Our Mission

Give A Brick is the people’s charity, empowering ordinary, kind hearted people like you to give in whatever way they can, be it love, time or money, to bring a smile to the face of another person. All for one reason, love.

We tell the stories of incredible individuals doing what they can to make life better for a young child or a troubled teen. A lonely elderly grandfather or a young man struggling in poverty.

I think about a girl I met in school last Christmas when I write that. Let’s call her Sophie. Sophie was 14. She was one of eight children, living in a three bedroom house with her parents and siblings. When I met her, she was sat alone. Her hair was lank and dirty. None of her colleagues wanted to sit with her. They sniggered at her.

With just a few days left before the end of this Christmas term, there wasn’t a lot of studying to be done. Content to chat quietly as they worked, I sat with Sophie. I didn’t like to see her sat alone. Behind her sat another loner. I encouraged him to sit and talk with us but he was happy to just quietly listen. Both outsiders in the place that was meant to represent the happiest time of their lives. Both very unique characters who, with just a little encouragement, could be made to smile. And oh how Sophie’s eyes danced when she smiled.

All she wanted was a place to call her own. Some space and time away from her endless siblings. Somewhere where she could just be herself, be welcomed and encouraged and listened to. A place where she could belong.

Or I could introduce you to Sammy. Sammy was a challenge. She wore a doll round her neck the first time I met her. It wasn’t a pretty, smiling doll. It was the sort you stick pins in! Sammy was a very angry girl. She resented being asked to take her doll off and she wanted the world to know it. Industrial strength language from a pretty faced girl.

I was told later that under normal circumstances she would have been excluded from school for several days. But it wasn’t considered wise to allow Sammy to be at home in the day time for any greater length of time than necessary. Home wasn’t a happy place for Sammy. Sammy needed somewhere to escape.

Or what about Barbara? Barbara, an older lady herself, lives with her husband, who is rapidly losing weight. As well as caring for him, Barbara is also responsible for her elderly mother. Barbara’s mother is not an easy lady. She likes to complain and it tires Barbara. What would Barbara give for somewhere to go for a little bit of empathy? A hot meal cooked by someone else and a good listening ear. What would you give for those? Barbara thinks they’re priceless.

For every Sophie, Sammy or Barbara, I could introduce you to countless other lives, across the UK and the world at large. Lives in need of a smile, a ray of sunshine in the day.

Give A Brick is about empowering people to shine that sunshine into the lives of others through giving. We’re on a mission to revolutionise the way this world does charity and to rebuild community.

I would ask you to get involved and give in whatever way you can, love, time or money. Just please, invest in people, Give A Brick.