This branch of The British Heart Foundation has a spacious shop floor with which to display large…read moreitems of furniture that don't fit in the smaller outlets. It also carries smaller items of furniture, as well as white goods and general electricals. Sadly, the white goods and electricals are not reconditioned, and so they will only accept items that are working at the time of donation, but there's no guarantee that they will continue to do so once you get them home. They do perform function and PAT tests, so the portable appliances are likely to be more reliable. Nevertheless, white goods are the biggest sellers, which is pretty much the same story across the 87 outlets of this kind throughout the UK. Because of this they are always on the lookout for donations to replenish their white goods stock. It's always best to check with them first before loading heavy items into your car and hauling them all the way to the shop, as they will refuse certain items. They won't accept any gas cookers for instance. They also sell some new stock at reasonable prices. This is not damaged or redundant stock. Instead, they rely on buying in lesser known brands that do not carry such a hefty price tag.

Now we're talking. I've been looking for a place like this since I've moved to the UK - a showroom…read morewith an extensive range of second-hand furniture and electronics, not overpriced "antiques". Charity shops carrying larger home items are quite common in Florida, and all of the furniture in my respective family members' houses are sourced from these "thrift stores" and then reupholstered or repainted. Thankfully, this makes it difficult to spend £2,000 on a hutch or dining room table. Speaking of costs, the price here are rock bottom: Sturdy wooden dining sets for under £100, TVs for £25 and bedside tables for a fiver. For me, the appeal is owning a piece of furniture that can't be found in every home in Britain (ahem, IKEA). The staff here incredibly helpful - I wasn't in here five minutes before two members of staff politely informed me that the shop had an upstairs stock room, in case I couldn't find anything I wanted on the ground floor.

Track 2000 converts tat into treasure…read more This not-for-profit organisation offers second hand furniture to those on a low income, it also trains the unemployed and aids the recycling effort to boot. You can pick up second hand beds, settees, wardrobes and white goods from their warehouse. The ethos is great and it's a fantastic asset for the Cardiff community, but I did find some of the furniture a little overpriced and some of the sofas in need a clean. The building itself is Victorian red brick, with a number of large biodiesel powered lorries loitering outside. Look out for the washing machine drums on the side of the building, which offering fantastic natural drainage and have been converted into ingenious plant holders. Bonus: Just ask and Track 2000 will deliver your furniture purchases

This registered charity offers training and experience in music, video, computers and graphics to…read moreyoung people aged 16-25 in the Cardiff area. It aims to help young people recognise their potential and give them a greater sense of self-worth by offering learning opportunities in a relaxed and friendly environment in the heart of the city centre. From photographic and image manipulation courses to video-making taster workshops, it's a hub of musical and other activity. Some young people take longer courses at the centre that lead to qualifications, while others just join in shorter activity workshops or one-off events. There's also a cheap coffee bar based at Grassroots to give young people the chance to drop in to socialise or find out more about what's on offer. There's an advice office, too, providing a free drop-in service covering issues and problems of relevance to young people.

A charity with its heart firmly in the right place, Grassroots is a tireless trainer of arty…read morepursuits to young people. If you're 16-25 and want to get skills and advice in music, video, computers, graphics, photography, performance or the Internet, they can help. Several years back there were also regular lo-fi gigs at its Charles Street base, while a coffee shop remains at the premises, proving Grassroots walks it as well as it talks it.

You wouldn't think looking at the urban front of the Adamsdown Resource Centre that there is a…read moresecret paradise of willow arches and fresh fruit, veg and flowers within, but there is and it's beautiful. This community garden is just one of the resources the Centre offers you as well as the chance to become involved in maintaining it. If you live in Adamsdown then you are lucky to have such a fantastic resource on your doorstep. Out of the Centre's offices come walks and workshops, classes, meetings, training, festivals and fun days. Their windows are plastered with posters offering a 'free homework club', 'summer woodwork project', the chance to 'sing in a community choir'. ...And they're open to other suggestions, this is a community space, this is your space. If you live in Adamsdown and want to get to know your neighbours, knock on this door, grab a cup of tea and get involved.

This is a friendly local centre well-located for most Plasnewydd residents with a well-used indoor…read moresports hall, two badminton courts, and a function and committee room. Parents can hold their kids' birthday parties at the centre, keeping all the mess and chaos well away from their own homes - the centre organises the party for them, and all parents have to do is pick the activity. Bonus. Activities available at the centre include all sorts, from Akido, ballroom dance and fencing club to gymnastics, Kung Fu and Shorinji kempo (a Japanese system for self-improvement and training). With such a wide variety of things on offer at the centre, it's a good place to check out if you're a Plasnewydd resident thinking about taking up a new activity.

As I said in my previous review, I do not use the Grangetown branch of the Salvation Army because I…read moream religious, but because during the day it lends its space to various community groups and it provides a fantastic large space for my wee one to play. For those of you who would like to know more about the church I have been told by Eric, the musical director of the brass band that the illusive 'prayer books' are there in plain view! I mentioned the Sally Army's brass passion, but the Salvation Army also have a music Group (Piano, Guitars, Percussion etc ) and a mixed vocal choir to enhance their worship. Eric says: "We try not to ram our beliefs down anyone's throats as we have all faiths using our Church ( and they feel comfortable doing so) in this age of intolerance that is a mighty step forward."

