DIY wealth redistribution, with Bristol Redistro’s Frances Howe

About this episode

The episode discusses DIY wealth redistribution with Frances Howe from Bristol Redistro, exploring its impact on local communities and the philosophy behind voluntary contributions.

Taxing and redistributing wealth to reduce inequality is an idea popular on the left, and is being pushed by some politicians including Green Party leader Zack Polanski. But it’s loathed by others who believe people should be able to hang on to what they have, whether that’s earned or inherited. This week we’re joined by Frances Howe, co-founder of local collective Bristol Redistro, which rather than a top-down tax asks people who have more money than they need to voluntarily chuck some of it into a pot. This is divided up by a panel of locals and given to grassroots organisations. Its most recent funding round helped groups in Knowle West, St Paul’s, Hengrove and Hartcliffe as well as others serving marginalised communities across the city. How does this work, and what difference does it make? Why is it different from giving to charity? And with the cost of living biting, why should people be giving up their wealth in the first place? We get into these questions, and more on this latest episode of Unpacked. The Bristol Cable is Bristol's community-owned cooperative newsroom – fiercely independent journalism that puts people before profit. Since 2014, we've been holding power to…

People in this episode

Guest: Frances Howe

Topics covered

• wealth redistribution
• inequality
• community funding
• grassroots organizations

Keywords

• Bristol Redistro
• Green Party
• Zack Polanski
• Knowle West
• St Paul’s
• Hengrove
• Hartcliffe

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Unpacked

Places: Knowle West, Hengrove, Hartcliffe, Bristol

More episodes of Bristol Unpacked

• Ben Carpenter: what should youth services look like? · June 8, 2026 · 60 min
• Paul Smith: spending £20m and not betraying Hartcliffe · May 26, 2026 · 1h 3m
• Yassin Mohamud: Bristol's first Somali lord mayor · May 11, 2026 · 50 min
• Lewis Wedlock: towards a positive masculinity · April 13, 2026 · 1h 2m
• Kerri Matthews: what happens when parents go to prison? · March 30, 2026 · 60 min
• Heather Williams: trauma, community and healing in south Bristol · March 16, 2026 · 1h 3m