Category: Local Government

Allotment Sense

Refurbishing allotments used as a fly tipping ground and making the plots available for schools is one of the best uses I’ve come across for the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. Of course NRF was never about things the council should do (like maintain allotments), but at least this £39,000 spend has the potential to extend sustainable life styles in a neighbourhood and create a new space for community building among the 65 plots in Stetchford.

It’s also potentially a much better take on active young people than the toddlerobics I recently read about. See also the podcast below for a good listen on allotments and young people.

Does no pay make you more powerful? Grassroots Channel Programme 21


I’ve just spent a wonderful morning with two women who are both directors of Witton Lodge Community Association. Linda Hines has been involved for 15 years while Michelle Ashmore got stuck in just two or three years ago.

The Association has been working really closely with Birmingham City Council and other partners to drive through a huge regeneration project for Perry Common in the north of the city. It began with the bombshell that hundreds of homes were so structurally unsound they would have to be demolished.

The association is really central to its success for two reasons. First the 14 unpaid (and mostly resident) directors have a common sense idea of how to help the community thrive. Secondly the council was unable to raise the money for rebuilding on its own. The finance was only possible because of the association. Their hard won expertise is now being shared through the governments Guide Neighbourhoods programme (along with Balsall Heath and Castle Vale)

If you scroll down you can listen to their lively (and sometimes tearful) conversation and find out why both directors are convinced that much of their power derives from them being unpaid. So much so that wouldn’t want it any other way. Oh and please leave any comments here on the blog.

 

David Cameron comes to brum – again

David Cameron was in Birmingham again today – to give a Chamberlain Lecture on how he sees the relationship between government and communities.

In fact the leader of the opposition was in my own neighbourhood Balsall Heath, an area he admires for the extent to which citizens and volunteers have taken control of their own streets. The Grassroots Channel programme “I am the grass now” reported on how people here would prefer to volunteer to keep their police stations open rather than leave a vacuum in their streets.

The truth is that Balsall Heath’s revival has been despite government, rather than because of it, and Mr Cameron belives there is much to learn from the people and the streets of this vibrant (yes it is fab) multi-culturural community. So where does that leave someone who wants to lead a Conservative government? Confused or clear about how government can get out of the way and let people make good choices?
You can find out here. Listen to his speech by clicking on this link, read the speech by clicking here and find out what the good people of Balsall Heath had to ask David Cameron by clicking here.

Go on, click away. You’ll be surprised.

Pavement to Parliament – Marcia Lewinson of WAIT’s podcast.

Programme 9 on the Grassroots Channel tells the story of the Birmingham based group who use techniques developed in 1930’s Chicago to revitalise individuals, families and communities. We talk to Marcia Lewinson, the Chief Executive of Women Acting in Today’s Society, a South Birmingham based charity.  Waits was established in 1992 to: “support women to address issues such as welfare benefits, employment and education, domestic violence, isolation, health, crime and the fear of crime and many more.”

Links:
Women Acting in Today’s Society
Digital Birmingham
Saul Alinsky of Community Organising – Wikipedia

Update:  June 2009.  Waits now also keeps this useful Database of women’s groups in Birmingham:

The W.A.I.T.S. City-Wide Directory contains details of group meetings on various women’s issues throughout the Birmingham area. To use the directory simply select the group issue you are interested in along with the area.