All posts tagged climate

A Call to Action

 

A call to action

Taken from the Social Inclusion Process Green paper , the The Rt Revd David Urquhart, Bishop of Birmingham makes the following “call to action” to everyone in the city to join together to build a more inclusive and cohesive city.

 

 

“When I was asked to lead the social inclusion process, Giving Hope Changing Lives I did not hesitate to take up the challenge.      In this time of unprecedented global economic and social uncertainty, it is vitally important that we work together across the city to shape the future wellbeing of the people of Birmingham.

As the largest UK city outside London, with one of the most diverse and youthful populations anywhere, Birmingham has the natural talent and global potential to be the very best setting for 21st century urban life.

Achieving the best quality of life is important for everyone, but in order to do this people need to be able to participate fully in society and the economy.  The high level of disadvantage that persists across Birmingham is extremely distressing and could become worse in the current climate.  Inequality and social exclusion is something that we should not easily accept in a rich country and a city like ours.  Our aim is to bridge the gap between the disadvantaged and the powerful, so that more people can participate in the economic and social opportunities at work, home and play.

Evidence from the Birmingham Social Inclusion Process so far, shows that the challenges in achieving this are most demanding.  Our Key Lines of Enquiry, whether in households, streets or communities, in institutions, organisations or enterprises, reveal a new expectation that a more cohesive city is the responsibility of all and is in the interests of all.

This task moves beyond what the City Council, or national government can do, not least when budgets are being reduced drastically. It will require the combined energy, resources and wisdom of everyone to address some of the fundamental economic and social issues we face and to protect those who are most vulnerable in our communities.   I am extremely grateful for everybody’s contributions so far. The findings, commitments and recommendations from our engagement are set out in this Green Paper.

However, the Green Paper does not cover everything and this is not the end of the process.   I am asking for your help and expertise to turn these ideas into action.  I invite you to engage immediately with items in this paper that you can influence and also point out to us areas that are not yet covered.

I am aware that I am taking a leap of faith that we want to promote another’s fulfilment at the same time as our own.   As we seek the welfare of the whole city, may we know that we are committed to Giving Hope and Changing Lives when, in our relations with our fellow human beings, distant respect moves to deep appreciation and mere tolerance becomes full participation.”

Now we want to hear from you.

  • How can you help turn these ideas into action?
  • Do the recommendations cover the right things? 
  • Is there anything significant that has been missed? 
  • Do you or your organisation have any examples of best practice related to any of the commitments or recommendations that you would like to share?

You can respond in a number of ways.

Jackie Mould

Giving Hope Changing Lives

PO Box 16253

B2 2WS

  • By email:

Jackie Mould fairbrum@birmingham.gov.uk

Or The Rt Revd David Urquhart, Bishop of Birmingham bishop@birmingham.anglican.org

  • Via Twitter @fairbrum or use #fairbrum
  • Telephone the Partnership Team on 0121 675 3499
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by fairbrum on 23rd October 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Diversity of People, Diversity of Place, Fair Brum, Inclusive Growth, Wellbeing, Young People
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by fairbrum on 23rd October 2012

http://fairbrum.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/a-call-to-action/

Understanding Fuel Poverty

Tony Thapar from the Moseley Community Development Trust returns to the Fairbrum blog to share his thoughts on Fuel Poverty…

I last contributed to this site back in April when I tried to raise awareness about the urgent and growing problem of Fuel Poverty. Since then, some of us involved in the delivery of the “Stay Warm Stay Well” project have met with key stakeholders and there seems to be support for the idea of an Affordable Warmth Partnership if we are to avoid an increase in winter deaths, poor health, poor housing and increasing Carbon Dioxide emissions.

More recently Professor John Hills (from the LSE and an advisor to Government on Fuel Poverty – DEEC Fuel Poverty review) made a presentation to a small group in Moseley to help us understand depth of the problem in the UK. He quickly highlighted the three issues that overlap and influence Fuel Poverty: Poverty, Health and Carbon.  Also, how the increase in fuel poverty has followed the increase in fuel costs.

The other important factor Prof. Hills raised, was how to measure the problem. I’ve struggled for a while now to find definitive statistics about Fuel Poverty for Birmingham. The current measure for Fuel Poverty is to ask if somebody is spending more than 10% of their income on their fuel bills. Prof Hills has concerns over this approach, since it can include households that are not considered poor and doesn’t express the extent and depth of the problem. Therefore, he has developed an alternative way to measure the problem, designed to identify those most at risk and where resources should be directed. It takes in to consideration the low incomes of families and the high cost of fuel. Using this measure, it’s clear that the problem of Fuel Poverty is urgent and widespread. The Government has forecast that 3.9 million households will be in fuel poverty in 2012 and the Minister responsible agrees “fuel poverty is a serious national problem”.

What was missing from Prof. Hill’s presentation? -  the key decision makers in the City, they were not there to hear what he had to say. We need our Politicians, Department Heads from Housing, Health, Social Care, Environment to combine their resources and data to tackle fuel poverty.

At the same meeting we heard from colleagues in Birmingham City Council about the impact of the “Stay Warm Stay Well” project and how over 1400 households had been helped in just over 3 months. The project had demonstrated the value and success of a joined up approach that included the third sector.

I feel, that there is an urgent need for Birmingham to use Prof. Hill’s methodology to better understand the scale of Fuel Poverty in the City and to ensure that any remedies put in place are targeted at the most in need. We also need to know if we’re making a difference and that should be one of the roles of a future Affordable Warmth Partnership.

1 Comment
by fairbrum on 6th July 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Diversity of People, Diversity of Place, Fair Brum, Inclusive Growth, Wellbeing, Young People
Tagged , , , , , , ,

Posted by fairbrum on 6th July 2012

http://fairbrum.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/understanding-fuel-poverty/

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