Meet Our Trustees: The People Behind the Mission
At Bristol Charities, our Trustees play a vital role in shaping our strategy, guiding our work, and ensuring we stay true to our values and purpose. They bring a wealth of experience, insight and passion to the organisation - helping us make a lasting difference in the lives of the people and communities we serve.
In this series, we’re introducing you to the individuals behind the boardroom table - sharing their stories, what motivates them, and why they chose to be part of our journey.
Today, we’re delighted to shine a light on Christian Porter. Here’s what he had to say.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your background, and what brought you to Bristol Charities?
I'm a Portfolio Manager in the property team at LGPS Central working on global real estate, having previously spent several years managing large-scale UK real estate portfolios as Head of Property at Brunel Pension Partnership. I joined the board at Bristol Charities specifically to help oversee our investment portfolio. As the charity rolls out its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, I’m excited to help guide our Total Impact Investment strategy, especially across private markets, where institutional investment experience can help deliver financial performance while driving real social impact that ultimately benefits our work in Bristol.
Q: What inspired you to become a trustee of Bristol Charities?
What really inspired me was Bristol Charities' 600-year legacy and its bold vision to tackle poverty in Bristol. The ambition to move beyond traditional grant-giving and ensure our overall investment portfolio and assets actively align with our mission, supporting creative housing solutions, community hubs, and affordable VCSE workspace like the Vassall Centre.
Q: What does being part of the Bristol Charities family mean to you?
It means being part of "One Team", a group of people who bring passion, aspiration, and high standards to making a difference. Bringing my background in private markets and institutional portfolio management to help maximise our impact for genuine local good is deeply fulfilling.
Q: How do your personal or professional experiences help you in your role as a trustee?
Professionally, I bring extensive experience in institutional real estate, private markets, asset allocation, and risk management. Because private markets offer strong opportunities for targeted impact, that background helps us evaluate how our broader investment portfolio can generate sound financial returns while supporting our wider social goals. On a personal level, my volunteer work as a finance lead with the MS Society gives me a practical, grassroots understanding of community budgeting and grant delivery!
Q: Why do you think the work Bristol Charities does is so vital for the city – especially now?
Bristol is a fantastic city, but many residents face growing pressures around housing affordability, poverty, and inequality. Bristol Charities is vital because it addresses these challenges head-on across three key fronts: investing in local community hubs, delivering creative housing solutions as a social landlord and almshouse provider, and leveraging its financial strength to support local resilience.
Q: What would you say to someone thinking about getting involved – as a volunteer, donor, or future trustee?
Definitely jump in! Bringing your skills, time, or backing to an organisation that combines 600 years of history with innovative, forward-looking solutions is incredibly rewarding. You’ll be working alongside a warm, aspirational, and purpose-driven team making a tangible difference to lives across Bristol.
Q: In three words or a phrase, how would you describe Bristol Charities?
Place-based, aspirational, and transformative.
Q: Tell us a bit about the new strategy? What does it hope to achieve?
Our 2025–2030 Strategic Plan focuses on three bold objectives, Investing in Community Hubs in targeted neighborhoods, delivering Creative Housing Solutions, and driving Bristol's Charitable Impact through a Total Impact Investment approach. A great real-world example of this strategy in action is our planned joint investment with WECA to co-develop a landmark 30,000 sq ft regional distribution hub. By co-investing £2m to create affordable warehouse space for local charities, we are helping redistribute food and essential items to thousands of families experiencing hardship across the West of England.
Q: Now, how do you take your tea - we have some pretty specific tea-making preferences in our staff, and we'd love to hear yours?
Medium strength, a quick splash of milk, zero sugar, and actually timed for 3 minutes to ensure it's the perfectly timed brew, no guessing!
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We’re proud to share the stories of our amazing Trustees who help us deliver lasting impact in communities and Housing across Bristol.
Follow us to meet more of our staff and learn about the work of Bristol Charities.
Interested in Volunteering? Great! Click here to find out more: https://bristolcharities.org.uk/about/volunteer/
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