If you wander off Great Western Road and down Belmont Lane you'll find the Coach House Trust. It's…read morea charity that aims to increase social inclusion and help people build skills for employability and general well being. Down this cobbled lane you'll find their HQ which includes a gallery space, an allotment and some lovely landscaped gardens just off Lacrosse Terrace. The gardens are open all the time and provide a nice place to sit in peace away from the traffic of Great Western Road. The Coach House Trust also holds fairs and open days a few times a year where you can buy produce from their allotments, homebaking, art work and crafts. I've just been to their Autumn Fair and picked up a jar of homemade berry jam which is lovely. A brilliant local charity to support and worth a detour to check out their lovely gardens.

I popped in for a quick look and to get shown around as we may want to use some of the rooms over…read morethe summer holidays for work. The building is huge, with lots of different rooms and even a small theatre. The work they do here with young people aged 12 to 25 is amazing and well needed in the area. They offer the young people group work, 1 to 1 sessions and just a place to hang out. They also offer reasonably priced food to insure they are getting a decent meal. Brilliant place that is well used by the local young people.

I'm amazed by just how many times I've walked by this spot, only to have missed Bargain Stop. It's…read moreso unassuming and humble. Hidden away on Drip Road, it really does a good job of camouflaging among the houses nearby. I was surprised to know it's been there for ten years. Considering the countless empty buildings in Stirling town, as good a cause as Bargain Stop definitely deserves a more central location. But I'd say that finding it in its current spot was all part of its charm. With a small, rickety sign outside, it calls you in to 'The Bargain Stop.' Bargain? I love a bargain? Where? I wasn't quite sure I was heading in the right direction but regardless, I headed in. What I found was a charity shop. A funky one. The stock was really eclectic and they had quite the range of shoes. The beauty range was also worth having a look at with plenty of potential gifts. I just bet if you headed in on the right day, Bargain Stop would certainly make your day and you'd be leaving with an incredible buy. Bargain Stop's story will warm your heart. The money they raise enables them to offer daily meals to the local homeless and disadvantaged. It's for that reason I'll be back. Whilst nothing in the clothing section caught my eye this time round, there's certainly plenty of stock to browse and many interesting things to be found in every corner. I left happy with my chirping bird clock, excited to pop back again when I'm next in that part of town.

l Have never seen a charity shop so crammed so full of goodies. there are so many books here and…read morethe ornaments there must have been shelves upon shelves of the stuff. Items here range from the 50's to the modern day, pop along and you will be sure to find many a bargain. I did notice that the shop was staffed by younger people something that l have never seen before.

The Salvation Army charity shops are an unstoppable force…read more My winning streak for bargain hunting in the Glasgow Partick branch was carried forth, bizarrely, to the distant shores of Helensburgh. In amongst a plethora of clothes and kitschy vintage cushion covers, I uncovered the most coveted jumper in the history of Mankind. It's unnatural to fall in love with an item of clothing, but I did - it's my favourite jumper in the whole world. It even came with shoulder pads inside! (I cut them out.) This place is packed with genuine articles from the 80s and 90s that have slipped back in with the trend setters. West End studenty type shoppers would probably have an orgasm in here, especially when they looked at the price tag. I did when I saw the best jumper in the universe cost 2 quid! I wear this thing almost every day, seriously. It's magnificent. It's quite possibly the best bargain I have ever acquired. This place is teeming with bargains from all areas and the staff are really friendly. They seem to have a good sense of humour - you'd have to, to like the kind of jumpers I buy. I just love this shop. I never come out of here empty handed, and wear half the items I buy in here more than expensive stuff in my wardrobe. I'd spend the fiver on train fare to pilgrimage to Helensburgh's charity outlets even if I didn't have family down here!

This privately run nursery offers care from 2years old in this building, but have another for…read morebabies and under 2's in another part of the city.The staff here are all very friendly and skilled and kids are offered a load of different activities both in the nursery and on field trips- sometimes to nearby queens park, sometimes further away.Children play together most of the time but are put in age groups forcetain activities.Parents are reuired to supply all meals and snacks the hours available are 8-6 mon -fri, which is strictly adhered to, if late to collect there are late charges imposed. Easily accessible by car,train ( 9 mins to town from nearby station) and bus ( every 2-3 mins from nearby main road)

My daughter loved this nursery !! (after a false and upsetting start at a another 'fancier'…read morenursery) - dont be fooled by the 'looks good/ must be good' trap. From the outside Poppins looks pretty plain, but this nursery is a gem, the staff are warm, loving and attentive. They offer a good range of activities to set the children up for school. Ian (primary teacher)

This Town Hall is the hub of the Clarkston Community, everything happens here, birthday parties,…read morefitness classes, sports events, voting, jumble sales, Farmers Markets, this place has got it going on. My favourite event is the booksale when they flog off old books from the library at bargain prices. This happens around twice a year and I'm always first in the queue as I'm a total bookworm and like nothing better than getting my mitts on a good read. There's also a tree planted outside which is permanently lit up commemorate the 22 people who were killed in the Clarkston gas explotion of 1971.

A small library, close to the train station; Clarkston library is well equipped if you are a casual…read morereader or are looking for some books for your school project. Staff are invariably friendly and happy to help with any requests. Books can be renewed online, which is an added bonus and you can also look at the catalogues of the other East Renfrewshire libraries. It's free to join if you live in the local area.

£15 for a suit! £15 I tells thee! Popped in here the other week for a quick flick through the racks…read moreand stumbled upon a kick ass blue pinstripe suit (three piece) for fifteen of your earth pounds! Now normally I can never find an entire suit set to fit my odd body, but clearly this suit was purchased by my future self and left to charity I passed... yeah, that must be it. Beside this, the vibe of this shop is a little dif from your regular charity joint. The chick who I've seen in here on most occasions, has a slight hipster / librarian vibe going on, but minus the aloof manner. With this in mind, you can see that she puts out some effort into digging through the mountains of gear to find the odd hidden gem. So yeah, for vintage gear in the West End at non West End price... you could do worse than check out this joint.

This is quite a small Shelter shop, but has some great ways to display things such as jewelery and…read morehats. Unfortunately, they're not for sale... In the limited space, they stock the usual charity shop fare; clothes, bags, shoes, accessories, kitchen and homeware and general tat. There's nothing that special about this shop - although the girl behind the counter was very friendly.

Yorkhill Children's Foundation is a small Glasgow charity based in the Yorkhill area. You'll find…read morethe Charity's office actually inside the Yorkhill Children's Hospital - which means that it is ideally placed to do the work that it does with the sick Children getting treatment at the hospital. As a charity, the Yorkhill Children's Foundation works to make the life of the sick children being treated at Yorkhill a little better. With the money they raise they do things as diverse as buying new medical equipment for the hospital and investing in entertainment to make each child's stay less daunting. To raise the money to do this, the Yorkhill Children Foundation organise a great variety of fundraising events. Recent events have included a Swishing party (that's clothes swapping to any of you who are less 'up' on fashion trends!) a dinner and a golf day. If you want to take part in any of the foundations events, or even hold your own, you can get in touch with the foundation via their website or by popping into their office. As a charity, the Yorkhill Children's Foundation is very visible in the local community. As well as their events, you'll notice collecting cans in local shops as well as recycling bins in various locations around the city. Personally, I think that the Yorkhill Children's Foundation is an absolutely lovely charity which does hugely important and worthwhile work. If you're looking for a charity to support in the Glasgow area - why not get in touch?