Paul Smith

Paul Smith has been a community activist in Bristol for almost 30 years.  His first active role as the secretary of the South Bristol Youth Council (aged 16).  Paul grew up in Hartcliffe on the southern edge of the City, attending the local comprehensive and then the technical college.  He went to University in Newcastle where he studied Astrophysics and Astronomy as an undergraduate and later gained a Post Graduate Certificate of Education in secondary mathematics and sciences.  Paul was also Sabbatical President of the University Students Union.

Paul returned to Bristol in 1987 and worked for two years as the County of Avon's Youth Participation Worker.  In 1988 he was elected as the youngest councillor to Bristol City Council.  he became Bristol's youngest ever committee chair with responsibility for Environmental Health and led the development a cross council 'Green Charter' covering a wide range of environmental issues. 

In 1989 he was one one of the founder members of South Bristol Youth Housing Association (now called Priority Youth Housing) and started a career in housing starting at the West Region Housing Association Group Training Scheme.  From here he went to Avon Voluntary Housing Forum a regional umbrella group for special needs and homelessness projects in the south west and later became the Regional Officer of the National Housing Federation promoting affordable housing.

In 1994 Paul became the chair of Property Services on the Council and revolutionised a department very much in the doldrums.  Over a four year period he used Bristol's property portfolio to generate income for the council and assist the development of a number of key projects including @tBristol,  St Werburgh's City farm, SS Great Britain, Bristol Architecture Centre and Spike Island.  Identifying the threat from Cribbs Causeway to city centre shopping, Paul worked with The Bristol Initiative to establish the Broadmead Board.  This cross sector partnership ensured that Broadmead developed and grew, rather than whithered and died, when faced with the out of town threat.  Improved management and new investment turned Broadmead around leading to the new development underway today.

In Paul's final year on the Council he was elected Chair of Leisure and he introduced free museum entry and started a major investment in childrens' play facilities across the City including two major new parks.

From 2000-2005 Paul worked away from Bristol, firstly as Chief Executive of Housing Potential UK an organisation which promoted and developed qualifications and vocational standards for the rented housing sector, then as a Director of the Heart of England Housing Group in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Paul stayed involved in services in Bristol during this time as a Non-Executive Director of the Avon & Wiltshire Partnership Mental Health NHS Trust.

In 2005 Paul was appointed Chief Executive of the  Furniture Re-use Network.  This national charity is based in old market in Bristol and supports 400 re-use charities across the country including, three in central Bristol: The Sofa Project; Emmaus Bristol and The Space Trust.  During his time there he has increased the work of the charity to meet its social and environmental objectives, for more information visit www.frn.org.uk

Paul lives in Bristol and has three children, Jay, 20, who is a student at UWE learning to be a primary teacher, Kiri 15 currently studying for her GCSEs and Leo, 1 year, who is learning to walk.

Paul is a member of the Co-operative Party and the Transport and General Workers Union (Unite)