Back in October 2018, I was commissioned by Balsall Heath Forum to look at mapping out services and activities for residents across the neighbourhood. That quickly evolved into the development of ‘Neighbourhood News Online‘, a community website hosting a Directory, an Events Calendar and a variety of news items.
Through the site you can share your organisation’s details, stories, news and events (there are some easy to use online forms on the site), explore what is on across Balsall Heath and Sparkbrook and signpost others to local services and activities. It is designed to be a tool to link people together and tap into the huge amount of positive, community focused work happening in this area.
The website sits along two copies of a local print newsletter, edited by the wonderful Elisabeth Charis. We have also offered Social Media Surgeries, in partnership with Pauline from RnR Organisation and with some support from The Active Wellbeing Society, for local organisations to learn more about sharing their content and communicating what they do to new and existing audiences.
Since October of this year, I have been working with Ageing Better in Sparkbrook, specifically to support local organisations across Balsall Heath and Sparkbrook who deliver services and activities to people over 50 years of age. The output will be a series of short films where people who currently use services can gently encourage others to access some of the many things on offer in the area.
If you live or work across Balsall Heath or Sparkbrook, do have a look at the website and share what you are doing with the world. This is a smashing community and the website is a wonderful snapshot of how much is happening. Simply sharing and celebrating what happens here is so important.