Working Together in Birmingham's Neighbourhoods
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Working Together - Birmingham's Neighbourhood Newsletter [
]
*Neighbourhood Development and Support Unit (NDSU) *
*Hello and welcome*
*Thank you for signing up to Neighbourhood Development and Support Unit (NDSU)’s Newsletter. We are a neighbourhood-focused team in Birmingham City Council’s City Operations Directorate, within the Neighbourhoods division.*
This newsletter is for those interested in the city’s vibrant voluntary sector and social economy; including community groups, charities, social enterprises and faith organisations.
The council's Neighbourhoods approach was set out in the 2019 policy statement [
] 'Working Together in Birmingham’s Neighbourhoods – doing things differently to make better places to live.'
We hope you will receive this newsletter on a monthly basis - we expect the depth and breadth of the content will grow as our subscriber list grows too.
We won’t be able to cover all the neighbourhood-focused work we currently do in one edition - and there will be some changes in our service delivery over time - but we hope our newsletters give a good insight into the fantastic community activity and connections that take place in our city.
- Neighbourhood Development and Support Unit (NDSU)
*Learn more about NDSU* [
]
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For our first newsletter we will be sharing some of the processes NDSU coordinate, which are available to communities:
* *Assets of Community Value*
* *Community Asset Transfer*
* *Neighbourhood Planning* in Birmingham.
We also have highlights from:
* Perry Barr constituency and Selly Oak constituency *Neighbourhood Network Schemes (NNS)*
* *Neighbourhood Action Coordination Programme*
* *UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF)* – NDSU's Head of Service Karen Cheney is the pillar lead for "Community and Place Pillar" in Birmingham.
As well as citywide *Voluntary Sector* and *Social Economy* *News.*
We also list dates for upcoming *Ward Forum Meetings* taking place across the city in March.
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Stirchley Baths - edwardian building, former public baths / swimming pool
Stirchley Baths has been listed as an ACV. Nominated by a local community group (Photo: Phil Banting)
*Assets of Community Value*
The Community Right to Bid scheme allows groups to suggest (nominate) publicly or privately owned assets that they feel offer value to the community. Not being listed, does not mean that the assets are not important – it just means they either haven’t been nominated or are not eligible to be nominated.
To be eligible, a nomination must show that a building or piece of land provides value to the local community, improving wellbeing or furthering the interests of local groups, and are likely to continue to do so in the future. A successful Asset of Community Value (ACV) does not ‘force a sale’ of an asset, but if it ever does come up for sale, the nominating group would have the opportunity to buy the asset at the market value.
To nominate an ACV, a Parish Council, community group or voluntary group will need to complete and return an Assets of Community Value Nomination Form [
].
For more information about the process you can take a look at the resources on our website [
].
*Assets of Community Value* [
]
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Architectural drawing of Perry Common Community Hall, courtesy CommunityAssetTransfer.com
Architectural drawing of Perry Common Community Hall, which was built and became part of Witton Lodge Community Association. As part of the BCC Community Asset Transfer Programme, 2010.
*Community Asset Transfer*
Community Asset Transfer (CAT) is a different process to Assets of Community Value (ACV), though the two often get muddled up. Both are tools available to community groups through the Localism Act.
Community Asset Transfer allows community organisations to take on a long lease of a publicly owned building, if and when they become available. It allows them to invest in the space, secure in the knowledge that they will be able to use it for a long period of time.
The process can take time to complete, but the end result can be local assets run by local organisations who have a genuine understanding to the needs of the local community.
We can advise on Assets of Community Value and Community Asset Transfer. If you’d like to learn more, get in touch: ndsu@birmingham.gov.uk
*Community Asset Transfer* [
]
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Illustration of hands planting, indicating collaboration
: Illustration by Sharonjit Sutton for Local Visions - Neighbourhood Planning Toolkit for Birmingham
*Neighbourhood Planning in Birmingham*
A Neighbourhood Plan (NP) is a legal document setting out a community’s wishes for the use and development of land in a designated area.
