A community grows when you give it a little space, some shade, and some love. July 8th, Reaside Forest Garden, one of many Fruit and Nut Villages in Balsall Heath, welcomed visitors to the site. With the summer sun beaming down, we spent a very pleasant morning gathered under the cool, welcoming shade of the big poplar tree right in the middle of the garden. Another beautiful day of growth, connection, and celebration, part of Balsall Heath Community Festival #BHCFest26!
We were joined by Friends of the Earth! They spent the morning filming and interviewing our visitors, volunteers and partners about the Postcode Gardener Project, which they have funded right here in Balsall Heath. It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the hard work happening on the ground.
We also gave out a dozen grape vines! Lovingly propagated from the original vine at Apna Ghar.After a productive morning, our friends at Apna Ghar hosted 17 of us for a spectacular, delicious meal. Gathering around the table provided a much-needed moment to rest, catch up, and swap stories with both familiar faces and new friends.
“A community garden is about growing relationships.”
Shade and chat iunder the treesLearning about growingHot work keeping plants cool
Live music among the trees!
The week isn’t over yet, and we have the perfect way for you to unwind.
After such a fantastic weekend, the next three days promise to be equally wonderful as Balsall Heath Community Festival brings together so many more people to celebrate Balsall Heath! A quick summary, flyers below, offering joy and fun in gardens, exhibitions and in our fabulous Faith Centres across Balsall Heath from 6th to 8th July!
Community Festival so far in pictures
Day 1 – Anawim is 40
We started our Festival with a party at Anawim, a visit to the Fire Station and drama at Pickwick Park!
Crowds at Retrofit Balsall Heath Drama Pickwick Park, the start of #BHCFest26!Firemen Louis reads about the history of Balsall HeathAll ready for guests at Anawim’s 40thBell is rung every day to ‘Call to Muster’ at the New Fire Station – hope to see the fire engine at an event later this fetsival!New Fruit and Nut Village Garden at AnawimJoy ceremonially planting the fig tree with Fruit and Nut VillageWatering in the new fig treeAward Ceremony, singing, poetry and tree planting with Fruit and Nut Village at Anawim.
Day 2 – History on the Lane
We talked to shop owners, passers by and local organisations like Friends of Balsall Heath Park as the next history interpretation panels were installed bu Balsall Heath Local History Society. Find out more on our history trail across Balsall Heath.
‘Our history is important, all of it.’
Shops and so much more, down ‘The Lane’BCC street cleaner loves us celebrating our history, cleaned all around our new sign.Entrance to Balsall Heath ParkAnawim staff with the new heritage panel outside their HQBy Balsall Heath Park, so much historyInstalled outside Anawim before their 40th Celebration
Day 3 – East West Procession and more!
Litterpicking at Balsall Heath Park to start our procession, with Peter, creator of the Retrofit Balsall Heath mobile model home.Last read through of the script for the Three little pigs playLitter managed!Start of the ProcessionAli guides a young wood carverArt and Crafts at Seven Street ParkCarnival Exhibition in Seven Street ParkParty begins at Seven Streets ParkBanners on display in the parkTrying on a new necklaceMore woodcraft in the ParkMore woodcraftFlag makingDrumming to George Street ParkChilling in Calthorpe ParkA short stop for Change Kitchen delicious foodTea and cake breakThe mobile model Retrofit Balsall Heath House on the move!Drumming workshop starts A grand evening in Calthorpe ParkCarrying the banner3 Little Pigs Retrofit Balsall Heath drama at George Street Park
Celebrate the creativity, diversity and community spirit of Balsall Heath with a joyful walking procession from Balsall Heath Park to Calthorpe Park on Sunday 5 July as part of Balsall Heath Community Festival.
Expect colourful banners, Brumbeats drummers, pop-up street theatre, family activities and plenty of carnival atmosphere as we walk together across the neighbourhood, celebrating local pride, greener homes, vibrant parks and the people who make Balsall Heath such a special place. Walk the whole route or join us wherever you can. Make your own mini banner, enjoy performances, meet neighbours old and new, and help launch Retrofit Balsall Heath’s new community banner.
Everyone is welcome—bring your friends, your family and your carnival spirit!
Event details
11.00am: Meet at Balsall Heath Park
11.30am–1.30pm: Free mini flag and banner-making workshop at Seven Streets Park(activities, refreshments and carnival exhibition until 2.00pm)
12.00pm: Procession sets off
2.00pm: Retrofit street drama at George Street Park
3.30pm–5.00pm: Drumming workshop and refreshments at Calthorpe Park
Join us for the whole procession or simply drop in along the route—everyone is welcome!
