ALDI TAMWORTH - VENTURA RETAIL PARK

Our homes provide safe accommodation for young mums and mums to be to live independently with 24 hour support. We nurture young parents in life skills to build confidence in themselves to achieve emotional, practical and financial security for life. We support them in parenting, healthy relationships, home care and self care, education and training, budgeting and finance. We provide cooking sessions and how to cook for themselves and their babies using fresh ingredients on a budget without relying on convenience foods and take outs. The girls come to us with very little, we provide new bedding and essential personal items so any shower gel, shampoo, face wipes double bedding, (they have double beds because pregnant girls don't fit in singles) duvets and pillows are always useful. The homes are well furnished but obviously soft furnishings and rugs need replacing quite frequently with 12 babies living with us. The girls are responsible for all the cleaning on a rota basis and do their own laundry, any items to help with this will always be useful. We have tutors who teach English and Maths to enable the young mums to gain basic qualification to go to college or into employment, Knit and natter sessions take place with a volunteer who actively listens to the girls, taking an interest in them as people and not just mums. We have budgeting sessions where we not only discuss essentials such as rent and utilities, we compare prices across baby basic I.e nappies, cot bedding, clothing, to help a low income stretch further. Any baby equipment, nappies etc. would be well utilized. We also remember that the young mums require a treat sometimes so we organize a pamper night where we provide basics such as face packs, nail varnish, bubble bath and they have a girlie evening. We have a large walled garden which we encourage the girls to take care of so that they can enjoy summer evenings, any gardening equipment, plants, bark etc. would be fantastic. You would be very welcome to come along for a visit, our young mums enjoy showing visitors the positive side of the situation they are in.

The charity provides meeting facilities and volunteers in order to deliver educational and social facilities aimed at relieving poverty within the town of Tamworth and surrounding area. Having been a key participant in past years, Heart of Tamworth is taking the lead in providing the Winter Night. Shelter in Tamworth from December 2019 to the end of February 2020. The HoT Community Pantry tackles food poverty by making a wide range of fresh, frozen and ambient food available to those who are struggling with the cost of living. No referral from a third-party is required. The pantry is open weekdays (10am-3pm) and a warm welcome awaits. Surplus donations from Neighbourly are redistributed via our community pantry.

White Hart Community Groups was formerly Volunteer Centre North Warwickshire for 30 years. We changed our focus and name in 2019 to build on our experience of running groups for our community. We run groups for the benefit of individuals and the local community focusing on the most disadvantaged members of society. The groups are a craft group, doing various craft activities with people who have mental health issues, 2 people with autism, an alcoholic and some who are lonely, this has been running for 8 years now. A new knitting group meeting twice a week with local ladies (men are welcome) who need something to come out to and enjoy meeting together. Computer club teaching people how to use a computer this has been running for 8 years now. Our allotment again a long standing group for lonely people to do some gardening and meet others. Woodwork Workshop running for 3 years now, with the lead volunteer learning his skills in prison, this group has helped him get back into normal life, we make all different wooden items including guitars. Job club helping people get back into employment through job searching, writing CV's and supporting and giving guidance on interview skills. Three new groups/projects that are about to start, The Community Fridge supporting those in our community who are struggling to have enough money to buy food for their families, food poverty, but also stopping food going into landfill, so environmentally friendly project, we have fridge, freezer and shelving in place ready to start and a member of staff and 4 volunteers to manage it. We are about to start a board games group for those who are lonely and want to do an activity with others. Finally we have funding to work with people with dementia at the centre were all of our activities run from, White Hart House, but also looking at running it at two other locations in North Warwickshire. We will pay a new member of staff to run these groups doing board games, but also using music for them to sing along to, this is for those with dementia and their carers. For a bit of fun we also have a rock band. .