Bristol raises £10k for Barton House residents in 48hrs
Update: The crowdfunder closed on March 1st 2024, and in total raised £13,349, with an anonymous £500 donation that came via the Cable direct.
On the evening of 14 November, 400 residents (around 100 of them children) of Bristol City Council-owned high-rise Barton House were evacuated without warning due to structural issues with the building.
Upon being told to leave, residents were given little detail on what was going on, or where they could stay. 24 hours later, many residents were still waiting on a call back from the council about temporary accommodation.
Locals in Barton Hill mobilised, with the community centre, the masjid and a local cafe opening their doors to assist with shelter and supplies. In response to requests for donations and support, The Bristol Cable launched a 24-hour crowdfunder, with a target of £500.
The money was initially intended for purchasing water, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and activity packs for kids as requested by residents. The Cable team was certain Bristol would come together to help. We were right.
The fund hit £500 within a couple of hours, and 48 hours later, was at £10,000 and counting. The Just Giving page, now nearing £12,000, remains open until further notice.
An anonymous donor gave £500 directly (to avoid platform fees) which has already been passed on to Cafe Conscious, the de facto HQ of the support effort. So the amount raised is the current page total plus 500.
Hundreds of people in Bristol have sprung into action and responded with generosity, and we’re obviously very happy to see it, but hardly surprised. Bristol’s reputation for being politically active and community-minded comes from this kind of thing.
Residents have long been campaigning on housing safety in Bristol’s council-run homes, and organisations such as ACORN Bristol have warned not only about building safety but about the lack of provision for temporary housing needs.
While any amount of money would have been useful, raising such a huge amount means the money can be used ongoing as the situation progresses, rather than just as a flash in the pan. Regardless, this is not an issue that is going to be solved by a single crowdfunder.
At times like this, funds are needed not only to buy food and water but also to respond to the emerging situation in unexpected ways. For example, one young mother is in a hotel, but has no kettle, so can’t heat her baby’s bottles. Now so much has been raised, specific needs like these can be more easily addressed.
Once the funds have been released from Just Giving (something we are currently working on — in certain emergencies they release funds early) we will pay back any donation expenses already accrued and distribute the rest of the funds to Cafe Conscious volunteers. We’ll also write a report on how the money was and will be used, to maintain our commitment to transparency.
If you’re able to donate to the ongoing crowdfund, you still can. Many thanks.
