What Caring in Bristol does

Caring in Bristol is a registered charity in England and Wales (Charity No. 1151645, Company No. 08419424), founded in 1987 and headquartered at 3 Pritchard Street, St Paul's Bristol. It addresses homelessness and housing insecurity in Bristol through a portfolio of interconnected programs: emergency youth accommodation via Z House (365 nights annually), floating support for 16-25-year-olds through Project Z (supporting 121 individuals in 12 months), community food clubs via Bristol Goods (2,068 member visits and 14 tons of food saved from waste), prevention services via Early Doors, and the seasonal Caring at Christmas day center — the largest project of its kind in the southwest region. The organization is community-led, drawing on 3,739 volunteer hours at Christmas and 200+ volunteers during pandemic response, and is reachable through beneficiaries, drop-ins, and digital channels.

The underlying technology stack is conventional and non-proprietary: the website runs on the Access Group platform, with Mailchimp for email marketing and platform-identity-client authentication for user accounts. No public API, SDK, or AI/ML capabilities are referenced. The organization is WCAG 2.0 Double-A compliant (as of November 2025) and registered with the Fundraising Regulator for 2025-2026.

Caring in Bristol's revenue model is diversified across individual donations (one-time and recurring, with tiered prompts at £15, £25, £50, £100, £105), charitable grants from trusts and foundations (notably the Oak Foundation), community fundraising events (sponsored walks, sleepouts, bake sales), corporate partnerships (Burges Salmon, University of Bristol, local restaurants), and a small membership fee stream from Bristol Goods pop-up food clubs. Services to beneficiaries are free at point of use. Distribution is concentrated in southwest England through co-funded partnerships with Bristol City Council, St Mungo's, Golden Key, Housing Matters, and Shelter Bristol.

Name

Caring in Bristol

Legal name

Caring in Bristol

Website

https://caringinbristol.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Caring in Bristol is a registered charity addressing homelessness and housing insecurity in Bristol through emergency youth accommodation, floating support, community food clubs, and seasonal crisis services. The organization serves vulnerable residents and is funded by donations, grants, corporate partnerships, and community fundraising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homelessness and Housing Support Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Homelessness prevention services
• Youth housing support
• Emergency accommodation
• Community food clubs
• Housing advice services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute one-time or recurring donations via the website. The organization runs seasonal campaigns (Spring Appeal, World Cup Sweepstake) and accepts direct contributions at various price points (£15, £25, £50, £100, £105).
2. Charitable Grants: The organization receives funding from trusts and foundations. The Oak Foundation is explicitly mentioned as supporting prevention work. Grants from charitable foundations fund specific programs.
3. Community Fundraising: Community members organize and participate in fundraising events including bake sales, sponsored walks (20,000 Steps Challenge), sleepouts, and running events. The organization provides tools for individuals to create personal fundraising pages.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Businesses engage with Caring in Bristol through workplace giving programs, corporate fundraising challenges, and community support. Examples include Burges Salmon Marketing team and University of Bristol student groups.
5. Membership Fees: Bristol Goods operates a small membership fee model for its pop-up community food clubs, providing members with access to nutritious food at reduced cost.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Caring in Bristol is a registered charity that prevents and responds to homelessness and housing insecurity in Bristol through a portfolio of integrated programs. It provides emergency youth accommodation (Z House), floating support for ages 16-25 (Project Z), pop-up community food clubs (Bristol Goods), housing advice and prevention services (Early Doors), seasonal crisis support (Caring at Christmas), severe weather emergency response (SWEP Volunteers), and downloadable advice handbooks. Services are free to beneficiaries and funded through donations, grants, community fundraising, and corporate partnerships.

Product overview

Caring in Bristol operates as a homelessness charity offering a portfolio of interconnected services. The organization provides emergency accommodation through Z House (youth night shelter) and floating support services via Project Z for young people aged 16-25. Its food-led prevention services include Bristol Goods (community food clubs) and Early Doors (housing advice), while the Caring at Christmas project delivers seasonal support. Handbooks provide downloadable advice resources, and SWEP Volunteers respond during severe weather emergencies. The services work together to provide crisis intervention, prevention support, and long-term pathways to stable housing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bristol Goods: A food-led service for people at risk of homelessness providing nutritious food through pop-up community food clubs. Provides advice and support on housing, energy bills, mental health, and other needs.
• Project Z
• Z House
• Caring at Christmas
• Bristol Youth Goods

