Brum Rise Up

---

On the platform from left to right Carl Chinn, Tracey Mooney, Emma Lochery and Gabriel Dyker

Kate Taylor of Birmingham People’s Assembly addressed a packed meeting at the Birmingham & Midland Institute attended by representatives from campaigns against the closures of libraries, youth centres, adult social care facilities and local trade union leaders. 

They were launching Brum Rise Up at the weekend to co-ordinate resistance to the devastating council cuts planned for the city which Kate Taylor said would provide “a collective platform … where we can fight back together through organising protest and action to raise the profile of all our campaigns.

“We’re demanding a reversal of the cuts and the devastation they will bring. A plan for the restoration of jobs, services and culture, a plan to protect our assets and a plan for the government to increase council funding across the country.”

At the back of the hall, standing room only

Ben Chacko reported that commissioners brought to Birmingam — have been paid £1,100-1,200 a day, put up in hotels at the local authority’s expense — to decide what to cut, what to keep and what to flog. “We’re paying them to destroy our city,” veteran local communist Andy Chaffer says. Ben recorded the views expressed by Gabriel Dyker, violinist, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Chris Seeley, Save Birmingham Youth Services and Emma Lochery, Friends of Kings Heath Library

People’s Assembly aims:

Carl Chinn recalled that in the 1840s Birmingham had been a city with “no facilities for the working class. No free libraries, no free parks, no swimming baths.” In the 21st century people should not be going back to that”. He called for a revival of civic pride and pointed to the history of working-class culture delivered through the city’s municipal services, including through the Birmingham & Midland institute itself, an adult education centre opened in 1854. Kate Taylor told Ben the group were mobilising for a May Day! Save Our Services demo on Monday May 6 in Centenary Square Leaflet above top right), predicting that the event would be “the beginning of a movement of people in Birmingham, who will actively and passionately campaign to save our services, our culture, and all the things that make our city brilliant.”o Carl Chinn recalled that in the 1840s Birmingham had been a city with “no facilities for the working class. No free libraries, no free parks, no swimming baths.” In the 21st century people should not be going back to that”. He called for a revival of civic pride and pointed to the history of working-class culture delivered through the city’s municipal services, including through the Birmingham & Midland institute itself, an adult education centre opened in 1854. Kate Taylor told Ben the group were mobilising for a May Day! Save Our Services demo on Monday May 6 in Centenary Square Leaflet above top right), predicting that the event would be “the beginning of a movement of people in Birmingham, who will actively and passionately campaign to save our services, our culture, and all the things that make our city brilliant.”o

o

Can any reader suggest premises for the Bartley Green & Northfield Community Fridge?

In 2020, we reported that Birmingham was to join cities across the UK in hosting a ‘community fridge’, provided by students taking part in the UpRising environmental leadership programme, preserving food that would otherwise be wasted. 

It was to be housed in the Peace Hub in Bull St where individuals and businesses could drop off food that would otherwise be binned…

In 2023 Dawn Mason, Trustee at Bartley Green & Northfield Community Fridge, wrote to say that the Peace Hub Community Fridge never actually opened and the first community fridge in Birmingham is Bartley Green & Northfield Community Fridge. Dawn designed a leaflet for their fund-raising appeal. 

She writes:

We opened in April 2023 and were sited at the rear of 26-30 Hillwood Road.

Everyone was welcome, no referrals, no vouchers, just a need for help. We supply FREE pet food to help keep pets with their families, VIA Blue Cross & Pets at Home donations. Free baby food, vitamins & women’s vitamins post delivery. We also have a small supply of free feminine products under Period Poverty.

We also accept donations of unwanted food from the public as well as regular donations from supermarkets and food outlets.

This year, however, Dawn wrote to say that the Community Fridge had to move out of the Bartley Green Community Hub as it was said that the space was needed for another project.

