ALDI BROMSGROVE - SHERWOOD RD

Reducing the cost of living by reducing food waste. Surplus food is distributed by a team of volunteers during 2 sessions each week on Thursday evenings and Friday mornings. We have been operating for 36 months now and have seen our numbers rise from 22 on the first week to now providing for over 90 service users at our highest point. We operate by serving anyone that lives within our Parish boundary. Our main criteria when we started was 'to reduce food waste' and while we continue to promote that philosophy we now support many families who are experiencing difficulties including food poverty, hygiene product deficiency have physical difficulties and/or suffer mental health issues. We liaise with Bromsgrove District Council Community Partnership Manager who supports and advises ourselves and with BARN, the Bromsgrove and Redditch Network who are the local charity network. We operate from Alvechurch Baptist Church who allow us to use their premises on a minimal cost basis. We charge £4 per visit and for that we guarantee everyone a minimum of £30 pounds worth of food from a 'designated table' as well as other food from our 'fruit and vegetable table', our 'free products' table and our 'toiletries/health products' table. We are applying for grants to keep our costs to a minimum. Experience tells us a small charge encourages less well of clients to feel at ease without any stigma. Were a non-profit community organisation. Through links with Bromsgrove District Community Partnership we are able to arrange visits by parties offering a range of services, eg. 1. 'Act on Energy', offering advice on energy saving schemes 2. 'Fire Service', offering home safety advice and follow up visits 3. Local counsellors surgeries, etc. 4. Police surgeries 5. Monthly surgeries from BDHT, (Bromsgrove District Housing Trust). 6. Fortnightly visits from Citizens Advice Also we have a designated 'listener' at every session who are available to speak with our customers. All listeners have received training via CA. We are members of Fareshare and receive donations from them. We have had many articles in 'The Village' which is our local community magazine which is published each month. We also had an 'info stall' at 'Picnic in the Park' and 'Rowney Green Fete' which are our annual local summer fetes. We partner with other community organisations in the area and are actively supported by Bromsgrove District Council and by BARN, (see above). We have a Parish Councillor on our committee and are well supported by our district councillors. We have been in to our local school to do assemblies about food waste and food poverty, worked with our local Co-op Community Champion to facilitate a Xmas pyjama distribution scheme and are working with 2 local farm animal rescue centres to ensure that any food that is left over that cannot be kept/frozen is distributed to them to further prevent food going to landfill.

- NewStarts prevents homelessness and alleviates poverty by collecting unwanted household goods and donating them free of charge to families/individuals who have been recently rehoused but their new council properties are empty and other than resorting to loan sharks, they have no means of furnishing their properties. - NewStarts provides emergency parcels of food for those in financial crisis. - NewStarts strengthens community cohesion by attracting over 100 local volunteers each year to help deliver the project. Included in our team are the long term unemployed (60% of our volunteers of working age are long term unemployed), ex-offenders, retired and active professionals, those with mental and/or physical health challenges and socially isolated people. - NewStarts reduces social isolation by delivering a 360 digital inclusion project, which: a) provides affordable computers/laptops for local people by recycling unwanted I.T. waste (models range from £35-£90), b) offers free, 1-2-1 training in basic I.T. skills, c) delivers a low-cost, I.T. help-desk for the local community, which is open 5 days per week. - NewStarts improves the local environment by re-using c160 tonnes each year of unwanted household goods, which would otherwise be destined for landfill.

Betel UK is dedicated to making a difference in people's lives, our heart and passion is to restore people's lives from homelessness and to help fight addiction. Betel UK is based in Birmingham and has centers all over the UK. It's a non-profit organization, which is devoted to making a difference within the Birmingham community. We provide the highest quality programmes that benefit all residents in Birmingham and surrounding areas. Betel UK is dedicated to returning homeless, addicted and long-term unemployed people to healthy, independent lifestyles. Our residences provide help and hope to around 350 recovering people. We train men and women in a wide range of life and employment skills, equipping them to build a stable and productive future. All of our residences are drug-and alcohol-free and totally free of charge. We offer the opportunity of restoration to all persons who seek help, regardless of financial means. We house around 150 men and women within our centres in Birmingham alone. As a non-profit organization, we have very limited financial resources. Any help is is greatly appreciated as it goes a long way in enabling these peoples lives. Windmill House, Weatheroak Hill, Alvechurch, Birmingham, B48 7EA 01564-822356 www.betel.uk Betel UK is a working name of Betel of Britain, a registered charity nos 1081462 & SC045808, a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales number 3998028. Registered office: Windmill House, Weatheroak Hill, Alvechurch, Birmingham, B48 7EA