'The pharmacy of the future' New facility inspired by visits to Europe

ONE of the best-known community leaders in South Bristol has spoken of his race against time to find another site and save his pharmacy business. But popular figure Ade Williams said he has ended up with the pharmacy of the future, after a challenging rebuild of a new premises just across the road.

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Ade is best known for his role running Bedminster Pharmacy, but is also a prominent figure in the community, as the chair of the Bedminster Winter Lantern Parade, and with roles in other community organisations like the former Business Improvement District. In 2022, he was made an MBE for his services to the community in BS3.

But he faced a challenge when the owner of the pharmacy premises on Cannon Street in Bedminster gave notice that the business would have to leave. Last year, Tariq Muhammad was awarded planning permission to create a six-storey co-living residential development on the corner of Cannon Street and East Street, with a bigger dentist practice on the ground floor, on a site that includes the former HSBC Bank building and Bedminster Pharmacy next door.

That meant Ade had to find another location nearby and quickly. He identified a former fabric shop across the road on East Street, but there was a big problem - the building was in a state of near collapse, so had to effectively be completely rebuilt.