Halesowen is charity shop central with each one having a different feel or level of stock to…read moreexplore. This is one of the smaller charity shops but it has some good quality goodies to explore. What I particularly love is that despite their small size they make a point of creating a vintage section in the small clothing stock they have. This included accessories as well as clothing and really saved time for me scouting the store as I knew the car parking time was running out. The focus for this store is definitely on the book side of things with a good range of really old books and more modern fiction. What I would say is that the number of staff seem to outweigh the customers massively, which makes the store seem busy and more cramped as you navigate loitering staff with no real purpose.

Perry Common Community Hall is a little treat nestled not far from Conker Island in the midst of…read morePerry Common / Kingstanding. The reason this place is so fab (aside from having had money from Advantage West Midlands, Birmingham City Council and Witton Lodge Community Association which has been used to make an amazing shiny new airy lovely space) is because the staff who work there are just passionate courageous people. You've all seen the knitted bull at the bullring at xmas, and more recently in a Union Flag getup? Well Witton Lodge and Perry Common worked together a couple of YEARS ago and managed to borrow the original lifesize maquette of the bull from it's current owner. It was installed in their carpark for an agreed period of time, during which they motivated local knitters to send in patches of knitting and then cobbled them all together to create a beautiful patchwork coat for the bull. THEY DID IT FIRST! They covered benches on the island, and lamposts and trees, and the residents were all so proud, and local shopkeepers would shoo away anyway picking at the knitting, and it was such a great community cohesion project done with very little money but lots and lots of love! Since then, the teams have continued working together to run other community events in their space and have continued building the social capital of the area! If you fancy popping along to the centre, there are plenty of classes that are run on a regular basis, and the rooms are also available to hire.

A community hall that has had a facelift makes this an even bigger gem than just a good community…read morehall. This one sparkles even brighter because it is supported by the Witton Lodge Community Association, which means right there that it is ran and supported by people from the area. Not only is it a great space with a hall and meeting rooms to hire but the staff are fantastic. They are passionate, helpful and enthusiastic. They are always eager to give new things a try, support people to get something happening in the community, and subside activity during trial periods to determine interest. Nestled in the heart of Perry Common, Kingstanding, on the edge of Conker Island, it is a greta place to visit and if something is happening on the island it's bound to be them that's doing it. They have knitting groups that were the first to fully cover the Bullring Bull, and if there isn't a group for something and there is interest then they'll get it happening. IJoin their Facebook group, find out when they are up to something and turn up and support them.

Although this is only a small shop in comparison to the other 3 or 4 charity shops on this road, it…read moreis striving with business. There is always plenty of stock in and the staff are friendly. They organized a wedding fashion show a few years back too, offering designer dresses at a cut of the price! There is a small amount of parking, but should probably be only used to drop items off and not to shop!

A wondeful charitable organisation that is truly dedicated to ensuring Sutton Coldfield remain one…read moreof the most beautiful areas to live in!

We took our dog here last weekend following the recommendations here on Yelp. I've lived in…read moreBirmingham for 14 years and didn't even know the place existed despite having driven past it many times! Wow. What a place. The fist thing that struck me was how big it is for saying that I never knew it was there. A huge open golf course area (which is not your usual fancy pants golf club - dog walkers were very welcome), a children's play area and a beautiful wooded area. There is also a cafe but we didn't try that out. The paths are well kept and there are many dog waste bins. I didn't spot any dog mess on the ground - clearly it's a park for well behaved dog owners!! I was also struck by how well kept it is. The people who care for the park obviously take great pride in the park. There are some lovely sculptures and boards showing the history of the park. Absolutely loved it and it's now on our regular dog walking rota! I've deducted one point because the car park is tiny - we visited in February and it was very full so I imagine that in summer it's a nightmare. It did look as though there would be decent street parking around re area though.

This park has an active team who organise a great deal of activities year round. Their latest event…read moreis a tree walk and talk by Chris Shortis. Chris is a local resident and an expert when it comes to the many variety of trees in Warley Woods. We may take trees for granted but after one of Chris's walk and talk events you'll be forever hugging trees everywhere and telling them just how fabulous they are. A learn how to identify birds walk and talk by Liz Coleman who's an RSPB volunteer will get you twitching like crazy, you'll be amazed just how many birds we have flying about us. or you could just use the park to have a wander. It's 100 acres, about 4 miles from the city centre, offers free parking and is another of Birmingham's fantastic retreats.

I've always been accused of being stressful so I decided to take up yoga. Classes were held at the…read moreKings Heath Community Centre. I had never heard of the community centre before, but I was keen to try out their facilities. The yoga classes went very well; I found yoga to be a very relaxing method of meditation and exercise. The facilities at the community centre were very good; the rooms were spacious and the floor was clean. I couldn't find any showering facilities, but that was not a problem because I live close by and could shower at home. The following classes and groups that take place here are as follows- Yoga Children's yoga Weight watchers Stay and play All nations church group Children's dance Circle dance (folk dance) Senior citizens dance Councillor's advice surgeries Home start Rhythm time for babies and toddlers 11+ Tuition Karate Scale model club African Caribbean group

I have been to a few events at Kings Heath Community Centre. In typical council community centre…read morefashion it has quite a boring exterior and interior for that matter, it is by no measure the most inspiring building I have ever looked at. However it seems to host a lot of events, I have been to a few there and I suppose they turn this otherwise boring centre into a valuable resource for the local community - that is essentially what it does, it's not supposed to appear pretty. It is a purely functional building that gives a space to members of the local community who need a space for an event, whatever that event may be.

Onneley House is a nice little community centre based on the Court Oak Road. It has two main rooms…read moreand a kitchen and is used for a variety of purposes - Weight Watchers meet here and they hold Zumba classes throughout the year. It can also be hired for private functions. They sometimes have a rather nice book and bric-a-brac sale in the foyer too.

This seems like a nice place for the care of old and frail people to live in tranquility as it is…read morein a somewhat peaceful surrounding area in Harborne. There is only the ground floor for the usage of the cared for not surprisingly cause of their physical health which is good. Nice staff there aswel.

There are 17 Myton Hospices charity shops through Coventry and Warwickshire and this one was the…read morefirst I have been to. This tiny charity shop placed in the High street of Henley-in-Arden has impressive quality pieces of clothing and I was very tempted to get some of them. A beautiful blue jacket for only £ 8 and some divine pairs of shoes for less than £12. It's interesting to highlight the range of vintage pieces of kitchen accessories that can be found in this particular shop. Good selection of books and jigsaw puzzles are also available in this locale. I got one romance from only £1.50 but I would like to have an another good browsing at their travelling titles. It's always worth visiting a Myton Hospice shop because their items are outstanding ones and this Henley one is not different! Their commitment and work care with people is just something to be admired.