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Rivers are rights-bearing beings that deserve to have a voice in our decision-making structures – and to be treated as life-sustaining ecosystems, not vessels to carry away human waste.

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South Bristol’s new youth centre is technically in Knowle West. Can it deliver for kids from Hartcliffe too?

A huge Youth Zone, part of a national network, will be opening in 2026 by the Imperial Retail Park. But is it what this side of the city needs? And will young people feel welcome, no matter what postcode they live in?

Listen: Bristol Unpacked with Samira Musse on community power, how to consult with people, and giving kids confidence lessons

What do the powers-that-be get wrong when they come to talk to communities – and how could this be done better? And why are youth services so crucial?

Traffic jams around East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood fuel anger, as council calls for patience

A campaign to halt the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood has sprung up before the trial scheme is fully in place. Can the attempt to reduce traffic through St George, Redfield and Barton Hill survive this bump in the road?

Tattoos in a Dock City: celebrating the tales behind Bristol’s body art

The meaning of a person’s tattoo can be nothing – or everything. A project by two local photographers aims to showcase the rich variety that makes the scene in Bristol so special.

‘Liveable neighbourhoods’ have caused uproar in east Bristol. How will they fare south of the river?

The council has started consulting on making large areas of south Bristol friendlier to pedestrians and cyclists. What do residents want – and have lessons been learned about how to communicate with them?

Listen: People Just Do Something with Led by Donkeys and the guerrilla story wars

If there was ever a perfect encapsulation of 'Just Doing Something' - it may well be Led By Donkeys, the activists who have made their name with viral political stunts.

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From audio investigations and Bristol Unpacked to deep-dives into local issues and recordings of live events.

Listen: Bristol Unpacked, with councillor Barry Parsons on Green power in City Hall, and improving relations with council tenants

What's behind Bristol's Green surge? How does it feel to be finally leading the city council? And does the party have any new ideas on the housing crisis? Join Neil Maggs as we get stuck into a brand-new season of Bristol Unpacked…

Listen: The Debrief – a year after the Barton House evacuation, residents still search for justice

It's a year this week since the Barton House tower block in east Bristol was evacuated. Priyanka Raval discusses residents' enduring trauma, and ongoing search for justice.

Listen: The Debrief – what a leaked police report revealed about racial inequalities in stop-and-search

A report leaked to the Cable showed the shocking fact that Black people are 25 times likelier to be strip-searched than white peers. Sean Morrison and Priyanka Raval ask what the findings say about police institutional racism.

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Uncovering injustice and wrongdoing

‘We need to move the dials’: Avon and Somerset Police must show real change on institutional racism

The police have been gaslighting us for generations – and officers’ use of intrusive stop-and-search powers is still blighting Bristol’s young Black boys, a local racial justice advocate argues.

Enduring trauma, and a struggle for justice: one year on from the Barton House high-rise evacuation

On 14 November 2023 an east Bristol tower block was evacuated over fears it could collapse, making national news. A year on, residents tell the Cable about the disruption to their lives, the ongoing impact on their wellbeing and their children's – and how a community has been left traumatised.

Black children and adults strip searched 25 times more often than white peers in Avon and Somerset, leaked report reveals

EXCLUSIVE: The sensitive ‘deep-dive’ review also reveals the police officers who prolifically and disproportionately stop and search Black people in Bristol

This Better Work

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A series with in-depth and informative coverage on the world of work in Bristol and beyond.

Explained: What is Labour’s new Employment Rights Bill, and what does it mean for Bristolians?

In October Labour introduced the Employment Rights Bill, calling it the 'biggest upgrade to rights at work in a generation'. Why does it matter, where could it be better – and when will it make a difference to people's lives?

Restructure of Bristol uni wellbeing services prompts staff unease and resignations

A proposed restructure of wellbeing services at the uni has been postponed from August until January. However, staff and unions remain critical of the move, arguing it has undermined morale.

Righting a historic injustice: why special needs teachers at one Bristol school walked out

Engaging children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is a rewarding but challenging job. When teachers at a Bristol school found they had been underpaid for years, slow progress in negotiations led to a strike.

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From Bristol to the West Bank: the power of internationalism in Palestine

The Palestinian people have shown astonishing defiance and resilience in the face of Israeli violence and persecution. International volunteers, including Bristolians, are travelling to the West Bank to stand in solidarity with them.

Education is the great liberator: the Bristol activists forging links with teachers in Palestine

Yasmeen Eshtaya is a Palestinian teacher whose life has been deeply affected by the brutal violence of the Israeli state. But she is committed to reconciliation and forming bonds through teaching Arabic – including to people in Bristol.

‘The most liberating feeling’: how an ADHD diagnosis changed one Bristol business owner’s life

After her own personal journey, Lisa Whitehouse is determined to spread awareness and help others through her work.

Watch: How Section 60 contributes to rifts between police and the communities they serve

Youth workers, community leaders and the founder of a police monitoring group explain the damaging and traumatising impact of controversial 'suspicionless' search powers in Bristol.

VIDEO: Chief constable challenged on ‘anti-racist policing’ progress and stop and search reform

It’s been a year since Avon and Somerset’s chief constable Sarah Crew admitted her service was institutionally racist, but what is she actually doing about it?

VIDEO: What We Want – Meaningful climate action not culture wars

Extinction Rebellion activist Kathy says the Tory government's disgraceful legacy of weaponising action on climate change as part of culture wars.