Tag: Birmingham

Once they are hooked – Grassroots Channel Podcast 14

Programme 14. Angling is just about catching fish – isn’t it? Apparently not. Andy Walker tells the story of how fishing rejuvenates young lives and protects communities from crime.

His Birmingham based organisation, Get Hooked On Fishing (redirect), is working in neighbourhoods across the city. With support from the Bournville Village Trust and the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, it is turning this hugely popular sport into an engine for social change.

Links:
Andy Walker’s contact details (dead link)
Get Hooked on Fishing in the Midlands (redirect)
The original Get Hooked on fishing organisation
Yardley Community Network (dead link)

http://podnosh.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/bcen060421fishing.mp3

The Worst Slum in Europe

Natalie Brade and Sir Albert Bore
Natalie Brade and Sir Albert Bore

Programme 12 eavesdrops on a conversation between two people whose relationship began with intense frustration and conflict.   Natalie Brade and Councillor Sir Albert Bore: one a practical active citizen, the other a senior politician, met when Natalie began protesting about housing conditions on what was then the Lee Bank estate in Ladywood.

Now they work together running Optima Community Association.  A little longer than usual, this programme is a rare opportunity to hear a citizen and politician explaining how their relationship unfolded through the battle to regenerate Lee Bank in Birmingham.

Links:
Written version of Natalie’s story as a pdf (dead link)
Optima Community Association (dead link redirects)
ODPM Award for Sustainable Communities (dead link)

Generosity is a key ingredient – Grassroots Channel Podcast

Programme 10. Generosity – how can that revive a neighbourhood?

Love life live lent
Love life live lent

The Church of England in Birmingham thinks it may make a huge difference. In fact it seems Lent is a good time for us all learn something about generosity – including the church and its congregation. The weeks running up to Easter in the Christian Calendar have long been seen as a time of self denial. But the Anglican Church in the city is trying to turn that notion upside down and make lent the time of generosity. It has printed 60,000 books full of generous actions designed to strengthen communities and it wants people across the city to channel the discipline of self denial into a festival of giving.

The Director of the city’s Forum for Community Regeneration, Fred Rattley, tells us more about Love life, live lent.

Links:
The Church of England in Brum