Celebrating Five Years of Eastside Community Trust: A Partnership Built on Community Roots

Easton Community Centre.

This month, we’re thrilled to join the celebrations marking Eastside Community Trust’s 5th birthday — a milestone for an organisation that plays such a vital role at the heart of Easton and Lawrence Hill.

Formed in 2020 from the merger of three long-standing community organisations — Easton Community Centre, Felix Road Adventure Playground and Up Our Street — Eastside Community Trust has continued a proud tradition of grassroots action, deep local knowledge, and community-led development. 

At Raised In, Eastside Community Trust aren’t just a community partner but also our neighbours and collaborators working towards the same goal: strong, connected communities where everyone has a chance to thrive. We opened our first nursery, Raised in Bristol at Easton Community Centre, in 2017, and Raised in Bristol at Felix Road Adventure Playground in 2019. Since then, our nurseries have grown to welcome over 200 children a week, rooted in the belief that through quality early years education, we can create confident communities where children and people can think big and have an equal chance to flourish and be part of creating a better community.

We’re delighted to have confirmed a new 20-year lease for the Easton Community Centre site, securing high-quality nursery provision for the Easton community until 2047.  Alongside a commitment to paying a fair rent, we have this year supported Eastside Community Trust via an additional £20k annual financial contribution to help them continue their vital work, which has also been recommitted as part of the new lease, providing outreach to the community through various projects.

We opened our first Raised in Bristol nursery in Easton Community Centre in 2017 it was then called ‘Raised in Easton’

As the trust celebrates five years of formal unity — and over 50 years of community impact — we’re reflecting with gratitude and excitement. The partnership between Eastside Community Trust and Raised In is a living example of what’s possible when social enterprises and community organisations come together with shared values and long-term vision.

This Sunday, 5th May, join the 5th Birthday celebrations at their party in and around Easton Community Centre and Owen Square Gardens, with some festivities also planned at Felix Road Adventure Playground. We’ll see you there!

Happy 5th Birthday, Eastside Community Trust — here’s to the next five, and far beyond.