Organisations Supporting Women

Organisations listed here support and promote the equality of women.

Please send us details of women’s organisations, organisations supporting women and organisations providing services for women at info@bristolwomensvoice.org.uk.

Local Community & Support Groups

Missing Link

Missing Link is a mental health and housing service for women in Bristol. They were established in 1982 to provide a range of housing and support to women that either have acute or long term mental health needs.

The Nelson Trust Bristol Women’s Centre

Bristol Women’s Centre supports women that are experiencing multiple and complex needs in a safe women-only environment. They are a community-based service offering a wide range of in-house activities and access to specialist support; practical and emotional.

Bristol Women of the World (WOW)

Bristol Wow is an open group for women only and offers information, networking opportunities and activities of interest and inclusive of women of all ages, cultures and backgrounds. They welcome all women resident, new to Bristol, local and visiting from further afield.

Barton Hill WellSpring Settlement

Barton Hill is a “needs led” organisation, which means that they aim to provide the services needed by the communities of Barton Hill and surrounding areas.

Full Circle

Full Circle @Docklands is a Community-based resource centre for young people, children and families in St Pauls. On Mondays it hosts a 'Girlz Night': a youth club for girls aged 8-11.

Black & Minority Ethnic Women

b.friend

The b.friend project provides asylum seekers and refugees with one-to-one support. They match a volunteer with an asylum seeker or refugee for a period of up to one year, and equip them with the tools and support they need to meet regularly for companionship and support.

Bristol Black Carers

Bristol Black Carers supports carers and those whom they care for to access mainstream care and health related public services. They provide regular support group meetings, organise trips and activities to give carers a break and can offer support, advice and information.

Bristol and Avon Chinese Women’s Group

The Bristol and Avon Chinese Women’s Group exists to support the health and social care needs of Chinese women and their families in Bristol and the surrounding area.

Bangladeshi Bristol Woman’s Group

BBWG provides a range of services and activities primarily to meet the needs of Bangladeshi women and children.

Bristol Somali Forum

Bristol Somali Forum (BSF) is an umbrella organisation that has been set up by the local community to bring together different Somali groups and voluntary organisations across the whole of Bristol and discuss and co-ordinate different plans that will better our communities.

Khaas Bristol

Khaas is a unique organisation in the South West, which provides service to BME children with disabilities and additional needs and their carers and families.

Nilaari

Nilaari is a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic led registered charity with over 17 years’ experience delivering social care support, talking therapies and training to young people and adults across Bristol. They help to deal with (re)offending behaviour, mental health and problematic substance use.

Dhek Bal Women’s Project

Dhek Bhal Day Centre Project is unique and caters for South Asian women from the age of fifty five from Bristol and South Gloucestershire. The Project was established in 1988 so that elderly women could meet for friendship and mutual support at a convenient location and maintain independence.

The Sky Project

Based in Bristol, the Sky Project provides training and support to a range of professionals, communities, schools, universities, professional bodies and any other relevant group on the issues of forced marriage and honour based violence.

The Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation

The Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation provides advice and support to Middle Eastern women and girls living in the UK who are facing ‘honour’ based violence, domestic abuse, forced marriage or female genital mutilation.

Refugee Asylum Immigration

Borderlands

COVID-19 update: Continuing to provide their solidarity fund, food parcels and hot food by takeaway. Mentoring project is continuing over the phone. Borderlands works especially with people seeking asylum in the UK or have become a refugee from other countries; they support people who have been trafficked and trapped in domestic service or the sex industry.

Bristol Refugee Rights

COVID-19 update: Face to face services are currently paused but you can still get advice from Bristol Refugee Rights via email, phone or WhatsApp. Bristol Refugee Rights provide a place of welcome in Bristol where asylum seekers and refugees can meet and be supported to play a full part in the life of the wider community and also campaign for the human rights of refugees and asylum seekers.

British Red Cross: Avon Refugee Project

COVID-19 update: They are providing emotional support for women experiencing domestic violence and liaising with Next Link; interpreting of up to date information from the government and NHS; access to medical attention for members. They are working with their network of more settled to support those who are more isolated.

Refugee Women of Bristol

Refugee Women of Bristol (RWoB) is the only multi-ethnic, multi-faith organisation which specifically targets the needs of refugee women in Bristol. They are directly governed by women of the refugee and asylum-seeking community, providing services to disenfranchised groups over and above the generic category of ‘refugee’.

