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We Back Bristol prepares to launch
July 20, 2026
IMAGINE IF EVERY BUSINESS GAVE 1%. WE DO. WE BACK BRISTOL LAUNCHES TO BECOME A COLLECTIVE FORCE FOR CHANGE
A bold new movement is coming together across Bristol this May. We Back Bristol brings independent businesses together around one simple, powerful idea: give 1% – in cash, assets and time – and turn individual generosity into shared momentum for the whole city. Working hand in hand with Quartet Community Foundation, the collective will fund grants, donate assets and gift staff time to the grassroots groups and charities transforming lives across Bristol.
“Together, we are a collective force for change,” say the founders – and the city is already responding. Members from breweries to hospitality groups, agencies to arts organisations, are joining forces to prove that good business really is good business.
Charities make Bristol, Bristol
Imagine Bristol without its community kitchens, its youth clubs, its food banks, its safe spaces. Hard to picture, isn’t it? One in four people in Bristol turn to charity support every week – charities don’t just support this city, they help make it what it is.
But that safety net is under real strain. Across 40 local charities surveyed, 97% report costs rising faster than income, 95% say demand for their services has significantly increased, and 60% are at risk of reducing or suspending services due to financial pressure. Right now, charities across the city are cutting back or facing closure simply because it’s getting harder to secure the income they need.
We Back Bristol is stepping up with a better way forward. Existing giving efforts across the city – from small acts of kindness to multi-million-pound foundations – are doing good, but working in isolation duplicates admin, lacks accountability, and drains the very charity resources it’s meant to protect. We Back Bristol offers something different: an innovative, unified solution to long-term charity resilience, where every business adds strength and every pledge creates impact.
From one brewery’s idea to a citywide movement
We Back Bristol grew out of the success of Bristol Beer Factory’s award-winning Brewed to Give scheme, which was expanded by Left Handed Giant’s ambition to give back further. The initiative has since been built into a citywide platform alongside Quartet Community Foundation, Enviral, Studio Kin and Fanatic, together with hospitality figures behind Team Canteen CIC — including Bianchis Group, Emmeline, The Pony Family and Team Love.
“If we are without community, we are without purpose,” is the founding principle behind the collective’s approach: that individual business success should translate into shared momentum for the whole city.
How it works
Joining We Back Bristol takes three simple steps:
- Commit — Businesses donate at least 1% of revenue (or 1% of venue, brand or product), with at least half given in cash.
- Contribute — Cash donations are distributed via Quartet Community Foundation to maximise efficiency and equity; assets are donated directly between businesses and community groups to build relationships; time and skills are matched to charity need through Quartet’s Pro Help service.
- Celebrate — Member businesses use the We Back Bristol plaque, logo, Annual Impact Report and shared platform to showcase their contribution and the causes they care about.
Momentum is already building
We Back Bristol’s founding members already read like a who’s-who of the city’s independent scene, including Bristol Beer Factory, Left Handed Giant, Enviral, Fanatic, Bianchis Group, Team Love and The Pony Group.
The model is designed to benefit businesses as well as the causes they support. Consolidating individual giving efforts under one platform gives members a bigger stage to showcase their values, while collaboration strengthens brand story, builds B2B and B2C relationships, and unifies teams around a shared purpose. By pooling knowledge and best practice, member businesses also gain a louder, more equitable and efficient collective voice to influence where support is needed most.
Charities don’t have to wait for the twice-yearly grant rounds to get involved either – they can request corporate volunteer time and donated assets from We Back Bristol members all year round.
Get involved
We Back Bristol is calling on every independent business in the city to join the movement. “Be the change. Lead the charge,” organisers say — and businesses ready to pledge their 1% can enquire directly through the We Back Bristol website, where a short explainer film also introduces the collective and the difference it’s already making.
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