March, Women, March Voices of the Women’s Movement may seem like add Christmas reading. To be honest only in the last year have I started reading non fiction. This was because we had a great donation through the Oxfam Balham Bookshop of popular politics and I picked this up after watching the film ‘Suffragette.’ The…
We are open around Christmas and are more than happy to take donations. Opening Times: Thursday 24th: – 10am – 2pm Friday 25th: – Monday 28th: CLOSED Tuesday 29th: – 10am – 6pm Wednesday 30th: – 10am – 6pm Thursday 31st: – 10am – 2pm Friday 1st: – CLOSED Saturday 2nd: – 10am – 6pm.…
An Oxfam Christmas is a fun thing. We have shop parties, and surround ourselves with far far too much tinsel. This year my volunteers and I have been planning something a little different. Meet Alfie the Goat; and our delightful volunteer Hayley. Alfie is a mix of wire and papier-mache and is the star…
Join our book group! For November’s meeting, on Wednesday the 18th, We’ll be reading “The Great Fire” by Shirley Hazzard. She is an Australian author also known for “The Transit of Venus” . The story is set in China in 1947 and concerns a war hero’s travels in that country. There will be no…
It goes without saying that Oxfam Balham is run by book-lovers, staff and volunteers alike. One of the first questions we ask a new volunteer is ‘So, what do you read?’ In 2011 the previous manager, Zoe started a Book Group for local people and for volunteers and it is still going strong four years later.…
This Saturday two of our marvelous volunteers Tilly and Nadia put up our festive fare display in the bookshop. These includes great gifts and sweet treats from Oxfam’s range of fair-trade, ethically made and sourced products. Which is ticking all kinds of excellent Oxfam Values Boxes. I have been volunteering, and then working for Oxfam…
The Oxjam Balham Buskathon If you’ve walked along Balham High Road since Friday you’ll no doubt have spotted the glorious pink Oxjam banner hanging outside the shop. Saturday’s Balham Buskathon (I love the alliteration) will be happening 12pm – 4pm. Horay! Follow Oxjam Balham on social media for more regular updates: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Oxfam-Balham-256571894366530/timeline/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/OxfamBalham and…
On saturday 12th September Oxfam Books Balham will be hosting an Oxjam busk-a-thon! From 12pm – 6pm twelve local musicians will be playing at the shop. Our lovely volunteer Ed will be filming the whole thing too, and it looks like it will be a wonderful afternoon. A little recap Oxjam began in 2006, with…
Balham seems to be in the midst of a monsoon. Downstairs in the shop’s basement the music is turned up to cover the sound of the driving rain. It’s really wonderful to see people come in to the shop in weather like this, even if it’s just to get out of the rain! The good…
‘Born into the lowest class of her society, Flora 717 is a sanitation bee, only fit to clean her orchard hive. Living to accept, obey and serve, she is prepared to sacrifice everything for her beloved holy mother, the Queen. But enemies are everywhere, from the fearsome fertility police to the high priestesses who jealously…
October is Oxjam month! There will be hundreds of music events taking place up and down the UK for Oxfam’s Oxjam festival. The volunteer-led Oxjam Festival has been rocking people’s socks off since 2006. Clapham is one of the largest Oxjam areas, which means there’ll be loads of exciting gigs happening. I have it on…
Hello and welcome back to the Oxfam Balham blog! My Day as a Volunteer I have recently started here at Oxfam Balham (roughly a month ago) and I am very excited to be taking over the internet realm of Oxfam. A typical volunteer shift is four hours long (10am – 2pm or 2pm –…
The first time I ever set foot in Balham I was coming to look at the half-built bookshop I was about to take over. I had spent the previous few weeks on a half-hearted ‘induction’, visiting various Oxfam bookshops around London during which legions of volunteers had taken the opportunity to inform me that I was shortly…
Here are some postcards that we have been given showing familiar places in Lambeth over a hundred years ago. It is fascinating how many places are recognisable. Available for sale through our website.
On Monday the 23rd of March we will be hosting some students from Middlesex University who will be reading some of their original work. We hope this will be a fun few hours in which the shop will be filled with the sound of new ideas and innovative writing. They will be with us between 1pm…
Oxfam Balham 