Craft with a conscience…
Birmingham Playcare Network (BPCN) is a Birmingham based charity located in the Hollymoor Centre, Edgbaston. With skilled staff and enthusiastic volunteers, BPCN provide a supportive environment for communities, families and children who are experiencing isolation, financial hardship, and lack of childcare/ space for children to play safely.
To provide this valuable service, BPCN run multiple projects within the community. For a taster of the amazing projects they run – they have a summer play in the park scheme so kids get to experience different activities they wouldn’t normally have access to, and play with their parents knowing they are safe; as well as a Christmas toy drive so families with limited means who have children are able to give them good quality toys for Christmas.
In addition to the tireless work they do in the Birmingham community, and in keeping with their sustainable ethos, they run the Birmingham Scrapstore. And that is a veritable treasure trove of recycled crafting material!
From rolls of fabric, to pieces of mosaic tiles, jewellery to museum slides, wool to wooden shapes… everything and anything is here! Knitters, sewers, jewellery makers, sculptors, embroiderers, rugmakers, toymakers will all find something to take home. Everything is donated by businesses or members of the public (while I was there a lady came in with crafting books) and as such, the prices are incredibly competitive so any budget will go home with a bag full of goodies.
The Scrapstore is open to everyone! Schools, colleges, crafters, parents and other organisations are all welcome, and proceeds from sales go to the work the charity does.
This is sustainable shopping at its very best . Teaching us and our children how to make use of everyday items we have in the home. It also teaches us that everything has a use. What may be our trash, could be another person’s treasure, so think again before discarding anything! As everything is donated, prices are very affordable.
Not only are there things for us to create with, but the volunteers and staff are also incredibly talented. Using materials from the Scrapstore to make items like a beautiful quilt that is currently hanging up for sale. In addition there were soaps, crochet toys and decorations all for sale and to provide inspiration.
And speaking of inspiration, the Scrapstore has a lovely little magazine full of ideas for you and for children to make with items easily found around the house, as well as a library of books on different crafts that you can look through and buy. Videos are also available to watch on the website and there are kits available to purchase if you are looking for a gift.
I spent a very happy hour and a half wandering around the Scrapstore. Easily accessible with free parking, the next time you have a project at home, in your school, community group, business etc, or you have a surplus of goods, contact the Birmingham Playcare Network and know that your donations and purchases are going towards providing safe spaces for children to play in, and valuable support for families in need.
Check out their website at Birmingham Playcare Network for more information, or drop in to see them at Hollymoor Centre 8 Manor Park Grove, Aston B31 5ER. Scrapstore is open from Tuesday to Friday 10am to 40m and every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month from 10am to 2pm.
©Fiona Doney 2025
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