You will see this place back from the road near to the post office and Burger King - it has parking…read morebehind the centre. It has numerous events/classes on during the day and evening, indoor bowling, dancing, bingo just to name a few. It has a small bar which due to the size does not stock a large range. They also hire out the room for parties at around £25 an hour

I have held a party at the centre and found the rates reasonable and the staff friendly and polite,…read morethey also showed me around before the party which was very helpful. The bar was good value.

UpRising had been mentioned on more than one occasion to me in connection to the various Into Work…read moreprojects I work on. This charity concentrates its efforts on young people, 19-25, but rather than work skills, the encourage people to build in their leaderships skills. In a sense, they offer leadership a programme with the objective to equip young people with the skills and knowledge that will help them work within their communities. Ultimately the aim is to build a better Britain, starting with these young people; the leaders of tomorrow. With a base in Birmingham, they are also working in Bedford, Manchester and London. Speak to Zehra Zaidi for more details.

I've recently been introduced to the wonderful people at Turning Point whilst undertaking a charity…read moreproject to help people back into work. The small team at this Custard Factory based charity are lead by the hard working, enthusiastic, Monica who is super keen to help people. Turning Point 'turn around the lives' of those who need it, including those with substance abuse problems, those with mental illness with learning difficulties. They mentor, monitor, befriend and support people through their darkest hours and provide them with path into society. It's an amazing feat that needs amazing people at the helm and I'm very much looking forward to working with them in months to come.

From the owner: EESPro Employment Service exists to assist and enable people who have experienced substance &…read morealcohol misuse to access employment, education and training opportunities in order to enhance rehabilitation and reduce social exclusion. The service also assists Prolific and Priority Offenders (PPO).

Cancer. This is a word that strikes fear into the heart's of every hypochondriac. If you get cancer…read moreyou are in big trouble, it is a horrible illness and it affects the victim and the families and friends of the victim. I remember when why Granddad died of lung cancer; it was an awful painful existence towards at his death. After he died I paradoxically avoided Cancer Research, because it is an insidious disease and research seemed futile. That was a long time ago and now I'm happy to go to their charity shops. This is a particularly good one and has a fine selection of clothes, vinyl and ornaments. Caner research do great work and who knows, maybe one day there will be a cure?

I regularly make donations to this store and the volunteers who work there are friendly and…read morehelpful. They do an eclectic mix of goods and personally I find that they always have a great section of books, for me I enjoy buying a few books and donating them back to the store to sell on again - yes I could use a library but spending some money in a charity shop does help. They also do stock some new products

They really do have some nice furniture styles from Germany, England, Italy and France. There…read morereally is high end furniture here and it's good for people who like antique and vintage furniture. You might be thinking it sounds pricey? I think everything is priced within reason and when I went there they had a sale on. They even have a small cafe that you can sit in and enjoy a hot drink or a slice of cake. Betel is a charity that aids people with alcohol, drugs and homelessness issues. This is one of the Betel outlets. As part of their aid they give assistance to people by providing skills and jobs to those they help, and particularly in furniture restoration. It's clear that a lot of love and care goes into making and fixing up the furniture. As this is a charity shop, and a quality one, their stock is constantly changing. I've visited on one occasion and found there was nothing to my liking and I've been on another and found there are some things that I really like. You might find the same so don't be put off my one visit.

This place serves two purposes in my mind - coffee shop and vintage/antique furniture…read more The little coffee shop is lovely with a range of coffees (and soya milk) as well as cakes and treats which are suitable for people with dietary requirements. It's not the biggest coffee shop, but it's got a nice little homely / indie charm to it. The furniture all seems to be on the vintage / antique side of things and is on the whole better quality than you find in most charity shops. This does mean that it often feels a little more expensive too. But I've wanted a bureau for a while and despite seeing cheaper ones elsewhere, the ones in this shop felt a better deal as they were more interesting and in good condition. They let me reserve the bureau for 24 hours and when we popped in they helped load it into the car for us. I probably wouldn't buy a lot from here, but for interesting, well maintained one off pieces it's worth a look.