Seeing the Foundation's impact up close
On the 26th of November, we joined the Bristol Bears Foundation Quiz Night at the Bristol Bears High Performance Centre. The evening blended rugby, community and charity, and reminded us why supporting local matters.
Early in the night we heard from Simi Pam, who spoke about how the Foundation is making sport more accessible to young people, opening doors for girls and women in rugby, and reducing social issues by giving people belonging, purpose and community. Simi shared how she never saw a path into rugby when she was younger, and did not start playing until she was 23. She is now a professional Bristol Bears Women's player and a doctor. Mentions of stars like Ilona Maher bringing record visibility to the women's game showed how much the landscape is changing.
Conversations with Joe Jenkins
Bears player Joe Jenkins joined our table. He grew up locally, played rugby just down the road from us, and spoke openly about working on his recovery from injury. He was down-to-earth, takes his fitness and lifestyle seriously, is committed to the Foundation's work, and is aware of the platform players have to influence the city. Lisa also surprised everyone with her knowledge of stadiums during one of the quiz rounds.
A night of fundraising and hope
Between the quiz, the silent auction and the raffle, the event raised 7,500 pounds. What mattered more than the number was the feeling in the room: Bristol supporting Bristol, people showing up and giving what they could, and choosing to use sport as a force for good.
Why this matters to BrisTechTonic
This ties directly into our mission. We believe that if you can positively impact your immediate surroundings, that impact ripples outward. Supporting local talent like Millie David is part of that. Supporting the Bristol Bears Foundation is part of that. You cannot change the whole world at once, but you can change the world around you, and that is how it spreads.