BS3 Community Care Marks Our First Anniversary with 3,000+ hours of Local Support
BS3 Community Care marks first anniversary with 3,000+ hours of local support
Our unique community initiative delivers personalised care and support, creates 30 self-employment jobs, and strengthens community connections in its first year
BS3 Community Care is celebrating an outstanding first year, having delivered more than 3,000 hours of personalised care and support to local residents since launching in summer 2024. Alongside supporting families and individuals, the initiative has also created self-employed opportunities for over 30 local care professionals and essential service providers.
The service is unique in its approach, carefully matching vetted providers to the individual needs of each client, ensuring consistent, reliable, and flexible support from familiar faces.One local resident shared:
“The team have been absolute angels. Carla’s supportive approach and the wonderful carers she matched us with have given Dad a new lease of life.”
Meeting Local Needs
BS3 Community Care’s team has responded to a wide variety of requests. The most common include home help, cleaning, companionship and befriending, carer respite, dementia support, assistance with accessing the community and trips out. Our range of independent professionals also provide personal care, gardening, waste clearance, shopping and errands, as well as support with physical activity.
One of our local professionals David, who also goes by the name ‘Handyman with a Heart’ shared:
“My background as a handyman and ex-nurse fitted perfectly with the community’s needs. What really motivates me is how grateful people are for the work - especially after a big garden clearance.”
Another of our local professionals Syl recently shared:
“BS3 Community Care is deeply committed to the local community. They place the welfare of clients at the heart of everything while also ensuring that carers feel valued and respected for their skills and expertise.”
Building Strong Partnerships
Partnerships have been central to the charity’s success. Most notably, our partnership with local Bristol-based web developers TickTeam with whom we have collaborated to create the bespoke technology that underpins the service and to design and build our website. Their expertise has been invaluable in ensuring our system is robust, accessible, and tailored to community needs.
BS3 Community Care has also worked closely with the Bristol Business & IP Centre (BIPC), hosting monthly sessions to support people exploring self-employment opportunities, including a bespoke workshop for Women’s Work Lab. The team has also collaborated with South Locality Adult Social Care teams, Bridgeview Medical PCN, Sirona Care & Health and other organisations to promote the service and manage referrals. In addition, a successful BS3 Carers Day was co-hosted with Sirona earlier this year, bringing together residents, self-employed carers, clients, and 19 partner organisations to celebrate families and informal carers, share information and showcase the support available through BS3 Community Care.
A Response to Local Challenges
BS3 Community Care is an initiative of the respected charity BS3 Community Development, created in response to growing challenges in adult care provision, worsened by the impacts of COVID-19 and ongoing funding cuts.
Carla Snell, Care & Wellbeing Manager at BS3 Community Development who developed and now manages the BS3 Community Care initiative said:
“The health and social care system has been in crisis for a long time, and as a local community charity, we knew we were in a unique position to lead change and try something different. By combining a social enterprise model with the rise in local care and support needs, we’ve developed a service built on the principle of ‘local care for local people’ that also boosts the local economy through job creation. We’re proud to be building something that truly belongs to, and is shaped by, our community.”
Interest in this innovative approach now stretches well beyond BS3, and as we look to grow, we remain committed to our ethos of ‘local care for local people.’ Our first year has shown what’s possible when a community comes together – but we’ve only just begun. With the support of our community, we determined to grow this movement and reimagine what care and support can look like for everyone - so please reach out, share our story, or simply help us spread the word!
About BS3 Community Care
At BS3 Community Care we are a unique community initiative that provides tailored care and support for individuals, creates rewarding employment opportunities, and helps build a stronger more connected local community.
Following thoughtful consultation with those seeking support, our skilled BS3 Community Care team carefully matches each individual with the most suitable carer or personal assistant from our trusted community of thoroughly vetted professionals. The goal is to ensure consistent, reliable, flexible care and support – delivered by the same familiar faces.
We offer a wide range of flexible options, from occasional help to regular hourly and weekly visits, overnight or live-in care and support. Services are tailored to individual needs and may include help with household tasks, gardening, odd jobs, personal care, companionship, and accessing the local community. Specialist care for specific conditions and respite for family carers can also be provided. At the heart of everything we do is a commitment to promoting independence, wellbeing, and meaningful connection - delivered by local professionals chosen by the individual themselves.