Has someone made you feel unsafe at BASE or within the wider BASE community?
Do you feel unable to talk to that person directly?
BASE has a survivor-led Accountability Policy and a Conflict Resolution Process that we are happy to facilitate with your guidance. Read them in full here Base Accountability and Conflict Resolution Process (opens as an 18 page pdf)
If you wish, your complaint will be kept confidential and your identity secret as far as we are able to do so.
If you have been subjected to violence, sexual assault or sexual harassment, the perpetrator will be asked not to use BASE while the process is ongoing. If they are a member/user of BASE, their ability to use the space will be suspended until the matter is resolved. The process will be survivor-led, you will be able to choose a mediator and you will not be expected to see or speak with your attacker if you do not wish to do so.
If you feel the issue is more of a personal conflict than assault we encourage both/all parties to engage with our Conflict Resolution process, and we will provide mediation if required.
Please contact basesocialcentre[at]riseup.net if you wish to pursue either process.
BASE Aims to be a Safer Space
A safer space is somewhere that has an agreement listing the behaviours that its users have collectively decided they won’t tolerate in that space. It is a space where people can feel that they’re less likely to face violence, harassment, intimidation or bullying, and will be supported in confronting these behaviours if they experience them.
We name these behaviours in the Anti-Oppression/Safer Spaces Agreement so that we have an agreement on what we can feel justified in challenging, so that anybody challenging these behaviours doesn’t have to feel alone or risk dismissal of their concerns, and so that those who might be tempted to use these behaviours as a shortcut to making their point will think twice about the possible negative consequences.
BASE’s Anti-Oppression/Safer Spaces Agreement can be found online here.
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BASE’s Accessibility information can be found below:
Accessibility Details for BASE
Location
14 Robertson Road, Bristol BS5 6JY
Open
Please check our calendar to see if the building is in use https://basebristol.org/event-list/.
Website
Parking
You can park for free in the streets around BASE. But they are often packed and you might need to drive a bit around to find a space.
There is a disabled parking space further along Robertson Road and on some nearby streets, however they are often occupied and you may have struggle to navigate the pavement from there to the building.
Buses
The nearest bus stop is Robertson Road that is 2 minutes walk away, served by the following buses:
- 24 citylines
- 46, 48, 49, 50
Train
The Stapleton Road station is 7 minutes walk away via St Mark’s road, no hills or heavy traffic.
Building Doors
Front glass door (corner of Robertson Rd and Foster St) opens inward and can be heavy to open. 82 cm wide, no steps. Access to the café area.
Front wooden door (Foster St) opens inward, easy to open, 72 cm wide, 3 steps. Knock on this door if you want to get in. The door leads with no other steps to events room, kitchen and disabled toilet.
Back gate (Robertson Rd)) opens inwards. 90 cm wide. No steps, smooth concrete floor, entrance to the yard. Access to the kitchen, events room and disabled toilet is via yard (doors 85 cm wide)
Ground floor
Ground floor includes café area (accessible without steps via front glass door), three steps lead to the corridor (accessible via front wooden door). Corridor leads without steps to the events room, kitchen, kitchen storage, disabled toilet and backyard that has back gate without stairs. There are stairs to the second floor leading from the corridor.
Café area: accessible without steps via front glass door. PVC flooring, a lot of empty space (app 6m x 3m empty space, three tables put to the side of the room), café serving countertop at the corner of the room, sink, cups, plates and utensils. The room does not have door leading to the corridor (possible noise from the other parts of the building), there is a serving window to the kitchen above the sink (possible noise and smells from the kitchen when it’s being used). Due to two walls being made primarily of glass, the room can get a lot of strong sun light meaning it can get hot in summer and a little bit colder in winter.
Events room: accessible without steps via back gate. Smooth wooden floorboards (squeaky in some places), a lot of empty space (app. 6m x 2,5m empty space), chairs and tables stored at the corner, the room has bookshelves. The room has two doors (possible noise from the kitchen when it’s being used). The room has one big window that that has curtains.
Kitchen: accessible without steps via back gate. PVC flooring, tiled. When used, there are food smells and noise from the fan, the gas stove and oven and other appliances. The room has two entrances (60 cm, 88 cm wide) but no doors to close (possible noise from other parts of the building). The room has two sinks. The room has a small window. App 2,6 m x 1,6 m empty space.
