Bristol’s young professionals join forces to support local causes

Young professionals from across Bristol are coming together to help raise money for good causes.

Bristol Young Professionals (BYP), an informal networking organisation set up following an evening of drinks between friends in 2005, has grown to almost 2,000 members hailing from a diverse range of companies based in the region.

Since its inception, the BYP Fund grant programme administered by Quartet Community Foundation has awarded grants of over £37,000 to great causes, most recently awarding £4,030 to Ablaze to support its activity programmes which tackle inequality of opportunity for young people in the West of England.

In 2022, a £2,900 grant was provided to Spear to enable 16-24 year olds in challenging circumstances to find and stay in sustainable employment or further education, and over £3,000 was donated to Quartet’s Covid Response Fund in 2020.

With the support of Bristol-based Investec Wealth & Investment (UK), BYP has also raised £750 for Bristol & Weston Hospitals Charity (BWHC) to fund a range of projects supporting young patients to make their stay in hospital a little bit easier. The organisations will join forces again this month, with BYP hosting a quiz and raffle on 28 February at Pitcher & Piano in support of BWHC.

Last October, BYP teamed up with Bristol Junior Lawyers Division (BJLD) to host its first Halloween event, with proceeds going to each organisation's respective charities, Quartet Community Foundation and Barton Camp. BYP has also previously collaborated with long-standing networking organisation Bristol Junior Chamber for an informal game of cricket on the Downs, kicking off a summer of sport for the group.

Jocelyn Honeywood, chair of Bristol Young Professionals, said: “Bristol is fortunate enough to have a number of excellent networking groups which, like BYP, help form vital communities for young professionals across the city. It's a privilege for us to collaborate with similar groups and like-minded organisations to benefit not only our members but also help raise funds for our respective charity partners.

“We’d like to thank our members and past supporters, including Investec, Freeths and KPMG, for their generosity over the years and look forward to continuing our work bringing people together through our vibrant and diverse group.

“Our next ambition is to bring our website up to date following a brand refresh and are actively seeking a sponsor to support us with this much-needed upgrade. We are also on the hunt for more dedicated committee members to join our team of volunteers, with the aim of making 2024 our most successful year to date!”

Rowena Knight, Philanthropy Officer at Quartet Community Foundation, added: “We are delighted to continue to work with BYP, who have held a fund with Quartet for many years and through this have been able to support a large number of charities and organisations in the region.  

“Quartet is committed to deep rooted change and making a real difference to people’s quality of life in the West of England, and organisations such as BYP are essential in helping us continue to support the vital work of local voluntary and community groups.”