Newsletter
Furniture and electrical goods at Shirley shop.
The Birmingham Settlement shop in Shirley (209 Stratford Road) now sells small pieces of furniture and in the near future will begin selling electrical appliances. Come along for a great bargain, and if you have any spare goods that you don’t need anymore (such as chairs or lamps) then bring them into the shop for us to sell. Money raised from Birmingham Settlement’s charity shops supports the delivery of our services in Birmingham, so being a customer or donor of our shops will allow you to invest directly back into your own community.
Newtown shop reduced opening hours.
Due to limited staff availability our shop in Newtown is currently open on the following reduced hours until further notice:
- Mondays – 10am-2:30pm.
- Wednesdays - 10am-2:30pm.
- Fridays – 10am-2:30pm.
We are hoping to re-open the shop for more days in the near future.
Tashala’s story: A life with Birmingham Settlement.
Tashala has been involved with Birmingham Settlement for over a decade and has used multiple services provided by us. “I got to know Birmingham Settlement originally when I took a course to develop basic skills. I later began using the Nursery to help with raising my daughter. I had been using the shop in Erdington for a while but at the time I didn’t realise they were part of the same thing. I went in after completing my course and began volunteering.” Tashala volunteered in our shops in Erdington, Wylde Green and occasionally Sutton Coldfield.
From there Tashala’s experience grew and she started to get more involved, she told us. “The shop was a great way to buy affordable things for my daughter. She was the best dressed child in school! Going into the shop allowed me to get away from things and was and is a great place to take my kids.”
“I later encountered financial issues and sought money advice from Birmingham Settlement too. The help they gave me was fantastic. Thirty minutes of advice did so much compared to other help I’ve received. It was a lot of stress because it’s difficult when looking for help. They sorted it all out and made me like I didn’t need to worry.”
“I’ve been involved with Birmingham Settlement since before my daughter could walk, and now she loves it too.” Having recently turned fourteen, Tashala’s daughter now volunteers with us in our shop in Erdington too.
Tashala found a job whilst volunteering with us and has since stopped volunteering , but she still help out when she can.
“Birmingham Settlement helped me a lot. The charity is very dear to me and my daughter and helped me to believe in myself.”
Celebrating 25 years at the Erdington shop!
On Saturday 2nd June 2012 Birmingham Settlement’s Erdington shop held an event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the shop being open and the Diamond Jubilee. The shop was heavily decorated for the occasion and customers were offered free tea and cakes while they shopped! We were very grateful for the contribution of local businesses, customers and volunteers who donated cakes and prizes, as well as helping to produce the decorations for the shop. There was also a celebration of the volunteers who have helped to run the shop over the years, with a display showing the names of all of the shop’s previous volunteers – a presentation of 25 roses was made to Barbara, the shop’s longest standing volunteer, who has been with us since the very beginning. There was also a raffle out the back of the shop to raise additional funds for the Settlement. Although the weather didn’t hold up for the entire day there was still a good turn out and the event was very enjoyable.
To see more photos of the event please visit our Flickr page.
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!