Posts Tagged ‘ digbeth residents association

Further Support for the Digbeth Summit

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:

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Digbeth Summit – Thanks

Thank you to everyone who attended Thursday’s Digbeth Summit: Keeping Digbeth Different event. We recorded an attendance of at least 75 people, which is very encouraging for our first event of this kind!

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

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Digbeth Summit – Tomorrow!

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.

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DRA is awarded a grant by BBCCF

Digbeth Residents Association is celebrating after receiving a £700 grant from Birmingham & Black Country Community Foundation on behalf of RD Crusaders Foundation and Express Group. The funding was received from the Reclaim Our Streets fund, one of the many administered by the Foundation.

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.

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The (animated) Digbeth Summit

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.

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St Patrick’s Parade 2012: The Torch is Passed, The Flags are Waved.

After I reported the Birmingham St Patrick’s Parade was in jeopardy, the local media showed interest in the story and DRA’s Chairperson, Val Wooodward, appeared on BBC WM Radio as a result.

Here, John McMahon of Birmingham’s premier Irish magazine, An Craic, has very kindly written an article for us to bring us up to date with what happened at the EGM recently:

Having successfully arranged the previous two Festivals, the St Patrick’s board have now passed on the torch to new directors – synching with the torch bearing tradition of this the Olympic year. Not surprising then that the main focus for the parade on Sunday March 11 is Irish Sport, and it is with great pleasure that the leading lights of Irish sports men and women based in Birmingham have been asked to be this year’s flag bearers. If you’re a sportsperson with Irish connections – get in touch – for yourself, your sport or your team. We’d love your support at this years parade.

Preparations are well underway to continue the great tradition of the Birmingham St Patrick’s Parade and its supporting fringe events. The civic reception and launch this year will be at The Irish Centre on Friday March 9th. Set your clocks though to be bright and early at the main event – The Parade – Sunday March 11 at twelve noon. As ever the principal feature and focus is The Birmingham Irish and its surrounding communities – blending the traditional with the contemporary: floats and walking groups from the counties, traditional marching bands, GAA groups, dancing schools and the general weird and whacky of Parade day. ‘St PatRocks’ will continue the custom started several years ago of showcasing more contemporary local Irish bands whose members have Irish roots – this will be hosted at the HMV institute.

As with previous years anyone heading to Digbeth on parade day will be submersed in a sea of green and overwhelmed by the infectious sense of such a good natured and joyous occasion. Marvel at the parade – and then enjoy the Craic in many of Digbeth’s finest hostelries – many of which remain resolutely Irish in their devotion. Other fringe events leading up to St Patrick’s Day itself include an Irish Film night, Art installation, Race night, Irish Ale night, Irish literary event and Irish music nights.

We need You. As ever being a voluntary organisation we really do count on the support of individuals – so whether you can volunteer as a steward, are keen to enter a float or walk in the parade, are prepared to help raise sponsorship for us – do contact us. And if everyone can remember to throw a pound into the collection boxes – you will be doing your community proud.

St Patrick’s Festival 2012 starts with the civic reception and launch night on Friday 9th March at The Irish Centre. For tickets and details of the launch, parade and all St Patricks’ events – visit the website at stpatricksbirmingham.com.

Thanks John!

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Nechells Ward Meeting – February 2012

If you want to make a difference and have a voice in Digbeth, make sure you attend the next Nechells Ward Meeting, where you can hold your Councillors accountable! Details below:

Nechells Ward Feb 2012

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Bangla Food Journeys: Event and Free Signed Book!

Please see a message from Aftab Rahman, Director of Bay Leaf Restaurant in the Custard Factory, and supporter of Digbeth Residents Association:

In my role as the Director of Legacy WM, I have been working on the ‘Bangla food journeys’ over the last year.  I have researched the early arrival of Bangladeshi people into the UK and looked at the food that they ate when they arrived in the 50/60s.  I have interviewed first generation Bangladeshi people and collected their experiences of when they first arrived.  I have also interviewed a few English people on their experiences of when they first met Bangladeshi people.  Finally, I have interviewed younger Bangladeshi people and collected their stories and recipes.  This information has been used to produce a beautiful book.

The book was officially launched on the 15th Jan 2012 at the Drum and it was a great success

I would like invite you to the promotion on the 9th February at 6.30pm at Bay Leaf.  The evening will include light refreshments and a presentation from me.  This will be followed by a discounted two course Bangladeshi meal for only £9.90.  The project has been funded by Heritage Lottery Fund.  You will get a free signed copy of the book.

Place are limited so, please confirm your attendance by e-mailing aftab.rahman1@yahoo.co.uk  to avoid disappointment.

Kind regards

Aftab Rahman
Managing Director

Bay Leaf
Café – Bar – Restaurant
www.bayleaf-restaurant.co.uk
0121 224 7700

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DRA’s Val on BBC WM Radio

As reported on Wednesday, our very own Chairperson Val Woodward appeared on BBC WM Radio on Thursday morning talking about the St Patrick’s Day festival.

If you missed it, please click here to listen to the whole show, but you only have 5 days left to listen online!
DRA is mentioned in the news at 31 minutes in, and 39 (and a bit minutes) in Val is interviewed by Phil Upton.

Well done to Val and here’s to DRA gaining more local media coverage in future. Of course, we will keep you up to date with any information we hear about the St Patrick’s Day Festival 2012 as soon as we know about it.

To make sure you don’t miss out, click here to sign up to email alerts from mydigbeth.

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Metal theft: special edition Neighbourhood Watch e-newsletter

As you are no doubt aware, metal theft is an increasing problem which affects many people, businesses and buildings. Theft of cables is a particular problem as well as lead from churches and heritage buildings. We have produced a special edition e-newsletter to highlight this problem and what you can help to do about it.

Download the e-newsletter here.

To join the DRA Neighbourhood Watch Scheme, please visit www.ourwatch.org.uk and click on sign up in the top right corner.

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