We’re here for you
Resolve West is an independent charity that’s been going for more than 35 years. Our dedicated and experienced team works throughout the Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Somerset areas, providing friendly and caring support to people in need. People just like you.
If you’re having a problem in your community, with a neighbour or at work, we’re here to help you find ways to deal with it.
If you’ve been the victim of crime, or have committed a crime, we can help you think about what happened, how people have been affected and how you can move on from it.
Or if you’ve been the victim of hate crime or discrimination, we’ll show you how to get help and feel safe.
Meet our team
We’re a very experienced and professional group of people – but you’ll find that we’re extremely caring and friendly too. We have to be to do the work that we do. And we couldn’t do any of it without our team of more than 60 incredible and highly trained volunteers who give up their time to work with us every day.
Our history
You can trace the roots of our organisation back to Bristol in 1987. It was a time of rising social and community tensions, and Bristol Mediation was set up as one of the first community organisations in the UK to offer Conflict Resolution support, help and advice.
In 1991, we became a registered charity and set out on our mission to show people just how effective mediation could be as a way to resolve conflict and problems in the community. It’s also when we started to train volunteer mediators to work with us.
Over the years, our work has developed considerably, so in 2019 we changed our name to Resolve West – a reflection of the broadening scope of our services.
Who do we work with?
That’s a very good question. Over the years our work has brought us into contact with all types of people and all sections of society. We’ve worked with individuals in their community and at work, have covered projects in schools and prisons, worked with young people in the care system, those involved in anti-social behaviour, street conflict or gang crime, and with both people harmed by crime and those responsible for it. The list goes on…
And we don’t always work alone. The teams at Resolve West often work in partnership with Bristol City Council, Avon & Somerset Police, Criminal Justice Agencies and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, as well as housing providers or other organisations that support victims. We are also part of Bristol Hate Crime and Discrimination Services and work as part of Restorative Bristol, a group that helps promote restorative work and influence local policy decisions.
We are proud of the work we do, and especially proud of all the people we’ve trained over the years – many who have gone on to become nationally and internationally known for their work.
What we’re here to do
We want people to understand our vision for what we want to achieve, and the values that guide us to do a good job for each and every person that we work with.
Our vision:
To ensure that communities can resolve conflict and repair harm.
Our mission:
To provide effective services that enable communities to resolve conflict and repair harm.
Our values:
We have six core values that underpin our work, and these guide our decision-making as we develop our culture, policies and practices:
- Communication – we believe that accessible, clear and simple communication between people is necessary for communities to thrive.
- Empowerment – we believe that people can speak for themselves, think for themselves, and decide for themselves.
- Equality – we believe that discrimination is unfair and should be confronted, in ourselves and others.
- Inclusion – we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to access our services without restrictions or limitations.
- Quality – we believe in bringing about the best in others and ourselves.
- Accountability and openness – we believe in working openly with our clients, each other and our partners in order to learn from one another.
