Meeting and talking to people doing fabulous things in communities.
As 2006 ends and 2007 begins the Grassroots Channel offers up some shorts. Six pithy episodes which simply outline the different passions of people involved with the Birmingham Community Empowerment Network.
Birmingham Passions 1: Hemp, citizens and headscarves. Contributors are Colin Preece Chestnuts Neighbourhood Forum, Adrian Addis, Birmingham City Council Neighbourhood Involvement Unit. Nowrah Abdul Balsall Heath Forum.
“Play is a every child’s human right”
After a decade or more working with after school clubs and play schemes Laura Watts established a new organisation in Birmingham called Dens of Equality. She wanted to help the families who found their children effectively barred from the pleasure of full blown play because they had some form of disability.
Dens of Equality is a central hub which helps groups of parents create their own autonomous organisations. With these the families can apply for funds and also approach play workers directly, encouraging them to find new ways to include all children in their play schemes. They create tight new relationships which work for professionals, parents and children, all using a system which hands power to the people closest to each child.
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Links – mentioned in this episode:
Written version (pdf) of this story with more information (dead link)
Birmingham Early Years and Childcare (dead link)
Todd Hannula (dead link)
Soweto Kinch Podcast– direct link to mp3
Roger Telphia Podcast – direct link to mp3
Kings Norton Farmers Market Podcast – direct link to mp3
Just a couple of things I wanted to mention. Thanks a bundle to Pete Ashton of Bournville (the place where we make chocolate) who wrote this about the Grassroots Channel:
Podnosh is a podcast station based in Birmingham that I stumbled across recently. I like that this pretty established outfit with high aims exists outside of my awareness – it implies there’s even more happening online in the city for me to discover. I’m particularly taken with the Grassroots Channel which “is here to provoke and inspire anyone who thinks they just might want to change the world around them”. For a quality sample check out this interview with Soweto Kinch, a jazz saxophonist and rapper from Handsworth who recently released an CD set in a tower block in B19, samples of which can be found on his MySpace page. Given what he says in that interview I intend to investigate Mr Kinch further.
Pete come and talks to us – I bet there’s loads I’ve yet to discover. Perhaps together we can get dear old web 1.-1 Digital Birmingham listening?
But double thanks to Pete for telling me that Birminghamitsnotshit won the annual Birmingham Pantomime Horse Grand National on just the second time of asking. Unbelievable. Jon Bounds you are in big trouble for not sharing your triumph with us here, first.
soweto kinch grand national horse racing birmingham is brill
Masood Yasin travels from Washwood Heath in Birmingham to The Hague (Den Haag) in the Netherlands to meet active citizens in Holland. Find out what his thoughts are on new approaches to jobs and education to young people plus why he wants to bring a Dutch idea to Birmingham.
Masood made his first appearance on the channel a year ago telling his story in Become a Decision Maker.
The Grassroots Channel is supported by the Birmingham Community Empowerment Network and produced by podnosh.com.
Also we mention listeners who’ve been in touch including Rob Annable in Birmingham.
Links:
R4R Europe (dead link)