Of course the salvation army bands have a high reputation as musicians The band playing Christmas…read morecarols in the city has almost become part of Christmas itself. This is the visual (and aural ) part of the army's work as they carry out unseen a high degree of social work that is done by filling in the gap left by the government social services or perhaps in areas where it does not function The 'soup run' for example is to be commended where volunteers give up their nightly beauty sleep to visit the 'down and out' living rough in Cardiff city ,taking hot soup, blankets and help when it is needed. Occasionally they have to deal with mentally confused people which is sometimes dangerous. They are really the good Samaritans . They are, of course, not the only organisation carrying out this good work but they are the forerunners of social care in this country. Whenever there is a disaster of any kind they are always there providing hot drinks and comfort to the victims. The list of social work that the army carries out is too extensive for this short note. One cannot praise the work of this (almost) unseen army too highly.

The Lewis Trust shop on Clifton Street is a registered charity (No. 1078443). It used to be called…read moreWar On Want, but changed it to The Lewis Trust (Fighting Against Poverty) Ltd in recent years. The aim of the charity is to help alleviate poverty and distress around the world. It does this by funding initiatives to reduce poverty and providing medical care and advice o people living in impoverished conditions. They also publish reports detailing the causes of disease and suffering, covering both physical and mental disorders, as well as offering insights into the means of elieving these conditions. They also provide education about these matters to schools colleges and at various public events. The Lewis Trust charity shop on Clifton Street seems to specialise in selling furniture and other high value items. It also has a good range of books and a fair amount of bric-a-brac. They are always on the lookout for furniture donations, and so it's worth contacting them if you have an unwanted sofa stored away in your garage.

This is a charity shop with a maverick vibe - tatty and archaic, the kinda vibe I like…read more The Lewis Trust is a small independent that sits at the other end of the spectrum to the Oxfam supermarket. This is a good thing. However I find some of the goods sold here a little over priced for their quality. I purchased a small backless pine cupboard for £15 (cira 1990 yellowed, varnished not antique pine) and instantly regretted it, unfortunately guilt prevailed and I didn't return it - it was after all a charity shop. Saying this I think it's still well worth popping your head into if you're on the hunt for some furniture and you happen to be in the area.

Like nearly all charity shops, Scope offers your usual selection of second-hand clothes, books, CDs…read moreand knick knacks. Scope stands alone among Churchill Way's solicitors' offices, night clubs, and beauty therapy salons; you normally find clusters of charity shops in the Cathays/Roath sections of the city, or by the street leading to Cardiff Central Railway Station, so Scope is a welcomed good-conscious shopping retreat in the Queen Street area. It's worth mentioning that this particular location is one of most tidy charity shops around and a pleasure to browse through. The shop assistants are always lovely and up for a chat. As it's located right next door to my occasional hairdressers Toni & Guy, Scope is one of my favourite spots to spend a few minutes browsing before I get my locks chopped.

Psst... Pssssst... Would you like to know a secret?…read more This is one of the best charity shops in Cardiff. Which charity shop is the best in a given city is a pretty nebulous thing to try and gauge; given the nature of the business, their stock and the quality of the goods changes all the time. There are rarely any consistent staff members and there is no guarantee you'll ever get what you've been looking for. However, thanks to the location, this one is one of the better ones. It has the advantage of being where no one expects it to be, and because of this the people who already know about it, know about it and the people who don't are unlikely to amble in by accident. It actually has a rather regular customer base for its location; I've been in there a few times and seen the same people again and again, and I think this is due to consistency. Whereas the shops in Roath and Cathays are a constant bustle of activity, with people hunting out the best deals all the time, this Scope is a more relaxed affair, where you have more chance of actually getting something worth getting.

I love what Age Concern is all about. They are one of the most important charities that are…read moresupporting the elderly in many different ways. Isolation is a huge problem for old people these days, as it is for younger people too, but whilst younger people may get depressed about feeling alone, there are a multitude of other potentially harmful factors of living in seclusion for the old. Isolation is a product of modern society, where communities have broken down, with large numbers of the workforce being incredibly mobile, often relocating great distances away from their parents. The fact that we have transient societies means that it's difficult to start and maintain friendships, so there are fewer people looking out for the welfare of the nations OAP's. I'm always saddened to learn of yet another old person being found dead in their home by the postman, or the milkman, instead of by a family member or a neighbour. Age Concern addresses the issue of isolation amongst a plethora of other initiatives to offer support to the frail and needy. Their shops provide a significant amount of revenue to fund these directives, and so they play an important role within the charity. This particular shop is a good one. It is well stocked, and often has good quality clothing with a few designer labels thrown in for good measure. They also have a reasonable bric-a-brac section and the books and DVD's often offer up quite a few titles that I snap up readily. Great!

Being one of those people who can't go into a charity shop without coming out with a year's supply…read moreof books, my creaking bookshelves and increasingly overloaded cupboards are eternally grateful this place isn't nearer to my house. The shop houses an impressive supply of reference books and is well ordered by subject. The staff here are clearly able to sort through the titles, and so there is a section devoted to the best quality works and the 'classics'. For the specialist reader, the shelves are also divided up into categories as diverse as Religion, Pregnancy, Foreign Language and Antiques. Throughout my English Literature, I found this quite the resource as next year's reading list often tended to appear just hours after the school's essay hand-in date. At turnover times such as these, text books and professional guides are always prominently displayed within the shop so do make sure you get in quick. At other times, keep an eye out for buy one get one free incentives. Who knows, you could take a chance and find your new favourite author. URBAN CHALLENGE: Buy a book by an author you've never read before