Sorry Hot weather means we’ve had to POSTPONE new date to be announced soon -an intimate event dedicated to the living history, stories and memories of Balsall Heath.
A live performance by Liz Berry, award winning poet, of her new poem
An interveiw with Liz Berry
A showing of film clips of Balsall heath from the 1960s to 1980s assembled by The Media Archive of Central England
Display of Balsall Heath Carnival from 1977 onwards
Liz’s work has been described by The Guardian as a “sooty soaring hymn to her native West Midlands.” An award-winning poet and author of the critically acclaimed collections Black Country (Chatto, 2014); The Republic of Motherhood (Chatto, 2018); The Dereliction (Hercules Editions, 2021) a collaboration with artist Tom Hicks; and most recently The Home Child (Chatto, 2023), a novel in verse.
Liz shares a deep, personal connection with Balsall Heath. Published in May 2026 and featured in the Times Literary Supplement, her new poem “Psalm” is a deeply evocative, secular hymn that celebrates community, resilience, and womanhood. True to her remarkable ability to transfigure working-class landscapes into something sacred, “Psalm” anchors itself right here in Balsall Heath.
Following the reading, Liz will join us for a brief interview to discuss the inspiration behind the poem and her lifelong project of mapping the emotional geography of the West Midlands.
Film Clips & Archives: An Earlier Balsall Heath
Step back in time with us as we screen a selection of rare film clips capturing Balsall Heath from decades past. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see how our streets used to look, spot familiar corners, compare and contract Balsall Heath past and present.
Balsall Heath Carnival
Do you remember the floats, the music, and the crowds of the classic Balsall Heath Carnivals? We will have special archive displays set up around the hall dedicated to the history of the Carnival. Come browse the photographs, share your own memories, and celebrate the enduring joy of our community coming together.
Event Details:
What: Memories of Balsall Heath (A Balsall Heath Community Festival Special Event)
When:POSTPONED to be announced soon
Where: St. Paul’s Venture Hall, Balsall Heath
Featuring: A live reading and interview with Liz Berry, local heritage film screenings, and historical Carnival displays.
Whether you have lived in Balsall Heath your entire life or are new to the area, this evening is a celebration of your history. Let’s celebrate the extraordinary story of the place we call home.
As we prepare to celebrate Anawim’s 40th anniversary, Believe in Balsall Heath are thrilled to share a dedicated History Panel installed right outside Anawim entrance on Mary Street. Celebrating the rich heritage of Mary Street and George Street, the panel stands as a proud reminder of Balsall Heath’s heritage.
Anawim anniversary celebrations on July 3rd also serves as the official kickoff for the Balsall Heath Community Festival (#BHCFest26)! This fantastic festival will bring ten days of joy, culture, and connection to our neighborhood.
From “Britain’s Busiest Cul-de-Sac” to a Sanctuary for Women
Anawim began with two pioneering nuns, Sister Magdalene Matthews and Sister Maisie Nevin in 1986. Moving into a terraced house on Mary Street, they stepped directly into the heart of what was then a notorious red-light district, at the time described as “Britain’s busiest cul-de-sac.”
The Sisters saw women in need of safety, dignity, and care. Forty years later and that single terraced house has evolved into a lifeline. Today, Anawim sits proudly on the historic site of the former St John’s School, which educated local children from 1911 to 1980. While the buildings have changed, the core mission has never wavered: helping women from all backgrounds and communities in and around Birmingham get the support, respect, and opportunities they truly deserve.
“We are so proud of our history.” Joy, Anawim CEO
Come Take a Look!
The next time you walk past Anawim’s entrance on Mary Street, please take a moment to stop and explore the new history panel, linked to our ever expanding history trail of Balsall Heath. Trails are at the heart of 2026 celebrations in Balsall Heath and a wonderful way to experience our streets. The Balsall Heath Local History Society has been deep in the archives, uncovering fascinating stories of Balsall Heathans and Balsall Heath. Working with local partners, we have produced a series of historical interpretation panels that have been installed across Balsall Heath in 2026.
Are you celebrating with us at #BHCFest26? Drop a comment below, share your favorite memories of Balsall Heath, or tag us in your festival photos!
