Bristol Charities asks local people for ideas for community facilities in redeveloped Vassall Centre, Fishponds
One of Bristol's oldest charities is calling on people in Fishponds to say what facilities they'd like to see for the local community in the redeveloped Vassall Centre. Bristol Charities is working on plans to create a balanced new neighbourhood centre for multigenerational living and working at the Centre. This will include accessible, sustainable work and meeting spaces for current and potentially new tenants, alongside new, high quality affordable housing for older people and families, as well as facilities for the wider community.
Suggestions so far include a café, nursery, spaces for meetings and events, a small library and outside space to meet and relax. The charity is sending out letters and has set up an online survey to gather views, which will help inform their updated proposals to be shared with the community in the next few weeks. Suggestions so far include a café, nursery, spaces for meetings and events, a small library and outside space to meet and relax.
Having completed an initial round of consultation, Bristol Charities is now looking for ideas for the publicly accessible parts of the project, to maximise local people's use and enjoyment of the facilities on offer. This includes the potential community uses and activities that could be included in the new building, as well as how to make these as welcoming as possible.
The project team is also looking for ideas to commemorate and celebrate the centre's historic role and legacy within the designs, such as an exhibition or art installation. Starting life as a hospital facility for American soldiers in 1945, the Vassall Centre later became a medical limb replacement facility and currently offers affordable, accessible workspace and conference facilities for businesses, charities and not-for-profit organisations.
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Anne Anketell, chief executive officer at Bristol Charities says:
