BALLANTRAE RURALINITIATIVE CARE IN THE COMMUNITY
PROMOTING THE WELFARE OF THOSE IN NEED
Gill Sherry
If you’ve driven through the coastal village of Ballantrae, chances are you’ve spotted the Thrift Shop on Main Street. You may even have been inside and wandered the aisles of this bountiful treasure trove.
The shop belongs to Ballantrae Rural Initiative Care in the Community (BRICC), a registered charity set up to promote the welfare of those in need in its community. The charity was established in January 1998 by a local group including Ballantrae resident, Rosemary Stevenson, who recognised the need for local care facilities.
“She used to bake cakes for people in the village,” shop manager, Audrey Houston, tells me. “As time went on, she found out that people were moving away from their families in Ballantrae and going into nursing homes. She had this idea to build a facility to keep them here in the village.”
Twenty-seven years later at the age of 89, Rosemary is still as passionate and driven as ever, working tirelessly to help her friends and neighbours. And her efforts haven’t gone unrecognised. In 2007, she was awarded an MBE by the Queen who congratulated her on her charitable endeavours and encouraged her to continue her good work within the community.
The charity has purchased a neighbouring property on Main Street which will be demolished and re-built to accommodate residents on an assisted living basis. This extra-care housing will be supported by the BRICC Care Agency.
“When it comes to the stage where they need to move from their own homes,” Audrey explains, “they’ll have all the facilities they need to be able to stay in the village, plus the support from the Care Agency.”
Audrey has volunteered at BRICC for over 12 years and is just as driven and dedicated as Rosemary. She also understands the vital role the shop plays in ensuring the charity’s plans come to fruition and encourages people to donate their unwanted items to the Thrift Shop.
“We have a haberdashery, a furniture shed, a book department, clothing, toys, electrical department… everything!”
All electrical items are PAT tested prior to sale. As for the furniture, you can pick up a genuine bargain.
“Some of the furniture is beautiful. We sell a lot to young people for upcycling.”
BRICC is also able to arrange house clearances, travelling as far north as Ayr to transport furniture and other items to the Thrift Shop.
Raising funds is obviously a priority so the charity hosts a weekly coffee morning every Tuesday and a Lunch Club on a Thursday at BRICC House, next door to the shop.
“Ballantrae residents can come in on a Thursday and get a meal for £5 cooked from scratch,” Audrey informs me. “And there’s fresh-made cakes on a Tuesday.”
A regular whist night attracts players from far and wide, raising money from both entry fees and raffle ticket sales. In addition, Carrick Carers hire the space for regular Maybole and Girvan Drop-Ins. The house is suitable for a wide range of different events so please get in touch if you’re interested in hiring it as a venue.
Being a ‘care in the community’ charity, BRICC’s Thrift Shop is more than just a business. It’s very much a welcoming space where residents can pop in for a chat.
“Everyone’s welcome,” says Audrey. “People come in… and we cheer them up and send them home happy. We’re a community, we’re in it together. We look after people. If we see something that’s different… we go and make sure everything’s okay. It’s nice.”
Volunteers are always welcome, be it to assist in the shop, to move furniture and other large items, or to help with house clearances.
The shop is open from 10am until 4pm, seven days a week. Chances are you will find Rosemary and/or Audrey working hard whatever time of the day, or day of the week you choose to visit.
“When I first met Rosemary,” Audrey recalls, “she was moving a fridge-freezer on a trolley. She still puts all the stuff out today. She’s worked tirelessly seven days a week ever since she came here. She never stops.”
I get the impression the same can be said of Audrey. And thanks to these two remarkable women and their team of volunteers, BRICC continues to do exactly what it set out to do: promote the welfare of those in need in its community.
If you can help in any way, call 01465 831380/07765915268, email bricc@btconnect.com or drop in at 12 Main Street, Ballantrae. You might just find a bargain whilst you’re there!