The Haven-Refugee and Asylum Health Service

The Haven offers Asylum Seekers across Bristol and South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trusts a comprehensive health assessment, which can include vaccinations and screening for communicable diseases. Patients will then be helped to register with a local GP practice.

Citizen’s Advice Bureau

Advice on all matters including immigration and benefits. Locations and contact details of local offices. Advice is available in Gujarati, Punjabi, Urdu, Chinese, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Slovak and Slovenian.

East European Advice Centre

The East European Advice Centre (EEAC) is a charity that provides advice and support to people from Eastern Europe. They offer free and independent information and advice to help East Europeans to live independently in the community.

LGBTQI+

Indigo Network Bristol

Indigo produce social, networking & cultural events for lesbian / LBTQ+ women. Run by an all-women team, Indigo was created to build professional & friendship networks for women in Bristol & beyond.

Lgbt Bristol

A social group for lesbians who may not necessarily be into the scene type things. The group offers a safe and friendly environment

TransBristol

Transbristol is a collection of trans*, genderqueer, or otherwise non-binary gendered people living in and around Bristol. They aim to create and sustain safe spaces for people identifying under the trans umbrella through events.

Bristol Pride – Postponed to September

Bristol Pride is an annual free festival held in the heart of Bristol to celebrate the LGBT communities. Organised by members of the LGBT+ community Pride is the chance for all LGBT+ people, their friends, families and allies to stand up and declare they are proud of who they are and their loved ones.

Health

Bristol Mental Health

Range of NHS mental health support services including therapy, rehabilitation, dementia support, and wellbeing advice, also crisis support including Women’s Crisis Centre, which provides a safe place for women in mental health crisis to stay

Bath Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling

Counselling service access to specially trained counsellors and psychotherapists in Bristol and Bath. Interpreters provided if required.

Bristol Drugs Project

BDP is an independent charity committed to reducing harm and helping people gain independence from drugs and alcohol. All services are free and confidential. Includes women’s services.

Bristol Mind

Local mental health charity offering information and signposting, advocacy, and a telephone helpline. Also hosts a variety of metal health self help groups. 0117 908 0370.

Changes Bristol

Mental health peer support group meetings in Bristol area

Bristol Wellbeing Therapies

Psychological Care. Bristol Wellbeing Therapies (BWT) is the gateway into Bristol’s NHS funded primary care service. BWT conduct all the assessments into this free and confidential service. Linkages with women’s groups around Bristol.

Off The Record Bristol

A charity providing mental health services, a mental health movement mobilised to support, promote and defend the mental health, rights and social position of young people.

Social Anxiety Bristol

Social Anxiety Bristol (SA Bristol) is a self-help group open to anyone who experiences or has experienced social anxiety.

Womankind Bristol

Womankind provides women in the Bristol area with free or affordable professional counselling, psychotherapy and on-going support.

Women’s Independent Alcohol Support (WIAS)

W.I.A.S (Women’s Independent Alcohol Support) is a friendly non-judgmental non-profit organisation run by women for women who are concerned about their alcohol use.

Brook

Specialist help and advisory service for the under 25’s, covering all aspects of sexual health and termination of pregancy. If there is no centre in your area, they will refer to local services.

Frank

Advice and Support to anyone wanting to know more about drugs, information about different drugs and their effects, advice on how to help a friend/family member. Advice leaflets available and can refer to local services.

Marie Stopes UK

Provides confidential non-judgmental advice and support on reproduction health options, including provision of emergency contraception, abortions and after-care UK advice line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week

Samaritans

Provides confidential non-judgmental emotional support, 24 hours a day for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which could lead to suicide.

Rehab 4 Addiction

Drug and Alcohol Rehab for Women. Learn about drug and alcohol rehab treatment options that specifically meet the needs of women. Rehab 4 Addiction is able to recommend a number of effective treatments to assist you or your loved one.

Wellbeing, Sports and Recreation

Bristol Bike Project: Women’s Night

Every Monday evening from 6pm to 9pm. Sick of paying for repairs, want to know more, or just tired of that squeaking sound that your chain keeps making? This is for you! Bring your bike to fix, clean or just to give it a check over. This is an open workshop session for women to share knowledge and skills in a friendly, informal atmosphere.

Bristol Women’s Workshop: Practical Skills for Women

Bristol Women’s Workshop exists to give women the opportunity to gain experience in traditionally male skills such as woodwork and D.I.Y.

