M&S Sears Solihull

We are a community center located in the Billesley area of South Birmingham, open to the public from Monday to Friday. Our mission is to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all community members to enjoy. We offer a diverse range of activities and groups, alongside services managed by our dedicated volunteers. Our volunteers operate a weekly Food Pantry, Lunch Club, and Café to support the local community with the rising cost of living. They diligently sort and prepare food parcels and meals, ensuring consistent food provision. Each week, we serve our community by offering a variety of warm and welcoming services. During our food pantry sessions, community members can also access other essential items, such as clothing, shoes, and books, at no cost. Simply take what you need. Through our collaboration with Neighbourly food collections, we are proud to host a Community Surplus Day, which has greatly benefited our community. We remain committed to enhancing our services and facilities by utilizing surplus collections to support the community. Billesley Ark Volunteers is comprised of local residents committed to helping and supporting the community. Established in 2018 by the Malachi Community Trust, BAV was created as part of a pledge to Birmingham City Council to empower local residents to transition from service users to service providers within their own community.

TOGETHER WE CAN HELP STOP HUNGER From donating food, volunteering your time or taking on an exciting fundraising challenge, there are lots of ways to get involved with raising awareness of poverty and helping stop UK hunger. Working together is the only way to end hunger. We’ve built many partnerships to pursue new and better approaches, accelerate the success of our programs, and get food and resources to those who need them most. Our motivation is derived from the fact that more than a quarter of a million people are homeless in England (BBC). The figures show homelessness hotspots outside London, with high rates in Birmingham, Brighton and Luton. To continue with our organisational mission of reaching out to those needing help the most; and practicing “charity begins at home”, we started food distribution drive in Birmingham. Although the government says that it is investing £500m in homelessness we still come across quite a large number of people needing their food supplies on daily basis. Although the projects UKCAB runs, coordinate in improving the community development pace by offering free education which will enable people to gain skills and avoid homelessness by getting jobs or starting their own businesses, we witness people who are in dire need of basic necessities to survive.

Yardley House works with young vulnerable homeless people from the age of 16 to 25. We offer a safe place to stay and support them in moving on into their own tenancy. Every year over 1200 young people are housed in St Basils' 29 supported accommodation schemes. For some young people, this includes their young children as well. We have a range of prevention, accommodation and support services to help young people regain the stability they need to rebuild their lives, gain skills, training and employment and maintain tenancies. Our aim is always to help them overcome the 'cycle of homelessness' so that they can go on to experience a bright, and fulfilling future. We work to make sure they never return to a state where they are at risk of homelessness again.