SOUTH STREET FOODBANK – FORMERLY BRIERLEY HILL PROJECT

Every day we take referrals from various partners and individuals for one-to-one appointments to help with any number of needs, including access to food, crisis management and budgeting/debt advice. Our drop in sessions run 12pm-2pm every Monday and Wednesday. We are dedicated to supporting the young people in our community in various ways. We run detached youth work sessions, youth mentoring and a weekly football session 5pm-6pm Friday at the Dell Stadium. It is our belief that the best organisations have a clear set of values that inform and underpin the way they work. The Brierley Hill Project’s work is established on and informed by a clear set of values that find their origin in the rich Judeo Christian spiritual heritage that the founding members of the project share. We believe that it is essential that our values and guiding principles are articulated as they provide the motivational energy that empowers the work we do. Hope – Finding a new beginning We hold a deep conviction that everyone should have the opportunity of a fresh start, emotionally, spiritually, sociologically and economically. The hope of a better future is available for everyone despite the current shape of their life or their circumstances. We never give up on people and we actively seek and create opportunities for people to achieve new things and overcome those things that hold them back. Freedom – Making right choices We believe the discovery of the right and proper boundaries for our lives and those of our community along with the removal of inappropriate or life-limiting boundaries enables us to discover our full potential. Everyone should enjoy the freedom that making the right choices can provide. Therefore we will challenge damaging, inappropriate choices and behaviours as well as the ways in which people’s choices and opportunities are constrained by others. Acceptance – Discovering belonging We believe many people are searching for a place where they can experience unconditional acceptance and so find a deep sense of belonging, a place where superficial judgements and prejudice are absent and where they too can become accepting. Therefore we will be understanding and non-judgmental in our dealings with others and try to offer opportunities for people to contribute as well as to receive. Wholeness – Facing the truth We recognise that facing the truth about ourselves and being honest with ourselves provides an opportunity for us to lead our lives from the position of integrity. Completeness is, in part, determined by an individual’s willingness or a community’s willingness to confront the truth despite what the individual or corporate implications may be. Therefore we will act with integrity and both welcome and learn from feedback. We will offer feedback to others in a spirit of respect; we will try to learn from experience and to change where change is needed. Forgiveness – Letting go of being wronged We believe that reconciliation forms a fundamental building block in removing social, emotional and spiritual debt and allows us to build strong healthy relationships. Being reconciled with ourselves and others creates emotional, social and spiritual freedom. Therefore we do not keep a record of wrongs committed by others or by ourselves; we acknowledge our failures with courage and as openly as we can. Justice – Seeking righteousness and right relationships We recognise that inequality, injustice and poverty are at the root of apathy, despair, poverty of ambition and the absence of human flourishing. Therefore we strive to act fairly in our own dealings, to maintain right relationships and, so far as we are able, to stand with the weak and vulnerable in fighting injustice. Homeless, rejected, angry and hurt a young vulnerable adult enters the project. Highly agitated and frustrated she had been involved in fighting, drinking and taking drugs; used and abused by the only friends she knew. Then begins a life changing journey, many hours invested; one to one support, benefits advice, housing support and working with other partners and agencies. Rebekah is now stable and happy in supported housing, she is also volunteering which she says helps give back to others . A young man who we met near the start of the Project had a range of different issues, mainly around anger. The problems that were present since early childhood had never been dealt with and led to very destructive behaviour. We helped him to better understand how to react to situations and not to explode and attack. Now he’s different, can manage his anger and has successfully secured employment. Stacey began to support my daughter several years ago. Over the years he has  supported her in a variety of ways, from helping with contacting utility services, assisting with benefit applications, attending doctor’s appointments with her, attending hospital appointments with her and also being a great support to her when things in her life were particularly awful. Stacey fought tirelessly to ensure that my daughter received the help she needed and she is now in a far better ‘place’, than she has been for many years; with the chance to start a new life.  It was mid-February when I last blogged – just shy of 12 months from the first COVID 19 lockdown and during the second lockdown.  It’s been a slow release and we are still not out of the pandemic restrictions yet. This past 14 months we have remained operational throughout; not to drop in as before Read more about What next for the BHP?… A lady we helped move just before the 2nd Lockdown has settled in very well and is so, so happy. Such a positive change as she is now able to go outside into a small garden – so important especially at this time. The neighbours are quiet and so she can have some peace at Read more about What have we been doing? Release of Lockdown 1 – Now it’s Lockdown 2!… Here we are in the 2nd lock down.  Some of our volunteers are staying home whilst some have to isolate.  Our Friday football sessions for young people are cancelled; the venue is closed.  Wherever possible our appointments are back on-line or on the phone.  We are still open for Foodbank sessions. We are still doing Read more about It’s hard to put into words……… Looking back over the last 5 months I reflect on our wonderful team and their families; how everyone has pulled together to support others and to provide a consistent service in the most difficult of circumstances. Adapting to the changing landscape where necessary and going the extra mile to drop off essential items and to Read more about COVID19 THE NEW NORMAL… A number of support workers are continuing to use our order and collect service for their families.  We are continuing to look at how we might be able to be more effective in supporting these individuals, as many are working from home and struggling with their own childcare issues and other challenges. We really do Read more about Weeks 3-9 of Lockdown… What have we been doing whilst the country is in lock-down? Here’s an update for you as a way of reassurance that we are doing what we can to support our community in Brierley Hill. Jen, Eden, Stacey and Em have been working hard on the ground with the support of our volunteers throughout the Read more about COVID19 Update… Thank you to those of you who have sent messages of support and have been checking up on us this week. We want you to know that we are doing our best to continue to support people in need. We are now running a Foodbank only service, however, we have increased the number of Foodbank Read more about Update from the Brierley Hill Project… In September we were informed that we’d successfully secured funding from the second round of the Voluntary Sector Innovation Fund to expand our youth work and delivery.  The success was down to our belief  that delivering good quality youth work is an important place to start in improving our community and the local authority agreed.  Read more about Christmas Post from the Brierley Hill Project… The summer has well and truly gone and the nights are drawing in. Despite the dark and cold there is a spring in our step at the project. We have had a bit of a spruce up …. it all started in August when a group of young people from Amblecote Christian Centre kicked it Read more about Another month has gone by …….… An opportunity for an enthusiastic person who is able to primarily engage with a range of young people and children aged 8 -19 years (25 with disability) as well as adult community members. You would be supporting the development of wide varied sessions, which are used as an opportunity to build professional relationship with children, Read more about Youth & Community Apprentice Opportunity…

Roderick Chance Smith
5 Star
Have been there a few times in the past and everyone there is very friendly and helpful.
Sunday 16th January 2022

Martin Guest
5 Star
Very nice friendly helpful people lovely place
Tuesday 17th August 2021

stephanie sinclaire
5 Star
It's an excellent project
Wednesday 26th January 2022

Kevin Walker
5 Star
They do great things for the community
Sunday 25th April 2021

James Underwood
5 Star
Great service, great empathy and understanding
Wednesday 18th November 2020