African Sambistas

The African Sambistas are a Bristol based samba fusion dance and drumming group. They hold weekly classes, perform at events, run drum and dance workshops and have fun as an open access community group.

Easton Cowgirls

Easton Cowgirls are a women’s football club based in Easton, Bristol. They organise training and games to enable women of all ages (18+) and abilities to play football.

HSBC UK Breeze

HSBC UK Breeze offers fun, free bike rides – as well as plenty of support and inspiration – for women of all abilities, all across the UK.

Bristol City Women

Bristol City Women’s Football Club. Bristol City Women are known as the Vixens and play at the Stoke Gifford Stadium.

Bristol Bears Women

Bristol Bears Women is a top flight women’s rugby club that competes in the Tyrrells Premier 15s.

Just Run

An independent women's running club based in North Bristol primary purpose is to support and encourage all women interested in running from complete beginners to experienced runners.

Sole Sisters

Sole Sisters is Bristol’s first all women England Athletics affiliated running group. They are based in North Bristol and cater for all abilities from beginner through to experienced runner.

Sport Watch Bristol

Sports Watch featurse stories on sportswomen role models, as well as sports commentary, match reports, and news articles. They also provide a listing of Bristol sports clubs welcoming women.

Nice Bristols

Nice Bristols are a women’s Ultimate Frisbee club based in Bristol. The team was formed in 2004 and has since competed in many domestic and international events, with several of the team also representing Great Britain.

This Girl Can Bristol

Bristol Girls Can is part of the national This Girl Can campaign developed by Sport England together with a range of partners to encourage women to take part in sport.

Violence & Abuse

Bristol Against Violence and Abuse

Bristol Against Violence and Abuse (BAVA) is a collection of people and organisations in Bristol working to end all types of violence and abuse against women and girls and domestic and sexual violence against men.

Self-injury Support

Self injury Support is a national organisation that supports girls and women affected by self-injury or self-harm.

Counselling Directory

Counselling Directory is a confidential service that encourages those in distress to seek help. The directory contains information on many different types of distress, as well as articles, news, and events.

SARSAS

SARSAS provides support to people in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, B&NES, North Somerset and Somerset, who have experienced rape or any kind of sexual assault or abuse at any time in their lives.

FGM Helpline (NSPCC)

If you need advice or information about female genital mutilation or are worried about a child at risk, you can contact the FGM Helpline 24/7 on 0800 028 3550 or fgmhelp@nspcc.org.

Kinergy

Kinergy is a specialist counselling agency offering long term counselling and group therapy for survivors of sexual abuse, sexual violence and rape.

National Center for Domestic Violence (NCDV)

The National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV) provides a free, fast emergency injunction service to survivors of domestic violence regardless of their financial circumstances, race, gender or sexual orientation.

Next Link

Next Link operates local domestic abuse support services in South and North Bristol and a specialist advice service for anyone worried about forced marriage. Sister organisation of Missing Link.

Survive DV

Survive is an innovative local charity working towards freedom from domestic abuse for children, young people and families in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. They offer practical and emotional support, information and education for children and young people who are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence and abuse.

The Freedom Programme

The Freedom Programme examines the roles played by attitudes and beliefs on the actions of abusive men and the responses of victims and survivors. The aim is to help them to make sense of and understand what has happened to them. The programme usually lasts for 11 or 12 weeks and is FREE. It provided by hundreds of agencies across the UK.

Unseen

Unseen works towards a world without slavery. Their specialist care is the first step in the fight against slavery. Through supporting survivors, their provision gives them a safe place to recover from trauma and rebuild their lives.

Women’s Aid

Women’s Aid is the key national charity working to end domestic violence against women and children. They support a network of over 500 domestic and sexual violence services across the UK.

Families & Parenting

Single Parent Action Network (SPAN)

SPAN engages and empowers one-parent families living in isolation, from different communities and cultures. They provide childcare, parenting programmes, one-to-one parent support and a wide range of adult learning opportunities to support parents’ personal development, skills and employment prospects.

Bristol Mind- Relate

Relate are the largest provider of relationship support in the UK and offer help and advice with relationships, sex, family life, children and separation. Regardless of sexual orientation and relationship status, Relate act as a support source for all.

