Caring at Christmas: three decades of helping homeless people over the festive season
An institution of the city, Bristol's annual Big Christmas Dinner returns - more than three decades since the first
More than three decades on from the first Caring in Bristol at Christmas campaign, they're well and truly back for the 2022 festive season, spreading festive joy across the city to those who otherwise may have gone without.
Hosting hundreds of homeless people at the Trinity Centre, this year's campaign has been months in the making, and has involved hundreds of volunteers - but the impact of it all spans far wider than just the time of those dedicated individuals.
Back in November, Caring in Bristol give us all a glimpse into the impact homelessness can have, and why the simple act of offering-up a Christmas meal is just so important to so many.
Running between December 24th and 30th, the aims of this year's campaign are no different to the three decades prior - to provide those suffering from homelessness to come in from the cold, enjoy a warm space, and socialise.
With the week a long time coming, it was a hive of activity in the centre to get things ready, with around 450 volunteers getting involved to make sure they could hit the ground on Christmas Eve running.
Alv Hirst, Storytelling Coordinator for Caring in Bristol, said: "It's a really important feature in Bristol's calendar for the many homeless people who are out there - and it means they've got somewhere to go over the festive period.
"Last year, 3,000 volunteer hours made the project happen as well as the support from so many businesses and catering suppliers who helped to make it happen. We know the will is out there, we just co-ordinate it and something special just happens.
"For us, it's an amazing week where people feel so valued, which of course they are, and it just allows us to make sure everyone who needs to have a good Christmas gets one."
This year, fellow Bristolian and Michelin Star-holder Josh Eggleton also got stuck in with this year's project, alongside a number of other food businesses and suppliers who really make the project happen.
Josh has an organisation called 'Team Canteen' - said to 'create a better world by bringing people together through food'. And just like that very mission statement, that's exactly what's happened alongside the team from Caring in Bristol this year.
Alv said: "It's absolutely incredible that Bristol really gets behind this project, and it's because they know how important it is. There are so many people who have done fundraising or have donated the money instead of sending Christmas cards, and we know that's an extra special thing for them to do, especially in a cost of living crisis.
"There have been some amazing restauranteurs in Bristol helping us out, too. They are also very busy this time of year, but they've still found the time to give their efforts and their food to make this project happen - it's absolutely incredible."
Amid the festivities and the fun of the event - the reason behind this decades-long institution in the city is a lot tougher to think about.
According to stats released in the JSNA Health and Wellbeing Profile, the number of people living in temporary accommodation at the end of 2021 was nearly double that of 2019 figures, while at 68 rough sleepers, Bristol also reported the highest number of street homeless people amongst thee 'core city peer group' back in November 2021, when this survey was taken.
With 97% of people experiencing homelessness not sleeping rough, the team at Caring in Bristol say for things to change - we simply need to talk.
Alv said: "We're really keen for people in Bristol and further afield to really understand what homelessness means. There are a lot of misconceptions around homelessness - for example, people think it's just restricted to those people who are forced to sleep on the streets. We know it's a far wider problem than that.
"And there are so many things we can do to help. We can start to talk about it, talk to our MPs about it, to our Councillors. We can talk to our friends and family to create that motivation, so when we see people who need that help, we can respond to that.
"There are all sorts of things we can do - and the only way that things will change is when we work together to really make sure the changes get the important focus that they need."
Caring at Christmas has been a part of the city for more than three decades and provides a vital service to hundreds of homeless people every Christmastime. Last year alone, the charity say nearly 550 people accessed the service, and with the cost of living crisis tightening its grip, that number is only expected to rise.
Stats by Shelter England say almost 2.5 million renters are either 'behind or constantly struggling to pay rent' - that's a 45% increase in the space of half a year.
For those who couldn't get out or to the Trinity Centre, the Caring in Bristol team also offered a Christmas and Boxing Day delivery service to make sure as much of the homeless community in Bristol as possible had the chance to grab a meal during the festive period.
You can find out more about Caring in Bristol here - and you can donate to their cause here.
You can also find out more about the housing charity Shelter here.