Newsletter
Birmingham Settlement attends the Freemasons Lodge of Happiness Ladies Evening.
Worshipful Master Steve Tector with Chris Doolan and Laura Kemp
The local Freemasons Lodge of Happiness kindly invited our Chair of the Board, Chris Doolan, and Fundraising Officer, Laura Kemp, to join them at their Ladies Dinner Event.
The event was held at the Freemasons Lodge in Edgbaston and saw members of the Lodge invite their partners and wives along to join them for an evening of dining.
We were privileged to be a part of the event, and to represent Birmingham Settlement. Worshipful Master of the Lodge, Steve Tector, previously owned a printing business through which he came to know of the Settlement. We were delighted to be able to take the floor for a few minutes to tell everyone a little about our work and our history in the city, and everyone responded by donating a very generous £352.00 towards our work.
The Warwickshire Masonic Charitable Association has been supporting the work of Birmingham Settlement since 2007 and to date have donated almost £2,000.
We’re delighted to have such a great relationship with the group and hope it continues for many years to come.
Settlement Stories – Annual Review 2011
In 2011 we had the pleasure of working with lots of people in lots of situations. Looking back on the year, we decided that our annual review should concentrate on telling some of the stories from people we’ve met who’ve inspired us, helped us or simply made us smile. Download our Annual Review 2011to read more about the all the fantastic things that happened to us last year!
Birmingham to Brussels fundraiser
Chief Executive Martin Holcombe and Facilities Co-ordinator Mark Sargeant are cycling from Birmingham to Brussels in 6 days from 21st-26th May. You can show your support by sponsoring them here and by encouraging your friends and family to do the same. They’ll be blogging and uploading video along the way so watch this space for further information!
Support Zurich’s 1,000 mile cycling challenge!
This September staff at Zurich Community Trust will be cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats, and they need your support! If you are interested in taking part as a cyclist they would welcome your involvement, but if not then making a donation to the cause would be very much appreciated! Income raised during the event will be split between a group of charities that Zurich are supporting, and Birmingham Settlement are proud to be one of these. For more information please see their website: http://www.z1000m.com.
Zurich Community Trust is working in partnership with Birmingham Settlement’s Ageing Well programme for the next three years, and will be providing funding, as well being involved in the programme’s activities and events.
Mystery shoppers wanted!
We’re looking for some volunteer mystery shoppers. We need you and / or your family and friends to go along to any one of our shops to have a look and see what you think.
Our shops are based in: Boldmere, Erdington, Harborne, Newtown, Shirley, Sutton Coldfield and Wylde Green. If you live near to any of these, perhaps you could pop in and feedback to us.
We would like to get feedback from at least three people per shop and would appreciate any help you can give.
If you or anyone else you know are interested, could you please contact me and I will provide you with relevant information and a short questionnaire for you to complete and return after your visit.
Di Hickey
T: 0121 250 3010
E: di.hickey@bsettlement.org.uk
Thanking you in anticipation.
Give your unwanted items to a Settlement Shop near you!
Our seven shops across the city are desperate for new item donations. If you have any unwanted clothes, books, toys, etc lying around your house, please come and drop them into us! In particular, our shops in Erdington and Newtown need additional donations as soon as possible. If you’re having a house clearance and have a lot of items to donate we can arrange for the items to be collected for you. We also have a constant need for carrier bags for use in our shops, so please give your spares to us as well! If you are interested in donating items please contact the shop closest to you directly – see our shops page for details. If you’re a UK taxpayer (pay income tax or capital gains tax) be sure to ask for your items to be Gift Aided – this means we can claim the tax back and earn an extra 25% on your donation at no cost to you!
Freemasons offer further support to Birmingham Settlement.
One of Birmingham’s oldest charities, The Birmingham Settlement, was thrilled to receive a further regular donation of £400.00 recently from the Warwickshire Freemasons.
As long-standing supporters of the charity, The Freemasons have been involved since 2007, helping the charity achieve their aims of relieving poverty and hardship by helping individuals and communities to overcome social exclusion.
Speaking about the recent donation, Carly Duignan, Head of Fundraising and Communications said, “We’re delighted that The Warwickshire Provincial Grand Lodge has continued to provide funding this year. Without ongoing financial support, The Birmingham Settlement would be unable to continue its work, so we’re hugely grateful as always.”
The charity works by influencing policymakers, and challenging the status quo with the aim of creating a harmonious, cohesive and enhanced environment offering opportunity and choice. Recent and on-going projects at The Settlement include an Ageing well programme, debt advice and counselling, and community regeneration and development projects.
Seeing is Believing – Zurich Insurance Staff shake out their Cobwebs!
Following a successful application to Zurich Community Trust, we have become the insurance company’s local partner for the next three years. We’re receiving £7,500 a year for Ageing Well, our older people’s programme, and they’re going to be helping out in a range of areas from business support to challenges. Some of the manager’s from the Birmingham office came to visit the Centre for the Aston Family to see what we do. Along with Martin Holcombe, our Chief Executive and Ageing Well service users they took part in a cobweb shaker designed to raise the heart rate and get people feeling good. The group of 10 had a tour of the Centre, seeing the Little Settler’s Day Nursery, Stay and Play and the Cyber Suite we offer there. Everyone really enjoyed the day and stayed for spot of lunch before heading back to the office.
Freshers Fair Frenzy
We’ve been at Birmingham University’s Fresher’s Fair to meet students interested in volunteering. Despite historic links with the university it’s the first time we’ve been to this event and we were delighted with the warm welcome we received. More than 60 students signed up to receive more info about the roles we have. Due to our range of activities we’re able to offer many volunteering opportunities that can be tailor made according to areas of interest and the time available to commit.