I'm on live.
I don't know if it's going to focus.
I got you on top of a glass.
I think I might need something taller.
What have I got?
I've got my little desk bin.
It's not focusing.
What is that?
I need a stand now.
Is that focusing?
Yeah, a little bit.
I just unbox this one.
Jewelry my parents have sorted.
Made me laugh.
Sherlock will say, no, I better be ashamed of her and all that.
They're too busy.
They're too busy to be ashamed.
Everybody's items recycled as possible to help people.
Unlike you, who is just sat there trying to stop everybody from helping.
I need a little pot.
I've only got this one, but I think that would sell anyway.
But let's have a look what they've been up to.
You know, they're in their 70s and they work hard and they're fully behind us.
Fully support the baby bank.
Here we are.
That's a nice one.
I don't know if you can see very well.
That's a nice one.
Bracelets.
She's been on this week by the look of it.
That's lovely.
If they're missing a rhinestone, my father keeps all the broken bits and tries to fix them.
And then they've been having fun with the haunted dolls again.
They have way too much fun.
Quite heavy, those poor ones.
Oh, that's a nice one.
It's got shells and stuff on.
That's lovely, isn't it?
Sustainable accessories by Jayne's Baby Bank.
Oh, nice one, isn't it?
Nice for the autumn.
They'd all be half price, guys.
What's she got in these little bags?
I've got to give these little boxes.
If you get any of these little bags, guys, keep them for us because they're ideal for stuff.
You know, little bits and bobs.
She's got some little rings here.
A little pumpkin one.
A little spider one.
I don't know if you've seen the pumpkin because I might have been off-camera slightly.
Going to invest in tribal... Oh, I like the...
Oh, I think he's a bit broken, that back one.
I'm not sure.
But he's like got iridescent bits on him.
And then she's got a little ghost one.
Did you see it?
Or am I off-camera?
It's difficult to know where I am.
Don't forget, interact with the video, guys, please.
Can you just drop an emoji?
You'll only get binned off the group if you're a dickhead.
So if you put a dickhead comment like, oh, your shops are too full.
Or, you're not a real charity.
Or, you know, I don't like you.
That's when you get binned off.
You know, like I said, our legitimate followers and customers are fully aware that we have and have from the very day that we started got a popularity problem and we have too many donations.
There's not a lot we can do about that other than keep taking on shops.
But I need more and more people then to run the shops.
We're here for the recycling.
Nothing else.
Any profit that we make goes into helping others.
Anybody who says that we don't is a liar.
And is up to no good with their own funds.
Ooh, they're nice, aren't they?
Look at them.
Catch a light, aren't they?
It's proper sparkle season.
They're lovely.
Oh, they go with that bracelet, don't they?
Where do you go?
Oh, I like them.
They're lovely, aren't they?
They clean them all, make sure they're tidy.
They do all this for us.
They're nice, they're heavy too.
Oh, we're shaking now.
Gonna lose the phone.
Oh, they're nice, but they look different color, don't they?
But they're nice.
What's these?
Oh, they're lovely.
These are nice.
They're like metal and enamel ones.
They're good ones,
good Some hoops, some giant hoops.
She does her best to try and tie them and then they don't tangle so much.
What have we got by here?
We've got a few hoops there.
I think they're a bit worn.
We can price them down, I think.
We'll see what happens to them in a minute.
And what are they?
Clip-ons.
Oh, we don't get a lot of clip-ons in.
My mother was funny the other day.
She was like... How much are these?
I'm gonna buy these ones off you.
I was like, we can have them on your allowance, ma'am.
No, no, I'll buy them off you, little clip-ons.
Nice big hoops there.
She said, no, I'll pay.
Not having Sherlock saying that I'm not paying on the website.
She was like, well, you can have your discount, my ma'am.
No, no, I'm paying full price for them.
I'm here to help my best.
Not Indra.
And my dad said, Sherlock, you're very welcome to go over and have a cup of tea and discuss the problems that you face of us.
