Yesterday saw the first ever Independent's Day Swop Shop in Birmingham - organised by the fine folks at Le Truc, where 13 independent local business traded places for the day. We were thrilled to be invited to set up a mini PROVIDE at Yorks Bakery Cafe. Given the surroundings, we decided to take a selection of the books and magazines we sell, as well as a couple of clothing items and a few bottles of Pip's Hot Sauce.

After setting up and enjoying a pot of loose leaf peppermint tea, I settled in to a quiet corner of the cafe and enjoyed the company of a steady stream of visitors and curious coffee drinkers. It was a great opportunity to share what we do at PROVIDE with new people in a city centre location, many of whom rarely make it down the road to Digbeth. 

As well as people discovering PROVIDE for the first time, it was nice to see the familiar faces of some of our customers who are also Yorks regulars. Feedback from other Swop Shop participants has been overwhelmingly positive, and we're hoping to be involved in an even bigger and better Independent's Day next year.

All photos by Craig Bush, used with permission.