Enterprising Communities

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Last updated 17th August 2011

The Enterprising Communities Action Plan is a community-led regeneration initiative, which is managed by the Enterprising Communities Regeneration Team – Part of Birmingham City Council’s Homes and Neighbourhoods Directorate. Hall Green Constituency in partnership with Housing colleagues and Enterprising Communities has delivered a short pilot project in South East Birmingham.

BEST Leader Joanne Podmore and her colleagues completed the workshop late last year and as part of the workshop, one of the actions was “With extensive knowledge of the local health needs of residents in the Enterprising Communities Regeneration Areas, we have forged a close partnership with Heart of Birmingham teaching Primary Care Trust (HOBtPCT)”. As part of this collaboration, the Enterprising Communities Regeneration Team developed a series of locally based community health improvement projects. They lead the project built on the success of the Integrated Employment Gateway model delivered by Enterprising Communities where Street Advisors were used to engage with people living in priority areas.

The Housing Approach to Worklessness project was designed to test out utilising frontline Housing staff to engage with workless residents and refer them to employment and training opportunities. Activity for this pilot was targeted on the Pitmaston and Vimy Estates and certain roads within North Moseley.

Advisors talked to residents on their door steps and at coffee mornings about any training needs that they may have, and provided details of current job opportunities. As a result of these engagement sessions, Enterprising Communities arranged for courses to be delivered in local venues. These included STEP Personal Development and Customer Service training.

Over the three month period, 42 residents were engaged and 21 people attended training courses. After receiving a project leaflet through his door, one resident Nathan Robinson called Enterprising Communities because he was struggling to find work as a self-employed gardener. Nathan was invited to attend a coffee morning where he talked to advisors about where he could find help with getting a strimmer licence which he felt would help him get more work.

Enterprising Communities researched the courses and were able to fund industry standard training for Nathan and another resident, James Hogan who also attended the coffee morning and expressed an interest in pursing a career in gardening.

Since obtaining his licence, Nathan has seen a sharp rise in enquiries and has already undertaken many projects that he would not have been able to bid for had he not received support from the project. Nathan commented, “Without the support of Enterprising Communities and the Housing Approach to Worklessness project, I could not afford to pursue the Brushcutter licence and would not have been able to secure the additional work.” Nathan has now set up a website with before and after pictures of his previous jobs and is now working with a full order book.

Further information from BEST Leader Joanne Podmore on 0121 675 7584.