Kitchen storage: accessible without steps via back gate. PVC flooring. When the kitchen is used, there are food smells and noise. The room has shelves, fridge, freezer and a sink. The width of the room is 90 cm, length 5m. It has one window and back door leading to the backyard with the step-free gate.
Disabled toilet: accessible via entrance through the back gate and the yard. The key for the back gate can be requested from the organiser of the event. The door size is 79 cm, empty space size is 1,6 x 1,6.
SECOND FLOOR
Two toilets are accessible through the landing after the first set of stairs. No urinals, sink, hygiene products available (like the pads and tampons).
A set of few steps then lead from the landing to:
Health room: is our smallest and least visually busy room. There is a massage table, a few chairs and storage. The room does not have much empty space (size). The room has boiler – might be making subtle noise, the room gets also easily warm in winter. Smooth wooden floorboards, one window.
Library: is full of books and a big table in the middle that dominates the room (not much empty space, 90 cm around a big table). Carpet on the floor, one window that has curtains.
Resource room: is the second largest room in the building, a lot of empty space (app. 2,8 x 3,5 m), shelves and countertops all over the walls of the room. Smooth wooden floorboards, two big windows.
Storage space: not freely accessible unless you arrange storage.
Office: not freely accessible.
No Lift
The café area is accessible without steps via the front glass door. The rest of the ground floor (kitchen, kitchen storage, events room, disabled toilet) are accessible via the back gate through backyard. The second floor is accessible only via two sets of stairs.
Toilets
Three toilets
Disabled toilet Entrance via back gate and backyard. Ask the organiser of the event for the gate code. Door to enter room opening outwards, 79 cm wide. Corridor to toilet 90 cm wide. Light on string, 68 cm off ground.
Toilet One Located on the second floor after the first set of staircase on the landing. No urinals, toilet and sink. Hygiene products available, small window. Door 55 cm wide.
Toilet Two Door 55 cm wide. Toilet, sink, no urinals. Hygiene products available, no window.
Floor Surfaces
Ground floor café and kitchen space – PVC; the corridor, events room wooden, health room and resource room planked floor; library – carpet.
Lighting
The reflection from lighting and furnishings are minimal in most of the building (the kitchen has tiles and countertops with high reflection). The café area is a glass room with windows taking 2 big walls facing two busy streets, there can be a strong sunlight in the summer. There are no distracting patterns in the building, there are a lot of posters, flyers, and art on the walls. The lighting can be different for specific types of events (e.g. a gig).
Sounds
At the café area, one can hear the street traffic and since this area and the kitchen do not have doors, noises from the rest of the building can be heard. In other areas, especially the rooms on the 2nd floor are quiet. If you need a quite space during busy events like Sunday café or a gig, please feel free to use one of the 2nd floor rooms. As most of the building has hard floors, they sometimes make squeaking noises. The library is fitted with a carpet.
ODOURS
The toilets are sited away from meeting and working area and two of them have windows. The kitchen does not have a door and has a serving window connected to the café area – when in use, there are odours from cooking in areas that do not have doors. Cleaning materials used are organic and not used during events (except the Sunday café).
If people have been using the Resource Room for painting or other art or craft projects there could be odours from paints or chemicals used. We try and use organic chemical and avoid the use of harsh chemicals wherever possible within BASE.
Seating
Chairs are smooth and soft material on the sitting and back-support part with no patterns on them.
Heating
Heated in winter with central heating. The café area can be quite cold though due to the glass walls.
Participation
In general, unfortunately there is no provision for fingerspelling, lip speakers, braille, or anything similar.
Creche
None usually.
Food and Drink
BASE is a vegan space – please do not bring any animal food products into the building. Cooked vegan food for donation available when cafe is open (Sundays 6-8 pm), with hot drinks available. Other times hot drinks available on a self-service basis. We do not provide soft and alcoholic drinks; you are free to bring your own.
We have allergen sheets for meals cooked at the BASE Cafe on Sundays and usually provide a Gluten Free option. However we may not be able to cater for all dietary requirements and what we cook is mostly based on what we have been donated.
Our kitchen contains nuts, peanuts, sesame, soy, gluten as well as possibly other allergens and we cannot guarantee there will not be any cross contamination.
Smoking
Not permitted in the building.
Dogs
All dogs are welcome!
Accessibility Help
Please contact us on basesocialcentre@riseup.net if you need assistance or have more questions or talk to the organiser of the event that you are attending.