For over 250 years, Birmingham has been the beating heart of the UK's jewellery industry. The city's famous Jewellery Quarter isn't just a historic landmark - it's the reason British jewellery has the reputation it does today. The skills, craftsmanship, and innovation that came out of Birmingham shaped the entire industry.
Sterling & Wilde wouldn't exist without that legacy. We benefit from the reputation, the supply chains, and the centuries of expertise that Birmingham created. So it feels right to give something back.
Birmingham is a city that's particularly close to my heart. I completed my degree there, and many of my friends and family still call it home. It's a vibrant, diverse, creative city - the UK's second city - with an incredible spirit. But like many major cities, Birmingham has significant pockets of deprivation. Some areas face real poverty, and that's something we wanted to address in our own small way.
We're a modest business without huge profits, but we believe even small contributions matter. Today, Sterling & Wilde has donated £1,000 to two Birmingham charities doing vital work in the community via their Just Giving pages.
£500 to free@last
free@last works with children, young people, and families in Nechells, one of Birmingham's most deprived areas. They provide youth clubs, support, and opportunities to people facing enormous challenges. With 85% of their budget going directly to charitable activities and only 13 paid staff supporting thousands of children, they're exactly the kind of grassroots charity where donations make a real difference.
You can learn more about their work at freeatlast.co.uk.
£500 to Let's Feed Brum
Let's Feed Brum supports people experiencing homelessness across Birmingham. Run almost entirely by 200 volunteers, they provide food, essential supplies, and - crucially - friendship and signposting to services that can help people get off the streets for good. They're out building trust and offering practical support to Birmingham's most vulnerable.
Find out more at letsfeedbrum.com.
Both charities are efficient, transparent, and deeply embedded in Birmingham communities. They're not huge organisations with massive overheads - they're local people doing hard work where it's needed most. Birmingham gave the jewellery industry its foundation. This is our small way of saying thank you.