Among other things, it can include policies for protecting green spaces, safeguarding or developing community facilities, and allocating sites for housing. Once an NP is brought into force, council planners must take its policies into account when making planning decisions for that area. An NP gives a community legal powers to influence development and shape the future of where they live and work.
In 2022 the NDSU worked with Planning colleagues, sector partners and Birmingham’s neighbourhood planning groups to develop the Neighbourhood Planning Toolkit for Birmingham, known as Local Visions.
If your group is interested in learning more about Neighbourhood Planning, please see:
[
] or email us on ndsu@birmingham.gov.uk
*Neighbourhood Planning Toolkit* [
]
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*Neighbourhood Network Scheme (NNS)*
Birmingham’s NNS (Neighbourhood Network Scheme) supports local residents over 50 years old, access community based services and activities that promote well-being and a better quality of life.
More recently there has been an introduction within NNS, of support for people aged 18-49 with additional needs; "learning disability, physical disability, autism, mental health difficulties, sensory loss or impairment".
NNS is city wide network that identifies crucial services and health and well-being activities. You’ll find what’s on offer in your area in the Birmingham Connect to Support site’s searchable directory [
].
There are 10 place-based NNSs in Birmingham, one for each constituency - plus there is also a programme Digital NNS [
], maximising digital inclusion across Birmingham.
NDSU lead two constituency NNSs; Perry Barr NNS [
] and Selly Oak NNS [
]. Both have recently published videos from their quarterly reports - which shows some the wide ranging and positive activity that has taken place.
The whole programme is commissioned by Adult Social Care [
].
*Perry Barr NNS video* [
]
*Selly Oak NNS video* [
]
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*Neighbourhood Action Coordination *
The current Neighbourhood Action Coordination (NAC) programme takes place across 22 Wards in the city. The programme's mission is to empower residents to influence and make change in their community around local issues - community safety, street scene and other neighbourhood issues.
Neighbourhood Action Coordinators work in collaboration with elected councillors to identify local issues and take action; bringing together local residents, community groups, private enterprise and public services to be the catalyst for sustainable change and unlock their community’s potential.
Here's a recent video of work in Swanshurst Park, Billesley (Youtube link). [
]
Please visit our website for more information about the Neighbourhood Action Coordination programme. [
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*NAC programme* [
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*UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF)*
As part of its levelling up agenda, the UK Government launched the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). There are several components to this programme; NDSU's Head of Service Karen Cheney is the pillar lead for "Community and Place Pillar" in Birmingham.
The Birmingham programme delivery started in November 2023 and runs until March 2025.
This initiative builds upon work already being developed and supported in Birmingham through our approach and focus on 'Working Together in Birmingham’s Neighbourhoods' Policy Statement – 2019 and Localism.
This place-based work is taking place across four priority areas within the city:-
* Northfield and Druids Heath
* East Birmingham regeneration area
* Newtown and Aston
* Erdington
Interventions centre on Community and Neighbourhood Infrastructure projects, capacity building and infrastructure support and community engagement.
For the more information about UKSPF in Birmingham, including the aims of the programme and the three pillars, please visit our dedicated pages on our website [
].
UKSPF in Birmingham Logo lockup
*UKSPF in Birmingham* [
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*NDSU works closely with sector partners. In each newsletter we will aim to share highlights of relevant **Voluntary Sector and Social Economy news*
* *Cultural Action Areas *– Birmingham City Council’s Cultural Development Service announced grant funding to establish or extend Cultural Action Areas. £275k is to be awarded by May 2024, and a further £275k by July 2024. All Birmingham postcodes are eligible, there is more information on the council’s website [
]
* BVSC are hosting* ‘Birmingham City Council Section 114: Voluntary, Community, Faith & Social Enterprise (VCFSE) Sector Briefing’ *with Birmingham City Council leader Cllr John Cotton – the event is taking place online on Thurs 11 April from 10.30am and you can register through BVSC’s website [
]
* *Birmingham Community Lottery* is a weekly lottery that raises money for good causes in Birmingham. All good causes supported by the lottery will benefit Birmingham and its residents. There is more information on the Birmingham Community Lottery website [
]. "Players must be 18 or over." "If you need to talk to someone about your gambling please contact Gamble Aware"
* *Birmingham Community Matters* is a small charity set up to help voluntary and community groups. BCM hold peer-learning and information sessions across the city in various locations, to find out when and where - visit their Eventbrite page [
].