As part of this year’s Balsall Heath Festival, the Museum of Islamic Arts & Heritage (MIAH) is inviting local residents to help create a one-of-a-kind illuminated map celebrating the people, places, and stories that make Balsall Heath special.
Inspired by the rich artistic traditions of the Ottoman Empire, the collaborative artwork will combine traditional Islamic art forms – including geometric patterns, illumination, biomorphic designs, and decorative drawing – to create a beautiful, community-led map of the neighbourhood.
The project is open to everyone, regardless of age or artistic experience. Whether visitors have five minutes or an hour to spare, they are welcome to drop in and contribute in a way that suits them. Participants will be invited to identify places in Balsall Heath that hold personal meaning, sharing memories and local landmarks while helping to build a collective artwork that reflects the area’s rich heritage and diverse communities.
Once completed, the map will become a lasting celebration of Balsall Heath and will help inspire a future heritage trail highlighting the neighbourhood’s history, culture, and community stories. The artwork will also be displayed at MIAH as part of its ongoing gallery programme.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to explore Under the Sultan’s Shadow, MIAH’s current exhibition, which examines the artistic and cultural world of the Ottoman Empire through objects, stories, and visual traditions.
The workshop is free to attend, with no previous artistic experience required. Everyone is welcome to take part and leave their mark on a collaborative artwork celebrating one of Birmingham’s most vibrant communities.
It’s officially colouring competition judging time for Balsall Heath Community Festival, ready for festival start on Friday! We’ve been judging entries in windows as well as visiting local schools like Clifton Primary. To help us handle the tough job of picking the winners, we teamed up with Miss Choudhury – who happened to be a legendary two-time past winner of the competition herself.
She met us with Mr Lamprey, who has helped organise many previous Balsall Heath Carnivals, where the Colouring Competition was always a highlight. Narrowing it down was no easy feat as there are hundreds of incredible entries, but after much deliberation, we officially selected a winner, two runners-up, and four “Highly Commended” artists.
‘I won an orange skipping rope!’
Miss Choudhury explains how excited she was in 2005, and how well loved the skipping rope was. The next year judging was done from the street view, and if there were lots of artworks in the window the judges couldn’t tell whose artwork was whose – meaning Miss Choudhury and all of her siblings walked away with chocolate prizes.
Colouring poster from 2011Colouring competition from 1981Entries from 2013
We can’t wait to return to Clifton Primary School soon to hand out this year’s prizes. In the meantime, we are encouraging all pupils to proudly display their artwork in School and in their front windows. Let’s get the whole neighborhood colourful and promote our fabulous, upcoming ten-day Balsall Heath Community Festival! #BHCFest26
The first day of the festival is this Friday, and there will be an event at Pickwick Park organised by Retrofit Balsall Heath with Storytelling and Drama. If you see a fire engine on the Park, don’t worry – our friendly Fire Service have offered to support our Community Festival too!
Balsall Heath Local History Society bring the Carnival back to life in a touring exhibition, ready for Balsall Heath Community Festival! #BHCFest26. The Festival runs from 3rd to 13th July and the FREE Touring Carnival Exhibition will be at many of the venues across Balsall Heath.
A Symbol of Hope
‘The Carnival was never just a Carnival. It was a symbol of hope, an agent for change and a showcase for our rich cultural diversity. It is part of our heritage and our community identity.’
When it started in 1977, the procession wound through streets which were still pockmarked with bomb sites and derelict housing. The area was only just beginning to recover from damage inflicted over thirty years previously in the Second World War. The City Council had cleared a huge swathe of older housing but the neighbourhood as a whole was in an appalling condition: poor housing; high unemployment; dreadful health statistics.
However, it was rich with the biggest asset of all – residents who were committed to rebuilding the community. Hundreds of people created the Carnival and thousands of people took part in it. The success for nearly fifty years reflects our achievement in becoming the thriving Balsall Heath of today.
Balsall Heath Community Festival is not the same as the old Carnival but it has risen from its ashes. But the Festival is again a symbol of hope as all parts of the community have come together to celebrate and to reaffirm our identity as diverse, creative and enterprising.
Balsall Heath for Balsall Heathans
For nearly five decades the Balsall Heath Carnival has been the beating heart of our community – a glorious celebration of diversity, creativity, working together to celebrate our community. Balsall Heath Local History Society volunteers have been looking through the archives – literally thousands of photos and films, artwork and crafty creations, seeing the carnival through the people who have lived it. From the legendary floats of the 1970s and 80s to all the music, dance and glitter of more recent carnivals.
