WALSALL COMMUNITY PROJECT IN FINALS OF NATIONAL AWARDS SCHEME - 26 May 2009

A community initiative where people work together with different agencies to improve their deprived Walsall area and give fresh hope for the future is in the finals of a prestigious national government award scheme.

The Birchills Neighbourhood Management and Renewal Project has been shortlisted  in the ‘Empowering Communities’ category of  the Homes and Communities Academy Awards which will be presented at a black tie dinner in London on 4 June.

The project by the Burrowes Street Tenant Management Organisation (BSTMO) and the Birchills Neighbourhood Board has been recognised for its success in supporting local people to improve their neighbourhood.

Terry Edis, chairman of BSTMO and the Board, said: “We were chosen from more than 60 entries in our category to make the final six. It is great recognition for all our work and shows we are going in the right direction. Ten members of the Board are attending the evening and it would be fantastic if we won.”

The project works by encouraging people from the diverse communities in the 3,000 homes in Birchills to get involved at grass roots level to make it a cleaner, safer, cohesive and empowered community. It brings them together with representatives from partner agencies such as Walsall Council, the police and Walsall Regeneration Company, to identify and prioritise what is needed and to tailor services to meet local needs.

The ‘people power’ initiative gives locals a greater say and a sense of pride in their community. A Birchills Neighbourhood Charter sets out their aims. As part of the project an information booklet has been put together so residents who may have concerns, about say fly tipping or abandoned cars, can find the right person and number to call to report it.

Terry explained: “It makes life easier for people to get things done in their neighbourhood and if they see improvements made it gets them involved in building a better Birchills.

“I am not surprised that the project has taken off because it was long overdue, the area needed action. This is about empowering the community and about people saying ‘I want to do something about where I live’.”

Dr Peter Cromar, chief executive of the Walsall Regeneration Company, was delighted with the national recognition for the project in the awards scheme

He said: “We have built up a good relationship with the Burrowes Street Tenant Management Organisation over the last two to three years.

“We are very keen to establish the Birchills area as a pilot for a different form of regeneration which links local communities and developments more closely together. That approach is in line with emerging government policy to empower communities more effectively. By working with nationally recognised leaders like Terry Edis and Aftab Nawaz of the Pakistan Muslim Welfare Association we can make a real difference.”

WRC would like to see the development of a super-speed broadband network run by and for the community in Birchills. It would link into the next generation broadband platform of the proposed Walsall Gigaport, a high quality business district which WRC is driving to bring new jobs, skills and investment to the town.

ENDS