Oh look guys, we just found him in the food bank room.
With all the old stock.
We thought it was a blind at first, but it's a lovely movie picture.
Jungle Bug 2.
Because I opened it up and I was like, oh he's here.
I know him but I don't know this one.
So I'll see if we can get the boys now.
Put it up there.
Because that's the only place we've got left.
To keep it though, I don't want to sell it.
It's like the Fantasia one in Ponty I'd rather keep it than sell it.
They're worth quite a bit.
They're worth like 250 quid I think.
That's what they're marked up as.
But I think it's nicer for the kids.
So I think if we can get it up there in the kids area, on the roof, we will.
I'm not sure what they'll need for that.
Rivets.
What have they got up there already?
I don't know.
Leave it to them.
So we'll get that up.
It's lovely isn't it?
It's really colourful.
I've hardly been open I don't think.
So we've nearly emptied our room now.
There's still about 20 bags in there.
And about 10 bouncers we've been waiting for the bars on but they're not of any good quality so we just put them out for the scrapman.
So yeah.
Thank you to Carl, and Gwen, and our under 18 volunteer that helped us this week with that room and anybody else who's helped us with our room in the scrub it all down now.
I scrub it all down with bleach.
You know.
Top the wall to the bottom.
And then I'll... I know it's clean then.
Then we'll keep it shut.
I've ordered the shelves.
I ordered the cheaper shelves.
I was a bit like, what do I want to do?
So I ordered the cheaper shelves instead of the other racking because the very worst that's gonna happen is they won't be suitable and they'll have to go in the shop we're looking at in Caerphilly or wherever else we get another shop.
So that's the very worst that'll happen and we just have to use them for stock.
I think they came to 100... well they were 169 but I think we had them for 134 because people had donated towards the shelves.
You can still donate if you want because we just put it back into buying food.
Use the PayPal app for me please.
I think I've got paint.
I mean I don't even paint then.
Look.
I took the old part of paint in there.
It's all over me.
You know what I'm like when I paint.
So yeah, we'll get this lovely poster up there I think now.
Or maybe in the new shop.
I keep meaning to ring them.
So I booked the painter.
I think we're gonna go with Candyland because it's really bright and lovely.
We've got time because I don't think you've got space until August.
Or end of August.
But you'll come if you've got a cancellation.
So we've got time if something else pops up.
I want it to be so there's no stigma.
So that when children go in there to pick up, when they're with their mothers, pick up some nappies or pick up some toiletries or pick up some extra rice so they can cook some meals.
I want it to be... I want to go in there and just feel like it's their space to be in.
Our food bank is for children you know and that's where we go into stress.
You know children from naught to 18 you know and his mum hasn't got enough to make spaghetti or spag bol.
She can come down here you know and check a couple of chickpeas and spag bol can't it?
Because it's all... what are they?
Protein.
Protein and fibre.
So you could cut them up.
I'm not a fan of chickpeas.
They're awful in there.
But you could make dip with them.
Dip some vegetables in them couldn't you?
You know.
So yeah.
We'll do that.
We need to do our raffles.
Don't forget we got the AU vodka raffle.
Two pound a number.
You win the bubblegum.
Oh it's not bubblegum.
It's colour change.
It might be bubblegum.
And we just give you the lemonade and a pack of lemons to go with it if you want.
And we got a Winnie the Pooh.
He's brand new and he's a proper Winnie the Pooh.
He's one pound a number.
And then all that money will go in to buying food.
We'll provide receipts.
You know that I always put receipts online so you can see what we're up to.
Play houses they haven't taken the money but they're all out of stock everywhere.
But we need to get our food bank up and running now.
Especially however food banks are selling out of date food.
Which is just shocking.
So I mean I'm sorry you've had to pay for it.
Like they shouldn't be charging for that food.
It's donation only.
And to take the actual end-of-day food that's out-of-date and then sell it for four pound a bag is shocking.
You've got to be lowest of the low of how to sell out-of-date food to people who are in need.
I think.
You can't get much lower than that can you?
So God you know you're just profiting off people who were under the poverty line during a cost-of-living crisis, global pandemic and a world war.
I mean I don't know how you're getting away with it to be honest.
I don't think you're going to for much longer because I think the supermarkets are getting wind of it now and they're starting to realize that they're giving the food to people who are selling it on.
So I think it's going to be food banks.
We are a registered food bank.
Each of shops are registered food banks.
So you know Salvation Army they're free.
Registered food bank.
I was talking to one today from Ebbw Vale an autism based charity and they're free.
You know people can give it away for free.
If you're profiting on that out-of-date money, out-of-date food then I think you're the lowest of the low.
I really do.
You know you can't even say oh we bought it from Fairshake Henry and it had four months on the date and that's why we're selling it.
The lady who paid the four pound and brought it in to show me was... she was quite upset like you know.
