Tag: gcpodcast

Training Adults to understand Young People – a new podcast on the Grassroots Channel.

Nicole White and Rourke Holmes of Erdington Constituency Childrens Forum
Nicole White and Rourke Holmes of Erdington Constituency Children’s Forum

Nicole White and Rourke Holmes have been training adults.  They  volunteer with different organisations in the Erdington Constituency of the City of Birmingham to help they appreciate how young people view the world.

The aim is very simple, to improve the relationship between government services and the young people who use them in Erdington.

The Forum began in 2005 when the Erdington Constituency asked a group of young people to set up a consultation in the form of a questionnaire which asked about issues which affect them and their peers. One of the questions was, “Who would you prefer to ask you questions – children, or adults” – and all the children said adults. But it became clear adults lacked knowledge and how to engage with kids in the decision making process.

So the Children’s Forum made a training package for the adults looking at the benefits and barriers of involving children. The Children’s forum then tracked the progress made following the training every six months. They also ran a second training session. Over four years ECCF have reached over 258 adults and 486 children.  This podcast, with Tom Sandars,  was recorded just before the Local Hearts Awards October 2009 – where the group was shortlisted for the award for Young People’s Group.

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.

Friends of the Fields: A new podcast from the Grassroots Channel

Friends of Jasmine Fields
Ray Brookes, John McGill, Adam Noon and Sonya Williams

Friends of Jasmin Fields campaigned for a piece of land in their neighbourhood which had been left to rot and attracted fly-tipping. It was full of rubbish, but a group of local people organised a clearing up day, and then gained funding to fence off the area and renovate it and start looking after this small piece of parkland in Brandwood End – now the Jasmin Fields Nature Reserve.

The group have engaged the local school, have had young people volunteering to be a park ranger, and now the area is full of wildlife and is a place for families come to play, walk their dogs and enjoy the area they live in. The group hope they have empowered the local community. For their work, they have now been nominated for the Community Group category of Birmingham’s Local Hearts Award.