This year, Eastside Community Trust will receive £20,000 from each of the two Raised In nurseries based at Easton Community Centre and Felix Road Adventure Playground, a total £40,000 profit share reinvested directly back into local community assets.

And that’s on top of the rent those nurseries already pay.

A Simple Model with Transformational Impact

Raised In was founded on a clear and practical idea:

• Partner with community organisations whose buildings are underused or financially stretched.
• Open high-quality nurseries in areas that need accessible early years education.
• Pay both rent and a profit share, ensuring everyone benefits.

It’s a model that doesn’t just sustain nurseries, it sustains communities.

In 2025 alone, Raised In contributed £181,000 in rent to community partners across the city and supported nearly 500 children, delivering over 3.5 million hours of learning. When full, its nurseries help circulate an estimated £1 million into Bristol’s circular economy.

For Eastside Community Trust, the impact has been profound.

From Financial Struggle to Long-Term Stability

When the partnership began, Eastside was navigating significant financial challenges. Some spaces were underused, and long-term sustainability felt uncertain.

At Easton Community Centre, the nursery now occupies space that was formerly an elders day centre, breathing new life into a valued community building and securing a new long-term lease agreement through to 2047.

At Felix Road Adventure Playground, space was reconfigured and made slightly smaller to accommodate the nursery. At the time, it required compromise and vision. Today, the benefits are clear: reliable income, more families engaging with the site, and a stronger financial footing for the playground’s future.

Quality Childcare, Stronger Communities

Raised In’s growth hasn’t come at the expense of quality. In 2025 the organisation:

• Secured two “Good” Ofsted ratings
• Launched bespoke curricula across all four nurseries
• Grew its team to almost 100 staff
• Achieved exceptional staff wellbeing results, with 100% of staff feeling valued and supported

The nurseries aren’t just childcare settings. They are employers, training grounds (with 24 apprentices this year), family hubs and anchor institutions within their neighbourhoods.

And crucially, they are financially structured to give back.

Stacy Yelland, CEO of Eastside Community Trust, reflects on what the partnership has meant:

“When we began working with Raised In, we were facing real financial pressures and underused space across our buildings. This partnership has completely changed the trajectory for us.

Receiving £40,000 in profit share this year, on top of rental income, is transformational. It allows us to reinvest in our community facilities, support local groups and secure these assets for the long term.”

A Blueprint for Sustainable Community Assets

At a time when many community centres and charities are struggling with rising costs and shrinking funding, this partnership offers something hopeful: a practical, scalable model that aligns social purpose with financial resilience.

Community buildings once at risk are now animated daily by children and families. Financial uncertainty has shifted towards long-term planning. And £40,000 is flowing back into East Bristol this year alone, not from grants, but from a sustainable trading model.

It’s proof that when social enterprises and community trusts work together, everyone thrives.