Hello
We have just begun to set up a tiling workshop in a prison near birmingham.
As a non profit making programme, We are currently looking for any surplus tiles that you may not need to donate to our prison.
it does not matter size, colour but if you have a decent amount, We will arrange collection from you.

many thanks


please inbox me if your around the midlands and you have some donations, thanks


ALSO LOOKING FOR: posters etc to decorate the workshop. thanks

I think you would be better contacting the likes of B&Q, Topps, Tile Giant etc and asking direct...most members here are sole traders and wouldnt have many tiles laying around....I say most...not all !

You could contact my local independant tile shop as I know they through huge amounts away but not sure of how many of a same tile.
Widerange Tiles
01384 401688

Based in Wordsley, not far from Birmingham.

I bet they get grants to buy vans/tools etc as well when you let them out to set up as 'tilers'.
I was enjoying this mornings post - have to go out now!
Should read Sir Ramics alternative view for society reference Pensioners.

Originally Posted by timeless john

I bet they get grants to buy vans/tools etc as well when you let them out to set up as 'tilers'.
I was enjoying this mornings post - have to go out now!
Should read Sir Ramics alternative view for society reference Pensioners.

they dont get grants etc- the course is not for them to go out and call themselfs "tilers" like most of these "become a tiler or plumber in 4 weeks courses i see banded about". its an introduction to tiling(level 1) basic DIY/trowel skills, which will let them go on towards college or maybe become a tilers apprentice.

but i suppose they dont deserve a trade because they are in prison??

Originally Posted by manchestertiler

they dont get grants etc- the course is not for them to go out and call themselfs "tilers" like most of these "become a tiler or plumber in 4 weeks courses i see banded about". its an introduction to tiling(level 1) basic DIY/trowel skills, which will let them go on towards college or maybe become a tilers apprentice.

but i suppose they dont deserve a trade because they are in prison??

I don't think John was saying that the don't deserve a trade because they are in prison.

It's the fact that they get it handed on a plate when there are hard working law abiding people who have to save their hard earned cash to get anywhere near any chance of some decent training towards a trade

What message does this send out to people? work hard and save some money to be able to afford to train towards a trade or go out commit a crime and get it all free?



I'm not trying to knock what your doing, If it helps put people on the right road and away from crime then great. Just wanted to put forward my opinion.

Originally Posted by united

I don't think John was saying that the don't deserve a trade because they are in prison.

It's the fact that they get it handed on a plate when there are hard working law abiding people who have to save their hard earned cash to get anywhere near any chance of some decent training towards a trade

What message does this send out to people? work hard and save some money to be able to afford to train towards a trade or go out commit a crime and get it all free?



I'm not trying to knock what your doing, If it helps put people on the right road and away from crime then great. Just wanted to put forward my opinion.

I think it will always be a divided line if im being honest, everyone is entitled to their views. But if prisoners are not offered a change and a chance to do something with their lives then a return to crime is what will happen, on the people who do save to pay for training I believe having 15 years experience in tiling they are being fed a false line with "learn to tile and set up a business in 4 weeks" for all there hard earnes saved cash.. they are being thrown in the deep end and fed a false confidence, who can learn tiling to a professional level in 4 weeks, and be able to go out and charge for it???

I feel like rafa benitez aka ferguson rant LOL

Originally Posted by manchestertiler

I think it will always be a divided line if im being honest, everyone is entitled to their views. But if prisoners are not offered a change and a chance to do something with their lives then a return to crime is what will happen, on the people who do save to pay for training I believe having 15 years experience in tiling they are being fed a false line with "learn to tile and set up a business in 4 weeks" for all there hard earnes saved cash.. they are being thrown in the deep end and fed a false confidence, who can learn tiling to a professional level in 4 weeks, and be able to go out and charge for it???

I feel like rafa benitez aka ferguson rant LOL

good reply, like you say everyone is entitled to their views.

Good luck with your project

I suspect the reason for these workshops is more to instill a feeling of self worth to the inmates which they may be missing. There's a big difference between helping someone help themselves and a hand out.

I'm not going to say much else because I simply don't know any statistics about minor offenders, career criminals, rehabilitation or the prison system in general so I don't think it constructive to condemn everything about it.

But if someone comes on to this site looking for nothing more than some information to help him play his part in attempting to turn offenders into good citizens, I say give him a hand and wish him well.

Originally Posted by manchestertiler

they dont get grants etc- the course is not for them to go out and call themselfs "tilers" like most of these "become a tiler or plumber in 4 weeks courses i see banded about". its an introduction to tiling(level 1) basic DIY/trowel skills, which will let them go on towards college or maybe become a tilers apprentice.

but i suppose they dont deserve a trade because they are in prison??

At least the people who go on these 4 week courses have paid for the introduction to tiling!
Set up a tiling workshop, give them the taster and a straight introduction into private homes in the disguise of a tradesman - in MY trade.
The last thing I want is to provide a police clearance before I start a job!
Make them work and put something back into society while they are locked up, don't hand it on a plate to them.
Your right IMO they don't deserve anything but time.

But thanks for the thread - its a topic to discuss and I do appreciate other views.

Originally Posted by timeless john

At least the people who go on these 4 week courses have paid for the introduction to tiling!
Set up a tiling workshop, give them the taster and a straight introduction into private homes in the disguise of a tradesman - in MY trade.
The last thing I want is to provide a police clearance before I start a job!
Make them work and put something back into society while they are locked up, don't hand it on a plate to them.
Your right IMO they don't deserve anything but time.