Products and services

• Caring at Christmas A pop-up day center operating from Christmas Eve until December 30th that provides support and services for people experiencing homelessness in Bristol. It is the largest project of its kind in the southwest of England.
• Bristol Goods A food-led service for people at risk of homelessness providing nutritious food through pop-up community food clubs. Includes advice and support on housing, energy bills, and mental health, with a small membership fee providing weekly budget relief.
• Early Doors A housing advice and prevention service focused on early intervention to prevent homelessness through community coproduction and specialist support, with trained staff present at Bristol Goods sessions.
• Handbooks Comprehensive information, advice, and support resources for Bristol residents facing homelessness or housing insecurity, available for download from the website.
• Z House An emergency youth night shelter for young people aged 18-25 experiencing a housing crisis in central Bristol, providing 365 nights of emergency accommodation annually.
• Project Z A floating support service for people aged 16-25 experiencing multiple housing difficulties, offering holistic individualised support including advocacy, training, wellbeing sessions, and system navigation delivered via face-to-face, telephone, or video appointments across Bristol.
• SWEP Volunteers A Severe Weather Emergency Protocol volunteer program providing emergency support during extreme weather conditions for people experiencing homelessness in Bristol.
• Bristol Youth Goods A pop-up food and social drop-in safe space that helps young people create stability in their housing situation, get informed, and eat well.

Quantifiable outcome

• 365 nights of emergency youth accommodation provided annually
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Burges SalmonminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate team from Burges Salmon participated in the Bristol Cares Challenge 2026, walking 20,000 steps to represent those waiting for social housing and raising funds for Caring in Bristol.
• University of BristolminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025University of Bristol students organized a Festive Bake Sale to raise funds for Caring at Christmas, demonstrating educational sector community engagement.
• Bristol City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorked closely with Bristol City Council during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the Everyone In scheme. Caring in Bristol and Cheers Drive were part of a city-wide initiative to keep people experiencing homelessness safe and support them into stable accommodation.
• St Mungo'scoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with St Mungo's during the pandemic response as part of the Everyone In scheme, coordinating efforts to move people from crisis into stable accommodation.
• Golden KeycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Golden Key during the Everyone In pandemic response to support people experiencing homelessness in Bristol.
• Bristol Independent Restaurants (Emmeline, Pasta Loco, Salt and Malt, Pony and Trapp, The Hatch, Bianchi's)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDuring Cheers Drive, 14 independent Bristol restaurants provided food that was delivered to homeless and vulnerably housed individuals. This partnership enabled delivery of 160,000 meals during lockdowns.
• Housing MatterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in the Housing Advice Drop-In service based in Hartcliffe, BS13. Part of a multi-organization partnership providing housing advice to Bristol residents.
• Shelter BristolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in the Housing Advice Drop-In service. Shelter Bristol staff provide expertise and support at the Hartcliffe drop-in location.
• Valley ArtsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerValley Arts co-hosted the Magna Jazz Charity Jazz Club fundraising event with Magna Jazz, raising funds for Caring in Bristol.
• General Hospital Bristol (former site)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe General Repair Shop operates at the former General Hospital site with over 205 properties, undertaking small repair jobs while fundraising for Caring in Bristol.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Crisis UK: National UK charity working to end homelessness through housing, education, and campaigning. Comparable scope in prevention, advice, and direct support services across the same homeless and vulnerably housed population Caring in Bristol serves.
• Shelter: National UK housing and homelessness charity providing advice, advocacy, and support. Shelter Bristol is a direct service partner of Caring in Bristol through the Housing Advice Drop-In, confirming overlapping service models and beneficiary focus.
• Depaul UK: UK charity focused on homelessness and disadvantage, particularly youth and family services. Comparable as both operate emergency accommodation, floating support, and prevention services for similar beneficiary groups.
• Centrepoint: UK's leading youth homelessness charity providing accommodation, support, and training for 16-25 year olds. Highly comparable as Caring in Bristol runs Project Z and Z House serving the same youth demographic with similar floating support and emergency accommodation.
• St Mungo's: Major UK homelessness charity providing accommodation, recovery, and prevention services. Caring in Bristol partnered with St Mungo's during the Everyone In scheme, indicating direct overlap in mission, service types, and beneficiary profile.

Regional players

• Thames Reach: London homelessness charity offering outreach, supported housing, and employment services. Comparable service mix and target population, but geographically restricted to London versus Caring in Bristol's Southwest remit.
• Single Homeless Project: London-focused homelessness charity providing housing, support, and advice. Highly comparable service portfolio (advice, prevention, support) but operating in a different UK region from Caring in Bristol's Southwest focus.

Broad incumbents

• Emmaus UK: UK federation supporting formerly homeless people through residential communities and training. Comparable mission focus on homelessness alleviation, though operating model (residential community) differs from Caring in Bristol's community-based service model.
• The Big Issue Foundation: UK organization supporting vendors of The Big Issue magazine to move out of poverty and homelessness. Comparable beneficiary overlap and poverty-relief mission, though operating through a vendor model rather than direct service provision.

Others

• Homeless Link: UK national membership body for homelessness charities, supporting infrastructure, training, and policy. Caring in Bristol uses Homeless Link for program evaluation funded by the Oak Foundation, indicating active engagement with this ecosystem enabler.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/caringinbristol
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@caringinbristol
• Facebookfacebook.com/caringinbristol
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caring-in-bristol-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/caringinbristol

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Caring in Bristol