I give her our food bank referral number.
I said I'll ring her and they'll sort it out.
Sort it out with a bus pass.
Sort it out filling out PIP forms and all the rest of it as well.
So we helped her come in.
We helped her.
She took nappies for her daughter and she's got a pile of donations for us you know.
So it all goes round doesn't it you know.
The karma cycle goes round and round and round doesn't it you know.
So she's gone away.
She's happier.
But I really felt for her because she spent that four pound and four pound isn't a lot but if you haven't got a lot it is isn't it.
And really that food should have been free.
The supermarket.
Check it out at the end of the day if it's not sold.
That's what they used to do.
Shouldn't be charging for it.
It's really bad.
Anyway go back to my poster now.
It's lovely isn't it.
But it's quite big.
So you'll either go up there.
If they can't get it up there then I think perhaps we'll put it in the next unit because I've got a unit I've seen in Caerphilly and I've got a lady who would be an excellent volunteer manager to run it down there.
She could run a cruise ship on her own.
So perhaps we'll send it down there.
And I had bought some rails today off the autism charity.
That's how I met them.
They were selling the big closed rails like this and they popped them down from Ebbw Vale.
Charged me only.
Charged me a fiver delivery which is the you know that's nothing today is a fiver petrol.
But it's this type.
So we got two of these for the next shop because we don't have room here for them.
Maybe for the next shop they will.
And charged me a fiver delivery from Ebbw Vale and that's how I got to meet them.
So funny old isn't it.
So that's what we've been doing.
We're open till 10 o'clock tonight till the sun goes down.
All our free stuff is out the front.
Still tons of clothes there.
It does need a wash.
It's quite musty where it's been stacked up in the room in bags.
But it's alright.
It's okay.
It's good stuff.
There's some designer brands in there today.
Somebody had some... oh she had a lovely... it was marked but she said oh thank you very much.
I'm going to take that home and wash it.
So signs that they're looking at.
They look better with signs don't they.
Me scribbling on bits of paperwork and sticking them up.
So yeah so she had lovely stuff.
There was a Ralph Lauren jumper that was quite badly stained but the lady took it.
You're welcome to just take some bags and wash them for us you know.
But it just saves me taking them home and washing them.
Now it's another job for me.
They're saved.
So got some nice little cots.
This one's sold.
That one's gone.
It's got to be picked up.
This one's available.
It's a nice one.
It's a space-saving crib.
Couple up there.
They've taken some things home to wash.
So yeah I've stacked that on there now.
So that's stacked well and good that is.
So that because this is a bit rough and if you've got a baby there.
So we've got a baby change unit now.
We'll try and get a proper one.
Mum's offered me one in Pontypool.
We just haven't had time to pick it up.
So if anybody wants to pick it up for us.
It's quite a chunky one apparently.
That'd be fab.
The lady's in Pontypool and I've just got to go to Pontypool's shop it has.
Little girl who's looking at those shoes.
Those sparkly ones.
I think we found them for you.
Found the other one today.
Yeah so yeah busy busy old girl as usual.
I'm gonna have a break now and something to eat.
And then I'm gonna get back into the food bank room and get it done.
And I think I said to my son now.
Pick up that... what's that?
What is this?
Where did he come from?
Pick up McDonald's.
And pick up the pressure washer.
And I think what we'll do is get bleach over.
Because it's gonna be a food room.
I mean it's alright.
It's a clean room you know.
It's just brick.
But we'll jet wash it all down.
Jet wash the floor.
Seal it off.
Get the painter in.
Put bleach over the floor again.
Put the shelves in.
We've got somebody donated a pile of fablon to cover the shelves.
Because you can't... if you've got food you can't have them on this.
It's got to be a wiped down surface.
Can't be wood because it's too porous.
So even if you've just got tins.
So we've covered that in fablon like we have at food banks.
And then we're away to go.
We only want a kitchen then.
So we asked Houdins last time.
I'll ask Houdins again.
But they have already given us a lovely kitchen.
And a freezer remember.
For Abba Bargad.
I've got two fridges in the house.
So I only need someone to bring the fridges down.
Roy can do it but he's busy doing other stuff tomorrow.
So if anybody wants to bring any fridges down here on the weekend.
It might be open Sunday this week down here.
Because...
Oh, I've sold something by the way.
Because I got a new lady starting.
It's going to be the volunteer manager on the weekend.
Maybe I can have a day off then.
I'll be bored if I have a day off then.
So that lady's going to come and have a look.
She's worked somewhere else.
She did say.
So I'm sure she'll manage it.
We designed the shops for... to be run by mothers for mothers.
Anyway, that's the whole point of it.
Mothers helping mothers you know.
So yes.
Busy, busy.
Pop down and say yes.
Pop down and give us an hand.
We're open till 10 in Risca.
Thanks guys.