They are still looking for a new venue nearby but funds are very limited. Until then food parcels are being handed out from the boot of Dawn’s car, mainly tins/dry food and whatever else has been donated on Tuesday 12-1 pm &Thursday 11-12pm, on the car park at the rear of the Hillwood shops.

o

o

o

o

Remarks about Tower Hamlets and Sparkhill provoke a counter attack from the House of Lords

Conservative MP Paul Scully said that – during a discussion on BBC London – in parts of Tower Hamlets and Birmingham, Sparkhill there are no-go areas.

He added that this is mainly because of doctrine, people using, abusing in many ways, their religion because it’s not the doctrine of this land, to espouse what some of these people are saying.”

Representatives of 14 organisations based in Tower Hamlets, have said that for a senior Conservative to say that some parts are “no-go areas” is untrue.

They stress that the problems faced in the area are economic mismanagement and prejudice. About 51% of children live in poverty – in the shadow of Canary Wharf where some of the highest earners in the country are to be found – “that’s the real issue faced here” (Guardian).

Eleanor Steafel during her investigation of Sparkhill, quoted the Conservative Mayor for the West Midlands, Andy Street, who wrote:

“It really is time for those in Westminster to stop the nonsense slurs and experience the real world”.

Walking around the area she saw a relaxed, harmonious, multicultural neighbourhood just as it was when the writer left Birmingham seven years ago.

She reported that the latest crime figures show that crime the area is no higher than in many others around Birmingham with 265 crimes reported in December, 116 of which were categorised as violent or sexual offences. For example, it was safer than Kingstanding, a predominantly white area to the north of the city, where 253 crimes were reported in the same month, 129 of them violent.

See Political Concern: MP says their religion is not the doctrine of this land; very true, the prevailing doctrine is the survival of the wealthiest.

0

0

0

0

0

 

 

 

 

Heat Pump Workshop and Study Day

Attenders at the March workshop and study day in St Francis Church, Bournville

Another community energy workshop in Balsall Heath on Thursday 25th April is being organised by MECC, an independent charity based in Balsall Heath Birmingham since 1979 and Footsteps, which brings together faith groups in Birmingham, to respond to the challenge of moving to a low carbon future.

Click on this photograph to enlarge it

Footsteps events are open to people of all faiths and no particular faith in Birmingham, who are concerned about the challenge of moving to a low carbon future and want to work together to achieve this.

For details about the April event, watch the Footsteps future events page.

o

o

o

o

The Save Birmingham campaign advocates community-based alternatives to the sale of council-owned assets

The Victorian Society has drawn attention to the Save Birmingham campaign  

A group of volunteers co-ordinated by Co-operatives West Midlands  has launched the Save Birmingham campaign to stop the commissioners – appointed ‘to address budgetary and organisational challenges at the local authority‘ – selling off council-owned assets without considering community-based alternatives.

Designating a building, venue, park or other facility that is owned by the council as an “asset of community value” would give local residents a “right to buy” – delaying the sale by around six months. If the community raises enough funds and is successful, this could lead to residents take responsibility for owning and running the asset.

The people of Birmingham weren’t responsible for the problems facing Birmingham City Council, but they could be at the heart of solving them. This is beyond party politics and blame games – it’s about working together to provide positive solutions.

Save Birmingham wants to bring together community groups and residents to:

• show how much the people of Birmingham care about their community places – from the City Centre to buildings, venues and parks in every local area,
• identify and officially register those community places for protection; and
• explore community-owned and co-operative solutions for public spaces and services that are fair and sustainable.

As a first step, community places that have been nominated by the people of Birmingham as important to them will be listed on its website. Already nominated, Stirchley Baths Community hub (above).

Another sterling success has been Moseley Road Baths, still a functioning swimming baths, though temporarily closed as a major phase of work to the building has started.  

Save Birmingham’s campaigns lead, Jeevan Jones, told The Express & Star that the campaign wants to protect community places and offer solutions where communities can take greater control over running them. Residents can go on its website and nominate community places in every part of Birmingham that matter to them. Nominations can be made for well-known or heritage assets, allotments, leisure centres, swimming pools and sports centres in local communities. He ends:

“Our idea is to bring together local and national experts to help to support communities to either take on the running, or indeed take on the ownership of assets.”

