Category: Grassroots Channel

Meeting and talking to people doing fabulous things in communities.

Bishop of Birmingham stands up for Community Networks – a new podcast on the Grassroots Channel

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, 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.

Highgate Apprentices challenge the government – a new podcast on the Grassroots Channel

This programme is presented by two teenagers from Highgate in Birmingham. Earlier this month Stephen Hughes and Gareth Deeming spent a day in London talking to ministers and senior civil servants about young people and the communities where they live.

They had a few minutes with Baroness Andrews and recorded their conversation on a mobile phone (they had left for London with a digital recorder – which failed on them!). This forms the core of the podcast, but in it they also explain how they want support to work with a group called SCAWDI to develop a new apprenticeship for young people.

The community apprenticeship is being designed to get young people learning through working in their community, and also expose them to a much wider range of experiences and aspirations. The plan is to lift their lives to the point where they can once again fulfill their full potential.

Some other Grassroots programmes connected with this are:

Cuckoos in a White Middle Class Nest – our first ever programme featuring Barbara Willis Brown on the work of Scawdi.
Junior Street Champions – young people working in Lozells.
The Northfield Young People’s Forum – on controlling public money.
SCAWDI – link to a b:cen briefing on the organisation. (dead link)

Podminions – podcasts by King’s Norton Boys’ School

Podminions is the podcast of King’s Norton Boys’ School in Birmingham, UK. Here we will tell stories of the local community, the things we do in and out of school, argue about the issues that matter to us and share with you the music we write.

We set this up with a little help from the Birmingham Community Empowerment Network and another podcast called the Grassroots Channel. But what we say here is entirely our doing – so listen and then please tell us what you think.

You can download the episodes below:

Together We Can – 31 March 2006

The first podcast from the boys at King’s Norton Boys’ School. In this episode four boys attend a conference at the NEC aimed at promoting active citizens around the UK.

Sport: Year 8 vs Shenley Court – 17 May 2006

In this episode, we send three boys to a year 8 football match against Shenley Court.

Half the World – 24 June 2006

In this episode, we send two boys out on a trip with the GCSE Citizenship group to Chamberlain Square in Birmingham as part of Refugee Week. Also includes music from student Jack Newett called “Half the World”.

Summer Concert 2006 – 18 July 2006

In this episode we send Ruairi out with the recorder to find out what’s happening behind the scenes at our school summer concert.

Healthy foods – 25 September 2006

In this episode we visit Simpsons Restaurant in Edgbaston to promote healthy meals in schools.

Say Cheese! 28 October 2006

We had a photographer (Ian Reynolds of i4images. com) come into our school and take photos of students under the title “A Learning Community” this podcast asks students and teachers what their opinions of the photos were.

From Here to There series

Part 1 – 11 October 2006. We introduce a project we will be taking part in over the next few months called “From Here to There”.

Part 2 – 17 November 2006. We go to Manchester Exhibition Centre and give a talk on the project. If you haven’t listened to part 1 we suggest you do so or this won’t make any sense to you!

Part 3 – 24 February 2007. The podminions go to Lyon, France for a week.

Winning the Shanty Town Shuffle in Barcelona – a new podcast from the Grassroots Channel

chrisbongardbarcelona

This is a picture of Chris Bongard who talks to the Grassroots Channel about his neighbours’ campaign to convert their wooden shacks in one of Barcelona’s old shanty towns into purpose built apartment blocks. You can see the homes they campaigned for on the right of the picture, just over Chris’s shoulder. He is standing in Parc Guell with the Carmelo neighbourhood behind him.

Chris tells a story that dates back to the 1970s as fledgling street level democracy was emerging in Spain from under the shadow of Franco’s fascist dictatorship.

Closer to home we also have residents of Kings Heath and Edgbaston in Birmingham tell us why they love their neighbourhoods.