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Happy New Year
Posted on 6th January 2011 by Tracey ThorneHappy new year to all the Hands on Handsworth followers. I will be updating the blog very soon with more stuff about Handsworth and what is happening locally.
Look out for Generation 0.3 in January being launched at the end of January at the Harriet Tubman Bookshop on Grove Lane.
BMAG are also keen to hear from local african caribbean residents that may like to get involved in a project about the abolition of slavery. Get a £20 voucher for attending the session and helping them with this project. The session takes place on Thursday 20th Jan from 6pm at Handsworth Fire Station to book a place send me an email on tracey.thorne@birmingham.gov.uk
For residents wanting information about waste collections that have been an issue over the chirstmas period or other information you may find the Birmingham Newsroom blog a useful point of call.
Resident Network Meetings for 2011
Posted on 20th December 2010 by Tracey ThorneThroughout last year many residents have got together each month to form a local resident network looking at local issues within the neighbourhood. The group has agreed to continue next year and will in 2011 focus on environmental issues.
The resident network is chaired by Selwyn Clarke and open to all Handsworth residents. If you’re interested in getting imvolved and would like to see further environmental improvements than please come along.
The next meetings will be:
- Monday 24th January at 7pm @ Handsworth Community Fire Station
- Monday 21st February at 7pm @ Handsworth Community Fire Station
- Monday 21st March at 7pm @ Handsworth Community Fire Station
Blog Experiencing technical problems
Posted on 9th December 2010 by Tracey ThorneI appologies that we are currently expreincing some technical problems on this site and all the images have gone and some links aren’t working as they should.
Hopefully sorted soon, Best wishes
Tracey Thorne
Insight Day on Drugs & Alcohol
Posted on 26th November 2010 by Tracey ThorneLast Friday the 19th December we held our first ever Insight Day on Drugs & Alcohol this event focused on issues within the Perry Barr Constituency, this includes four wards Oscott, Perry Barr, Handsworth Wood & Lozells and East Handsworth.
This event was hosted by the Perry Barr Drug & Alcohol Sub Group and was aimed at local services, community organisations and resident led groups. Over the last 12 months we have been working as a group to look at a range of issues in relation to drugs & alcohol. The key aim is to increase opportunities to work together to address the impact that drugs & alcohol has on our neighbourhoods.
I know that in the main area that I work in Handsworth concerns about illicit drug use and particularly street drinking features high on the agenda for local residents.
We will now take forward information gathered from the day to help inform the action plan for the next 12 months and welcome opportunities to get feedback on this plan from local residents.
Please post any comments here or email me directly if you wish to comment on any aspect of drug or alcohol use in your neighbourhood?
Some of the agncies that took part in the day have a range of services and information that you can access via their websites:
For more information about Drugs or Alcohol or treatment services visit the Birmingham Drug & Alcohol Action Team website
For information about mental health visit the Birmingham & Solihull Mental Foundation Trust website
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
For help & support with a drug problem contact Phoenix Futures who provide a range of outreach services locally.
For information on whats happening nationally within the drugs field Drugscope is a leading agency that provides expertise on drugs; informing policy, encoraging informed debate, research etc.
INHABIT Empty Shop Project on Grove Lane
Posted on 1st November 2010 by Tracey ThorneMany people will no the Harriet Tubman Bookshop on Grove Lane which has been closed for sometime. I was approached several weeks ago by Hybird who are running a project across the city centres to open up empty shops to encoarge people to use these spaces and run arts activties from them. I am really glad to see that the team have been able to take forward getting an empty shop open for the INHABIT Project here in Handsworth and look forward to visiting. The team are keen to here from people that may wish to get involved and use the space see information below.
I will post information on activties and opening times once they are confirmed.
ARE YOU…
Interested in crafts workshops?
Want to learn more about design?
Looking for a free place to meet?
Willing to photograph your tea breaks – and your friends or colleagues – and have your work on display!
Interested in this happening on your local high street?
Then join us at INHABIT: PERRY BARR for tea and cake.
Inhabit: Perry Barr is all about visiting your local high street for tea, chat, workshops and new skills. It’s a place to get together, learn more about the local area, the people that live here, the changes we’d like to make and the things we like.
We’ll be popping up in the first week of November but hurry we won’t be there long, so arrange to visit us soon!
We’ll be at 27 Grove Lane (The Harriet Tubman Bookshop)
Want to take part?
Tell us more! Who you are, when’s a good time for you to visit, how many people you’d like to bring.
We’re happy to have information by email, phone or on paper: so email karen@hybridconsulting.org.uk, mobile 07825 321687 or send an RSVP to us at Hybrid, 504 Islington Gate, 4 Fleet Street, Birmingham, B3 1JH
Handsworth highly commended in Homes & Communities Awards 2010
Posted on 24th September 2010 by Tracey ThorneLast night I attended the Homes & Communties Awards 2010 in London. Earlier this year Urban Living’s Sense of Place Project was shortlist as a finalist for Leadership of Place category. This project was a partnership between a consortium of partners, local community researchers and Birmingham City Council. The area of focus for the project was Dudley & Soho Rds and used partcipatory arts activties and digital recording to enage with local residents. The aim of the project was to empower local residents to make a difference to improving the local neighbourhoods.
We were delighted on the night to receive a Highly Commended award for the Sense of Place Project, this is great for Soho Ward and handsworth to receive recogition for some of the important work that is going on within these neighbouhoods to bring about improvements.
It was also great too see so many projects from Birmingham, I think that we had more nominations in the finalist stage than any other area.
Aston Hall won Flourishing Places
Balsall Health Forum won Stronger Communties
Urban Living highly recommended Leadership of Place
With the New Oscott Retirement Village & Midland Hearts Raleigh Close (handsworth) work also finalists in two categories.
Nick Corbert & Peter Latchford Urban Living
Adnan Saif, Urban Living, Noha Nasser, Cudos & Tracey Thorne, Birmingham City Council
Supporting the Midland Heart nomination Cllr Paulette Hamilton attend along with Paul Street & Jason Chapman from West Midlands Police. They were delighted that the work at Raleigh Close had been recoginsed by the H&C Awards .
Photographing Handsworth Exhibition
Posted on 1st September 2010 by Tracey ThorneThe University of Birmingham will be opening an exhibition tomorrow at Handsworth Library, Soho Rd, Handsworth between 6 & 8pm. The exhibition will concide with the passing of 25 years since the Handsworth distrubances, which have commonly been used to represent the area in a negative light, this showcase how different practitioners from within Handsworth have sought to represent the rich diverse life in the area through photography.
The exhibition opens tomorrow night but will be at Handsworth Library for several weeks for people to view
If you’re interested in attending contact Kieran Connell at kieranconnell@fastmail.co.uk or 07815531689
Community Journalists wanted for Hands on Handsworth Community Magazine
Posted on 3rd August 2010 by Tracey ThorneIn may the first edition of the Hands on Handsworth Magazine was published. I got lots of postive feedback about the magazine and residents continue to be interested in getting a regular local publication with news and stories about Handsworth.
I am interesting in getting ideas for this next edition and welcome contributions of stories & photos from the community. If you’re interested please drop me an email (tracey.thorne@birmingham.gov.uk) or cal me on 0121 303 3401.
Are you interested in being a community journalist or photographer? Or would you like to be part of an editorial team?
The next edition will be published in September
