Recent updates

The latest news from our projects

  • First shipment reaches Lviv

    An update for Camouflage helmet covers for Ukraine

    Mar 22 2024

    Today we heard from Lexa in Lviv, who co-ordinates the international project to make helmet covers. Our first shipment of 14 helmet covers has arrived! It was sent by Parcelforce over 5 weeks ago - both Lexa and I have been nervoursly checking the parcel tracking apps for updates, becoming frustrated as we watched it languishing in limbo, sent a long way out of its way via Kyiv, then to the wrong post office in Lviv! Finally it arrived and Lexa collected it. This is our package being unpacked in Lviv. Today the covers were checked by Svitlana, the head of the Lviv netmaking centre, and they meet specifications. 

     

  • We took Historic England on a tour of Jacobs Wells

    An update for Jacobs Wells Baths

    Mar 13 2024

    Historic England and Jacobs Wells - Image Credit: Alastair Brookes

    We invited Historic England to join Corinne Fitzpatrick, Conservation Architect for the project on a tour of Grade II Listed Jacobs Wells Baths to inspect the current emergency works taking place.

    These works are in preparation for a phased repair scheme to begin later in the year as part of the mission to restore Jacobs Wells as a community arts space.

    The tour uncovered the rich social and architectural history of the building; from the lantern roof, side blocks, boiler house, large chimney to its exterior and ornate features of terracotta dressings. The tour also showed glimpses of the former pump room - a space that has never been open to the public.

    The first phase of repairs, set to start later this year, is supported by £1m from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ (DLUHC) Community Ownership Fund, and £400,000 in match funding from local trusts including Nisbet Trust, the John James Foundation and other funders keen to support recovery efforts and revive the building.

    The vision for Jacobs Wells is to develop and deliver a £4m regeneration scheme in keeping with the building's dance heritage, which will see the centre reopening as a vibrant community arts hub that will include much-needed youth provision and services.

     

    Watch the full tour:

     

    Find out more about our missions to restore and reopen Jacobs Wells:

    https://www.trinitybristol.org.uk/activities/jacobs-wells

  • Album launch concert

    An update for Echo Vocal Ensemble Debut Album

    Mar 6 2024

    Dear all,

    We hope all is well with you! We wanted to get in touch with some exciting news about our debut recording - we’re launching the album with a special concert this July at Wigmore Hall in London. 

    It’s on Wednesday 3 July at 1pm, and tickets are on sale here: https://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/202407031300 We’ll be singing music from the album, including the wonderful and virtuosic Trois Chansons by Ravel, alongside music by Mouton, Monk and Palestrina. We’d love to see you there!

    We’d also like to invite you to a special post-concert party / celebration event for our supporters, which will take place near the concert venue, starting just after 2pm. Details of that will be available soon - for now, please just save the date if you can. 

    We’ve put all Fundsurfer backers on our main mailing list as well, which goes out every 2 months for more general Echo concert updates. If you’d rather not receive that, just let us know. 

    Many thanks again for your support and we’ll be in touch again a bit closer to the time.

    Best wishes,

    Sarah and the Echo team

  • 2024 plans

    An update for Funding Ukrainian Emergency Aid & Supplies

    Feb 15 2024

    Thanks everyone, for all of your support, by 2024 we had really hoped we would not be in a situation where Ukrainians are still at war with Russia and dealing with the most difficult of circumstances. 

    This year we are continuing to work closely with our partners in Ukraine, US, UK and Europe to help fund aid and supplies. 

    We are in discussion with a number of funders and private donors, the help you provide is incredibly important, thanks for sharing and pledging to our campaign. 

    We will be in touch with more regular updates this year as we expand our efforts and work in Ukraine. 

     

  • We've hit 25% of funding on our Fundsurfercampaign!

    An update for Jacobs Wells Baths

    Jan 4 2024

    We've hit 25% of funding on our Fundsurfer campaign!

    Thank you to everyone who has donated to our campaign to restore and reopen Jacobs Wells - with your help, we are one step closer to transforming the former Victorian Baths building into a vibrant community and arts hub.

    We've still got a long way to go, please keep sharing our campaign to spread the word!

    Thanks once again.

     

  • £1m investment means we're one step closer to saving Jacobs Wells

    An update for Jacobs Wells Baths

    Dec 22 2023

    Jacobs Wells – formerly known as Bristol Community Dance Centre in Hotwells – is one step closer to being revived in 2025 following a £1,050,000 grant from The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ (DLUHC) Community Ownership Fund. The investment will help to deliver plans developed in response to a community campaign to transform the derelict space into a vibrant community arts hub.

