Compassionate Cuts

🎂 HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY COMPASSIONATE CUTS! 🩵

Two years of this amazing little community reaching people in need across Ards, North Down and Belfast.

Two years ago, it was just me, my barber kit and an idea to make a little bit of a difference. Fast forward two years and Compassionate Cuts has grown into so much more than I ever could have imagined — from our Giving Table and emergency food packs, to clothing, essentials, warmth items, haircuts and so much more.

And honestly, I still can’t quite believe it’s only been two years!

I often refer to Compassionate Cuts as “we”, and that’s because it isn’t just me. Compassionate Cuts wouldn’t be what it is today without you. Every volunteer, donor, supporter, person who shares our posts, donates an item, sponsors a meal or simply tells someone about what we do has helped make this little community what it is today. 🩵

So whether you’ve been following us for two years or two days, thank you for being here. Thank you for believing in what we do and for helping us reach those who need a little extra support.

🎈 So, how can you help us celebrate our 2nd birthday?

We’re asking our supporters to consider giving £2 a month to Compassionate Cuts.

Just £2.

It might not sound like much on its own, but when lots of people each give a small amount every month, it quickly adds up to something that can make a huge difference.

£2 a month helps us keep buying the little things that are so often needed — food, drinks, warmth items and everyday essentials — and helps us continue showing up for people in our communities week after week.

Most importantly, a regular £2 donation gives us something incredibly valuable: a little bit of security to keep planning ahead and continuing this work for years to come.

So this birthday, instead of buying us a cake, why not buy us a tiny slice of sustainability? 🎂🩵

If you can spare £2 a month, we’d absolutely love to have you join our little birthday fundraiser.

🎁 £2 a month. One small commitment. A big collective difference.

Thank you for helping make the last two years so special — and here’s to whatever the next two bring. 🩵

Donate £2 a month here:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=WYKMRNTL36U9U

#£2AMonth

🎄 Our Christmas Appeal has officially begun! 🎄

I know it’s only the beginning of October, but we’re already thinking about Christmas at the Giving Table. ❤️

This year, we’re hoping to give our homeless friends at the Giving Table something a little bit special on the Sunday before Christmas — a Christmas rucksack packed with practical essentials, winter warmers and plenty of festive goodies.

Imagine opening your rucksack and finding all the things you need to get you through the colder months, but then tucked in amongst them are those little things that make it feel like Christmas too. 🎄

A selection box. A few candy canes. Some lovely shortbread. A Christmas pudding. Maybe a festive toiletry gift set that feels more like a present than an everyday essential. And a reusable mug or water bottle that can be used again and again at the different feeding stations our friends visit.

That’s what we want to create — not just a bag of essentials, but a little Christmas gift. 🎁❤️

We’re reaching out early because it takes time to build enough rucksacks for everyone, and this is where you can help while doing your normal supermarket shop.

I’ve had a nosy at the current offers in Tesco and Asda and included some of the bargains below, alongside our most-needed items. So if you’re already doing your shopping and spot something that could go into one of our rucksacks, why not pick up an extra one?

And if shopping isn’t convenient, you can also donate towards our Christmas appeal through our GoFundMe:

https://gofund.me/baad808da

Every item and every donation will help us make sure our friends at the Giving Table have something to open at Christmas that says “you’re remembered, you matter and you’re not forgotten.” 🩵🎄

🩵 GIVING TABLE — THIS SUNDAY 🩵

We’re getting set for another afternoon at the Giving Table on Academy Street, Belfast, this Sunday from 2pm–3pm.

If you’re sleeping rough, experiencing homelessness, struggling with housing insecurity, or simply finding things particularly difficult at the moment, please come along and see us. You don’t need a referral, you don’t need to explain your circumstances, and there’s no judgement — just a warm welcome. 🩵

This Sunday we’ll have:

🍲 A hot meal
☕ A hot drink
🥪 Something to take away for later
🍎 Snacks and other bits to keep you going
🧥 A huge abundance of warm clothing
🧦 Socks and other cold-weather essentials
💈 Haircuts available on request

With the colder weather really starting to set in, we’ll have plenty of warm clothing available, so please come along and have a look through what we have. Whether you need a warm coat, extra layers, socks or just a few useful bits to help you get through the colder days, you’re very welcome at our table.

And it’s not just about the supplies. Come and have a chat, grab something warm, spend a little time with us and know that you’re welcome exactly as you are. ❤️

📍 Academy Street, Belfast
🕑 Sunday, 2pm–3pm

If you’re not sure whether the Giving Table is for you, come anyway. If you’re having a difficult time and could use a bit of food, warmth, company or practical support, we’d much rather see you than have you go without.

If you’re fortunate enough not to need our table but would like to help us keep it running, every donation makes a difference. Our Giving Table is community-funded, and your support helps us provide food, warmth and clothing week after week.

💙 Donate via PayPal:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=WYKMRNTL36U9U

🛒 Amazon Wishlist:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/registries/gl/guest-view/8OHU3KQ7WDE?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_ggr-subnav-share_VMKAT2XJPNC1M4DXQ63R

Thank you to everyone who helps us keep the table going — whether you donate, cook, pack, volunteer, share our posts or simply stop by for a chat.

It really does take a community. 🩵

Leek and potato soup on the go for tomorrow, do you prefer yours chunky or pureed with cream?
Haven't decided which way just yet.

