Right guys, I am being in here because the volunteers have been down here.
I've been up there painting our wall.
I think they've put gloss on the wall.
Oh, what's gloss on the wall in here?
Right, so they've had a good clean up down here... for us.
This is just a secondary kitchen.
We probably won't be using this to make teas and coffees because it's downstairs.
So for safety reasons I wouldn't have a kettle down here because I can't, you know, they can't get a stint if they've tried.
They can't, we can't keep an eye on it with kids.
So for safety reasons this is just here for the sake of it now.
We keep our little rolls in there.
I don't know, I might put a box of bric-a-brac on there.
They've tried to do the tiles best they can.
Those ones are really badly damaged so we took them off.
And then Chris has had a go in the throne room.
It's lovely and clean.
I would clean the toilets.
Don't worry about cleaning the toilets, guys.
You don't have to do that.
But thank you for doing it.
So they've added a little bit of paint there but Luke said it wasn't very good.
So I am cleaning here.
So they've had a good clean.
The brush are very good.
We need a better brush for them, you know.
And they've started painting the walls.
That's nice, isn't it?
So I assume I was the best.
Because we want it to be nice.
We want it to be appealing for kids, don't we?
You know, I'm breaking everybody's spirits when they come in here.
We don't want it to be doom and gloom.
Like some food bites, you know.
Like we were saying today about the nappies, you know.
And telling volunteers how we work, etc.
I think they've gone all through these now.
Got all the rubbish out.
We've got little signs on these saying, oh, me.
Once I get home.
Because you know how much stuff we get.
We can keep all the plates and the cups and the crockery in these, see, couldn't we?
And then, you know, just, oh, what's in here?
Oh, plates.
Oh, I'll have that plate.
So, like I was saying, if a mother can come in and just pick up a pack of nappies off the side and give a pound donation, she doesn't have to ask anybody for help.
And she hasn't had to give out all of her personal details and her reasons, you know, why she needs a pack of nappies this week.
Or, you know, like you give you a food bank.
You've got to give...
Ask for a food bank voucher.
You've got to ask loads of questions.
You know, why do you need a food bank?
You wouldn't be asking for a food bank if you didn't need one.
If you weren't in the process, it would do.
You know, and it is... we've been to quite a few food banks, they're really doom and gloom.
And that's not how we want to run our shop.
If we can empower people to come in and self-help, I think what we'll have to do down here is start mopping this floor.
Like we're doing Risca to keep the dust down.
But yeah, they've done... I think they've bagged up a load of stuff by there as well.
I've got the paint on all fast, so...
So I grabbed that.
So any money that we've made in Pontypool this week, because if you forget my purse, has been used in Pontypool shop.
But if a mum can just pick up a pack of nappies, hasn't got to explain to anybody why...
That's what we're about, isn't it?
I don't want to know why you need a pack of nappies.
I've got enough to worry about.
I don't need to know why somebody needs a food bank, or why they can't afford all their baby stuff.
I don't need to know that.
All I need off you is a letter to say, I need help.
I don't need to know why in your letters.
I need help.
Because that's what we're here to do, is help.
I want a pram, Moses basket, nappies, clothes, and that's all I need help with.
Thank you.
And then, you know, me and the other trustees will discuss it.
Nine out of ten times we say yes.
There's only the one or two that we say no to.
And there's a reason behind it.
But yeah, that's fantastic, isn't it?
It's fantastic.
It looks good.
And there are stripy walls.
Like I said, it's fun for kids, but it's also fun for adults, isn't it?
We're all in this cost of living crisis.
A global pandemic and a world war together.
So if we can all lift each other up and all feel happy, and we're all in it together in me.
So we can all support each other.
So if we've got nice spaces.
Like I said, sometimes we get mothers in and they don't buy anything and they don't ask for nappies.
And do you know what?
They just want five minutes chat out of the house.
You know, some mums have disabled children, children with autism.
They just want a break for five minutes.
So they just come out the house and they might say, oh, I can hang up this bag of clothes.
And that's fine.
You know, if you're going to give 15 minutes of your time hanging up a bag of clothes, I'm not worried.
That's why we say volunteers can come and go as they like.
You know, these are safe spaces here for women to come and charge their phones.
And men, if you need to charge your phone, you can do it in our shop.
If you need to get out of the house, come in our shops.
I can't say it's a warm space because you know we have to take a bit of heat in them.
But sometimes it's nice just to have a chat in there.
But the girls over Chris and Debra were really hard in here today now.
They need a hard brushless out for the floor.
They said it was sinking down here.
Really bad.
Well, you can see that.
They've got all this off, look.
So I might put some more on that.
I've got a big one too.
Old bottle of Fabinosa.
I like Fabinosa, but it'll kill your hands.
I'll put that on there because it's still a bit sticky.
And then perhaps the sticky will wear off.
That's why I've been here.
If I had a load of clothes in now tonight, I could just put them on the rift.
It's got to be nice and clean and tidy.
Ready for health and safety to say yes, you can use this space.
That's what it's all about, isn't it?
So we use every inch of space we've got.
Oh, it's cracked me up.
There's cellotape everywhere.
So yeah, it's lovely.
They've done a fantastic job.
So I can't do murals.
I've asked a few people, but there's nobody willing to do them.
Like I say, we pay for the paints.
That's the real cost for the workers.
But everybody's struggling, isn't they?
And I can't do a mural, but I can do stripes and circles.
We do that.
But Davy's boyfriend did that.
Looks good, doesn't it?
It's nice.
So we'll try and keep to those colours down here.
Or maybe a bright blue.
Maybe we'll stripe all of that wall.
And stripe all of this.
And then maybe just block colours there.
I don't know.
We'll have a go.
Got to have some friends, haven't we?
A bit of art therapy.
