What is NewStarts?
NewStarts is a christian community project, located next to Bromsgrove’s most multi-deprived area, Charford. We provide practical help to people on very low incomes and others in financial crisis, especially recently homeless people, so that they can make a fresh start in a new home. Our core activities are collecting unwanted re-usable furniture, providing free household goods to people in genuine need, an emergency ‘food bank’ and opportunities for long term unemployed people to gain work experience.
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The Project has four main areas of concern:
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Furnishing a home: we collect donated good quality furniture and much of it is given to vulnerable individuals and families setting up a home.
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Selling good quality affordable furniture. This enables people on benefits to buy goods which are usually expensive such as freezers and washing machines. All profit goes back into the project.
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Food: NewStarts provides emergency food for those in dire need.
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Volunteering and work placement opportunities: NewStarts gives people the opportunity to develop skills in a work environment which will help them to gain employment.
NewStarts helps to deliver local action on Re-settlement, Re-use and Recycling that enables consumers to act locally, live responsibly and contribute to sustainability, whilst at the same time making a valuable contribution to the compassionate care of those less fortunate who live amongst us.
In addition to the “Three R’s” above, there are two others: Reduce and React. With climate change and the need to adopt responsible lifestyles being in the news daily, the list of steps everyone can take to help our planet is growing. Reduce is something we can all do. Waste reduction is simply reducing the waste we produce at its source, by not buying it in the first place and then by using it all.
As conscientious citizens we have the ability (and some would say the duty) to learn about the right things to do. React, obviously, is the next step. So make today the day you start to do something about it. Come along to Sherwood Road and make a contribution!