What we provide
babbasa insight days
Linking you with the community
Hold an Insight Day for underrepresented young people at your organisation.
Looking for support to understand your diversity and inclusion needs with impactful training for staff?
Looking to develop inclusive strategies and policies?
Our bespoke services
Inclusion Needs Analysis
Gain a better insight into your diversity and inclusion needs using our self-review tool, to assist you in getting the outcomes you want.
Advisory Support
Our D&I consultant can review and assist you in developing strategies, projects and policies designed to enhance your workplace inclusion.
Cultural Competency Training
recruitment services
build a diverse and talented team
Are you a young person looking for work experience, a temporary work placement, an internship or even a permanent career opportunity?
Are you an employer looking to diversify your organisation and address under representation in your workplace? Do you need to hire a talented and motivated young person who is ready for the next step in their career?
Sectors we’ve worked in
About us
Babbasa was formed in 2010 by four young graduates who observed rising levels of youth unemployment, educational underachievement and the rapid decline in youth aspirations in Bristol’s ethnically diverse inner city communities.
The group named the organisation ‘Babbasa’ – a word which represents the idea of ordinary citizens coming together to support members of society in need.
We shared two strong beliefs; that young people’s aspirations and opportunities should not be determined 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.
Today, Babbasa is a well established, multi-award winning youth organisation.
We have developed a collaborative network of over 500 cross-sector organisations, and our unique programmes have supported over 4,000 young people, from 67 different cultural groups, to successfully advance their professional ambitions.
We also work closely with over 200 professional mentors, who are paired with aspiring young professionals, based on their interests and professions and given the opportunity to help young people develop their skills and their networks.
In 2019, we established the Babbasa Hub – a community hub in St Pauls, which gives young people a third space, outside of the home and school, to grow, learn and receive professional support.
In 2020, we were awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility) for our dedication to bringing equal opportunity to Bristol.
We’re therefore grateful to our supporters, and proud of the inspirational young people who have taken action to overcome adversity and pursue their ambition. We invite you to read and share their stories – and support our Bristol youth to realise their potential.
Our Social Mission
We start from the premise that every young person is unique, with their own capabilities and potential for growth.
Through three core programmes – Support, Challenge, and Placement Programmes – we bring together a mix of soft skills training, mentoring schemes, career- oriented events and personalised recruitment support.
These create a pathway for young people – working at their own pace – to build confidence, develop skills, connect with employers and mentors, and access workplace experience. Our approach is different from standard employability programmes because we:
Recognise young people’s unique experiences of culture, family, community and sometimes trauma, to understand their challenges and work with community organisations, volunteers and statutory agencies to offer personalised support
Engage and enable young people using ‘learn by doing’ methods rather than more traditional classroom-based teaching approaches that have often failed to engage young people from ethnic minority and low socio-economic background
Build strength-based personal development plans, and encourage creativity, self-belief and limitless ambition
Recruit staff and mentors who are representative of their background, who act as role-models and understand language and cultural references that resonate with young people and succeed in engaging them on an intellectual and emotional level
Partner and work with local employers to create real opportunities and conditions for young people to access work opportunities (examples include Kinneir Dufort, Burges Salmon, LettUs Grow, Plimsol Productions, Bristol 24/7, and UWE)