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:

As well as thanking everyone who attended, Digbeth Residents Association would also like to extend thanks to our keynote speakers, Shabana Mahmood MP and Mark Barrow from Birmingham City Council, for supporting the Digbeth Summit. Special thanks also go to our volunteer facilitators for running the group discussions and feeding back to the wider attendance.

As promised at the event, Mark Barrow kindly agreed to share the presentation he gave; please find a copy of the slides below. Videos and a report of the group discussions from the Digbeth Summit will also be made available on mydigbeth.co.uk as soon as possible.

Initial responses to the event have been positive, and we may hold a follow-up in future. As such, DRA is looking for any feedback, be it positive or negative, to help our planning. Comments can be sent by email, Twitter, Facebook or by posting a response in the comments after this article.

Of course, this event would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors: the Custard Factory, South Birmingham College, Bay Leaf Restaurant and the Urban Futures Project at the University of Birmingham.

Digbeth Summit M Barrow 16.02.12

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.

Aspire4U director, Daniella Genas said: “My vision is to create a portal that nurtures talent in the West Midlands and enables the youth in the region to compete with London-based artists without having to leave the city. Following the recent riots, it is important to engage with young people and provide them with alternatives to criminality.”

To learn more about Aspire4u, click here to visit the website.

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.

The scheme was launched to accommodate Birmingham’s expanding elderly Chinese population. The age group ranges from 50 to 90, with one resident set to celebrate her 100th birthday in May. Most staff can speak in a number of Chinese dialects, the most popular being Cantonese and Hakka. A small number speak Mandarin.

Residents are treated to traditional cuisine, tai chi, Mah Jong and trips to Chinese supermarkets. Elaine Tang, older people’s service leader at Trident Reach, said: “Our residents make lots of friends here so they always have people to talk to, share a joke and play traditional Chinese games with. We all look forward to Chinese New Year – it is such an important celebration in our culture and we feel it is vital to keep the traditions alive.”

Digbeth is such a diverse area, so it’s fitting that we are the setting for such a unique project that really enriches people’s lives.

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.

Pamela Pinski, Secretary for DRA, said: “This grant will allow Digbeth Residents Association to become a more active group in the area, helping to bring about a feeling of community as well as cohesion between the various different and distinct groups who call Digbeth home. Digbeth Residents Association would like to thank the Reclaim Our Streets fund for this donation.”

Yvonne Palmer, Director – Operations & Programmes of Birmingham & Black Country Community Foundation said: “We are delighted to be able to award this grant to Digbeth Residents Association, and to support them in the work they are doing in their community. The Foundation is all about supporting local people to find local solutions to local problems, by distributing money to people who really do and will make a difference for the future.”

To learn about other supporters of DRA, please click here.

This could be an interesting concept related to Digbeth. Ensure to check MyDigbeth regularly for any updates related to CIDs.

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.