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Keeping swimming open at Moseley Road Baths — this historic Edwardian pool is now run by a community-managed charity

February 11, 2019
by Alun Severn
2 Comments
There are only three Grade II* listed swimming baths in the country still in use for public swimming and of these Birmingham’s Moseley Road Baths, an Edwardian time capsule which first opened its doors to the public in 1907, is the oldest. It has been saved as a result of a determined
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New wellbeing portal launched to support Birmingham citizens

October 29, 2018
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Birmingham residents who are looking for local activities, support and services that encourage wellbeing and an active and healthy lifestyle can now search a new online directory called Route2Wellbeing that describes over 1,500 local, community-based services and activities. This new
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ART Business Loans, pioneers of social finance in Birmingham, celebrate 21 years and announce new social investment campaign

October 01, 2018
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
ART Business Loans (ART) welcomed Ed Mayo, Secretary General of Co-operatives UK, as the keynote speaker at its 21st AGM this September. Ed Mayo talked about the value of Community Development Finance to the economy and the importance of community economic development. “The process of
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Success! Birmingham’s social enterprise city application approved

April 16, 2018
by Alun Severn
1 Comment
In this post we drew attention to the closing day of City Drive 2018 when there will be a grand social enterprise festival at the banqueting suite of the Council House [details below]. Well, we have just had news confirming that there really will be something worth celebrati
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Next DSEQ network meeting considers HS2 disruption with guest construction speakers

January 18, 2018
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
This, just in from iSE and the Digbeth Social Enterprise Quarter… The Digbeth Social Enterprise Quarter networking meeting is upcoming on Tuesday 13th February 2018, 8.30am to 10.00am. We recently completed a successful consultation with members of the Digbeth Social Enterprise
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The changing face of social enterprise — Impact Hub Birmingham

January 09, 2018
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
For the last two and a half years, a repurposed factory in Digbeth – the creative heart of the city and Brum’s first officially recognised Social Enterprise Quarter – has been home to a new player in social enterprise: Impact Hub Birmingham. Impact Hub Birmingham is part innovation la
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Social enterprise networking…in Paradise

June 16, 2017
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
This, just in from SEUK WM and the PwC Social Entrepreneurs Club… Social enterprise networking & ‘History in the Making’ Monday 3 July, 17.00 @ Paradise BIRMINGHAM Development Join SEUK WM and the PwC Social Entrepreneurs Club for an evening of drinks, canap
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Crowdfund Birmingham — new funding opportunities for community benefit projects

May 10, 2017
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Further to this post, we now have further news about Crowdfund Birmingham, the new joint initiative between Birmingham City Council and Crowdfunder. Launched at the start of the year, Crowdfund Birmingham  is a new campaign to help people with good ideas raise the money they
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Transformation and Social Value: Social Prescribing Keynote

March 25, 2017
by Mark Ellerby
Dudley, NHS, psiams, social enterprise, Social Prescribing
0 Comment
PSIAMS Systems will be hosting a data focussed conference during City Drive Week in Birmingham. The event will feature a range of presentations and workshops on how data is transforming the way the Voluntary and Social Enterprise Sector are responding to change and the needs of commis
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Save Our Support plans flash mob demo 27th February — against cuts to services for city’s most vulnerable

February 15, 2017
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Further to this post, yesterday’s huge lobby against the cuts to Birmingham’s services for its most vulnerable groups showed just how passionately service users, advocacy groups and others are fighting to defend these services (coverage: here, here, here). Save Our Support
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Birmingham City Council launches Crowdfunding Birmingham

February 06, 2017
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Birmingham City Council is launching Crowdfund Birmingham and wants to hear now from local organisations interested in raising money through crowdfunding. The council is setting aside £470,000 from its Community Innovation Fund to provide match funding to pledge on projects that will
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The Pump, premier youth hub in East Birmingham celebrates tenth birthday

February 02, 2017
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
With a music studio, performance space, a dance studio, cyber-cafe, a daycare nursery, room hire, and facilities over four floors with full disabled access, The Pump is the hub for youth work and activity in Kitts Green, in the heart of East Birmingham. And it is celebrating its
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Save Our Support plans second lobby against cuts to services for most vulnerable

February 01, 2017
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Birmingham Changing Futures Together is one of the organisations co-ordinating opposition to the cuts currently planned for the city’s various Supporting people services (see earlier post). It has just issued the following statement: I am writing to you asking for your support f
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Birmingham voluntary sector mobilises against cuts to services for the most vulnerable

January 16, 2017
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
We wrote in this post about the PUBLIC CONSULTATION currently underway on Birmingham City Council’s proposed cuts  to its Supporting People and Third Sector Grant Programmes. This would see cuts of £5m this year, rising to £10m in 2018/9. These reductions com
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Midland Mencap mass lobby against disability cuts

January 13, 2017
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
The further cuts proposed in Birmingham City Council’s 2017 budget — including cuts across all Supporting People services — will hit the most vulnerable groups in the city hard. St Basils has said, “We absolutely understand the extremely difficult decisions tha
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Prosperity Parade — new book traces history of Digbeth Social Enterprise Qtr

June 14, 2016
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
I’ve just been reading David Boyle’s new book, Prosperity Parade: Eight stories from the frontline of local economic recovery. The project was supported by The Barrow Cadbury Trust and can be read in full here on the Trust’s website or here on the New Weather Institu
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Rewriting the rules of opera

March 08, 2016
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Birmingham Opera Company, under artistic director, Graham Vick, was born of a passion and a belief that opera — often seen as elitist, costly and inaccessible — can be a community art that speaks directly to all kinds of people. The company doesn’t have an “ope
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Making the Cut

March 01, 2016
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
For two years now equality and human rights charity brap has been investigating the impact of public spending cuts in Birmingham. Its project Making the Cut looks at the impact austerity measures are having on both people and the organisations providing the services they need. It exam
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Early Years health and wellbeing consultation — open forum session dates

January 12, 2016
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
This, just in from Birmingham Play Care Network… Birmingham City Council is leading a review of the way that Early Years Services are provided in the city. Many providers of early years services are third sector organisations and it is important that the sector engages as fully 
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The Women’s Enterprise Hub Sparkbrook is Officially Open – Come and See Us!

November 24, 2015
by Sarah Crawley
Mariam Yate, Michelle Smith, Naomi Robinson, Sarah Crawley, Second Pedals CIC, Sir Albert Bore, The House Nannies, women in business, Women's Enterprise Hub Sparkbrook
0 Comment
Women across Birmingham can now take advantage of the space and business support on offer from the new Women’s Enterprise Hub in Sparkbrook. Our aim is to help women gain the confidence and skills they need to aim high and realise their full potential in business.  The Hub will be man
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Women’s Enterprise Hub is recruiting -- Receptionist, meeting and events assistant
Nov 22, 2019
Women's Enterprise Hub -- come to the Winter Fayre open day
Nov 19, 2019
Social Enterprise World Forum -- day four
Oct 24, 2019
Social Enterprise World Forum 2019 — day three
Oct 24, 2019

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