Expect fabulous and fantastic costumes, unusual sporting competitions, artwork extraordinaire and the moving, funny and proud stories of the people who have made it happen year after year.
Whether you’ve marched in the processions, cheered from the pavements or entirely new to the Carnival, this exhibition is a love letter to the resilience, unity and a bit of craziness that is Balsall Heath.
Get involved
There’ll be activities for young and old, reliving activities from the Carnival and Fair of the past, as well as opportunities to find yourself in the photos and document your own stories of the carnival.
We are sad to hear that Roy Hattersley died on June 13th 2026. He was MP for Sparkbrook from 1954 to 1997 and an active player in the regeneration of the area. The Heathan newspaper is full of details of his involvement locally. He was a guest of honour at many of our significant events: the opening of Clifton Infants School in 1979, and the opening of both the new Mosque in Clifton Road and Roshven Gardens in 1982, for example.
It was not just big events, however. He came to see for himself how the neighbourhood was faring under the Urban Renewal scheme and gave much support to Dick Atkinson’s efforts to build a better Balsall Heath. For some years he captained a cricket team for matches in Pickwick Park park as part of the year’s Carnival events.
So it is a thank you Roy from Balsall Heath. Rest in Peace.
Roy Hattersley opening Roshven Gardens August 1982Roy Hattersley with Dick reading the HeathanRoy playing Cricket in Balsall Heath 1987A cuppa with Roy 1980Reviewing Housing with Roy Hattersley 1980
Birmingham Open Space Forum (BOSF) offer new FREE pilot nature sessions with Parents and Toddlers across Balsall Heath. BOSF are already working in partnership with Saheli Hub and Fruit and Nut Village on Calthorpe Park with people of all ages, are now looking to work with more parents and toddlers to start new nature sessions in different locations locally.
What are little Sprouts
Their ‘Little Sprouts’ outdoor activity workshops are FREE nature activity sessions for children under 5yrs and their adult!
Activities may include:
Finding out what willdlife lives there
Learning about nature
Nature crafts
Planting/making bug homes etc
Stories
‘Forest School’ activities
…. just generally enjoying being outside!! Places are limited and booking is essential.
Little Sprouts taster workshops are part of our extensive Balsall Heath Community Festival 2026 #BHCFest26! We’re really excited to be working with BOSF and so many other local partners to celebrate all that is Balsall Heath and Balsall Heathan – find out more here:
BOSF ‘Little Sprouts’ sessions initially started at Omnia green space (behind Omnia Practice & Yardley Green Medical Centre, 73/77 Yardley Green Rd, B9 5PU), but since then Little Sprouts are spreading and Abi from BOSF has been looking for more green spaces and people interested to take part across Balsall Heath.
Although Balsall Heath as a whole has less green spaces than almost any other part of Birmingham, we are blessed with many smaller green spaces and pocket parks ideal for families and everyone to enjoy the outdoors on their doorstep and that’s what BOSF is all about!
Belle Walk Green Space is a small space, easily missed, on the edge of Balsall Heath and Sparkbrook. It is ideal for nature activities with young families, and right next to one of the more densely populated areas of Birmingham. These 2 sessions are standalone pilots, the hope being that they could start weekly after the summer.
Extra information:
Recommended for children between 18 months and school age.
Children must remain accompanied & supervised by their adult.
Open to everyone
Sorry, no dogs
What to wear/bring:
Adults & children should be prepared for being outdoors and the weather!
Comfortable clothing
Warm layers if it’s cold
Waterproof coat with a hood
Sun protection (e.g. hat & sun cream)
Closed-toe footwear (e.g. old trainers or wellies)
You might want to bring a bottle of water in a small backpack and extra clothing in case you get a bit cold/wet/dirty.
Join us for family-friendly events in June and July, leading up to Balsall Heath Community Festival. Come along to share and learn about retrofit, meet others in the neighbourhood and celebrate Balsall Heath past, present and future! All events are free, and everyone is welcome.
Workshops leading up to Festival #BHCFest26!
Home Retrofit Pop-Ups
Come and see our model house and take part in the ‘retrofit street drama’, sharing ways to lower our bills and make our homes and neighbourhoods healthier and happier. Free popcorn or ice lollies, depending on the weather!
