Working with communities
Tracey Jones
Role: Service development officer, younger adults
Base: Adults and Communities
Nominator: Chris Davis
Thanks to Tracey, there now exists a confidential e-mail support service to help people in the Midlands – and beyond – who are living with, or affected by, HIV. This is only one of her many successes, however. Tracey puts her heart and soul into her work for the HIV team and has earned a reputation for ‘leaving no stone unturned’ – from simple requests for information to arranging translations of HIV leaflets into different community languages. Tracey’s determination to meet service users’ needs has resulted in successful applications for government grants and ensuring a vital, local self-help agency’s survival. She is also currently working hard to establish and embed better support for young carers of people living with HIV.
Ron Williams
Role: Development officer
Base: Housing and Constituencies
Nominator: Clive Skidmore
For the past 12 years, Ron has been instrumental in the regeneration of the Perry Common estate, coordinating the work of council departments and residents to improve housing, community and the environment.
From attending ‘endless’ evening and weekend meetings to empowering local resident directors to run the Witton Lodge Community Association – which now manages the new housing stock – Ron has proved invaluable. In addition, he has organised open days, fun days and more to ensure a full consultation process.
Says his nominator: ‘This award will mark the final stages of the project and be a fitting recognition of all his work.’
Helen Shaw
Role: Community worker
Base: Housing and Constituencies
Nominator: Chris Jordan, Linda Collis, Gary Abraham, Tracey Hewitt
Aromatherapy, inter-generational theatre, exercise and networking programmes, partnerships with schools – these are just a few of the projects Helen has helped initiate and develop for people in the Selly Oak constituency, raising thousands of pounds from external sources along the way to help fund her aims.
A highly respected member of staff and an excellent advocate, Helen promotes practical community involvement at every turn through neighbourhood newsletters, skip clean-up days and other community events.
Over her 10 years working within communities, the result has been a ‘demonstrable difference’ in the lives of older people, children and residents living in some of the most-deprived neighbourhoods in Birmingham.
Team members:
