Category: Local Government

Empowering women: A new podcast for the Grassroots Channel

Indu Daji and Electra Soady of BETI
Indu Daji and Electra Soudy

Electra Soudy and Indu Daji have been nominated for the Community Group Local Hearts Award for the work they have done with BETI, which they set up 10 years ago to empower women and give them training and support.

Indu focuses on muslim and hindu women and Electra with single women and voluntary groups – helping those coming to Britain who may be abused by their relatives and in-laws, assisting their learning of English and giving them the advice and guidance they need to get on the job ladder.

The group aim to liberate women in Birmingham who suffer under their families, feel estranged, or are being forced into arranged marriages. Both women have a background which has led them to this work – Electra ran away from her Greek home because her father was setting up an arranged marriage, and Indu also suffered when she moved to the city, but was given confidence by Electra.

The two women also inspire and motivate each other, and are well-known in the community as people other women can come to for help, shelter and advice. Here’s their story.

The Walmley Rottweiler: A new podcast from the Grassroots channel

Maureen Murphy Gary Ladbrooke
Maureen Murphy and Gary Ladbrooke

Maureen Murphy is not one to sit quietly and wait for things to happen – after loudly campaigning for a new crossing in Minworth, she was approached by the Walmley Residents Association and has been their chairperson for the last 20 years.

Now, she says, she still gets quiet satisfaction when she sees people crossing the road safely, and is encouraged to continue giving a voice to people who don’t know where to go. Senior Constituency Manager for Sutton Coldfield – Gary Ladbrooke – has nominated Maureen for Birmingham’s Local Hearts Award for the lifetime achievement award – a recognition of her tireless work in the community. Here she talks to us about what keeps her going, and why she thinks making a stand is so important.

Relationships between local bloggers and local councils

One of the heated debates which took place at the Talk About Local un-conference ’09 – a day designed to bring together hyper-local bloggers from across the country to discuss common issues, problems, share ideas and talk about the future – was how council press officers treat local bloggers.

For example, in Sarah Hartley’s recent article for the Guardian, Stoke Council’s head of PR and communications, Dan Barton, said bloggers were excluded from press breifings and the press table in the council chamber. He said:

Opinion should be encouraged but we do draw a distinction between what is news otherwise we are in danger of de-valuing the role of journalists.

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Neighbourhood blogs encourage participation in council consultations

When Seattle in the USA asked residents to fill out a survey about their neighbourhoods the results came back with something that doesn’t surprise me. The neighbourhoods that responded the best were the neighbourhoods with the most active hyperlocal blogs and websites.

As Cory Bergman puts it:

the top neighborhoods had something in common — and it’s not population. “They already have a really strong blog presence in the neighborhood,” said Katie Sheehy with the City of Seattle. “There’s a lot of people already engaged in neighborhood issues through the blogs, and I think that’s what’s driven a lot of people to respond.”

The top neighborhoods are essentially a list of the most popular neighborhood news sites in the city — all of which have plugged the survey. From the West Seattle Blog (which makes up multiple neighborhoods in the list including West Seattle Junction and Columbia City, etc.) to our own My Ballard (Crown Hill/Ballard) and PhinneyWood (Greenwood/Phinney), and Capitol Hill Seattle and Central District News (Central Area). While many of us who run neighborhood blogs have known the sites drive community involvement, this is a great way to visualize the impact.

Go here to see a useful graphic. Hat tip:  Laura Oliver and Andrew McKenzie.