Sorted, dad to the rescue 🤣
Random one, would anyone in Newtownards near east street have a spanner I could borrow to get this bike chain on 🙈 need to reduce the suspension to measure the chain before attaching it.

Such a lovely evening last night 🩵 not me bringing my iPad with a talk and not even looking at it, just hanging onto the iPad like a security blanket 🤣

🎄 I know it’s only October, so don’t shoot me… but we’re starting our Christmas appeal! 🎄

This Christmas, we’re hoping to give our friends at the Giving Table something a little bit special. On the Sunday before Christmas, we’d love to provide everyone we see with a Christmas rucksack filled with practical essentials and plenty of Christmas goodies. ❤️

Most of the essentials going into these rucksacks are things we already have and provide throughout the year — warmth items, toiletries and some of our usual snacks.

This appeal is for all the Christmas extras that make it feel like Christmas. 🎅🎄

Selection boxes, savoury snacks, biscuits, chocolate Santas, Christmas puddings, candy canes, festive treats and anything else that brings a little bit of Christmas cheer. We want these to feel like Christmas presents, not just another support pack.

I’ve also added toiletry gift sets to our most-needed list. If we can replace some of the individual toiletries we normally provide with a lovely little gift set, then why not? Something practical can still feel like a treat. 🎁

👇 Our most-needed Christmas items are pictured below.

I’m announcing this now because I know many of these things will be much cheaper in supermarkets over the coming weeks than they are online. So unless an amazing deal appears, there probably won’t be too much on Amazon for this appeal.

The exception is rucksacks, which seem to be reasonably priced at the moment — although good-quality second-hand rucksacks are more than welcome too.

You don’t need to do a huge shop. If you’re heading out for your normal supermarket shop, why not pick up an extra item or two and put them aside for us? One selection box, a bag of crisps, a packet of biscuits or a few chocolate Santas might not feel like much, but when lots of people do the same, it adds up to something really special.

I won’t start taking these donations for a few weeks yet, but I wanted to give you plenty of notice so you can keep an eye out for those bargains. 🛒

And if you’d like to help but aren’t able to get out and about, we also have a GoFundMe set up to help us purchase any additional items we need to complete the rucksacks. ❤️

🎄 Our aim is to make sure that, for one Sunday at Christmas, our friends at the Giving Table receive more than just the things they need. We want them to receive a little Christmas of their own — something thoughtful, something festive and something that reminds them they haven’t been forgotten. ❤️

Thank you, as always, for helping us spread a little Christmas cheer. 🎄❤️

🎁 Help us fill a Christmas rucksack:
https://gofund.me/baad808da

Just over a year ago, I took a booking for my very first public speaking engagement.

At the time, I genuinely thought I was a little crazy for saying yes. Standing up in front of a room full of people and talking about Compassionate Cuts, our journey and why we do what we do felt like a huge step outside my comfort zone.

Fast forward a year and I’ve said yes to every speaking opportunity that’s come my way — and I’ve absolutely loved it. Looking back at just how much has changed in that time is honestly phenomenal. What started as a little mobile barber service has grown into something I never could have imagined when I first stood up to tell our story.

Last night, it was finally time to visit the lovely ladies of Ballywalter WI, who had booked me just over a year ago. I was delighted to be joined by Katie, and we had such a wonderful evening sharing the Compassionate Cuts story, chatting about the work we do and, of course, answering lots of questions.

One of my favourite parts of these evenings is opening the floor to questions. Everyone sees things from a different perspective, and you never quite know what someone is going to ask. It always leads to some of the loveliest conversations and gives us the chance to explain a little more about the people behind the work and what happens beyond the Giving Table.

And, of course, there was the very important job of judging the worst haircut photo competition! 🙈😂 Four ladies put themselves forward, with one entry even bringing along a whole collection of photos, so Katie and I had the very difficult task of deciding which deserved the title!

And then there were the donations. ❤️

A huge, huge thank you for all of the food that was donated. Our Giving Table is going to be very well fed this week — and quite frankly, for quite a while beyond that, because the number of apples we came home with was something else! 🍎🍏

We’re so incredibly grateful for every single item. Food donations like these directly help us put together the meals, snacks and treats we take along each Sunday, and it means so much to know that people are thinking about the people we meet at our table.

We had such a lovely time chatting with everyone afterwards, sharing stories, answering questions and hearing a little about them too.

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, to the ladies of Ballywalter WI for welcoming us so warmly, listening to our story and supporting the work we do.

And thank you for giving me the opportunity to say yes to that very first speaking booking all those months ago. Looking back now, I’m so glad I did. ❤️

Tammy & Katie x

🍎🍐 Apple & pear recipe ideas!

We’ve been gifted a HUGE abundance of apples and pears — far more than we could use at the Giving Table just for eating — so I’m hoping to bake up a few bits over the weekend and freeze some for future weeks.

We’ve already been gifted a beautiful apple tart, so I’d love some recipe ideas that are a little different to the usual apple tart! 👀

Send me your favourite apple & pear recipes below! 💕

An updated Compassionate Cuts list 😊

I can’t thank everyone enough for the incredibly generous donations. My friends have been buying and gathering a lot of donations this week including an abundance of coats, rucksacks, trainers and more ❤️

If you are having a clear out and would like to donate any of the following, please send me a private message 💓

You can also donate via our Amazon wishlist and there are some more items on here 👇

https://www.amazon.co.uk/registries/gl/guest-view/8OHU3KQ7WDE