    Since the start of 2023, the race has been on to save the Grade II listed building following news that Bristol City Council had listed the asset for disposal. Backed by community stakeholders including Hotwells & Cliftonwood Community Association, artists and local councillors, we set out on a mission to raise the funds needed to repair and restore the building.

    "This is another massive step in a hugely ambitious recovery effort and the Trinity Board would like to extend our huge thanks to DLUHC, match funders and supporters for sharing our vision." Trinity Trustee Dr Fidel Meraz

    This latest investment builds on Bristol City Council's 35-year Community Asset Transfer offer to Trinity and ongoing survey work funded by Nisbet Trust and match funders to assess and scope the repairs scheme and undertake emergency measures to stop further damage.

    The grant from DLUHC matches over £400,000 pledged in support of the project from local funders Nisbet Trust, John James Foundation and match funders including individuals who have been donating to an online Fundsurfer appeal.

    Thank you to everyone who has been part of the mission so far - we still have a way to go to achieve the vision to revive the building and urge people to pledge what they can and be part of the future of Jacobs Wells  

    Click here to find out more.

  • Metro Mayor visits Jacobs Wells

    An update for Jacobs Wells Baths

    Dec 18 2023

    Our plans to transform 19th-century public baths into a community arts venue are “incredibly exciting”, according to Metro Mayor Dan Norris, who commented during unique tour of the building, which has been closed to the public since 2018.

    Jacob Wells in Hotwells was built in 1889 as a bathhouse for the poor until the 1970s, becoming a dance centre right up until 2016 - but has lain empty since then. With the backing of community stakeholders we have been on a mission to repair and restore the building.

    Its restoration will "rebirth" an important part of the community's heritage, according to Mr Norris, who even heard how a natural spring runs in the building's grounds.  During a behind the scenes tour of the building, that has been closed to the public for five years the mayor shared that "it’s really important locals have somewhere for things like doing art, making music and other activities so that we can really make a difference in the same way that this building has made a difference in the past. These plans are incredibly exciting.”

    “I know how passionately local people feel about changing that, and saving the building for community use. Just as it was repurposed back in the 70s - from a bathhouse to a dance studio - with a bit of tender loving care, we can breathe life back into this historic space." - Dan Norris, Metro Mayor for the West of England

    Bristol City’s Council's announced its decision to offer us a 35-year CAT lease earlier this year and are undertaking a detailed series of specialist surveys, funded by the Bristol-based Nisbet Trust and others, as well as undertaking emergency works to halt any further damage to the roof due to water ingress.

    The momentum to restore Jacobs Wells saw a significant boost with the unveiling of a newly installed artwork on the front of the building as part of a Fundraiser to raise funds to repair and restore the Grade II listed former dance centre.

    The artwork, a bespoke pen and ink drawing by Bristol-based artist Amy Hutchings, features words shared by members of the Hotwells community, gathered from a community consultation as part of our mission to restore and reopen the building.

    The artwork features as a reward for the Jacobs Wells Fundraiser that the charity have launched on the Bristol based FundSurfer platform - click here to donate to the campaign.

  • £1000 milestone met as Deputy Mayor and artist Amy Hutchings visit Jacobs Wells

    An update for Jacobs Wells Baths

    Nov 27 2023

    A massive thank you to Deasy Bamford, Diverse Arts Network, Councillor Craig Cheney, Councillor Paula O'Rouke, Councillor Katy Grant, Rachel from Hotwells and Clifton Community Association, Emma Harvey CEO Trinity Community Arts and artist Amy Hutchings along with other community supporters who came down for the unveiling of new artwork on the outside of Jacobs Wells Baths!

    The momentum continues to build as we hit the £1000 mark over the weekend - meaning we are now at a whopping 20% of our £5000 target - thanks to everyone who has supported so far  - the mission to save this much-loved community space is one step closer.

     

  • £500 milestone met

    An update for Jacobs Wells Baths

    Nov 22 2023

    Amy Hutching's has created a bespoke artwork as part of the appeal to raise funds for Jacob Wells

    Thanks to everyone who has donated to the Fundsurfer so far - we are pleased that we have met our first £500 milestone - that marks 10% of the £5000 total.

    To mark this we are asking people to join us outside Jacobs Wells on 23 Nov 2023 and be part of a group photo - to demonstrate how much community support is behind the mission to repair and restore the building.