Email: info@makeithappenbirkenhead.co.uk | Phone: 0151 306 4840 | 07514 945 814 | Address: 72-74 Market St, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH41 5BT
Our Offers & Events
Make It Happen has a community shop and Place of Contribution (community hub) both situated in the heart of Market Street in Birkenhead for everyone to use.
Pay as you Feel Shop
The shop provides an opportunity to any person to purchase items including clothing, shoes, bags, books, CDs, DVDS on a pay as you feel basis. This means that people pay what they feel or what they can afford - in other words a donation for any item, this is to ensure that the experience people have is a dignified one.
Our team members are then able to encourage individuals to remember the shop when they and family are emptying their wardrobes and getting rid of items. Not only does make people feel part of something but no matter where they are in their lives, they also feel they are contributing to the wellbeing of others by giving something back.
If people cannot pay for an item, the team have the option to be flexible with kindness and use discretion to look at the assets and skills of the person. It maybe that they pay in clothing or other items as an exchange, they may put the kettle on and give a few hours of help to be with the team members and enjoy the atmosphere of the shop, do some cleaning or ironing or leaflet drop and this list is not exhaustive.
On some occasions for example when a local resident has a job interview or funeral and cannot afford a new suit or outfit, we have loaned them on a trust basis and this has been very productive for ongoing relationships with customers. They become lifelong friends of the shop and advocate for the model.
We will also gift clothing to people who are in difficult personal circumstances too as a gesture of good will and again this has been impactful to people and our journey.
Social Supermarket
The Social Supermarket model varies from place to place however on Wirral through Feeding Birkenhead supporting Wirral movement they all maintain a similar approach, social supermarkets are distinct from food banks in that individual pays for their groceries, although at large discounts.
Make It Happen host a 5 star Food Hygiene rated Social Supermarket, where supplies of food and other items are sourced collaboratively and shared to ensure nothing goes to waste.
Through doing this and talking to customers and members of the community it has highlighted that it reduces anxiety relating to multiples choices i.e. pasta as well as the personal anxiety of being in a big supermarket environment.
Our Vibrant Village
Living Room
‘Our Vibrant Village’ is a new National Lottery Funded project being delivered by Make It Happen in Birkenhead in collaboration with our local partners and friends. Based out of our Vibrant Village Living Room at 34 Argyle Street, the focus will be on the future of Birkenhead and our community, the opportunities we have to improve our local environment and the development of a network of Citizen Stewards.
We’ve heard it said that citizenship is a muscle that needs exercise to grow, and we are going to give it plenty of that here in Birkenhead. Giving back to the community is incredibly rewarding and benefits everyone involved, and our Citizen Stewardship journey will bring our community’s aspirations to the centre stage of Birkenhead’s regeneration story. By taking the lead on community initiatives, facilitating new networks and developing local skill sets while also helping to sustain and growing the great things already happening, Our Vibrant Village will become a new village of communities of interest, full of collaboration and coproduction that will improve social cohesion in our area. We want to be catalysts of change, and our monthly steering group will help make sure the changes we aim for are those that our community really wants to see!
Over the next 5 years we will be hosting environmental activities and events in our Living Room, focussing on increasing our sustainability as a community and increasing the resilience and prosperity of local people through a variety of citizen stewardship opportunities. From food preservation techniques to heritage trips, we’ll be covering the small things in life, and the big things too.
C.A.R.E.
Volunteer Training Programme
C.A.R.E. Project at Make It Happen
Our C.A.R.E. project (Confidence, Assets, Resilience, Engagement) is a volunteer development programme that uses our own toolkit of resources to help individuals find and define a pathway forward for themselves, leading to better wellbeing, higher confidence, volunteering roles, or employment/ further education.
Volunteering is a great way to develop yourself and your local network while also giving back to those around you, and truly opens doors to an amazing range of experiences. Whether you are trying to get ready to volunteer, or look for work, or want to volunteer already/already volunteer, these sessions are a great way to build up a portfolio of progress and new skills.
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Anyone over the age of 18 from our local area who is interested in volunteering or already volunteers is welcome to come along to our sessions-
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Every Monday 12 noon onwards
34 Argyle Street
Birkenhead CH41 6AE
(Bus stop just outside on Argyle Street, 2 minute walk from Hamilton Square Train Station)
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To join our C.A.R.E. sessions please reach out to Claire or Anthony to register your interest, either by phone or email (see contact details below). The sessions are free but we need to know the number of attendees and any requirements/ reasonable adjustments etc that might be needed.
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Claire: 07458 302 051 wellbeingteam@makeithappenbirkenhead.co.uk
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Anthony: 07458 306 349
seo@makeithappenbirkenhead.co.uk
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