We're delighted to share that inHope has successfully achieved Investing in Volunteers accreditation!

As part of the process, Janet, our assessor, selected a pool of volunteers at random from across all of our volunteers, in line with Investing in Volunteers procedure, so that the assessment reflected the views of volunteers from across the whole organisation. 

Janet spoke so positively about the warmth, passion and commitment she experienced during her conversations with you, and it was clear just how much you value being part of the inHope community.

A heartfelt thank you for taking the time to meet with Janet and share your experiences so openly and honestly. Your feedback has not only helped us celebrate what's working well, but has also given us valuable insight into where we can continue to grow and improve. This achievement belongs to all of you.

What a fantastic evening of celebration as we marked 15 years of South & East Bristol Foodbank – our flagship foodbank for South and East Bristol, known to many of you as the BS5 Outlet!
The foodbank was originally set up by Andy in St Mark's Church, Easton, and has grown enormously in the years since. Earlier this year it moved to its new home at Woodies East, with the very first session there opening on 27th March.

It was wonderful to reflect on the foodbank's journey with Andy, who played a key role in establishing it. Interviewed by Lauren, Andy shared memories from those early days and spoke about how the project has grown over the past fifteen years through the dedication of volunteers, staff and supporters. We were also delighted to welcome representatives from our corporate partners, Watches of Switzerland, who joined Lauren to talk about why they're passionate about supporting inHope and the impact they've seen through their partnership with us.

The evening was made even more special by fantastic live music from Busk, creating a wonderful atmosphere while everyone enjoyed a delicious meal lovingly prepared by our own Provisions Team and freshly cooked by Lee. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us, and to all those who have helped make the last fifteen years possible.

Hot on the heels of our BS5 celebrations, we also marked another very special milestone: 10 years of Fishponds Foodbank! It was a joyful get-together to celebrate a decade of support for the local community – made possible entirely by the dedication of our volunteers.

We want to take a moment to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to Ruth, who is stepping down as Outlet Leader after many years of dedicated service. Ruth's warmth, commitment and tireless dedication have shaped Fishponds Foodbank into what it is today, and she will be greatly missed by the whole team. Thank you, Ruth, for everything you have given to inHope and to the community you've served so faithfully.

We're also delighted to welcome Mary and Gill as the new Outlet Leaders for Fishponds Foodbank. Mary has been a familiar and much-loved face at Fishponds for a good few years already, and together with Gill brings fantastic energy and experience to the role. We know the foodbank is in great hands – please join us in giving them a very warm welcome!

We also celebrated our wonderful volunteers during the first week of June, marking National Volunteers' Week! To say thank you for everything you do, we sent out some chocolate treats to our hardworking volunteers across all parts of the organisation – a small token of our very big appreciation.

We'd love to make next year's celebration even more special. If you have any ideas for how we could mark the occasion, please send us your thoughts – your Volunteering Team is always happy to hear any feedback or ideas you may want to share with us.

Our Chief Executive, David, recently shared an update on our services here at inHope.

As part of our ongoing mission to end hunger and homelessness in Bristol, we've begun a review of our services – reflecting on what's working well and exploring new ways to have an even greater impact. This work is being shaped by the people who use our services, as well as by our volunteers, supporters, local businesses and churches.

To create space for this review, and following the departure of a member of our frontline team, we are temporarily pausing lunch at the Wild Goose on Wednesdays and Thursdays (other free hot meals remain available elsewhere in the city on those days). The Wednesday Wet Clinic, Thursday Women's Breakfast and Friday lunch will all continue as normal, alongside all our other vital work – including Spring of Hope Women's Night Shelter, the Life Course, South & East Bristol Foodbank and Hope into Action: Bristol.

David thanked everyone for their continued, generous support and said the team will keep everyone informed as this work develops.

Could you brave one night outside to help people facing homelessness? That's the question we're putting to our supporters this autumn with Sleepout 2026!

Join us on Friday 9th October at St Stephen's Church, City Centre (BS1 1EQ), as brave supporters swap their beds for a night under the stars, raising vital funds and awareness for people experiencing homelessness in Bristol. Whether you're taking part yourself or cheering the team on, every bit of support helps us continue our work.

Register at www.inhope.uk/sleepout-2026/ – we'd love as many of our volunteer community as possible to get involved, either as participants or as cheerleaders on the night!