He's waiting there for you.
They're nice, like hexagon ones.
I can't tell they would fall on your ear the way they put them on.
They're nice, like a copper effect.
They put them on, look, and then they've got a glue gun.
And then we've got little ones of stars on there.
So I've done them, but I don't think I can go anywhere to hang them, really, now.
So I might just leave them in that little pot.
And then I think the rest, what's this bag then?
Oh, toiletries have come in again.
Oh, look.
Thank you.
I don't know whether this is Viv's donations.
We'll know if they're Viv's donations because they'll be posh.
Always posh for Viv.
I don't know.
And then some nice shoes have come in, look.
Look at them bad boys.
Look, how big.
You can put your, keep your, keep your XL pack.
You can keep your XL pack of hairspray in them.
They don't think they've ever been worn, size 6.
No, they've never been worn.
No, size 9.
Size 9, guys.
No, no, size 6.
And that's how big they are.
You can keep your XL pack of silver crane in there and your micellar water lock.
Look at that on your dressing table.
Oh, I've got to get some work done.
I don't get going until about 12.
They'll tell you that, the volunteers will tell you.
I don't really need to start performing until 12.
It takes a while for me to kick in.
What's these toys then?
Oh, he's just been pricing them for you.
I'm putting them in the trolley.
I don't know what he's done in the city.
There we are.
Oh, I think what he's been doing is this little box of toys.
These shallow boxes are not very good for us.
We need deep, deep boxes.
I'm desperate for somebody going to pick up those units off my friend in Bettis because he needs them gone and I can pay him online.
And I want them for Pontypool either for him to put the toys in and Dan can screw one to the other.
So it takes up less room or they can go in the kitchen area where the Apex stand is, but they can be used for the buy now, pay later type thing.
You put your stuff away for Christmas, pay weekly, sorry, not buy now, pay later, because we haven't got time to chase people for payments.
But mums can put a pile of stuff away now and pay for it weekly up until Christmas, but you've got to pick it up by the Friday the 19th because we'll be shut.
OK, because we're off ski.
Friday the 19th of December, but you can pay weekly.
You can pay as much as you like.
There's no minimum.
It's up to you what you want to pay and you won't pay any more.
OK, but like I said, I do what I can.
We got to cover the hills, you know that, but I'll do what I can to help people.
Look, they both fit in there.
They're brand new, those shoes.
They're blooming lovely, look at them.
Wish I could walk in them.
There are six brand new.
They'll be like £2.50 with us because brand new shoes go up for like £5 or £10 if they're like a posh one.
Sometimes we put some of the Nikes up a bit more and they go well.
They go well, to be honest.
They fly out.
Anything with Nike on and Adidas flies out.
I'd like to do just like a vintage sports shop, but we tried to do just vintage clothes in Blackwood.
It didn't go so well, but then Blackwood has got its own challenges at the moment because it's dead as a door post.
So did it fail because of the economy and the location and the amount of barbershops that's fighting and arguing in Blackwood and people are saying it's like the Bronx.
That always makes me laugh.
I think you clearly haven't done a shift in Pontypool if you think Blackwood is like the Bronx.
Or is it because it was a vintage shop then you're only going to get certain types of customers?
Whereas if you do an everything all round shop then you're covered for anybody who walks past.
If somebody sees vintage and antique shop then you're cutting your customers down straight away because somebody might go oh I don't want to go in here because I know vintage and antique is going to be dearer.
Which is fair enough.
That's not your price range and that's not what you buy.
I wouldn't.
I buy what I like.
I like a bargain so I like rooting around and finding something for a quid.
Or getting it for free out of a bin.
That's what I like.
Or I don't mind paying £600 for an antique item if that's something I like myself.
If I'm like oh I really like that it's worth £600 then I would pay for it.
Not that I can afford £600 for one item but there are people out there that will pay you know.
But I like a bargain myself so you know I would go in an antique shop and have a look but would I necessarily buy because you know vintage and antique is a considered purchase isn't it?
