Right, so I think I'm live now.
Right, so we're in Risca.
We've had a good clear out in Risca.
This floor got filled up a few times yesterday, so we've had a massive clear out here.
We've cleared out this porch way.
That's got to go to the tip.
Got some damage there with the rain.
We've cleared out that massive hallway now, because we want the van to pull up by you, put the stuff on the up there.
This got to go now, so that it can get straight to the sorting area at the back, which is our next project.
That's what we're on.
We'll get that done by next week now, because we're going to have a shop.
I got a ring to a vine council now, let environmental health and trading standards know that we go in there, see what they want us to do.
These are the boxes from Ikea.
I did look on the marketplace, but there was none the sizes I needed coming up.
So they're gonna go in that blue thing.
There to put loose things in there.
We've got a nice box of toiletries in.
Most of them are brand new.
So in this, they're gonna go there for the children to sit on and put like little things, little cars, little figures and things that are loose.
So yeah, we've had... Gwen's been here most of the week helping us clean up.
As soon as a bag comes in, she's been dealing with it.
That's what we need, because we get built up quite quickly here.
I know I have a bar good guys have been having a bit of a clear out.
So yeah, we've got... Alan's coming for books now.
Next week I think he's gonna take a pile of books off our hands, because we need to move the books to work on the book section.
So he might as well take... you can put them in the community libraries and restart.
So yeah, we've got a bit of sorting out to do.
I think I had a little bit of painting I never finished over here, because like this is always busy.
This is... I want to clear this area up by here now, the weekend, so that we can get in here with the trolleys and stuff, to wheel stuff in rather than carry it.
And that'll be fab then.
Clear this up here.
I did want this cabinet to go over there, but it's not a very good one.
But it would have been nice for there, because we could have had leaflets and stuff on it.
But we'll sort that out now anyway.
Sort it out in a bit.
And then we've got a couple of tables that were surplus, but they might go over the other shop now.
So you're How much racking we got?
The grid racking, because we want to put some grid racking up down here, because it does look nice when all the baby stuff is hung up, doesn't it?
Looks lovely up in the other shop.
They've done wonders up in that other shop, fair play, haven't they?
So yeah, I've got to go through the toys.
I'm still doing filler bag for a pound on toys, mind you guys, because we've got so many.
And then I've got to get the shelves filled.
I ain't gonna have time to paint them.
I'm just gonna get them filled up, I think.
Got some more donations coming.
This came in, I think Viv brought this in, or somebody donated it to Viv.
But it's like a lino mat.
But I'm wondering if we can put it down somewhere, actually.
So I'm gonna ring fence that for now, because we might use that.
Yeah, so what did you think of the other shop?
It's big.
I didn't realize it was all our underneath as well.
I mean, obviously they've got a bit of a damp problem there, but it's been empty for a bit, a little bit.
But that shop actually connects to another shop, and there's like a tunnel in between.
Not like a tunnel, but like a corridor.
You know, but they've separated that off so that they can have two shops.
Luckily, because there's no way we'd be able to have one all the way down a corridor.
So yeah, I'm really pleased with it.
Jess needs a good clean.
I think I'll go over there.
I'll be satisfied if I go over there, and I know I'd bleach everything down because I know there's been animals in there as well.
I mean, they had a floor on the hygiene racing on the door, so they wouldn't have got a floor on the hygiene racing if they weren't clean, would they?
So, but for my benefit, I want to make sure the petties and things are up.
I have to dig out my hoover, I don't know where it is.
Yeah, knock the rest of that paint that's coming off the wall off.
Go from there, isn't it?
I think once we get in and start using it, it won't be that damp.
So, and everywhere's got damp.
You know, there's no way in the UK that I haven't got damp, is there?
So, and they knocked £150 a month off the rent for us because of our reputation and because it's obviously a bit of a fixer-upper.
You know us, we live a fixer-upper.
But that's down to you guys, that is, because if you guys keep us going, we're only as good as our followers and our volunteers and our volunteer managers.
So, we're only as good as that.
We couldn't do it on the scale that we do it without you all.
I was nuts to think I could do this on my own in the beginning.
Nuts, because in the beginning I was like, nope, nope, nope.
I don't want to work with anybody.
I don't want anybody helping me.
I was nuts.
There's no way I could do this.
So, brilliant.
Our volunteer managers are friends of ours and got a background in retail themselves.
So, that's excellent, isn't it?
That's what we want.
And it was lovely, we went over to the cafe as well, staff meeting.
It was buzzing.
The area that we are in is fantastic because it's opposite Wilkinson's and Peacock's and Farm Foods.
So, I mean, the main shops that people are coming for in Pontypool Town Centre, we're right opposite them.
So, that's going to be amazing, I think, but there for us.
That was, you know, it always comes up when we least expect it, don't it?
The right space at the right time shows up for us, doesn't it?
And I've been looking, I've been looking every day, every night, I'm looking for places.
But, yeah, the right space always comes up at the right price, at the right time for us, doesn't it?
We're the right people.
So, yeah.
So, well done, guys, because there's no way we would have got that rent reduction.
I mean, you tell me who gets an £150 per month rent reduction.
We've done that because of all your support and all your work that you guys have put in.
And they know how many volunteers we got, and how well respected we are.
And, you know, our values and beliefs.
And that, you know, we're there to work together, we're there to help people in the community, you know.
And Pontypool is a struggling community.
So, we'll be over there, guys.
Pop in and see us, because we... you know what we like?
As soon as we get the keys, we're open.
We don't care.
We're open.
Come in, see us, come and have a free tea and coffee.
You'll love our managers over there, they're great fun.
So, yeah, brilliant.
So, if anybody wants to pop in Risca today, I think we'll probably be here till about four.
Maybe a bit longer.
Yeah, so our volunteers.
We've got volunteers out working for us today.
We've got Kelly, who's getting a litter picking team up and running in Derry.
That's brilliant.
If you want to do litter picking, we're insured for litter picking.
We can provide you with the equipment that you need.
Very minimal training with the litter picking.
There's only certain rules and regulations you've got to apply to.
Like we wouldn't...
I wouldn't ask anybody to pick up any needles or syringes.
I'd ask you to contact me so I can let the council pick them up.
I wouldn't...
I wouldn't want you guys picking them up.
Or if you've had an accident while you're out, you need to let me know.
Things like that.
You can do any area you like.
We're here to... it's all about the environment with us as well, you know that.
So, if we can help protect an environment somewhere across South Wales, across the UK, we will.
So, we've had... because my volunteers don't like to be thanked.
So, I got Viv.
She's been working overtime.
We had some lovely donations off Viv.
All sorted.
All cataloged up, you know, lovely.
All sorted so I know exactly what was coming in in the bags.
We've got Jan that's taken her homework home.
She's been taking home the baby clothes to go through them.
Baby donations so that we're not overwhelmed with donations down here.
And then Gwen's been in all week.
And fair play.
Like, she's good as gold because a few times I've cleared the space and then it's filled back up straight away and I've been quite defeated by it.
But she comes straight in, straight on the staff and it's gone.
So, yeah, we've achieved quite a bit this week.
Bearing in mind how much stock we got in here and how much building we got going on.
So I've asked the other managers, can they split next week and can one of them come down here just to keep an eye on this shop.
One up out of a bar good and me and Dan can get straight over there.
Get on with it.
It's only going to take, well, two days max I reckon to get that up and running over there.
Literally.
The only thing I'm short of now is hangers because we've had to use hangers to hang up the other stuff.
So it'll be a bit of a nuisance because I won't be able to hang stuff up on the rails over there.
So let me know now the weekend if you've got, if you can drop off hangers, that'll be brilliant because we're up to our neck, you know that.
And children's and adults hangers we need over there.
Can't think of anything else.
Anything you can think of that we need for a shop, just drop it, just drop it to one of our shops or give us a shout.
We'll try and collect.
We're so busy for collecting donations.
We've had a few people ask us about collecting donations and we've had to quote the £25 plus the fuel expenses.
Because you can see like we haven't stopped.
We got up at seven o'clock this morning and we haven't stopped yet.
I'm here now.
I'm just about to have a drink of pop and then I'm straight on to doing something else.
So Dan's gone out.
He's got a pick up of a shelf off a lady up the road.
So we literally, we haven't got time to be doing pick ups unfortunately.
So the more you can drop off to the drop off points and the shops or our address the best for us.
If you can do that we would really, really appreciate it.
So thanks guys and yeah let me know what you think of the the next shop.
