About us
Welcome to Southmead Development Trust. We are a charity made up of staff, volunteers and residents who work together to keep power in our community. We work with partners to improve health, wellbeing, local pride, and employment. We connect residents and groups to target social isolation. We bring business and investment to the area.
Our vision is a thriving and healthy community. Guided by residents we provide the support, spaces and services our community needs. Our three sites – Greenway Centre, Southmead Youth Centre and Southmead Adventure Playground, are well-loved local venues and host popular community events throughout the year.
Meet the team
Amy Kinnear
Chief Exective
Simon Bowker
Finance Director
Gemma Woolley
Senior Operations Manager
Sam Garbett
Operations Manager
Charlie Ferdinando
Health & Wellbeing Team Leader
Stephen Haddow
Facilities Team Leader
Suzanne Daggar
Communications Lead
Becky Bostock
Fitness Team Leader
Zoe Tingle
Employment & Training Team Leader
James Creed
Youth & Play Team Leader
Simone Davis
Project Manager & Community Life Planner
Colette Brown
Social Prescribing Team Leader
Hannah Walker
Regeneration Officer
Our History
Southmead Development Trust was established by Southmead Residents who worked to keep a local school building, closed in 1985, as a community resource. With initial support from the Council, residents formed the Greenway Centre Trust, subsequently renamed Southmead Development Trust: a self-sufficient charity working for the benefit of all Southmead Residents, with a Board of Trustees elected from residents. To continue community Youth and Play services, the Trust helped to save the Southmead Youth Centre from closure in 2014, and the Southmead Adventure Playground in 2018. All three sites are leased to the Trust from Bristol City Council.
Read our Annual Reports
Our impact
Our work has led to significant social impact and improved life outcomes across the local area. We are very proud of our recent achievements including:
- Coordinating the local Community Plan, the basis for many local projects and initiatives. http://southmeadcommunityplan.co.uk
- Supporting approximately 1000 people per month across Southmead and North Bristol including over 130 children and young people a week
- Becoming an emergency response hub to the Coronavirus crisis, distributing food, supporting isolated residents and running over 200 online groups
- Saving local assets for community use including Southmead Youth Centre and the Ranch Adventure Playground and leading on the UK’s largest community led housing scheme
- Becoming a best practice expert for community led preventative health initiatives and community housing, with our work recognised locally and nationally
- Supporting over 50 local volunteers
- Running a busy events programme including pantomimes, monthly markets, the Southmead festival and community theatre
Our partners
277 People
Received hot meals & self-care packages from our teams during the first lockdown.
SDT Covid community response 2020
Meet our Trustees
Kevin Sweeney
I believe this is an exciting time for Southmead. What’s important is the potential for local people to have a greater say in what happens in Southmead.
Kevin Sweeney
Dave Roderick
I have worked in Southmead for many years and believe SDT will be a powerful voice on behalf of the community both locally and nationally.
Dave Roderick
Peter Mansfield
I feel that the SDT makes a difference to the community of Southmead and I am committed to seeing the SDT serve Southmead better and more effectively.
Peter Mansfield
Trenna Blundell
I’ve lived in Southmead for 17 years and call it home. I believe SDT is well placed to listen to the community and respond to what it says.
Trenna Blundell
Sheralyn Fowler
I was born in Southmead 51 years ago. I am on the Board because I want to be a voice for Southmead residents.
Sheralyn Fowler
Brenda Massey
I am one of the Councillors for Southmead. I care about people and believe Southmead residents deserve the best we can give them.
Brenda Massey
John Woolcock
I’m involved with SDT because I want to play my part in working for the community where I live; it’s an organisation that’s really making a positive impact on Southmead.
John Woolcock
Jill Hoggans
I was born in Southmead and worked at the Youth Centre. I like the way SDT works, supporting people to make positive changes and involving local residents in making decisions.
Jill Hoggans
Helen Godwin
I’m one of the Councillors for Southmead. I’m passionate about the community and working with residents to support them in making the community as safe and strong as possible.
Helen Godwin
Geoff Williams
I care passionately about the community of Southmead having policed the estate for over 25 years. It's important that SDT has the benefit of the whole community at its core.
Geoff Williams
Lee Gardiner
Having been born and raised in Southmead, I wanted to contribute to the ongoing development of the SDT in order to support the local community that I belong to.
Lee Gardiner
Marion Baynes
I was born in Southmead and worked at the GP surgery. I want to make a difference and believe that SDT is well-placed to facilitate change and respond to the community.
Marion Baynes
Tim Temple
I’ve worked regularly in Southmead, developing sports facilities and other local projects. SDT is a great organisation making a real difference to people in the community.
Tim Temple
Maria Chwiolka
I’m a Southmead resident. I study Architecture at UWE and was keen to get involved in the community. I really enjoy contributing my skills to the Southmead Regeneration project.
Maria Chwiolka
Mel McHugh
I’ve lived in Southmead my whole life, worked and raised my family here. Children are the way forward to building a better Southmead deserving a safe environment and feeling valued.
Mel McHugh
Work for us
We’re a growing and vibrant team based at the Greenway Centre. We pride ourselves on our working relationships with the Trust’s values at heart: Positivity, Integrity, Excellence, Welcoming, Entrepreneurial. We love where we work, it’s a vibrant community space with a gym, café, and huge outdoor space connecting to Badock’s Wood Nature Reserve – great for walking meetings and lunchtime strolls. Staff have free gym membership and we encourage activities we can all be involved with such as gardening, eco-projects, volunteering, mentoring, and fundraising.
If you want to find out more search jobs on our news articles below or on our news page.
Latest Jobs & Articles
We’re Hiring: Two Cleaners
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Our Link Worker Will on the BBC
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We’re Hiring: Fitness & Wellbeing Manager
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