* *WMCA has recently announced a **package of social economy support* [
]* with delivery partners:*
* Enterprise Nation and BEC leaps, for organisations with a turnover between £15k and £50k
* Locality, for organisations with a turnover between £50k and 100k
* and Aston Enterprise, for organisations with a turnover over £100k
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*Ward Forum Meetings in March 2024*
NDSU works with councillors to set up and run Ward Forum Meetings (WFM) across all 69 wards. WFMs are public meetings, open to all residents in the ward and run flexibly to suit local need.*
*
* Aston Ward Forum Meeting [
], Monday 4 March, 6.30pm-8pm at Broadway Academy School
* Druids Heath and Moneyhull Ward Forum Meeting [
], Wednesday 6 March, 7pm-9pm, Moneyhull Church
* Bordesley & Highgate Ward Forum Meeting [
], Thursday 7 March, 6pm-7.30pm, Stanhope Hall
* Bartley Green Ward Forum Meeting [
], Thursday 7 March, 7pm-9pm, Bartley Green School
* Bordesley Green Ward Forum Meeting [
], Monday 11 March, 11am-12.30pm, Small Heath Baptist Church
* Hall Green North Ward Forum Meeting [
], Tuesday 12 March, 6.30pm-8pm, online via Microsoft Teams
* Harborne Ward Forum Meeting [
], Tuesday 12 March, 6.30pm-8pm, Harborne Pool & Fitness Centre
* Edgbaston Ward Forum Meeting [
], Wednesday 27 March, 7pm-9pm, Birmingham Botanical Gardens
For the full list of meetings, please visit CMIS online calendar [
].
*Ward Meetings* [
]
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*NDSU Funding Bulletin*
In addition to this newsletter, we send out a mid-month external funding bulletin, you can also sign up to receive this update by emailing ndsu@birmingham.gov.uk to request to be added to the mailing list.
*Email NDSU*
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*NDSU: Range of Services*
The Neighbourhood Development and Support Unit (NDSU) is a small, citywide team within City Operations. NDSU has a wide range of responsibilities, including ward and place-based working. Specific workstreams include:
* Supporting Local Community Governance – including support to all 69 Ward Forum meetings and the development of Ward Action Plans
* Neighbourhood Action Co-ordination – currently within 22 wards
* Investment in Neighbourhoods and Communities – including place-based grant programmes such as Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL, local element) Beyond Birmingham 2022 - Celebrating Communities and Community Chest and the Community and Place Pillar of Birmingham's Shared Prosperity Fund programme
* Developing key strands within the Council’s priority on Localism as in the “Working Together in Birmingham’s Neighbourhoods” Policy Statement including Neighbourhood Planning, Neighbourhood Councils, Pioneer Places Assets of Community Value and Community Asset Transfer.
* Voluntary and Community Sector Support – including capacity building programmes and focussed support
* Facilitating two Neighbourhood Network Schemes – Perry Barr Constituency and Selly Oak Constituency
* Coordinating the Shared Prosperity Fund – Community and Place Pillar and directly delivering a specific programme in Aston and Newtown Wards.
For more information please get in touch: NDSU@birmingham.gov.uk
*"Thanks for reading Issue 001 of NDSU Newsletter"*
*"*Neighbourhood Development and Support Unit (NDSU)
Birmingham City Council
*"*
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