The Challenge
While Bristol continues to have one of the UK’s fastest growing economies, not all of Bristol’s citizens have been sharing in the city’s success. Sixty per cent of Bristol’s ethnic minority population live in areas of economic disadvantage; two-thirds of whom live in Bristol’s most disadvantaged inner-city wards.
Our Ethos
Babbasa was formed in 2010 by four young graduates. They chose the name ‘Babbasa’, which is of African origin and means people coming to act as a support bridge for those in need. Babbasa was built on two core values –
- That no young person should be disadvantaged by their background and,
- That every young person has a unique skill or talent which, if explored and nurtured, can advance humanity in a significant way.
What We Do
We bridge the gap between Bristol’s more deprived and more affluent areas. We provide young people with the 1:1 support, employability skills training, and career-oriented opportunities that they would otherwise be unable to access; allowing them to thrive.
On the reverse end, we also work with local businesses to develop inclusive working environments which will allow them to not just attract, but also retain staff from a diversity of backgrounds.
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Our Approach
Our approach is strength-based, which means that when we work with young people, we’re first asking them about their natural strengths, how they like to learn, and their dreams, so that we can work with them to achieve their ambitions in a way which caters to what they’re already good at. We also offer more tailored one-to-one support and career-specific guidance than what is traditionally available, so that young people have a unique third space, outside of their home and school, where they can go for guidance and support.
Achievements
We are delighted to have supported over 2,200 young people to date, while working in tandem with over 300 excellent community and referral partners, and over 500 businesses. In 2020, we received a Queen’s Award for our ‘outstanding achievement’ in Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility).
Our Vision
We envision a world where young people living in areas of disadvantage are inspired and able to realise their employment and enterprise ambitions, irrespective of where they live, their nationality, ethnicity, gender, race, sexuality or faith.
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A Vision for 2030
At the end of 2019, we took some time to reflect on what we wanted to achieve over the next decade, and we set the ambitious challenge of supporting at least one young person from every inner-city household in Bristol to secure a median salary job by 2030. We believe that achieving this will lift individuals out of poverty, but also, enable them to financially support their families, become role models in their community and contribute to the growth of Bristol’s economy.
Get Involved
We have never worked alone, and we’re looking forward to working with our community partners, employers, young people, and philanthropists, to realise this vision. You can support our mission in various ways, from being a corporate ambassador or donor, to working with us as a community partner or professional mentor. For more information, click here or visit http:https://babbasa.com/support-young-people
