Community action/Birmingham
The aim of this page is to recognise, celebrate and encourage the self-empowerment of community agency networks (CANs) and community groups' activism for climate, environment and many other sustainability topics across Birmingham.
News
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A joyful harvest: the young Welsh farmers growing food for Birmingham, theguardian.com (Sep 13, 2026) — A charity in Powys provides the land while growers do the hard work, producing bumper crops for city children- Climate storytelling often ignores young people – arts-based research can change that, theconversation.com (Feb 06, 2026)
- ‘Brummies united against racism’: poster campaign takes on the far right, theguardian.com (Oct 12, 2025)
- Rights of Nature movement grows, with the Wye and Ouse subject to new protection charters, wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk (Jun 18, 2026) — Nature sits at the heart of several new sets of rights and charters; it’s even headlining a festival this summer. Is the way that we view and value Nature within our political and cultural frameworks at a turning point? asks Hannah Marsh
- The English community that brought its river back from the brink: ‘If we can get it right here, we can do it everywhere’, theguardian.com (May 20, 2026)
- How volunteers are saving the River Wye with citizen science, cpre.org.uk (Mar 30, 2026)
- Firefighters voice growing concerns over water supplies to tackle UK wildfires, theguardian.com (Oct 21, 2026) — Housing development recognised as one of a number of pressures increasing demand on an already stretched water network
- Volunteers became salmon, deer and earthworms. Then they set out to save their river, positive.news (Oct 19, 2026) — What does a polluted river feel like to a salmon? An unusual experiment is helping a Somerset community see its landscape through the eyes of wildlife – and plot a 30-year route to change it
- Severe drought declared in six areas of England as reservoirs run low, theguardian.com (Oct 15, 2026)
- Citizens need to power Europe's future, demnext.substack.com (Oct 02, 2026) — The EU can enable new democratic institutions: in European countries; with a European Citizens’ Assembly as a 4th branch of government, and by legally enforcing the Global Citizens’ Assembly on AI, Claudia Chwalisz and Another Democratic Future
- Reclaiming the streets: the architects clawing back Europe’s car-centric spaces, theguardian.com (Sep 09, 2026) — The European Prize for Urban Public Space’s shortlist highlights projects helping people cope with climate crisis
- We’re the mayors of Paris, Milan and Phoenix. The heat crisis has us all facing the same question, Emmanuel Grégoire, Giuseppe Sala and Kate Gallego, theguardian.com (Sep 07, 2026) — Our three cities are learning from each other about how to protect residents. These climate policies are also public health measures
- Community wealth building and collaborative finance, CASwiki (Nov 05, 2026) — What is the intersection between community wealth building and collaborative finance, how do the two relate to each other and how best might the activism for each collaborate with the other to mutual advantage?
- Shrinking Giants, Part 6: Beyond Fossil Finance, growingcommons.substack.com (Nov 01, 2026) — Moving towards post-growth in a world where states must grow or lose their security, Ronan Murphy
- Throw the best party!, demnext.substack.com (Oct 22, 2026) — Programme Coordinator Hannah Terry on finding hope with 30 young democracy builders in Croatia
Networks and sustainability initiatives
[edit | edit source]- CIVIC SQUARE, "A bold approach to visioning, building and investing in civic infrastructure for neighbourhoods of the future."
- Balsall Heath Is Our Planet
- Birmingham Friends of the Earth
- Kings Heath Transition Initiative
- Northfield Ecocentre
- University of Birmingham People and Planet Society on facebook
CDC videos
[edit | edit source]Each week 3 different short videos from across the UK or world.