 

 

 

 

o

Birmingham: central government’s role in the city’s problems

Points made by William Wallis in the Financial Times

The council had to pay out £760m to meet equal pay claims from several thousand mostly female employees. This discriminatory remuneration was largely built up under a former Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition administration.

Experts in local government point to the wider national picture, with local authority funding cut to the bone by Conservative governments in the decade to 2020, hitting large urban areas such as Birmingham

Almost all councils — including big Conservative-run county authorities in Hampshire and Kent as well as the city of Stoke-on-Trent — are now sounding the alarm. According to a recent LGIU survey only 14 per cent of senior council figures felt confident in the sustainability of their finances.

Jonathan Carr-West Chief Executive, LGIU, states in the foreword of the survey that councils are “let down by a funding system that is not fit for purpose”.

“Despite repeated promises from central government we have seen no reform of local government finance and no return to multi-year funding.

“Instead there has been a disjointed series of one-year settlements predicated on local authorities raising council tax by the highest amount permitted. But even with these tax rises, councils have to cut services, borrow more money and dip into their reserves year a­er year.

“Citizens across the country are failed in three ways: their bills rise, their services are cut and the councils they rely on edge ever closer to financial ruin. There’s no single solution to this problem. Instead, local government is crying out for a toolbox of fiscal devolution measures”.

Two readers comment:

Britain is a country in rapid decline because oversized government doesn’t listen to its people and doesn’t empower citizens through its local authorities to be all they can be.

Because UK governments like to control everything, about 50% of all local council income comes from wholly arbitrary or politically manipulated central government grants.

Local council tax only generates say 50% of local council income. Business rates go to central government, then are partly returned. The only other source of income is car park charging, which helped to destroy town centres.

Councils are only allowed to borrow from the Treasury, which isn’t a bad thing per se, until that borrowing also gets politically manipulated.

Birmingham was once famed for its relative lack of reliance on exchequer grants subventions

The Chamberlain prospectus was to ensure that the city was not dependent upon the caprice of Whitehall or regressive rate-payers’ associations by relying on the receipts from utilities and housing that were municipally owned. The loss of these assets (and now of much prime land in the city centre) is essential for the purpose of understanding the city’s present predicament

It’s a denial of the best aspects of the country’s history that has often developed so well from local to national to international – from the industrial revolution to football clubs to popular music among many examples.

What will it take to make the centre act – a ‘Passport to Pimlico’ situation or a more fervent revolt befitting more spirited people in Europe?

 

 

 

0

0

 

Unite Community Birmingham. documentary film: 18th August

Unite Community Birmingham writes:

“In 2017, with the support of an extraordinary grassroots movement, British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn came close to becoming prime minister. The establishment trembled. Britain stood on the threshold of huge political change. But within three years all, it seemed, was lost. What happened and why?”

Produced by award-winning radical film-maker Platform Films, with contributions from Jackie Walker, Ken Loach, Andrew Murray, Graham Bash and Moshe Machover, and narrated by Alexei Sayle, this feature-length documentary film explores a dark and murky story of political deceit and outrageous antisemitic smears. It also uncovers the critical role played by current Labour leader, Keir Starmer and asks if the movement which backed Corbyn could rise again.

Book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/film-show-o-jeremy-tickets-681674906997

oo

o

Opportunity to run a Cafe at The Warehouse, Digbeth, Birmingham

Birmingham Friends of the Earth is looking for a new operator for the long-renowned vegan/vegetarian cafe (The Warehouse Cafe) within our environmental community centre, The Warehouse, Digbeth, located just five minutes’ walk from Moor St Station and city centre bus routes.

The Cafe has always been a much valued part of our “little green community” of tenants, visitors and meeting room users, with more than 35 years history of pioneering vegetarian and vegan catering businesses trading from the premises.

