Jelleyman is a thriving creative hub in Birmingham, providing space for small businesses, artists, and the local community. With no external funding, it relies on donations and income from those who use the space. From live events to school holiday activities, it’s making a real impact. We take a closer look at what’s happening now and what’s coming next.
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00:00Inside Jellyman's Mill, creativity and enterprise go hand-in-hand.
00:05Businesses like dog groomers and therapists work alongside artists and craftspeople.
00:11Volunteers have turned an abandoned outbuilding into a thriving wellbeing centre, already in full-time use.
00:18The building hosts courses in drama, photography and ceramics, giving people a chance to develop new skills.
00:24School holidays bring affordable activities for kids, from junior first aid to arts and crafts.
00:30There's also space for private events, from photo shoots to community meetings.
00:35Every room is in constant use, offering something for everyone.
00:39But none of this is possible without the money raised through bookings and donations.
00:44So how does Jellyman manage to keep going?
00:48So most of our income comes from renting space out.
00:52So we've got tenants that have monthly agreements to work from here, small businesses, creatives, charities.
00:58We've got function rooms that we let out for one-off events, parties, coffee mornings.
01:03We've got art classes and stuff like that. So that's the bulk of our income.
01:06We obviously get donations from people who come down.
01:09Some people have signed up for monthly subscriptions.
01:12But ultimately, it's just about keeps the doors open.
01:16This year, we're going to push for external funding to try and get some bigger projects off the ground, get some work done on the building.
01:21But so far, the first 12 months, it's all been organic.
01:24And it's all been goodwill and volunteers, which I'm really, really proud of.
01:28And everyone's been amazing.
01:30But obviously, to work on the building and get the restoration stuff done, you're talking big money.
01:35So this year is about raising funds, getting those external funding bids in and trying to build on what we've done in the first 12 months.
01:43Events are at the heart of Jellyman's success.
01:45Twice a year, Jellyfest brings the community together with live music, a craft market and heritage tours.
01:51Jellyween, their Halloween event, has become a huge hit, with the entire building transformed by volunteers.
01:58These projects will create more opportunities for people to meet, learn and support each other.
02:03But Jellyman isn't just about events. It's about creating opportunities and making a difference.
02:09So our charity's remit is quite broad.
02:12But one of the main things that we look at is intergenerational relationships.
02:17So obviously, Kidderminster has a strong history of carpet manufacturing, which is no longer the case.
02:23But a lot of the older generation here were heavily involved in that in various factories, etc.
02:28And a lot of the knowledge and the anecdotal stories that they talk about is going to be lost.
02:34We want all the people who've got some sort of connection to this site, that used to work for Bondworth Carpets or their grandparents did,
02:40to come down and have a series of coffee mornings.
02:43And young people from local schools and colleges will interview them.
02:46And what we will get out of that will then go to creating some artwork around the building,
02:50where we capture the sort of anecdotal history of the area, which isn't in textbooks, it's not in history books.
02:56These are people's memories and people's lived experiences.