Tuesday 23rd June, 11.30am – 1.30pm St Paul’s Venture Badgemaking and colouring
Wednesday 1st July 2.30pm – 4.30pm Spark Green Park, Brunswick Rd with friends of Spark Green Park
Friday 3rd July, 12pm – 2pm Pickwick Park, St Paul’s Rd Storytelling and drama
East/ West Retrofit Walking Procession
A procession through Balsall Heath with ‘retrofit street drama’ performances, banners, flags, drums and more. Join for as much of the procession as you like, or meet us at one of the happenings along the way! Part of Balsall Heath Community Festival.
Sunday 5th July, 11am – 5pm 11am: Meet at Balsall Heath Park 12pm: Set off 11.30am – 2pm: Seven Streets Park – Activities, refreshments, carnival exhibition. Retrofit-themed mini flag and banner-making workshop 2pm: George St Park – Retrofit model house street drama 3.30pm – 5pm: Calthorpe Park – Drumming workshop and refreshments
Find out more
Retrofit Balsall Heath is delighted to be taking part in Balsall Heath Community Festival 2026.
We’re inviting local residents to join us in a walking procession from east to west across Balsall Heath linking green spaces; from Balsall Heath Park to Calthorpe Park, on Sunday 5th July.
The procession will be the first outing for our brand new Retrofit Balsall Heath banner, made by local residents with local artist Jane Thakoordin.
We also invite you to join us in carrying five further banners, celebrating the strength and resilience of Balsall Heath’s vibrant community, which were made by young people in workshops by Jane, in association with The GAP Arts project and Culture Collective.
Join us for one of our ‘retrofit street drama’ performances, and / or for all or part of the Retrofit walking procession.
We will be meeting in Balsall Heath Park from 11am with Extinction Rebellion’s Drummers ‘Brumbeats’, before we set off at 12 noon bearing our banners and flags.
Drop in to a workshop at Seven Streets Park 11.30am – 1.30pm to make your own mini banner or flag to carry!
As we walk, we will be able to spot solar panels on homes that have been retrofitted, see fruit and nut trees planted by Fruit and Nut Village and view historical information display boards recently installed by Balsall Heath Local History Society.
Our route will take us via Seven Streets Park near Balsall Heath City Farm where there will be a History Exhibition of Balsall Heath Carnival. We will then carry on to George Street Park for another pop-up performance of our model house ‘retrofit street drama’.
Finally we will walk down Edward Rd to the square on the corner of Edward Rd/Court Rd by the offices of local community organisation, MECC Trust and where cooked food will be available from Change Kitchen and other local cafes.
Further free family friendly Festival activities including a Brumbeats Beginners Drumming Workshop will continue in Calthorpe Park.
Join us!
In the lead up to the Community Festival and the East/West Retrofit Walking Procession, we are holding pop-up performances of our model house ‘retrofit street drama’ in Spark Green Park and Pickwick Park, in association with local schools and Friends of Spark Green Park, and at St Paul’s Venture, supported by Balsall Heath Family Hub.
These sessions are open to all and will be family friendly, with free activities for children, supervised by their parents or guardians. They are co-hosted by Retrofit Balsall Heath Community Connectors, who speak a range of local languages.
Balsall Heath Community Festival is a week of fun, heritage, and innovation, 3rd – 13th July. For more details about Balsall Heath Community Festival visit the Balsall Heathan website.
Find out more about Retrofit Balsall Heath on our website.
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The billboard, it’s making and the fabulous smorgesborg of FREE events across Balsall Heath from 3rd to 13th July are very much in place because local organisations are determined to pull together, show the Best of the Heath.
Our Community festival begins and ends with Balsall Heathans celebrating Balsall Heath! 3rd July is the 40th Anniversary of Anawim, a celebrated locally based charity now active across Birmingham. With over 60 active Faith Centres in Balsall Heath, anawim are starting a ‘Faith Trail’, exploring and linking faiths across Balsall Heath. More than 20 events later we end our festival on 13th July with Saheli in Calthorpe Park
Draw yourself in
Before the fun even begins, we’re running the legendary colouring competition across Balsall Heath! Anyone is welcome to join – see here for instructions:
Hard at work paintingReady for Retrofit completion – Billboard hitting the streets any day now!Nearly finished!Billboard painting at OPWBalsall Heath Nature lover from Woodcraft FolkHow the board used to look before it’s latest iterationWho lives in a happy forest?
Balsall Heath Community Festival starts in just 23 Days! We’ve been finalising events, preparing banners, and will have all out at next Second Saturday, 13th June 2026, The Old Print Works, to put the finishing touches together with everyone.
