Bristol’s solar powered Energy Tree has been given a lease of new life with brand new solar panels.
The Energy Tree was originally launched in Millennium Square in 2015 as part of Bristol’s European Green Capital. Created in partnership by BDP service users, Demand Energy Equality and We the curious the exhibit aims to engage more people in renewable energy.
Since it’s launch in 2015, the fifteen foot Energy Tree has been harnessing the power of the sun through its 36 solar PV panels. Now with it’s new solar panels installed, the Energy Tree will continue to serve as a hands-on exhibit, acting as a free Wi-Fi hotspot and allowing members of the public to charge their mobile phones for free.
A new lease of life has beeen given to The Energy Tree
We’ve added brand new #solar panels to the tree’s branches
The Bristol #energytree is getting a much needed renovation – we'll be installing new panels to keep it powered for another 10 years pic.twitter.com/HB6nGT1Yio
As part of celebrations for BDP’s 32nd Birthday this March, on Wednesday we invited service users to decorate their own anniversary mugs at a workshop run by the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft.
Service users, from our Women’s Morning and 50+ Crowd drop-ins, spent a relaxing evening decorating the bone china mugs using a collection of water-slide ceramic transfers, to create an array of unique collages. The mugs are now off to be fired and in no time it will be ready to pop the kettle on.
The People’s Republic of Stokes Croft will also be decorating 200+ anniversary mugs for BDP which will be gifted to partner organisations who are working with to support some of the most vulnerable people in Bristol.
On Saturday we hosted a free Public Research Talk around the theme of Drug Dependence at the annual Bristol Neuroscience Festival.
Held at the University of Bristol’s prestigious Wills Memorial Building, the event saw us speaking to leading academics and experts, and giving you the opportunity to hear more about the work we’ve doing in the local community.
Our frequent collaborator, Professor Graeme Henderson talked about drug addiction and overdose in his talk titled ‘Why do people overdose?’.
Thank you to everyone who came to listen and for your great feedback. We look forwarding to being part of future Bristol Neuroscience Festivals!
Last week we hosted our final training event for Bristol Ageing Better and their partner organisations who provide support or services for the elderly.
The older population is changing and those who have substance use as part of their life histories need to feel more welcome and included in to services and activities available for them.
At our training event, organisations were invited to meet our older service users, and find out how what matters to them and use their knowledge and experience to help them be included in services.
Your Feedback
Here is some of the feedback from our training:
I will change my own understand and perceptive and try and influence others where I can.
All of the training was great, really informative and inspiring.
Never give up on anyone – motivation helps.
To remember that everyone’s journey is unique and not make assumptions. To focus more on each individual, rather than an issue of assumption.
Ensuring communications are accessible and actively inclusive of everyone – including those with a history of substance use.
We all need to be part of bridging the barriers, breaking the stigma and seeing people as human.
Everyone’s journey with substance misuse is different and the most important thing for people is having a non-judgmental space.
If you’re interested in further training for you or your organisation, find out how we can work together or discover our upcoming events at BDP.
It is estimated that 160,000 people in England are still living with hepatitis C, with 40-50% remaining undiagnosed.
Charltes Gore, Chief Executive of The Hepatitis C Trust, said that: “Much as there has been great progress, as this report makes clear, we all need to up our game. No-one should be walking round with a virus that could give them liver cancer. No-one should have to wait for treatment. No-one should die from this disease when we have these miraculous drugs. We can eliminate this virus so let’s get on with it.”
With hepatitis C disproportionately affecting disadvantaged and marginalised communities, at BDP we’re continuing to expand treatment opportunities in Bristol through a new weekly hepatitis C advice, testing and treatment drop-in.
This week saw harm reduction organisation The Loop and drug-policy institute Volteface release a report proposing new plans for reducing drug-related harm in the UK’s night time economy, helping to protect people across the UK who go out and enjoy the club and festival scenes.
The UK’s night time economy is failing to protect its most valuable asset: the people who go out and enjoy it.
The report titled Night Lives, is a joint project by The Loop, Voltface, Durham University and the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform. Aimed at stakeholders including the night time industry, local authorities, police forces and public health, the report examines the political, legal and cultural barriers which have prevented innovative and effective harm-reduction initiatives from being delivered in night time environments.
To address the increasing harms from club drug use, Night Lives advocates for the adoption of a set of “bold yet practical initiatives” across our towns and cities:
Drug safety testing services available to the general public in night life districts;
An independent information campaign on reducing drug-related harm;
Training for night life staff in how to respond effectively to drug use in the NTE;
The adoption of the UK festival drug policy of ‘3Ps: Prevent, Pursue, Protect’ in licensed venues.
At BDP, we have been working in partnership with clubs and festivals across Bristol, to provide free and confidential support and harm reduction messages and resources to the people of Bristol. We welcome the Night Lives report which has the opportunity to add a new dimension of harm reduction focused findings and messages across the UK and continues to put protecting people at the centre of the cause.
To find out more about The Loop and their new crowd funding campaign to help support the funding of five regional hubs delivering drug safety testing across the UK, click here.
