ‘Women in Business’ Support to intergenerational projects with the Centre of Sociodigital Futures and our Local History Group and Bedminster Down School, using cutting edge Virtual and Augmented Reality!
We are also part of the BS13 Strategic Network, working with other community groups in the South Bristol area as well as the larger network of VCSE (Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise) across Bristol. This gives us the opportunity for local voices to be heard further afield and promote support that may not be accessible in the local area.
On The Hill is also a venue that offers a wide range of social activities and gatherings in the evenings as well as hire of the main hall. These events support the running of the building and community offerings.
You can see how our governance objects and regular community offerings link together in our ‘Theory of Change’.
“My Social Prescriber suggested the Knitting & Crotchet Group.
At first I was really nervous but being surrounded by people who enjoyed the same craft helped me a lot with talking and socialising with other people.
I feel more comfortable talking to new people now and able to leave the house.
I would definitely recommend it to others... it’s rare to find a space like this to come to.’”
“I’ve been running my counselling service here for nearly 2 years. It’s a fantastic place to work and more and more of my clients come from the local area, which is exactly what I was hoping for!
I noticed that there was a real need for grief counselling within the area, I spoke to staff about my idea, and I was able to set up an affordable option with the ‘Grief Club’”
Working with the NHS
How On The Hill (previously named Zion Community Space) helps in supporting the health priorities in South Bristol.
Want to support our mission?
There are so many ways you can support On The Hill - from volunteering, hiring our rooms, advertising in our programme, donating or even just coming along to our events! See our support us page to learn more.