Birmingham’s

Snippets
Tills ringing, business booming for Upcycle Birmingham
The brand new Upcycle Birmingham store has
officially opened to the delight of residents in Castle
Vale who have been busy snapping up bargains.
Upcycle Birmingham is an innovative social
enterprise that helps people in need transform their
homes with affordable, high quality goods.
The furniture recycling business was officially launched
two years ago, operating from a warehouse in the OYO
Business Park. Selling a wide selection of recycled items
for the home – including tables and chairs, cabinets, beds
and sofas – it has proved so popular that the business has
expanded with the new shop at 4 High Street, Castle Vale,
now offering clothes and smaller household items.
Upcycle Birmingham provides employment, training
and volunteering opportunities for local people who
are looking for work. As well as giving residents the
chance to make home improvements that they can really
afford, it also helps them to become more employable
by providing access to skills based qualifications.
An appeal is now underway for donations and items
that can be upcycled and resold. These can be collected
or delivered to the Upcycle Birmingham unit.
“We are urging people, businesses and even
community organisations to take a good look around
We have a team of people, led by
experienced trainers, waiting to
inject new life and transform items so
they can be re-sold and re-used.”
their homes, offices and centres and think about donating
items that they no longer want or need,” said Judy
Tullett, Project Manager of Upcycle Birmingham.
“We have a team of people, led by experienced
trainers, waiting to inject new life and transform
items so they can be re-sold and re-used.”
Upcycle Birmingham is part of the Castle Vale Tenants
and Residents’ Alliance (CVTRA), an organisation that
has provided help, information and support for residents
across east Birmingham for more than 20 years. At
the very heart of the community, CVTRA is unique as
it is the only resident-led organisation of its type in
Birmingham, and one of only a few in England.
If you have items you would like to donate, or would
like to find out more about training and volunteering
opportunities, contact Upcycle Birmingham.
i 0121 747 5932 / www.upcyclebirmingham.org.uk
John Taylor Hospice’s top fundraiser
© Rmarmion | Dreamstime.com
JustGiving, the online funding platform, has confirmed that John Taylor
Hospice chief executive, Kate Phipps, was one of its top fundraisers in 2015.
Of over 532,000 fundraisers on JustGiving in 2015, Kate’s page raised £14,000, placing her in
the top 1%. But this didn’t come easily. Kate’s fundraising effort was a tandem skydive – and first
she had to lose 41 pounds to meet the body mass index requirement set by skydiving schools.
Kate set herself a target of raising £14,000 – the cost of providing a full 24-hours’
palliative care either at the hospice or in patients’ homes – after seeing the
example set by one of the hospice’s corporate supporters, Connect Distribution.
Her skydive funded the hospice’s care throughout Christmas Eve.
Update 250 /// February & March 2016 3