But thanks for the thread - its a topic to discuss and I do appreciate other views.

good point, and again everyone is entitled to air their views, but do we not have rogue tradesmen anyway? people who can say they can do a job charge the earth for it and then leave people with misery and an empty pocket?

Originally Posted by manchestertiler

good point, and again everyone is entitled to air their views, but do we not have rogue tradesmen anyway? people who can say they can do a job charge the earth for it and then leave people with misery and an empty pocket?

This is valid for all occupations from Doctors to Bankers as well as the building industry - which is the only one that makes it to the TV.
The statement that you are making is - go inside and learn how to become a 'tiler'. Its been my passion for 37 years so far and I'll continue to try and project a professional image of a trade I care about.
Get them to pay for the spare tiles out of the money they earn inside and see if they still have a desire to learn a skill that is too often demeaned by people who assume its a job that can be taught in a short course.

I used to run a tiling training centre that used a tonne or two of tiles per week at peak. We didn't pay for any of them. Though we used to be based very close to H&R Johnsons. We had any seconds or even worse than that, that they had on offer. We used to advertise Johnsons in the centre with brochures, books, and lists of suppliers of johnsons stuff, where they could often get a trade discount on the stuff if they setup a cash account. (Assuming these guys are probably best not to get credit without a good reputation being built with a cash account first).

if you're willing to collect from anywhere, I'm sure you'll find most of the manufacturers would be more than happy to supply tiles for this sort of use.

All that said, it was quite a few years ago, and there are a lot more training centre's around now, so I don't think they'd be quite so easy to obtain if you don't already have a working relationship setup with at least a supplier who's in the know of a good manufacturer.

Good luck with the venture. I hope the lads take up the trade in a round about way, it's a really rewarding trade as it's a finishing one. There's a lot of support (provided by tilers, may I add) out there, such as this forum and others, and all the training centre's offering NVQ's. And for the right bloke (or lass, for that matter) it's a financially rewarding trade too.

All the best.

Originally Posted by timeless john

This is valid for all occupations from Doctors to Bankers as well as the building industry - which is the only one that makes it to the TV.
The statement that you are making is - go inside and learn how to become a 'tiler'. Its been my passion for 37 years so far and I'll continue to try and project a professional image of a trade I care about.
Get them to pay for the spare tiles out of the money they earn inside and see if they still have a desire to learn a skill that is too often demeaned by people who assume its a job that can be taught in a short course.

Hat's off to the flip-side to the story too though!

That's what makes this the best Tilers Forum.

I've been thinking this thread a lot today (probably more than is good for me). I was trying to look up crime and prison statistics and although I couldn't find anything solid but it's clear that drug related crime and imprisonments is beyond belief. The last statistic I could find was 2006 and was 46% of crime is drugs related and I'm sure it's risen since. The reason this has been niggling me started when I went in to see a mate in his shop a couple of weeks ago and, this guy, early thirties, pulled up outside the pub across the road in his new fully loaded Range Rover Sport. I was informed he was recently out of prison for dealing and covers his business by a trade not unlike ours.

I mentioned earlier about inprison courses giving inmates a sense of worth and purpose but when impressionable youngsters see scumbags like this who can spend nine months inside and still live the high life, it's hardly surprising many of them go down the wrong path. The big problem is there's potentially an incredible amount of money in dealing and with addiction it appears to be growing like a cancer.

There was a programme last week argueing about legalising drugs with the argument being it puts the unscroupulous dealers out of business and it can be regulated. without going into detail it was a convincing arguement but I can't get past that it would be approving the habit. Alcohol is legal and it seems to becoming a bigger problem year by year.

In an ideal world it would be possible to eliminate the market for drugs and how can that be done?

I'm not making any real point here but venting my frustration. I just have this overwhelming feeling our society is going down the pan. Any input, anyone?

Originally Posted by SandyFloor

I've been thinking this thread a lot today (probably more than is good for me). I was trying to look up crime and prison statistics and although I couldn't find anything solid but it's clear that drug related crime and imprisonments is beyond belief. The last statistic I could find was 2006 and was 46% of crime is drugs related and I'm sure it's risen since. The reason this has been niggling me started when I went in to see a mate in his shop a couple of weeks ago and, this guy, early thirties, pulled up outside the pub across the road in his new fully loaded Range Rover Sport. I was informed he was recently out of prison for dealing and covers his business by a trade not unlike ours.

I mentioned earlier about inprison courses giving inmates a sense of worth and purpose but when impressionable youngsters see scumbags like this who can spend nine months inside and still live the high life, it's hardly surprising many of them go down the wrong path. The big problem is there's potentially an incredible amount of money in dealing and with addiction it appears to be growing like a cancer.

There was a programme last week argueing about legalising drugs with the argument being it puts the unscroupulous dealers out of business and it can be regulated. without going into detail it was a convincing arguement but I can't get past that it would be approving the habit. Alcohol is legal and it seems to becoming a bigger problem year by year.

In an ideal world it would be possible to eliminate the market for drugs and how can that be done?

I'm not making any real point here but venting my frustration. I just have this overwhelming feeling our society is going down the pan. Any input, anyone?

Very interesting Sandy

I'm not sure If making drugs legal would be a good idea, like you say Alcohol is legal and is a massive problem in the UK. Education is the answer but where to start is the question.

I Agree that out society is going down the pan but what can we do? the only thing we can do is try to live our own lives as the hard working law abiding people we are and raise our children in the same way. We can't change what other people do so I try to forget about what I can't change and concentrate on what I can change.

Hope that made some sense