Making Birmingham an inclusive city

Some residents said they would not put their postcode on a CV for fear that it would lessen their
chances of getting employment. During discussion with residents, issues around crime and
safety were never far from the surface. In a number of neighbourhoods, the discussion of
identity and sense of place was shaped by anti-social behaviour issues.
Cost and access of transport
Compounding the connectivity problem is the cost and access to transport. For many in the city
public transport is too expensive, meaning that residents often can’t afford to connect with the
“…we don’t connect to the city centre –
it’s £8 for a Family Day Saver into town
on the bus... The city has set itself up
in a way that excludes the people from
the outlying estates – they don’t want
people like us to be there. So we can’t
afford to have connection with the city”
Welsh House Farm resident
“This community will give
– they put their hand in
their pockets”
Castle Vale resident
rest of the city, even if this is where education and
employment opportunities are based. Residents
identified the prohibitive cost to families of visiting
the city centre, particularly families on low incomes
(for example, the cost of a family saver to the city
from outlying areas is £8.00).
The lack of connection and feeling of isolation of
some outlying estates has translated into a feeling
that the opportunities being developed in the city
centre and other areas of Birmingham are not for them. It has led in some cases to resentment
about inner city communities, manifesting itself in feelings of ‘us against the rest’.
People have the solutions and need the power to act
Birmingham has created an environment that is built
around structures and organisations to deliver
services across the city. This has continually
disempowered residents’ sense of action.
15
“There are some strong
characters on the estate which
helps with getting things done”
Attwood Green resident
There is a need in Birmingham to nurture and design ways to encourage the ‘power to act’ for
residents who feel they have solutions to issues that affect wellbeing and inclusion. This would
create a sense of citizenship and ownership across the city.
Services need to face outwards: a great GP brings in
the family to discuss how to improve the life of
‘Granny’; a great social worker gets a mentally ill
client into meaningful voluntary work, not just
oversees their treatment. The great frontline worker
should be purposefully promoted for their capacity to
improve wellbeing.
The notion that taking action is ‘someone else’s responsibility’
needs to be challenged. Projects that help communities and
individuals ‘do it for themselves’ should be encouraged.
Individual and collective curiosities should be provoked and
linked back to support for and provocation of the ‘power to act’.
“Sometimes it’s best to go in an indirect
way – Perry Common set up a knitting
group and that started something
…Summerfield started a growth scheme
and set up areas to grow food. But
often it’s getting a common interest and
start things from there” Attwood
Green resident