The Highgate Local police officer, Anita, has applied for funding from the Proceeds of Crime Act. Her application has been shortlisted, along with seven others, but only one project can succeed.

If successful the money will be used in the Highgate area for a much needed football pitch and play area for children, and Anita already has support from local sporting venues who are willing to deliver soccer skills sessions at the site.

This great project needs your support!

There is no registering required, just visit the West Midlands Police website, and click on “Multi Use Games Area in Highgate” to vote for the project to be awarded funding.

It is really important that as a community we support our neighbours in Highgate, and I’m sure you all agree with me that this is a great project.

So what are you waiting for?! Get clicking and get voting!

You will have probably already heard that HS2, the high speed rail network between Birmingham and London, has been approved. But what does this mean for Digbeth?

Quite a lot actually.

Digbeth Resident’s Association Chairperson Val recently sent me a link to this article on the Guardian. Although I don’t fully agree with the author, I do agree on the main point of his article: HS2 is a HUGE cost to the tax payer. And call me stupid, but I was pretty sure we were/are in the midst of an economic crisis?

Birmingham architect Joe Holyoak, who has offices in the Custard Factory put it like this:

I am very concerned about the impact of the HS2 station upon the relationship between Digbeth and the city centre. The station threatens to reproduce the barrier between the two which the previous elevated ring road represented. The removal of the ring road, and the establishment of better ground level connections, was the first act of the Eastside team following the Eastside designation. HS2 would reverse this accessibility, with Bordesley Street and Fazeley Street being blocked. Between Selfridges and the old Curzon Street Station building, there will be no way of walking between Digbeth and the city centre.

The proposed HS2 station is discussed in the Eastside Masterplan (file download), which is available from the Birmingham City Council website. If you don’t agree with anything in the document, make sure your voice is heard!

Consultation for the Eastside Masterplan is open until 23rd March 2012; make your comments by emailing bigcityplan@birmingham.gov.uk.

Remember that HS2 and its affect on Digbeth will be discussed at the Digbeth Summit on 16th February. If you’d like to attend, make sure to RSVP!

Read “New Birmingham food hub planned for Harborne clock tower building” from the Birmingham Post.

Although this story is not necessarily about Digbeth, it’s great news for Digbeth-based architects K4 and Jayne Bradley from DRA’s strategic partner organisation Edible Eastside.

Congratulations to everyone involved in changing the landscape of Birmingham!

Where: China Town
When: Sunday 29 January 2012, from 12:30 to 17:30

The welcoming of the new Chinese year of the Dragon promises to be the biggest celebration China Town has ever seen!

Expect dragon dances, acrobatics, Kung Fu, fire crackers, market stalls, food and children’s rides. There will also be an extra performance space in Birmingham Hippodrome’s Patrick Centre with special cultural performances at 1pm and 3pm.

The day will conclude with a spectacular Firework Finale complete with traditional Fire Crackers. If you don’t want to go for the whole day, or even at all, you can usually see the fireworks from Digbeth. Make friends with people on the third floor or above in the Abacus Building for a great view!

Visit the Birmingham Chinese New Year website for more information.

When: Tuesday 10th January 2012, 19:30
Where: Birmingham Irish Centre, Digbeth High Street

Is the St Patrick’s Day Parade Important to you or your business?

The Birmingham St Patrick’s Day Parade is in jeopardy this year. There will be a meeting this week to explain the issues, and how the whole community needs to help to ensure it goes ahead.

Please attend if you can – make sure to invite friends, family and business acquaintances to the meeting too!