Category: Grassroots Channel

Meeting and talking to people doing fabulous things in communities.

Birmingham’s Digital Citizens – a new podcast on the Grassroots Channel

bismarckandmillie fromnewtownnickboothThis programme was recorded by the people of Birmingham to tell us what they love about their neighbourhoods. We’d been offered some space in the marquee on Victoria Square as part of the first birthday of Digital Birmingham.

We just wanted to accomplish a couple of things: introduce more people to the Grassroots Channel and give as many as possible the opportunity to record and then edit their own comments for this programme. It was a chance for people to get their hands on some simple digital technology. Millie and her son Bismarck (in the picture) had a go and everyone found it pretty easy. Most seemed to really enjoy the power of digital editing.

And what were they talking about? It was Valentines’ day so we asked them to tell us what they love about their neighbourhood:

Northfield Young People’s Forum "Leaders of Today" – a new podcast on the Grassroots Channel

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Jenni Rowley and Selina Okunnu of the Northfield Young People’s Forum talk to us about how power is shifting towards the young in Birmingham. From April 2007 the forum, run by 11 to 19 year olds, will have up to £80,000 to offer as grants to the young people of this south Birmingham constituency. There is also an update on a story from July 2006 about Get Hooked on Fishing, based in Bournville.

For any of our dozens of other programmes about active citizens please find the Grassroots channel here.  Any comments are welcome, use the link below or email grassroots@podnosh.com.

Beth Kanter on online fundraising plus widgets and a simple pdf guide – a new podcast on the Grassroots Channel

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Beth Kanter of the Sharing Foundation explains how they used the internet to raise $100,000 for children in Cambodia. I’ve known Beth through blogging for a few months now, but finally met her in Birmingham earlier this month.

She is an expert on the internet and non-profit organisations and in this podcast she talks about how you combine online tools such as widgets with the power of your networks, whether real or virtual, to encourage people to give money to support to your cause. She also writes about how they raised the money here on her blog and an earlier experiment with ChipIn here. Read more

Birmingham Passions six – a new podcast on the Grassroots Channel

A New Year short for the Grassroots Channel podcast containing the condensed passions of people associated with the Birmingham Community Empowerment Network.

Birmingham Passions 6: Perry Barr, learning new tricks and changing the way old people live. We hear from Mike Trevor the Constituency support officer for Perry Barr, Glen Carr of the Home Office public enquiry unit and Barry Clewer from the Birmingham Advisory Council of Older People.