As my friends will tell you, I love a bargain. I have been known to buy things I don't need or even…read morelike, because they've been cheap. I always get a good feeling when I grab a bargain, more so when it's something I actually want. And when it's for charity, well that makes it even better! The Wes, as it is affectionately known by locals, runs entirely on donations and voluntary work and aims to help those who might not be able to afford to furnish their homes by offering everything they sell at incredibly low prices. A fridge will set you back £25, a washing machine £35 and you can pick up a double bed for £20. It's a great place to go if you're just setting up house; me and the boyf got a dining table with four chairs, and a bedside table, for £60. The dining set is incredible quality, and the chairs are very similar to ones sold in M&S for £150 a pair. Needless to say, I was pretty chuffed with that particular bargain. As well as a fantastic furniture section, the Wes has a great section of bric a brac, where we picked up two camping chairs for festival season for £10. This section sells clothes, shoes and household bits and bobs, and there is a great book section, with books from as little as 20p. The Wesley prides itself on supplying low price furniture "to those in greatest need from all over the City of Manchester". As if its low prices weren't enough, they also offer 'starter' packs for £50-80, for those who have very low incomes and who can get a referral letter from the council, or social services. These starter packs are a great resource for those who are really in need. The Wes is a fantastic hidden gem with a real heart of gold. All of the money spent on furniture here goes to the running of the centre, and it's such a good cause that it makes me feel even better about grabbing a bargain.

Fantastic Cafe with a great vibe. Appreciated that they are minimizing plastics . Love the Chicken…read moreClub

This is a not for profit, community run, church linked cafe…read more As it's a not for profit cafe my brie, bacon and cranberry panini plus side salad cost a very reasonable £3.50. My freshly made banana milkshake tasted of the real thing and cost £1.99. It's pleasingly decorated in a fresh green colour with pretty cotton bunting on the ceiling. There's seating at the front although you'll be looking at the Stockport Road, so we decided to eat inside with a view of the garden instead. The menu is the standard cafe fare of jacket potatoes, soup, sandwiches and paninis. Plus brownies and scones. They also have ice-cream cones for a £1. The food is good, but what's great is supporting the "I love levy" community spirit. On a side note, they do have some modern hymns on but I only noticed after being there about 1.5 hours so I find that acceptable. Also, it seems to get busy later in the afternoon with mums and young kids.

I'm going to be honest; charity shops are amongst my favourite things, alongside shouting at the TV…read moreand knitting. So imagine how happy I was when I found an awesome charity shop that also sells knitting yarn! And TVs! Age Concern's Withington branch looks a little careworn from outside (most shops on Copson Street do, to be fair) and it has its fair share of charity-shop-tat-that-nobody-wants, souvenir teaspoons and Dan Brown novels etc. There's very little to distinguish it from other charity shops, apart from the yarn (in many different colours, at less than £2 a ball, and all proceeds go to charity!) and the fact that this particular charity shop sells electricals and small furniture, at great prices. Whilst living in Withington, my 14" telly from my teenage self's bedroom finally gave up the ghost. On Heroes day. I was, as you can imagine, gutted, and went to work with a thundercloud over my head. Then, at lunch time, the boyfriend texts me. He's been to Age Concern and bought a 30" telly for £25! Woo! Now I could watch Heroes and feel good about helping the elderly. The TV (one of the old skool 'fat' ones) has not failed us since, and it was an excellent bargain. The shop stocks two or three TVs at a time, as well as the odd DVD player or VCR, and the stock is being constantly renewed from a central warehouse. The furniture is often a little old fashioned, but sometimes there are real gems; for example the Singer sewing machine in its own cabinet that I missed buying by about 30 seconds, and which went for a ridiculously cheap £45. As well as bargainous furniture and TVs and yarn, Age Concern Withington also stocks a pretty good selection of mismatched china, great if you're going for the shabby chic look on a budget. It also occasionally has esoteric kitchen accessories; I swear I once saw something called the Onionator but I might have been hallucinating. All electricals are tested and certified safe. You might be deterred by its shabby exterior and its weird fusty smell, but this is a real gem of a charity shop, and it's helping some of the nation's neediest people. So get down there, dig deep and come away with enough wool to knit a football team!

From the owner: Good quality second hand items. All the usual charity shop fare including books and cds, clothes…read moreand accessories, bric-a-brac and household, wool, furniture and electrical.