Happy to be back!
Welcome back! We’re delighted to say that the Merry-go-round doors are well and truly open again! The shop is back, events are back (some of them never went away!) and our partnership programme has restarted.
We wanted to update you on what we’ve been doing for the last few months and to remind you of all the work we do to support the community and make the Southside a more sustainable place to live.
Our lovely shop on Nithsdale Road is open on Mondays through to Saturdays from 9.30am until 4.30pm and, as before, we’re taking care to keep us all safe. Please remember to wear your mask and use our hand gel. We have a limit of four customers plus kids in the shop at any one time, and we have bookable slots available, too.
It has been great to stay connected with you over lockdown. Thank you to everyone who has attended our online events. These are still taking place over the coming weeks and months. Check out our Events page for details of our online Breastfeeding Support groups as well as Antenatal, Starting Solids and First Aid classes. And what a pleasure it is to see you and your wee ones not only in the shop but in our real life Events space at our Mum’s the Word groups and Sling workshops. Again, please see the Events section for info on how to book a space (places are limited due to covid restrictions). Don’t forget the Dads Buggy Walk too!
We’re pleased that our free pack service has resumed and, thanks to your donations, we can continue to get baby and toddler clothes, nappies, toys, books and equipment to low-income families and families in crisis. We’re working in partnership with local health visitors, charities and social enterprises and since reopening in April we’ve made up and distributed 143 free packs. If you would like to become a partner and request free packs for your clients please do take a look at the Partnership page of our website.
We are indebted to our team of brilliant volunteers and staff who helped get the shop ready for reopening. While we were all locked down during the winter a pipe burst in a neighbouring building and flooded our recently refurbished shop. We had to completely refurbish the shop all over again. As April approached and Glasgow prepared to move from level four to level three we wondered if we would have the shop ready in time. Thanks to the efforts of our hardworking volunteers and staff and the generosity of everyone in the community who donated clothes, toys and equipment, we had enough stock and reopened in a matter of days. The shop is looking sparkling and magnificent again! We have loads of beautiful good-as-new clothes hanging on the rails as well as a range of pre-loved high quality baby and toddler equipment.
Behind the scenes, our team of volunteers are back sorting through your donations at our hub in Shawlands Arcade and we’re grateful for all the clothes and toys that have been pouring in.
So, welcome back! Thanks for supporting us. We’ll be updating this blog regularly with stories about Plastic Free July, the upcoming United Nations climate change conference in Glasgow, COP26, and much more as well as information on the good work our friends and partners are doing in our local community.
Until then, come on into the shop to say hello, and join us in helping to save the planet one babygrow at a time!
The Merry-go-round Team
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