Bristol Charities, David Jones

“Originally formed back in 1835, we’ve developed into a modern and efficient charity – in part thanks to the support and guidance of the Charity Commission. Today we have three key areas of focus (residential and day care services for older people, grant giving, and professional management services for other charities) and there are numerous times that the Commission has helped us to make these good intentions count.

Take, for example, our recent sale of a Nineteenth Century Almshouse. This was a beautiful old building with considerable history, but it simply wasn’t an appropriate home for elderly people. For a start, there was very limited wheelchair access and its listed status meant that we were unable to update this. With the Charity Commission’s help, we were able to persuade the local community that the sale really was in their best interests – and then re-invested the money in a cutting-edge new home for the residents.

I really believe that without the credibility that the Commission’s involvement gives us, it would have been far more difficult to be successful. And the people in our care would still be waiting for their new home.”