
The Bishop of Birmingham has thrown his weight behind the community networks run by the Birmingham Community Empowerment Network. The programme has just seen it’s funding cut for this year, with not guarantee of funding after September 2007.
Speaking at yesterday’s conference “Thriving In Diversity”, the Rt Reverend David Urquhart said that the work already done to establish networks in Birmingham must not go to waste. He says “The diversity networks are making a real contribution to the decisions that are made (in the city), so that we get a better quality of life for everyone,” adding that if the city is to continue benefiting from the networks “there will need to be some serious commitment from those in power”. To listen to more of the bishop’s comments please click on the play button below.
Yesterday B:cen (in a report called Thriving in Diversity, summary here) said that for Diversity and Community networks to continue to benefit Birmingham, the city (through the Birmingham Stategic Partnership) would need to find at least £1.4 million pounds a year.
Disclosure: the Grassroots Channel Podcast has been funded by b:cen since it was established in Autumn 2005. If you have any comments on the podcast then please e mail us.
Click below to listen to the podcast
Click here to download the podcast
Tags: Birmingham UK, Leadership, nptech, Voluntary Sector











[...] Our last podcast helped stir things up a bit. The Bishop of Birmingham’s intervention on behalf of Diversity Networks in Birmingham was reflected on the news site The Stirrer where supporters and critics of the networks also began to get to grips with some of the issues. [...]
[...] Three films which set out how diversity networks are supporting active citizens in Birmingham are the launch videos for the Youtube Channel for the Birmingham Community Empowerment Network. The diversity networks were the subject of quite a strong appeal from the Bishop of Birmingham – who argued on the Grassroots Channel that they should be supported, not allowed to wither. [...]