Cafcass

Cafcass represents children in family court cases in England. They put children’s needs, wishes and feelings first, making sure that children’s voices are heard at the heart of the family court setting, and that decisions are made in their best interests.

Childline

A helpline service for children in care or living away from home.

Child Maintenance Service

Government service. Their role is to make sure that parents who live apart from their children contribute financially to their upkeep by paying child maintenance.

Family Lives

24/7 service to support parents under stress. They can make local referrals and have a website packed with information. Moderated message boards for parents to exchange ideas and chat.

National Association of Child Contact Centres

NACCC is the supporting membership body for around 350 child contact centres and services located throughout England (including the Channel Isles), Wales and Northern Ireland. Child contact centres and services are neutral places where children of separated families can enjoy contact with their non-resident parents and sometimes other family members, in a comfortable and safe environment.

NSPCC

Leading children’s charity fighting to end child abuse in the UK and Channel Islands.

Bristol Association for Neighbourhood Daycare Ltd.

BAND is an umbrella organisation which supports and develops childcare provision in and around Bristol. They provide services to childcare providers, people working with children, families and employers.

Bluebell

Bluebell is a growing charity based in Bristol supporting mums, dads and families who are affected by antenatal or post-natal depression.

EASTON CHRISTIAN FAMILY CENTRE

ECFC aims to welcome and be accessible to people from near and far, old and young, of all faiths and none. They want to feel safe to really be themselves, discovering the freedom to answer Jesus in their lives and participate in the life of ECFC according to their abilities, energy, interests and calling. They care about social justice, actively engaging with local challenges, the climate emergency, and global inequality

Mothers for Mothers

A group of mothers, most of who have suffered postnatal depression or distress after the birth of one or more of their babies. They offer support, advice, information and most of all a listening ear for any worries or concerns you may have.

Single Parents

This site is an information site for anyone who is raising children on their own, whether through relationship breakup, illness, bereavement, work commitments or choice.

National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA)

Support services for children who have one or two parents that suffer from alcoholism or similar addictive problems. Helpline available for children and adults who were children of alcohol dependent parents.

Women's Campaigning Groups

UN Women

UN women aim to remove the social and cultural barriers that prevent women and girls from achieving their potential. In the UK, UN Women is represented through the National Committee, and they focus on awareness, advocacy and activation

Bristol SU Women’s Network @ Bristol SU

The Women’s Network is a great opportunity to get involved with representation and campaign on gender issues at the University of Bristol. It is open to any students who self-define as women, including (if they wish) those with complex gender identities which include ‘woman’, and those who experience oppression as women.

One25

One25 reaches out to women trapped in, or vulnerable to, street sex work, supporting them to break free and build new lives away from violence, poverty and addiction.

Bristol Anarcha-Feminists

The Bristol anarcha-feminist group meets twice a month. Meetings are held at the Smiling Chair, 40 Stokes Croft. They’re a women-only group, interested in working with people who identify &/or are identified as women.

Bristol Fawcett

Bristol Fawcett is an activist group, whose members seek not primarily to talk about feminism but to ‘do’ feminism and make a difference – however small – to awareness, policy and practice in the local area. Members give their time, their ideas, and their skills, to projects and events that we undertake.

Bristol Feminist Network

A community group of women and men from the Bristol area who are interested in discussing feminist ideas, who believe in the importance of women’s liberation, and who actively campaign on issues of gender inequality and oppression.

Bristol University Intersectional Feminist Society

The aim of the society is to raise awareness of feminist and intersectional issues and campaign for the end of the systemic inequalities which facilitate and catalyse them. Whether issues affect billions or solely Bristol, they hope to combat inequality in as many big and small ways as they can.

Avon Federation of Women’s Institutes

The Federation with 114 WIs and 4980 members offers fun and friendship for members, with an opportunity to improve the quality of community life. Many events are organised by the sub committees during the year. These include outings to places of interest, holidays, speakers evenings, sports, crafts, historical and musical events.

Sisters of Frida

Sisters of Frida CIC is an experimental collective of disabled women. They want a new way of sharing experiences, mutual support and relationships with different networks.

Soroptimist International of Bristol

Founded in 1920, our membership work on grassroots projects that help women and girls achieve their potential, realise aspirations and have an equal voice in communities. All our work is linked towards ending poverty, eradicating hunger, providing education for all and preserving the environment. Soroptimist International’s has UN representation and works towards ensuring that the voices of women and girls are heard