To reflect the old Carnival preparations, we’ll be painting a giant bill board this Saturday, listing all the fabulous activities, all FREE over the ten days of the festival.
Jane Thakoordin worked with Sewing Solidarity, a collaborative project with GAP Arts a young people focused creative project in Balsall Heath, 2025. Working over several sessions, a diverse group of young people engaged in discussions about their relationship to local community. Drawing on the traditions of union banner making, they co-designed a series of small hangings and a larger banner.
The banners are exhibited permanently at GAP Arts and the larger banner is available for local organisations and groups to borrow for community events, as it will be for #BHCFest26 The phrase “Strength in our Community” was written by a young participant of the Sewing Solidarity project.
2016 CarnivalJayne Thakoordin’s Banner for Balsall HeathColouring competition 2010Retrofit Model House in action in The Old Print Works Cafe 2026Fun at the Carnival 19951977 Float and banners2004 dressing up fun2016 costumes2004 Carnival Banner
Balsall Heath has seen many changes over the decades, reflecting it’s rich and every changing culture. Ten interpretation panels will be installed ready for Balsall Heath Community Festival, linked to the fabulous images of Mick Turner as well as archive images and present day photography. The Tramworks is a Listed building of historical significance. A truly grand tramwork purpose built and specially designed to be in keeping with the ‘select residential area’ around it.
Climber and Manager Joe outside Creation Climbing Centre, next to the history panel.
Jago, a regular climber finds out about Trams in Brum
Jago, a regular climber at Creation Climbing Centre said:
‘It’s really cool that these buildings aren’t demolished or lost.’
Reflections of the Carnival
The history panels will be ready for Balsall Heath Community Festival, 3rd to 13th July #BHCFest26. Balsall Heath Local History Society (BHLHS) have been selecting Archive images, talking to residents, businesses and local organisations to reflect our history in the panels. For more of the images and stories we are linking via QR code on our panels to ‘In Changing Times‘ resources. We will be building on these to keep our history alive and updated as Balsall Heath changes.
BHLHS are also preparing a touring ‘Balsall Heath Carnival Exhibition’ to run alongside many of the events happening as part of the Festival. The Carnival used to be on the first weekend of July, and while nothing can replace it, the Festival is one way we are hoping to continue celebrating our community and building pride in it.
After graduating from the University of Birmingham in 1994, I was keen to gain experience in journalism and felt that volunteering at the Balsall Heathan would be the perfect opportunity to get involved in community reporting. Having spent most of the previous four years living in Moseley, I was already familiar with the Heathan and its commitment to championing community activism and self-help initiatives. I wrote to St Paul’s Community Project offering my services as a writer.
St Paul’s accepted my offer, marking the beginning of a rewarding two-year stint with the Heathan. Over time, I took on a variety of roles, including writer, page planner and distributor, immersing myself fully in both the newspaper and life in Balsall Heath. I was fortunate to work alongside a dedicated team: Jacqui at St Paul’s handled sub-editing, Ian Edwards supplied photographs, Dave from Heathan Enterprises managed printing, while Josh and Alan took care of design and page-setting.
Stories from the Community
From the outset, it was clear that Balsall Heath was a community full of energy and initiative. Places of worship, schools, youth clubs, housing associations, businesses and local community groups were all playing their part in improving the area. Individuals of every age and background were equally committed to making Balsall Heath a better place to live and work. After several months as a volunteer, St Paul’s secured funding that enabled them to pay me for my work.
Armed with conversations, tip-offs, press releases, flyers and plenty of time spent walking the streets, I covered a wide range of local stories. These included schools’ projects in art, music, dance, sport and nature; recognition for the Language Alive theatre-in-education company’s work promoting English within the community; residents collaborating with architecture students on a new vision for Moseley Road; the securing of £9 million in European funding for training and environmental improvements; and the success of traffic-calming measures in reducing accidents in the Seven Streets area.
Getting involved in the community
Working on the Heathan and with St Paul’s often meant becoming directly involved in many of the initiatives and community groups I was reporting on. Looking back, I remember my time there with great warmth and affection. In the days before the internet transformed local media, I believe the paper continued its proud tradition of giving the community a voice — celebrating and supporting the many ways people across Balsall Heath and the surrounding area were working to make their neighbourhood a better place for everyone.
It’s great to hear that the Heathan is getting a new life online and I look forward to reading it in the future.
