For over 11 years, Zion Community Art Space has been changing lives in and around south Bristol’s Bedminster Down. Since opening its doors in 2011, the local community have been using the space to meet friends, learn new skills, find support groups and enjoy some of the many events that have taken place over the years. And now it needs your help.
Bristol resident Jess Wright, who has owned and run Zion as a social enterprise for over a decade, is stepping down from her role this year. But rather than selling on the private market, she’s offering local people the chance to save the space for their own use through a Community Share Offer. Investments both big and small are being welcomed to save the space and ensure it remains for the community for future generations to come. The Community Share Offer ends on 24 June 2022 and aims to raise a minimum of £249,300 to safeguard the space and guarantee it continues to serve the local community for many more years.
“After 11 years of making Zion an incredibly special place for so many families we are really excited for the opportunity to make this venue a community-owned space, and allow for many more memories to be made for many more generations,” Jess told us. “We hope everyone who has enjoyed a Lego day or craft session or maybe just enjoyed a coffee and slice of cake at Zion, will get involved in saving this unique venue for the future.”
Over 15,000 people visit the space a year, thanks to the many things it has to offer including:
- a daytime community café serving fresh food, including home-made cakes;
- a programme of over 200 events and activities a year, such as children’s workshops, live music and theatre, food events and quiz nights;
- drop-in daytime groups including breast-feeding support, local history group and a creative writing group; and
- an indoor and outdoor private hire venue for celebrations.
How you can help
Community share schemes are an inclusive way to fund projects that benefit local communities. They enable anyone, including the people who will benefit from the project, to invest in something that matters to them. Whether a local resident, business or just someone who wants to support this great cause, anyone can invest in Community Shares, and every investor is given a say on how the community project is run. Local residents (living in BS13 and in receipt of benefits) can invest a minimum of £50, otherwise the minimum investment is £100 and the maximum is £29,930.
Everyone who buys shares becomes a member, giving them a vote on important issues that involve Zion at twice yearly meetings. It’s one member, one vote, so the size of investment doesn’t limit investor’s say in Zion’s future. Detailed terms and conditions can be found on the crowdfunding page.
To support the project, or find out more, visit the Crowdfunder page at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/zionbristol
You can also follow Zion’s progress on Facebook and Instagram or email questions to email hidden; JavaScript is required.