It's something you'd look at go away and maybe have a think about and come back.
But I would like a little vintage sports shop that'd be nice or just a vintage book shop.
But I think the way forward is to have a mixture in the shops because then you cater for mothers, you cater for mothers, families, OAPs, bargain hunters, resellers and antique and collectibles as well.
You cater for everybody on one site don't you?
I still think we need a furniture shop but I don't want it to be like this.
Right?
I don't want the furniture shop to be full and I don't have furniture in it because this is what this is.
This is a furniture shop with all the other stuff in it.
I'd like it to be furniture and laid out like Ikea and Medicare.
You know and you go around and you've got the little part and it's done tidy and then maybe have one or two rails of clothes because we always get a load of clothes so you could have pound rails of clothes over on the side but not too many textiles and clothes.
Or maybe like home a homeware section.
We really need like a big warehouse now for furniture and stuff because I'm turning furniture down all the time.
Like my friend I've got a pile of furniture.
He's selling it dirt cheap for fundraising for his own charities that he supports and they do really well with that.
But it's dirt cheap and we could get it and we could double it.
You know I could double that and easily sell it and we make a profit.
He makes money.
We make a profit on it for the baby bank as well and then somebody is still going to get a decent piece of furniture for a decent price and you've actually helped two causes in one.
You know and he's got no storage either.
You know that's why he needs it gone today.
And we're the same.
You know we had a van like we could send it down go and pick it all up buy it all off him.
He's got his money for his charity.
They're a lovely family.
They got their money for the charity that they support that supports their grand daughter.
And then you know we've got it.
So you're helping two charitable entities in one then and you know.
But that's what we need now as a furniture shop.
Need about an injection.
If we had an injection of about £200,000 I'd be laughing for the next two to three years.
The baby bank would be laughing because that's what we need now I think is a grant around about £200,000 to buy places rather than rent.
I don't know what's the best thing to do seeing this climate.
Would it be to buy or would it be to rent because then I can just say oh no I can't like like we're Blackwood shop and then we could just pull out.
But then you wouldn't have a landlord like that anyway would you because you'd be it would be your own place.
But then you you know we would if we bought somewhere say if we bought Wilkinsons in Blackwood and Blackwood is going through some sort of economic crisis as it is.
I never thought I see those pavements empty in Blackwood.
I you know I've lived in Blackwood all my life and it's always been.
But the the figures said see the figures said when I was looking at the footfall figures online did say it was declining and I was thinking well I can't see it I can't see it.
I think they're wrong.
I think they're wrong.
And no it just went overnight didn't it?
It just went overnight up there.
But imagine then if you owned a shop on that high street while it's going through that economic crisis.
Or it needs a rebrand because they've got a task force coming in now.
They've got a council task force coming in to see if they can salvage it.
That's how bad it is.
And see if they can do something to improve it.
Well you know what you've got to do.
You've got to get all these dickheads off the high street and you keep authorizing to open these barber shops and these you know these money laundering shops.
Because I think the problem is you've got that many you've saturated the area with that many money laundering shops.
That there's it's not actually worth the customers going there to go and shop.
Because they're like well there's no point me going to blackwood high street.
Because I've only got sweet shops, barber shops, vape shops and charity shops.
And while the charity shops will still and the second hand shops will still bring in that type of customer.
Then I don't think you've got enough other shops.
That was good.
The card factory bought funky pigeon or I think they invested in it or something.
I don't know you'll have to double check.
But they bought that.
That well done card factory.
I think you you did a good leap there.
Because card factory is the cheapest cards place.
And people are not sending cards so much now.
But there is still a market for cards.
But not just cards.
You're going to need to put something else into it.
I think.
And they are selling bits and bobs in their gifts and balloons and stuff.
But I think they did well to join two companies in one like didn't they?
I think they did well to do that.
But I think any other card company that's out there now is going to go.
Because as Clinton's gone.
Are they on the high street in Blackwood anymore?