Community action/United Kingdom/Climate emergency, Community action/United Kingdom/Community involvement, Community action/United Kingdom/Food activism / ...This week's featured Global videos / ... read more about Cosmolocalism
UK and international events
[edit | edit source]UK events
Nov 9 - 15, 2026 (Mon - Sun) — Living Wage Week, livingwage.org.uk- Nov 13, 2026 (Fri) — Kindness Day UK, Nov 13 annually, aiming to increase the value of kindness in society as well as increase the amount of kind acts that take place, making kindness a greater part in our daily life, kindnessuk.com
- Nov 15 - 21, 2026 (Sun - Sat) — Road Safety Week, brake.org.uk
- Nov 21 - 29, 2026 (Sat - Sun) — National Tree Week, The Tree Council's annual tree celebration. People across the country planting thousands of trees to mark the start of the winter tree planting season. "Trees and hedgerows are some of the most powerful tools we have in the fight against climate change.", treecouncil.org.uk
Global or international events
- Nov 05, 2026 (Thu) — Media Liberation Day, Change the Media, Change the Future, mediarevolution.org
- Nov 13, 2026 (Fri) — World Kindness Day, Nov 13, annually, highlighting good deeds in the community focusing on the positive power and the common thread of kindness for good which binds us, randomactsofkindness.org
- Nov 15, 2026 (Sun) — World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, third Sunday in November each year, worlddayofremembrance.org
- Nov 16, 2026 (Mon) — International Day for Tolerance, Nov 16 each year, fostering respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world's cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human, unesco.org
- Nov 19, 2026 (Thu) — International Men's Day, Nov 19, annually
- Nov 27 & 28, 2026 — Buy Nothing Day, en.wikipedia.org
- Nov 27, 2026 (Fri) — Citizen Friday, actionism.space
2021-2030, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, International community action events
Birmingham video
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Bioregionalism
[edit | edit source]- Bioregion Birmingham, "A resilient, sustainable city embracing a bioregional approach to economics, governance and culture." (historical initiative, link no longer available)
Community involvement
[edit | edit source]- The Front Room, "the beginnings of an ambitious, long-term neighbourhood platform in Birmingham to be designed, grown and co-owned by local communities."
Communities online
[edit | edit source]Hyperlocal sites in Birmingham, June 2014
Food activism
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Martineau Gardens is a community garden on Priory Road in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England. It adjoins the Priory Hospital on Bristol Road. It features over two acres of woodland and formal gardens.The Gardens are administered by a registered charity and are a member of the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens.
- Martineau Gardens, link checked 16:24, 20 December 2023 (UTC)
- Slow Food Birmingham
- Growing Birmingham
Community energy
[edit | edit source]BirminghamEnergy Savers, Birmingham City Council originated scheme
Towards sustainable economies
[edit | edit source]FutureShift, programme to encourage civic innovation in Birmingham and the Black Country...podnosh.com
Community resources
[edit | edit source]Citizens data initiative
- Data to decarbonise in a decade, makes available a range of data sets including open data on housing, travel, waste, energy, and emissions. Easy to use, with some features to help with visualisation. added 15:43, 18 November 2021 (UTC)
Funding sources
- Birmingham SOUP
- LoveBrum, charity supporting 'hard-to-reach' projects across Birmingham that are often volunteer led and that deliver real change, with outcomes that can be seen, measured, enjoyed, and loved.
