The shop without a till
Cristina has been helping people for many years through her cafe Colombia Picada where should host community events and provide free food for the homeless. Cristina was introduced to Dr Maya Amangeldiyeva , award winning founder of Maya’s Community Support Centre who produced a novel financially sustainable model for setting up and running community Freeshops on a shoestring budget. Through Freeshops Training Academy Cristina was provided with all the systems and procedures and initial stock to launch the Bearwood Freeshop.
A property was secured at 463 Bearwood Road Bearwood B66 4DH and the shop opened on Saturday 10th October 2026. ITV Central came to the opening which was a great success.
Cristina
When I first opened cafe “Colombia Picada Mix” on Bearwood Road, my heart was set on sharing the warmth, cuisine, flavours, and rich coffee culture of my roots. Over time, it grew into something far deeper than a business. It became a vital space and a local meeting point for the local community across Birmingham and surrounding areas. It became a safe space where we could celebrate community and love!
Carmen
My name is Carmen, and I want to share that God is great. With your support, we can make a dream come true for our community. I have faced many struggles without knowing where to go; even with guidance and advice, I often felt lost. That is why we want to create a space where no one feels alone and everyone finds support.
Bearwood was already a beautifully diverse, multicultural community long before we arrived. Full of stories, cultures, and independent spirit.
As we started coming together, something truly beautiful began to happen. Deep, meaningful connections started to form between neighbours, local residents and independent businesses. We became a small, humble part of that existing tapestry.
We watched people from completely different backgrounds work side-by-side, help one another, and exchange life stories. We realized that in a world where so many people feel disconnected, a simple shared safe space could help to bring people together.
I knew I wanted to create a long term foundation which would help local people in need so that nobody in our community ever has to feel alone or have their needs unheard.
But building a foundation takes time and resources that are not within reach at the moment and people need support right now.
Welcoming the Bearwood Free Shop
This is exactly how the Bearwood Free Shop was born.
I realized we didn’t have to wait for the future to make a difference.
I heard about Maya’s Freeshop in Herne Bay and I immediately knew this is something I could do in Bearwood.
The Bearwood Free Shop operates on a simple, dignified concept- take what you need and bring what you can.
It is a project designed to support local people in need and save items going into landfills.
Most importantly, this is a fully inclusive space. It doesn’t matter where you came from, what language you speak, or what your life story is ,our door is open to you.
Stay In Touch
If you’d like to hear more from our FREESHOP community enter your email address below to be added to our mailing list