Appeal for Support from Ablaze CEO, Sally Melvin

The impact of Covid which halted all our delivery and then a difficult year in 2021 trying to restart our programmes has resulted in significantly reduced income. This has forced us to spend a large portion of our unrestricted reserves. 2022 is proving a busy year for us as the demand for our programmes is higher than ever. It is frustrating for me to report that our finances are struggling to recover, and we find ourselves in a vulnerable position. To keep the charity running effectively in 2024 we need to raise £50,000 by June 2023.

I am appealing to our partners and supporters, you who know us and know the value of what we do. We need your help to reach that target – please give whatever you can. However large or small, your contribution will make a huge difference to us.

Ablaze continues working to mitigate the crisis in skills, attainment and confidence currently facing our young people. There is clear evidence being published, detailing some harsh and worrying trends. Our programmes are needed more than ever to provide targeted support for the under-served, the under-estimated, and the disengaged in our community.

• Currently 27.9% of Bristol’s pupils (17,645 children) are disadvantaged
• At age 16, end of Key Stage 4, the average Attainment 8 score for Bristol was 49.7 points but for disadvantaged pupils the score was 37.9, almost 12 points lower 
• South Bristol has 3 of the 5 lowest performing neighbourhoods in England for progression to higher education: Hartcliffe (8.7%, lowest in England), Withywood & Highbridge.*
•  The proportion of pupils in KS1 meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths this year fell by between 8% and 11% compared to 2019 
• The disadvantage attainment gap widened by 4 to 5 percentage points in each of these subjects 
• The KS4 disadvantage gap index has widened compared to 2020/21, from 3.79 to 3.84. It is now at its highest level since 2011/12**

* Bristol City Council's report, Bristol Key Facts 2022

** Social Mobility Commission

In 2022 we have supported 255 young people, trained 252 volunteers and delivered programmes in 19 schools. These figures show that post-Covid we have worked hard to restart our programmes. In 2021/22 we faced a new challenge - hybrid working. Businesses were struggling to provide volunteers for programmes when employees were not in the office very frequently. We managed to resume our Career Mentoring, by developing our own hybrid version, a mix of face-to-face and virtual. Our output was at a lower level than pre-Covid. We were not able to resume our Reading or Number Partner programmes. This resulted in a significant reduction in our charging income.

Alongside this, our Grants and Trusts income was also significantly less than in previous years. Many Trusts and Foundations have reduced income and directed most of their funds towards Covid relief or Covid recovery programmes in 2020 and 2021, whilst others closed applications to charities they have not previously supported. Now many grants and funds are focusing on the cost-of-living crisis we are currently facing. Costs are rising. Our expenditure is increasing despite our attempts to keep spending as low as possible. The result of all these factors is that this year, as in the last two years, our expenditure will exceed our income. To plug that gap, we will once again need to dip into our already depleted reserves. 

We want to continue to provide our vital service to the young people in our community and to do that we are going to need your help.

Ways you can support us

• Organise a fundraising event
• If your year end is approaching and you have any surplus in your community budget, you could give it to us.
• Make us your Charity Partner or nominate us as your Charity of the Year
• Make a donation through the donate button on our website
• Introduce us to your network or pass this on to anyone who could support us

 Whatever you can do please give whatever you can. Contact me on sally.melvin@ablazebristol.org

Many thanks,