Ed Blackwell
Ed Blackwell, manager of Birmingham Hospice’s Reloved Brum charity superstore in Harborne, has been instrumental in our vision to create “a charity shop like no other”, providing a valuable community resource as well as helping to raise vital funds.
Since opening in August 2023, the store has hosted numerous workshops and events under Ed’s leadership, introducing a whole new audience to Birmingham Hospice and charity shopping in general. His work has been recognised on a national level, with the store receiving the national Charity Shop of the Year title at this year’s Charity Retail Awards.
Ed has helped to form many partnerships within the community. The shop’s biggest partnership is with a local college, and students from its Fashion courses worked with us to design repurposed outfits using items from the shop. We also staged their annual Fashion Show, hosted by Amy Cole, a local BBC news presenter and shop volunteer.
He also arranged partnerships with a specialist school for young people with disabilities and learning difficulties to provide volunteering opportunities, and a local mental health charity to allow members to sell items they have made in store and gain new skills while volunteering.
He has been keen to attract volunteers from all different backgrounds – including supporting those whose first language is not English. He linked up with a local language school to promote the shop and has mentored volunteers into employment in the store’s café.
Ed is an enthusiastic user of social media and has built up a strong profile for the store online. Its dedicated Instagram page gained over 2,000 followers in its first year, engaging with numerous local influencers to drive sales and events.
He has even used his own passion for running to set up a local running group that now has over 40 members, some of whom had never set foot in a charity shop before.
Ed is a true advocate for charity shopping and Birmingham Hospice who is always willing to try new ideas.
The Harborne store has become a vital hub for the local community under Ed’s leadership, providing a space for people to meet at a time when other local facilities such as libraries, community centres and police stations have been closing or reducing their hours.
The meeting rooms at the store have hosted social groups for individuals who are lonely or recently bereaved, counselling sessions with counsellors from the hospice, and interactive workshops to combat stress.
The store is a drop-off point for a local foodbank and has hosted drop-in sessions with local police officers in the café, giving residents an opportunity to ask questions or share concerns in an informal setting.
The store has also opened its door to local small traders, who can book tables to sell their wares directly to the public.
Under Ed’s leadership, Reloved Brum has become more than a shop – it is a vital resource to help bring the local community together.