Hello from everyone at Birmingham Community Matters
How are you?
We guess the answer can change from day to day, hour to hour. Same for us.
Like everyone, we've needed time to figure things out.
We're beginning to find ways to help, though, and ways to continue supporting small community groups and projects across Birmingham - including with online surgeries and webinars.
Read on for details. And please keep safe and well.
The BCM team
(Blossom picture taken in Cotteridge Park just this morning.)
Introducing . . . BCM surgeries online
Want to talk to someone about your community group, project or idea?
We're here!
We are holding surgeries (you can read this as 'in-depth chats') for small community groups and charities in Birmingham. You can work through a challenge or idea with one of our Community Matters Helpers – people who have experience of doing similar.
We will hold these surgeries via a face-to-face online chat (we can help you set this up if needed).
We're generally arranging surgeries for weekdays between 9am and 5pm but we will be even more flexible if this helps you. Find out how to book a slot.
When we ran our first online surgery the person we helped said afterwards about the problem she'd come to solve:
"I feel refreshed. I feel energised to look at this again with fresh eyes."
Calling all Helpers!
If you’ve been a Community Matters Helper for us in the past (we used to call you ‘surgeons’) or you have lots of experience of running community groups and would like to become a Helper, we’d love to hear from you.
It’s no problem if you’re not used to online meetings – we will support you with everything you need to know. Just email us.
BCM webinars
We are planning some webinars for you, around fundraising, financial planning and sustainability (watch this space).
The first two are for community groups and people in the Selly Oak area, thanks to funding from the Selly Oak Neighbourhood Network Scheme.
They will be with John Ellery from Get Grants, focusing on funding during the coronavirus crisis - such as which funds are currently open, which are diverting their activity, and insight into emergency funds.
Wednesday 29 April, 11am
Thursday 21 May, 11am
You can express your interest (either for these or future webinars) by emailing info@birminghamcommunitymatters.org.uk with a brief overview of your group or project, and the kinds of questions you'd like to ask. We will give you joining instructions nearer the time.
BVSC's Covid-19 support list
We're pleased to have joined BVSC's growing list of organisations supporting the voluntary and community sector with the coronavirus crisis in Brum. (Learn more about the efforts and add your own group here.)
Support with online conversations
While we all practise physical distancing (we refuse to say social distancing), there are many ways to maintain face-to-face video contact.
If you need, or someone you know needs, support getting online, we recommend talking to DigiKick. This local community organisation has a mission is to support those who may feel left behind in the digital age.
The DigiKick team is available every weekday between 10am and 12 noon – you can call them on 07920 490 263.
If you know someone who doesn't have email, tell them to phone DigiKick for support.
We also recommend signing up to DigiKick's newsletter for tips, tricks and a hit of daily cheer: www.digikick.co.uk/newsletter.
The BCM team may be able to help you too. Contact us if you’d like some informal support with holding online conversations.
Heart of England Coronavirus Resilience Fund
HoECF’s Coronavirus Resilience Fund is becoming available to constituted groups providing services such as food banks, social eating projects, emergency food parcel deliveries, and those engaging in outreach activities in the West Midlands. You can learn more and apply here.
Birmingham Safeguarding Adults Board: helpful new documents
BSAB has published three new documents, all available at its website, and all with low-ink printable versions, making them cost-effective to distribute.
We've published many more resources for small community groups reacting to the coronavirus crisison our blog.
Make Someone's Day
Ageing Better in Birmingham's #MakeSomeonesDay campaign launched on Friday 20 March. It was planned for a while, and now it feels more important than ever.
This PDF explains why it matters that we start conversations, and gives suggestions for doing so. Although it's harder to reach out to neighbours and strangers at the moment, we can still make phonecalls, offer help (if safe) with shopping, and support people to get online.
Misfits Music is looking for trustees
Community music project Moseley Misfits is planning to register as a charity and is therefore looking for trustees.
Founded in November 2018, the group has provided sessions for more than 50 local people, playing musical instruments to any ability. Now the founders are looking for trustees in establishing a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), helping them to meet their long-term community, artistic and musical goals.
The message was getting through even before the coronavirus outbreak: it really is OK to not be OK. And if anything was going to test our mental wellbeing, it would be this uncertain and worrying time, combined with physical distance from people we love. Please know you’re not alone.
Birmingham Mind’s helpline is open from 9am to 11pm, seven days a week. Please ring 0121 262 3555 if you are struggling with your mental health.
At any time of day or night you can call the Samaritans on 116 123.
And please take the utmost care of yourself now and always.
Clap for our Carers
Did you do it? Did you hear it?
The 'Clap for our Carers' campaign, which started on Thursday (26 March), aimed to get people to show their appreciation for people working on the frontline in the NHS. At 8pm people stood in windows, on doorsteps, on balconies and in gardens and gave applause, cheers and even song to the healthcare heroes of this global pandemic.
How did your Birmingham street respond?
The campaign is continuing every Thursday evening (8pm) with thanks being extended to EVERYONE working to ensure our world keeps turning: cleaners, teachers, police, firefighters, postal workers, refuse collectors, vets, delivery drivers, shop staff.
We'd love to hear your Birmingham stories.
Share your Birmingham videos
You could view this video of Abandoned Brum by Sparky Jones as sad and eerie. In many ways it is. But the quiet streets also mean people in Birmingham are obeying government rules during the coronavirus crisis: staying at home and keeping others safe.
And of course we’re all hugely grateful to the essential workers who can’t stay at home (see above).
Brum Community Media (no relation to us!) is a new project collating videos by Brummies. Find out how to add yours.
Rainbows and bears
We’re seeing lots of evidence of Birmingham children painting and drawing pictures of rainbows to hang in their windows for people outside to see.
Also, householders are sitting teddy bears in their windows so children not isolating can go on a bear hunt during these strange days. Something positive and free you can do at home.
Arthritis Action: chair-based programme
We know there are plenty of online workouts, but we wanted to share this one sent by Arthritis Action. It’s a chair-based programme developed to encourage people with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions to become more active. Please feel free to share it with people who might benefit. It has animated images to illustrate each movement.
Holiday closure
BCM is taking a break over the Easter weekend. We will be closed from Thursday 8 April to Tuesday 14 April, returning on Wednesday 15 April.
We know bank holidays won't feel like normal bank holidays this spring and summer, but we hope you get to have a rest too.
Interesting online events and videos from Birmingham groups
We'll be back next month with further useful info. In the meantime keep us posted on your community updates and success stories via our social media channels. We love to share good news - now more than ever.
ps. Our privacy policy exists to reassure our subscribers about how we treat their data. You can read it in full here. If ever you don't want us to have your details, please email us: info@birminghamcommunitymatters.org.uk.
