Since its inception in 2015, BrisDoc’s Community Fund has invested over £1 million in addressing health inequalities, both locally and globally. Uniting staff around the shared vision of aiding disadvantaged groups, the fund has flourished as a versatile platform to champion health-related charities through financial backing and hands-on volunteering.
Local Health Initiatives:
Across 23/24, we’ve made remarkable strides in supporting local health charities.
Highlights include:
- Collaborating with ‘Emmaus’ to refurbish a 3-bedroom house for a homeless family and partnering with ‘Help Bristol Homeless’ to fund a short to medium stay shipping-container apartment.
- Supporting ‘Bridges in the Community’ with a coaching programme for asylum seekers and ‘Greif Encounters’ with funds and staff volunteering for workshops for bereaved children.
- Contributions to: SARI to support counselling sessions for victims of racial abuse, Bristol Drugs Project’s ‘Recovery Music Programme’, and Beloved’s initiatives for sex workers to create a safe environment to get away from dangerous situations.
- Ongoing efforts include food bank donations, seaside trips for refugee children, provision of 50 Christmas dinners for the homeless, dental-nurse funding in Bristol’s Homeless Health Service, and annual sponsorship of a hospital consultant to work as a critical-care on-call responder for lifesaving roadside medical assistance.
International Charities:
23/24 has seen our continued support for several oversees project:
- One of our most ambitious projects has been in Uganda, financing the build of a brand-new health clinic in one of the poorest districts of Kampala. This year, over £35K has been contributed to the “Wellsprings Project” with our overall total reaching £270,000. We have also facilitated staff volunteering trips to support the clinic’s operation by sharing our expertise, knowledge, and experience.
- Continued support for Casa De-Esperanza in Mexico, aiding young boys in escaping the influence of drug cartels.
Co-owner Fund Matching:
We’ve matched £6.7K raised by co-owners for charities in the past year.
Future Commitments:
BrisDoc’s target is to continue distributing 10% of its operating surplus to the Fund annually.
In summary:
The BrisDoc mission is to provide “Patient Care by people who care”. Our Community Fund, led by our Co-owners, very much encapsulates that spirit. It has become a key element of our organisational pledge to manifest a positive “Social Impact”, one of our five core values. The fund exemplifies our continuous striving for a healthier community and world, underscoring our pursuit of excellence and compassion in healthcare delivery.