But I think card factory is going to be one that's going to be hanging around.
Pound stretchers have done well.
They've stood the test of time haven't they?
They've gone through so many recessions and an economic crisis.
You know.
I think we've done well to just shut one shop in a good area.
Well they won a good area.
Just went down Ill didn't they?
And survived so far.
I think we've done well to do that.
With all the abuse that we're getting online as well.
And all the people that's trying to shut us down.
I mean give it up.
God.
Give it up you know.
And all of their negativity that they're posting out there.
I think we've done well to ride this storm so far.
But I wouldn't want to be a small business or any business today.
I mean you can see these major companies folding overnight.
Cost of coffee.
Up for sale.
Go in.
Coca-Cola selling it.
You couldn't even make that up in a sentence could you?
You know.
It's gonna go.
Economy is gonna go bang now.
And the food.
People saying how much the mints and stuff have gone up.
Like average mints have gone up.
Like nine pound a pack has been the the most expensive.
I've seen nine pound seventy odd I think.
It's crazy isn't it?
And then you've got these food banks being given food and they're selling it.
You know these charities are supposed to be helping people selling the food like.
You know.
It's bad.
It's exploiting people isn't it?
It's exploiting vulnerable poor people.
You know.
But then that's why we started this.
Project Robin Hood.
Take it off them.
Shut them down.
Lots of places.
Lots of charity shops closing down as well.
Lots.
You know.
Big charity shops.
They're shutting down some.
I think there's a Salvation Army going now in Arbitrary.
But I've only heard that like off word of mouth sort of thing.
Salvation Army is quite big.
They take on quite a quite a bit.
Millions a year.
And they're shutting one down.
So the overheads see.
Overheads involved.
And what's happening with these charity shops now.
So don't bank on these charity shops if you're the landlord.
Because where they used to give.
Like my friend told me this.
She runs a registered charity.
She's lovely.
Can't name her because obviously the website will dive straight on her.
She said they're not giving like £20,000 to one charity now.
They'd rather give 20 charities £1,000 because of the current climate in a And I can understand why they're doing that.
But obviously charities that relied on massive grants to continue what they were doing and not getting it.
See this is why you need a sustainable.
You need a sustainable business behind a not-for-profit business behind your charity.
You know we didn't register as a charity because they'd be reporting us every five seconds to the charity commission wouldn't they?
You know because they're so jealous of us.
So then we'd be suspended every five seconds and wouldn't be able to fundraise and operate because we'd be pulled up every five seconds wouldn't we?
So by being just a not-for-profit they can't there's nobody who can they report us to?
You see they're running out of people in there to report us to.
They're running out of like you know who they're going to report us to.
The fire have worked with us.
The fire brigade like oh yeah you've got a lot of stuff.
He said but that is the nature of the beast.
That is the nature of the charity shops.
They're always full of stuff.
Flammable stuff.
You know that's the way it goes.
Um
report us to the council and the council like oh right well you're doing that wrong but this is how we wanted to do it.
So can you do that?
Yeah, not a problem.
Lovely.
You know report us to health and safety trading standards.
You know gone.
You know it goes on and on and on don't it?
You know who they're going to invoke you know report us to next.
The Vatican like what's the Vatican going to do?
You know they can't like who else are they going to report us to?
Like nobody gave us a damn what we're doing unless you noticed.
They don't care they're like oh god just let it get on with it for Christ's sake.
Oh you know the council's the council is like well look how much she's recycling.
That all of that we'd have to deal with because it all be coming down the tip.
Um but yeah we could do with like a good grant now if there's anybody out there with a spare 200k that you don't know what to do.
Um you know come on board you can you know we can give you receipts and we could get some decent warehouses decent racking and the equipment that we need to store the donations because you can see we can do it.
You can see we can do it but you also need like if you're going to be a charity today you need to have a sustainable way of fundraising as well because you ain't going to just live on the grants anymore.
Oh I was gonna... I had a guy to email this morning as well about stuff and I emailed him and I got an email the police update.