Other resources
Arts, sport and culture
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Health and wellbeing
[edit | edit source]- The Active Wellbeing Society, community benefit society and cooperative working to develop healthy, happy communities living active and connected lives, added 17:16, 30 April 2020 (UTC)
Climate action
[edit | edit source]- Retrofit Balsall Heath on facebook.com, added 12:19, 7 November 2023 (UTC)
- Zero carbon house, "…has been designed so there’s no need to use fossil fuels. No carbon is released into the atmosphere from this unique family home and there are no fuel bills either. zero carbon house is the UK’s first zero carbon retrofit – the only existing house to have been upgraded to one of the most exacting standards in green design, Level 6 of the original UK Code for Sustainable Homes."...thealternative.org.uk/dailyalternative, 29 July 2023, added 10:45, 2 August 2023 (UTC)
Sustainable transport activism
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Birmingham is at the hub of England's canal network. There are 35 miles (56 km) of canals within the city, of which most are navigable. W
- Birmingham Transport Plan 2031, Draft Birmingham transport plan
- Birmingham public transport maps are available from Network West Midlands as follows:
Cycling activism
[edit | edit source]Big Birmingham Bikes, information from Birmingham City Council - Bike North Birmingham, Birmingham City Council project delivered in partnership with Sustrans and Be Active, working to transform the profile of cycling in Erdington and Sutton Coldfield - Birmingham Cycle Revolution,part of the Birmingham Connected vision to reinvent the way people and goods move across the city - Critical Mass bicycle rides in Birmingham - Green Bike Project, community-led bicycle workshop and co-operative based at the University of Birmingham
Environment quality
[edit | edit source]- Brum Breathes, added 16:12, 13 May 2021 (UTC)
Resources
- School Streets: Reducing children's exposure to toxic air pollution and road danger, mumsforlungs.org, Research concerning 4 cities: London, Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds, Jan 2021
Open spaces
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- Birmingham Open Spaces Forum, volunteer-led network connecting and supporting the people who care for the city’s open spaces. added 17:42, 12 January 2026 (UTC)
Birmingham has 571 parks totalling over 3,500 hectares (14 sq mi) of public open space, more than any other European city. The city also has five Local Nature Reserves, one National Nature Reserve and a number of Wildlife Trust nature reserves. W
Trees, woodland and forest
[edit | edit source]News archive
[edit | edit source]- "Laying the foundations for the hopeful, creative, just transition that we know is in our hearts". Civic Square mapping eco-possibilities for the West Midlands, Daily Alternative (Dec 03, 2024)
- ‘Building something better’: the UK residents retrofitting their homes amid the climate crisis, theguardian.com (Aug 03, 2024) — From weekly skills-sharing to rewilding streets, communities are working to improve the planet while bolstering the health of people
- Neighbours band together to tackle energy bills and show how climate action starts at home, bigissue.com (Nov 06, 2023)
- Birmingham's Zero Carbon House is doable, scalable and beautiful - and expresses what the "climate majority" want, says Rupert Read, The Daily Alternative (Jul 29, 2023)
- Birmingham’s Civic Square, so inspirational to many seeking to strengthen community power, is “refounding” itself, The Daily Alternative (Mar 30, 2023)
2013-2021
- The Political Opportunity, Alternative Editorial (Jul 25, 2021)
- 'Cities have been invaded by cars. Now they are being liberated' - Positive News, Apr 7, 2020...positive.news
- How a Belgian port city (Ghent) inspired Birmingham's car-free ambitions, Jan 20, 2020...theguardian.com
- "Play Out Til Tea" is a great Birmingham Impact Hub idea - but their "neighbourhood of the future" is even better, Jul 21, 2019...The Alternative UK
- From Impact Hub Birmingham to Civic Square, Jun 16, 2019...birmingham.impacthub.net
- Pedal power to the people: Brum's £24m cycling boost, August 12, 2013...Birmingham Mail
About Birmingham
[edit | edit source]Past events
- Apr 17, 2017, Beyond (un)employment, collaborative learning circle, Programme starts Wednesday 19th April 2017 birmingham.impacthub.net
- March 7, 2015, Birmingham GreenFest, Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Birmingham (BUR-ming-əm) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. It is the second-largest city, urban area and metropolitan area in England and the United Kingdom, with roughly 1.1 million inhabitants within the city area, 2.9 million inhabitants within the urban area and 4.3 million inhabitants within the metropolitan area and lies within the most populated English district.Birmingham is commonly referred to as the second city of the United Kingdom.
Located in the West Midlands county and region in England, approximately 100 miles (160 km) from Central London, Birmingham, as one of the United Kingdom's major cities, is considered to be the social, cultural, financial, and commercial centre of both the East and West Midlands. Distinctively, Birmingham only has small rivers flowing through it, mainly the River Tame and its tributaries River Rea and River Cole – one of the closest main rivers is the Severn, approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of the city centre. W
External links
- Green Commission, Birmingham City Council
| Authors | Phil Green |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Cite as | Phil Green (2014–2026). "Community action/Birmingham". Appropedia. Retrieved November 9, 2026. |