Donations
Giving to Gilgal
You may be surprised to learn that the government covers less than 20% of our running costs. This is referred to as “statutory funding” and is to be used to cover our “core” costs, like our building, essential staff such as our CEO, finance, and marketing team, electricity and gas. All the additional services we provide, including support workers, activities for the women and children at the refuge, and trips to increase the range of life experiences for our residents, are completely funded by donors.
Donations of money
All the money donated to Gilgal goes to the wellbeing of the women and children in our refuge, whether through qualified staff to support them through counselling sessions, or helping them find individuals who can offer legal and financial help. We want the women in our refuge to enjoy their time with us, and donations allow us to do this! With your support, we can run activities like painting and wellbeing sessions, as well as take the residents out for trips, which add a spark of normalcy and excitement to their time in our refuge.
Your money also goes towards the running costs of the charity and the upkeep of the building. Our current building has been a lifeline for many residents who have felt safe for the first time in years, and you can help to be a part of this! Currently we can only accept around 30% of referrals, so our long-term goal is to buy our own, bigger building, increasing capacity and becoming responsible for our own repairs and improvements. This of course means our costs will also increase, but we are thinking ahead and preparing for this.
Gilgal Birmingham would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has donated to us; any amount is welcome, big or small. Your donations have allowed us to contribute towards college fees, provide food parcels, and generally keep the refuge running during this difficult financial time. Supporting a small charity such as Gilgal is very different from supporting a large one; every donation goes such a long way. Additionally, as a grassroots charity we are agile and able to adapt to changing environments. We can grow swiftly, without being held back by legacy systems and processes.
Donations of items
Donations of items to our women and children are greatly welcomed and encouraged. Toiletries such as shower items, dental hygiene, and feminine hygiene products are of great support to our residents. We also accept donations of women’s and children’s clothing, food items, and vouchers. When donating food, please consider donating harder to find or more expensive dietary items such as gluten-free breads and pasta, dairy-free milk, butter and yoghurts, vegan friendly products, and items which are kosher or halal. We love to accept seasonal foods such as Easter eggs, mince pies and Christmas cakes to help bring our celebrations and festivities to life. We also accept donations of toys and colouring books for the children, especially as we give every child a gift on their birthday. The bigger the variety of presents we have on site, the more able we are to give each child a present that is meaningful to them.
We also ask for items which will help the residents of our refuge start over when they leave us. For example cooking equipment, like pots, pans, cutlery and recipe books can ease the stress of the first few days in a new space. We also accept blankets and soft furnishings like cushions, bedding and rugs, as well as decorative bits for their new home, or their current space in our refuge. These little accessories can help make a house feel like a home, and can make a huge difference for our residents.
Nothing you donate goes to waste; if we cannot use something ourselves, we will pass it on to someone who needs it. For example, if we are given a very large bag of rice with an upcoming expiry date, we will share it between our residents and then pass the rest onto a partner organisation.
The Gilgal charity shop
We have recently opened a charity shop, with all the money raised going to support those in our refuge. The shop will also be used as a platform to help us raise awareness of domestic abuse in the community, meaning more women will have access to the support they deserve.
As our storage space is limited, the shop also provides a way for us to sell donations we have no immediate use for at the refuge. By donating preloved clothes and other items, you will be giving them a new lease of life, and supporting us in reducing landfill.
This charity shop is a new income stream for us, meaning that we can become increasingly financially secure and continue to provide high quality support for those in our refuge.
For more information about donating to our charity shop, email shop@gilgalbham.org.uk
Items we are looking for:
- Children’s clothes
- Women’s clothes
- Men’s clothes
- Bric a brac: sets of plates, mugs/ drinking glass, figurines, cutlery, kitchen items (no electronics)
- Children’s toys (with safety label & CE mark)
- Board games
- Books
Please ensure all donations are clean and in a good state of repair.
Items we can’t accept:
- Large or bulky items such as furniture.
- Electrical items.
- Anything sharp or items that could be used as a weapon, such as kitchen knives.
- Any heating or cooking devices, including electric heaters and gas stovetops.
- Children’s car, booster seats, or highchairs.
- Used breast pumps or sterilisers.
- Cot bumpers, pram and cot mattresses.
- Used sports safety equipment such as knee pads, life jackets, safety helmets, climbing equipment.
- Any children’s toys that do not have a safety label & CE mark, including costumes.
- Used underwear and swimwear, including socks and tights.
- Any adult material, including intimate items and pornography, spray paint, fireworks, drug / smoking / vaping apparatus or accessories.
- Counterfeit or imitation products.
- Culturally insensitive items.
- Hazardous items like cleaning products, paints, solvents or adhesives.
If you have any further questions about donations, please contact shop@gilgalbham.org.uk or pop in to visit us at:
1688 Bristol Road South
Birmingham
B45 9TZ
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