Earlier this year, David Clarke, a 34 year old researcher in Liverpool, asked 12 strangers to decide how his £100,000 inheritance could be used to support the local community. Now Bristol activists are looking for their own David Clarke to repeat the experiment, and inviting people to come to an event on 20 June to find out more.
Bristol is a very unequal city. There are 340 multi-millionaires – that’s 340 people with more than 10 million – but also over 20% of children in Bristol live in low-income families. The average annual household income in Henleaze is over £40,000 higher than in Hartcliffe.
Bristol Redistro raises money from individuals who have more than they need to get by and redistributes it to local grassroots community groups addressing injustice and inequality. Donations of all sizes are welcome. They have redistributed over £60,000 since 2020, and are now raising funds to enable them to support more groups. What makes Redistro unique is that once groups are funded, they decide who gets funded in the future, keeping the process rooted in the community.
“Bristol is known for its progressive politics and we know our very own David Clarke is out there – probably many of them! We’re looking for a kind and forward thinking person who is up for trying an experiment like David’s. It would make such a huge impact in Bristol, ” says Sophie, a member of the Redistro collective.
David explained “As I was considering what to do with the money, I was acutely conscious of the power that it represented. An extensive body of work exists examining how philanthropy, even when it is well-intentioned, can entrench injustice. I asked myself, “Why is it just me exercising this power? Why not entrust it to the wider community instead?”
“Like David, many people are inheriting money and wanting to do something good with it but not sure how to go about it”, said Sophie. “Through Redistro, we’re giving people the opportunity to make sure decisions about how the funds are used are informed by those who know what Bristol communities need because they are part of those communities. And because our ‘12 strangers’ are running groups themselves they know what it takes,” she continues.
Redistro supports small groups that have been set up by a community to address an issue they’re facing. Projects supported so far include: trans+ healthcare, reducing isolation of migrants and refugees, educational support for young people of African and Caribbean descent, healing support for sexual abuse survivors, community gardens, sex worker rights, police monitoring, walking and climbing groups for people of colour and support for people with sickle cell anaemia.
Bristol Redistro are inviting people to attend an event on 20 June to celebrate grassroots community action in Bristol, which will include performances, a panel discussion, and a chance to meet some of the groups funded so far over food and drinks. The event’s aim is to improve understanding of grassroots groups and the challenges they face in accessing support, and to garner more support for this critical work that so often goes under the radar.
More info:
From the Ground Up – a showcase of grassroots community action in Bristol
Unitarian Meeting Hall, Brunswick Square, St Paul’s Bristol
7-8.30pm
Bristol Redistro 