Um I've got to sign a couple of statements they look like they're taking it forward with stuff so that's good isn't it.
Throw the buck at them.
Throw the buck at them.
Um yeah so that's all we could do with now some good warehouses two or three I need two or three big good warehouses paid for or buy them for us so they're our property and then we'd be it'd be ideal then wouldn't it because then we could have our furniture shops store the stuff
and then maybe pay some of the mothers some wages to run the shops under so many
This is what I like doing, is working the stock.
I like to be on the shop floor with the staff working the stuff.
I don't want to be sat in an office dealing with all the paperwork side of it.
We need an admin assistant now, don't we?
We need an admin
to deal with all the paperwork side of it.
And then we need a looting van.
We've got the cages, but I'll always take more cages.
We need some more racking and some two to three warehouses I'd say.
I think we need one Caerphilly.
We definitely need one Torfaen and I think possibly card way as well.
That's what we need.
That's what we need to manifest guys.
We need to manifest dry in the day, rain and night.
Because everybody is fed up of getting wet feet.
Nobody can afford to use their tumble dryers and put their eating on so we need to dry the clothes outside don't we girls?
That's what we need to manifest.
We need three warehouses.
At least two little hubs.
And you mustn't let me fill them up with donations.
They've got to be kept as hubs.
And a looting van.
I know somebody who's selling a looting van but I can't really justify laying out the three grand for it now.
You know we need to put the three grand into the rent and the food bank and the nappies right now.
But I know somebody who's selling one and I'm like oh damn it.
You know.
But then everything seems to come to us when we need it.
Like this shop came when we needed it.
We needed to get out of Blackwood because of that landlord was horrendous and it's just gone pfff.
I don't know Blackwood.
It just came at the right time didn't it?
A big believer in fate and karma.
And I wouldn't mess with us because anybody who messes with us gets really bad karma.
Have you seen how their lives collapse after they mess with us.
Viv you could have priced your donations for me before you sent them in.
That would have made my life a lot easier.
If you'd have priced your own donations.
Hurry up Viv I need you to run this shop anyway.
I'm busy.
We've got stuff to do.
We need to We've got a little car over there as well.
We've got a nice elephant ornaments in this shop.
Nice ornaments in this shop all together.
We've had lovely stuff in.
Look at this little thing that come in.
It's a little Jules.
It smells lovely.
It's a bath bomb egg right in a little Jules cup.
So you've got the egg cap and then you've got a little Jules little bath bomb in there as well.
I think
I've had some old best teacher stuff in.
They all chuck it in the bin.
Well they don't chuck it in the bin.
Some of them take it to charity shops obviously.
And second hand shops but they don't want it.
They don't keep it.
They only want it if it's mine.
Oh it's a nice photo frame.
Oh it's two.
Oh look at them.
Half price.
Don't forget they'll be £125.
They're lovely stuff in there.
But you can't see it.
But if we had a furniture shop here I could put them out couldn't I?
And display it.
Like put them on like we could have a sideboard and then if you've got a sideboard we could put the ornaments on it and display it as well.
So we're also selling the bric-a-brac and the furniture which is a more considered purchase.
You ain't just gonna go in and say well buy that shelf.
You need to need the shelf don't you?
But we have the stuff on there as well.
And if you just go in and have a walk around and then you just see a couple of ornaments.
So I could pick those up and go away and have a think about the shelf.
I'm quite sure you know our furniture shop work.
I don't need to explain it to you.
Right I've got to get on now.
I've got to do some work.
I don't get go into about 12.
They've had some nice push chairs in.
Some new push chairs over Pontypool.
Go and have a look.
I've got one here.
The other one I've sold.
I've got two car seats but the one car seat set is being washed and it's over Pontypool.
I meant to bring it back with me and I forgot.
And I can't find the boxes to go in this.
They're pink and red.
I've got a funny feeling they're over Pontypool.
Why did they go over there?
Keep your eye out for them for me guys.