In recent years the Cafe has hosted jazz nights, storytelling, book launches for Voce Books (who are located right next door), political discussions, vegan food events, sustainability fairs, Digbeth First Friday events and more. The space consists of:

Well appointed Kitchen c550 sq ft

Store room c. 50 sq ft

Seating area for 60 covers c900 sq ft

To find out more, please read the Expression of Interest briefing here. An initial summary of respective compliance & maintenance responsibilities can be found here. If you would like to submit an Expression of Interest please complete this application form and send it to karen@birminghamfoe.org.uk, attaching CVs for yourself and any others involved.  The deadline for Expressions of Interest will be 9am on 31st July. We’d also be very happy to show you round, chat with you about your ideas and answer any questions, so do get in touch with Karen Leach, as above or 0121 632 6909 (extension 2).

We look forward to discussing this with you!

*

NB – while we seek new operators the cafe is available for short term hire: vegan/vegetarian popups, events, fairs, celebrations etc. Please see here for more info.

 

 

 

 

0

 

Mooring trial to begin on Birmingham City Centre canals: the Canal & River Trust

https://www.canalboat.co.uk/news/mooring-trial-to-begin-on-birmingham-city-centre-canals

8th June 2023

The Canal & River Trust is trialling new mooring stay times along the canal in Birmingham to make the city centre more accessible to visiting boaters and to remove any confusion over stay times at popular mooring spots.

The proposals, which were put out to consultation earlier this year, have been shaped by feedback from boaters, boating and canal organisations, and boating businesses. They aim to give all visiting boaters, whether local or from other parts of the country, good access to facilities, shops, and restaurants in the city centre, now and in the future.

The trial will start on 3 July and finish on 31 December 2023. It includes the following changes:

• All visitor moorings in the central zone to become four-day moorings from 3 April to 31 October, reverting to 14 days from 1 November to 31 March.
• Visitor moorings northwest of Sheepcote Street on the New Mainline Canal and southwest of Granville Street on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal to become 14-day all year round.
• Pontoons at Cambrian Basin to all become long-term moorings, including two that are currently designated as visitor moorings.
• Service moorings established immediately alongside the Canal House in Gas Street Basin and extended between the Roundhouse and Sheepcote Street.
• Designated accessible mooring spaces for disabled boaters, those with access needs or limited mobility, to be clearly marked in two locations: between Cambrian House and Tindall Bridge; and south of Worcester Bar.
• Information about stay times to be displayed on signs alongside all the moorings.

For further details on the moorings trial visit https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/where-we-work/west-midlands/birmingham-city-centre-moorings-

 

 

 

o

o

An invitation to ChangeKitchen’s 13th birthday celebration

From Birgit and the ChangeKitchen Team

“Please join us this Thursday 8th June 2023 from 1pm at our site in Edward Road for our 13th birthday celebration (our tenth birthday sadly fell during the pandemic and was never celebrated) and the formal launch of our new venture”.

If you are not able to attend – apologies that due to illness and other issues this invite is late – please do get in touch with Birgit Kehrer on 07828825850 or changekitchenbookings@gmail.com to arrange a tour of the new premises. 

ChangeKitchen has been working with Birmingham City Council to deliver healthy eating training under the Preparation for Adulthood scheme. With thanks for filming and editing to GL events. See this video.

ChangeKitchen is an award winning event caterer and thriving social enterprise. It has been catering for corporate events, weddings, community gatherings and operating hugely popular pop up cafes since 2010. It offers innovative vegetarian and vegan menus, carefully put together using the finest local, organic and seasonal ingredients (continues here).

Since the beginning of COVID, ChangeKitchen, officially registered as a Community Interest Company limited by shares in June 2010, has provided over 75,000 meals (and counting) to the community. Families across Birmingham are struggling with the impact of raising costs and many are forced to make choices about their daily food options. ChangeKitchen is passionate about helping to alleviate food poverty in our city.  

 

 

 

 

o