Thank you to everyone who has submitted their feedback from the Digbeth Summit! So far, thoughts have been very positive, with selected quotes from delegates included below:

Many thanks to those who volunteered their time, intelligence and energy to organising Keep Digbeth Different last Thursday…I look forward to contributing further to the discussions about how we can make Digbeth better whilst making it different.

What was impressive was how DRA has managed to  not only connect the disparate groups in Digbeth but also to pursuade them all to come together for the event.

Well done, it had a real buzz.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to offer us their insights and thoughts towards the event. Supporters of all things brummie, A Better Brum, have also been positive about the event, promoting it and the accompanying animation by BCU students Brian and Michael on their blog, along with other supporters:

Digbeth Residents Association’s Digbeth Summit: Keeping Digbeth Different event is tomorrow!

As part of the preparations for the event, a session was held last week to finalise plans. SIFA Fireside very kindly offered us use of their fantastic facilities on Allcock Street, and we were welcomed and made more comfortable with delicious vegetarian and vegan nibbles courtesy of ChangeKitchen.

DRA would like to express our gratitude to SIFA Fireside and ChangeKitchen for accommodating us; we are delighted to have found more hidden gems in Digbeth!

We recommend you discover both of these inspirational organisations yourself:

SIFA Fireside works alongside those who are socially excluded or disadvantaged, addressing alcohol issues and homelessness and empowering and supporting people to meet their short and long term goals. Their drop-in centre offering friendship, hospitality and support to the homeless, unemployed or lonely. SIFA are always on the look out for volunteers, so if you are able to give up even just an hour of your time to help others, please do get in touch here.

ChangeKitchen launched in June 2010. It is a catering social enterprise, led by Birgit Kehrer who has had her own successful catering business ‘BSustained’ for some years. ChangeKitchen cooks healthy and delicious Vegetarian and Vegan food for events and meetings taking place around the West Midlands, and employs SIFA Fireside service users on six month placements to give them some training and experience in the catering industry. They are then supported to find permanent employment.

ChangeKitchen are available to cater all sorts of events and even weddings! You can download the latest brochure here.

To fight the winter chill, Bay Leaf at the Custard Factory, is offering a £20 discount when you spend £40 or more on evening dining for the whole month of February (except Valentine’s day)!

So come along and warm up with a Jalfrezi or a North Indian Garlic Chilli. Bay Leaf will be providing some nibbles for the Digbeth Summit on 16th February if you want to have a preview of what they offer.

Bay Leaf
The Green House
2 Gibb Street
Digbeth
B9 4AA

T: 0121 224 7700
E: info@bayleaf-restaurant.co.uk

To take advantage of this generous offer, simply book 24 hours in advance quoting HP20. Please note that this offer is not valid on 14th February or in conjunction with any other offer.

Rubbish, litter, mess.

Regardless of what you call it or who it comes from, be it residents, local business owners or just visitors to Digbeth, one bone of contention that never goes away is litter. Rubbish is a problem in Digbeth; there aren’t enough bins in the area, not enough council scheduled street cleaning, and pathways along the canals seem to be often neglected.

I recently came across talking bins at Love Where You Live, and certainly think these would be great in Digbeth. Instead of talking, the bins could salute to the live music scene in Digbeth by playing tunes from local bands!

Even if talking bins are not the answer, more street cleaning and public amenities would certainly help our Digbeth’s litter problem.

The Digbeth Summit: Keeping Digbeth Different event is less than two weeks away. To help promote the event, Digbeth Residents Association has enlisted the talent of two second year animation students at BCU’s Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD) to create a viral video.

The event to be held on 16th February at the Custard Factory, will bring together residents, business owners, voluntary sector agencies, developers and council staff to discuss the future of Digbeth. Digbeth residents strongly recognise the need to work in partnership with local businesses to make the area a destination rather than an exit out of Birmingham, and to influence its direction.

Students Michael Price and Brian Lobeda jumped at the opportunity to create a video to promote the Digbeth Summit. Michael said: “Hopefully, our animation will help to show people that Digbeth is just as important to the city as the other districts, and that its legacy should not be neglected.”

Brian said: “I have learned a lot about Digbeth, especially about the Custard Factory and the Ty.Phoo factory.”

DRA Chair Val Woodward said: “It’s great that so many of the diverse sectors in Digbeth are working together so constructively. We are keen to support creative arts students and their contributions to Digbeth as one of the two main cultural areas in Birmingham. Our logo was also designed by a BIAD student and we have always been delighted with the quality of their work.”

The video created by Michael and Brian is below. For more information about the Digbeth Summit please click here.