7 minute read
BRISTOL UPDATES
Apartments are accessible via contactless check-in using digital room keys
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BE THEIR GUEST
UPGRADERS UPGRADE
South West Upholstery has revamped its Southville shop. The £65,000 project has increased the showroom size by removing loadbearing internal walls and opening up the space to showcase more company services.
Specialising in bringing domestic and commercial furniture and soft furnishings back to life, and creating bespoke pieces to order, South West Upholstery can now display a wider variety of fabrics, sample projects and handcrafted Nkuku homewares.
“We took advantage of the enforced time out this year to forge ahead with this refurbishment,” says MD Ryan Ball, whose grandad John started the business in his garden shed in Bishopsworth, repairing bus and coach seats. “Customers are so much more in tune with interiors trends now. There’s a huge appetite for reupholstering vintage or favourite pieces to bring them up to date alongside a trend for one-off bespoke pieces
• swupholstery.co.uk The North Street shop Independent Bristol-based serviced apartment provider Your Apartment is launching a new tech-driven aparthotel concept at Merchants House in Clifton Village in December.
Bristol-born brothers and co-founders Charlie and Toby Guest have acquired the lease of the former student accommodation, currently undergoing a £1.6 million redevelopment which will be comprise of 34 home-fromhome studio apartments and a fresh and vibrant new co-working space.
“Merchants House is in an incredible location situated in the heart of Bristol’s’ most iconic neighbourhood,” said Charlie Guest. “This will be our biggest project to date and we are really excited to be launching it in our hometown of Bristol.”
The new aparthotel will boast timeless and eclectic style of furniture.”
curated by up-and-coming British designers. Each apartment will be accessible via contactless check-in using the latest smartphone-based digital room keys, and have its own kitchenette, relaxation area, king-bed and bathroom with a wet-room shower.
Other on-site amenities include a 24/7 co-working space for residents with complimentary coffee and tea, free highspeed wi-fi and a secure bike store as well as ample parking spaces.
“Since we launched Your Apartment in April 2017, our customers have demanded vibrant, comfortable and efficient living spaces in central locations in the city,” Toby Guest commented. “Our smaller aparthotels, Frederick Place and Rowan Tree, have been a huge success and Merchants House is a great opportunity for us to further deliver this to our guests.”
It’s imagined that the 20-30 sq ft studio apartments will be predominantly used by professionals working away Monday to Friday on business assignments. On the weekends, the apartments will provide an affordable yet stylish place for leisure guests to rest up in between exploring the ever-evolving city.
For more information or to follow updates on the project, visit the blog on the Your Apartment website.
• yourapartment.com
YUUP, COUNT US IN!
Creating ceramics in Southville, learning to cook Thai food in Totterdown: it’s all easily possible thanks to a new online marketplace where you can book and gift local, original, inspiring, rewarding activities and experiences adhering to government Covid measures and ranging from £5 to £250. Limited ‘special edition’ experiences include a vegan baking class with Bristol Bake Off star Briony May Williams, a modelling workshop with Aardman’s senior animator Jim Parkyn, an exploration of the city’s most colourful spots while perfecting the art of smartphone photography with Jess Siggers (@PorthJess), and an exclusive tour of Bristol’s world-famous street art with UpFest founder Stephen Hayles. “There’s always so much going on in Bristol but before Yuup you couldn’t find it all in one place,” says Bristol resident, serial entrepreneur and Yuup founder Dominic Mills. “We launch with over 75 experiences but our aim is to have 500 live in the next 12 months and have an experience within a 10-minute walk of every address in the city. We’re passionate about supporting the Bristol circular economy.”
Perfect the art of smartphone photography with Jess Siggers
The enormity of the impact that Covid-19 has had on St Peter’s Hospice is devastating says Stephen
SHE’S HYDRO-ELECTRIC
Bristol Energy Cooperative has launched a £2 million share-offer to help create Bristol’s first community owned hydro-electric generator, near Bristol Temple Meads station at Netham Weir.
This micro-hydro power station will use the natural force of the water falling across the weir to spin twin turbines, to produce energy to power 250 typical homes. The scheme will cost around £2.4 million and run night and day throughout the year, with peak output in winter; a time electricity demand is at its highest.
The community share offer which will fund this project will help create the UK’s first net-zero domestic housing microgrid. Microgrids combine energy efficiency with shared on-site renewables, heat pumps for heating and hot water, and battery storage. No gas boilers are required. The microgrid will be installed at the Water Lilies housing development in Lawrence Weston. “We’re inviting Bristol to invest in BEC with as little as £100, so we can all help drive a green recovery for the region,” says Will Houghton, BEC project developer. “Through buying shares in BEC, Bristol can participate in the ownership of local renewable energy, support local communities, help tackle climate change and earn a projected 3.5% return on investment.”
The clean energy produced is sold to the National Grid with the income used to develop renewable sites across Bristol. The not-forprofit organisation will add these schemes to its existing 16 community-owned renewable projects installed in the South West.
• bristolenergy.coop; ethex.org.uk/BEC2020
WHEN IT MATTERS MOST
St Peter’s Hospice has launched a fundraising campaign to protect the services it offers patients with life-limiting illnesses. The hospice has been hit drastically by the pandemic and, despite the public’s ongoing support, has a gap of over £2million in funding this year.
They welcomed actor and comedian Stephen Merchant to their inpatient unit to announce their When It Matters Most campaign. “I can’t imagine Bristol without St Peter’s. The difference they have made to my family and the families of tens of thousands of others is immense,” he said. “It is devastating to realise the enormity of the impact that Covid-19 has had, and that critical end-of-life care is threatened and might not be available in the future.”
Services are provided free of charge, supporting 3,000 patients every year. However, despite being a frontline service, only 20% of their funding comes from the NHS, with much of it coming from the charity’s shops and events. “The Hospice exists because of the generosity of our supporters and we have never needed you more,” said CEO Frank Noble. “Our ability to help those at home, those in need of specialist care and those who need support through bereavement during these extraordinarily difficult times is diminishing as every week goes by. We are now at the point of reviewing staffing across the Hospice – something we have never had to do before. After everything we have been through, it really is heart-breaking.”
The next 12 months are critical. If you can help now, it will make a huge difference. If you are on social media, you can share the Hospice’s fundraising activities, or give one a go yourself. Ride, walk, bake, run, donate, dance –whatever it takes to raise awareness of the Hospice when it matters most.
• To donate visit stpetershospice.org/make-a-donation; for a fundraising guide email community@stpetershospice.org
CALLING ALL BUILDERS!
Creating an energy-efficient home is now a priority for homeowners, and installers and trades are being urged to adapt and shape their service offering to meet this evergrowing demand.
With initiatives such as the Green Homes Grants scheme, homeowners are looking for builders who can carry out high-quality home improvements and energysaving retrofit work. Futureproof, by Bristol-based charity Centre for Sustainable Energy is helping local builders respond to this demand for sustainable construction. Training and skills development opportunities are available, offering certification in sustainable building practices. Futureproof helps builders access schemes like Green Homes and connects them with customers who want this work done.
• To register interest visit futureproof.uk.net or email charlotte@greenregister.org.uk
