When Omo arrived at Newbigin, she’d lost hope. Four years on, she’s part of a community that helped her rebuild, and is now helping others do the same.

Newbigin: A community that shows up

Newbigin Community Trust is rooted in Winson Green, built by the people who live there, for the people who live there. It’s a place where everyone’s welcome. Where neighbours connect. Where support feels real. They bring people together to tackle isolation head-on, creating spaces where people can feel at home, rebuild confidence and find purpose again.

Their work spans every stage of life. From isolated adults to families, children and young people. From advocacy and support with special educational needs, to a community café run by local mums. From everyday essentials to moments of joy: cycling, roller-skating, over-55s groups, music, choir, crafts and even blacksmithing. It’s practical support, wrapped in community.

When everything felt at its lowest

Omo came to Newbigin at one of the hardest points in her life. She was a single mum, living in temporary accommodation with two children with special educational needs. She’d tried to get support before, and lost hope.

Newbigin met her where she was.

They supported her through advocacy, SEN needs, emotional wellbeing and social connection. But it started simply. With food.

That first step opened the door to something bigger: support that wrapped around her whole life, helping her rebuild and begin to care for herself again.

“When I was first introduced to Newbigin, my family and I received a couple of emergency food packages, which were made up from the FareShare food. It was a bit of everything and it was enough to support my kid’s daily meals at a really tough time in our lives. The truth is, they literally saved our lives”

Food that does more than feed

FareShare Midlands food deliveries help power Newbigin’s work. From hot meals in the community café to emergency food parcels and shared meals for the wider community.

But it’s not just about food on a plate. It’s about knowing the people behind it.

Omo talks about the care and understanding that goes into every meal, especially for her children.

“With 2 children with special needs, meals are a tricky as they’re very picky with food. Textures are a common challenge, due to sensory issues and a lot more thought has to go into their meals.

The special thing about Newbigin is that there’s such a personal touch with the food they provide.

The staff knows us and will make sure to incorporate those requirements into our meals to support my children’s eating habits. It’s through this thoughtful approach, that they earned my trust and created a safe space for my family to come, share food and just be ourselves.”

Giving back, and moving forward

Today, Omo is no longer facing things alone. She’s part of a network that understands her, and her children.

“Newbigin has supported me for the past 4 years in a multitude of ways, especially as I have 2 special educational needs (SEN) children. The charity, as a whole, has helped me and my family get us out of isolation. It gave me like-minded people to connect with and support when I needed it the most. Newbigin House is actually the source of my social life. It has been a place where I’ve found a lot of friends, great friends.

They’ve helped me make friends with other women, or other families, who have SEN children like mine. It means that my children can be themselves and nobody raises an eyebrow. It’s their community. It’s a safe space where there’s no judgement. We know. We live it. It’s our normal life.”

Four years on, Omo is giving back to the same community that supported her.

She now volunteers at Newbigin, helping other families who are in the place she once was. Because she knows how much it matters to be seen, understood and supported, without judgement.

“Newbigin gave me a safe place to run to. It’s a place where I could vent, where I could get support, advice and where I learned more about my children. Before I had my children, I had no clue what SEN meant. I had no clue what autism was. I didn’t even know how to be a mum to them. That’s why the Newbigin Hub means a lot to me and my family. I volunteer with Newbigin now. My main reason for wanting to give back is because I found them to be very empathetic. They saw my struggles; even when I wasn’t forthcoming about how much I was struggling. And importantly, they didn’t judge. It was Newbigin who were the first to actually treat me like a person.”