Edgbaston Fun Run

This year sees the return of the Edgbaston Fun Run held in conjunction with the Harborne Carnival on Sunday 28th June. There are three runs aimed at 7–15 year olds and this year we have included a Family Run, which will be held on a traffic free Harborne High Street.

We are currently distributing entry forms to schools, community and leisure centres and other outlets across the Constituency. We would like to see as many schools as possible competing and enjoying this event.

The event will start by the BP garage and finish at the end of the High Street. The course is approximately 1000 metres long and offers youngsters and families a chance to participate in a fun event which seeks to promote healthier lifestyles.

Daleks Invade Edgbaston!

Come and meet Daleks, the Tardis and costumed groups playing characters from DR Who and Star Wars. Parents and Children can play games, enter competitions and have faces painted at the UK best games convention in June in Egbaston.

UK Games Expo is an exhibition of games of all types including Board Games, Card Games, Role-playing Games , Miniatures and Computer gaming. The target audience is the general public, family groups as well as gaming enthusiasts. Games companies exhibit their games and visitors can sit down and play them as well as browse a range of trade stands. There are many tournaments and organised play sessions as well as costumed groups and children’s competitions.

Volunteer Appeal – Opening the Door to More

Volunteers are needed to continue to provide children and young people in Birmingham with someone to turn to in times of need. Edgbaston-based Open Door Youth Counselling is seeking to recruit additional volunteers to expand their free youth counselling service. Demand for the service is constantly increasing and waiting lists can sometimes be long. No previous experience or formal qualifications are necessary as full training is provided.

Carmel Mullan-Hartley, Director of Services said ‘Open Door exists to offer children and young people someone to listen to them at pivotal and often distressing times in their lives. We can only continue to do this with the help of our volunteer counsellors’.

Celebrate Edgbaston's Volunteers; 24th April 09

An event to celebrate the invaluable contribution made by volunteers to organisations in the Edgbaston Constituency will take place at Harborne Baptist Church on Friday 24th April from 5.30 – 8.30. A collage will be constructed during the evening, comprising of photographs that people bring to demonstrate their work as a volunteer. Volunteers will receive a formal thank you from Councillor Deirdre Alden, Chairman of the Edgbaston Constituency Committee and Jagwant Johal, the Constituency Director. Nominations will be accepted for: working with young people; the elderly; for being a good neighbour; or for their general contribution to their community’s development.

Art on the Edge Festival (2009)

This half day arts festival at Birmingham Town Hall, 15th Feb '09, brought together artists living in, working in or inspired by the Edgbaston Constituency. The show was supported by the Four Wards of the Edgbaston Constituency as well as the local Arts Champions; DanceXchange and Town Hall | Symphony Hall. It was produced and curated for One Edgbaston Partnership by Scholars and Warriors.
More details can be found in posts below.

Art on the Edge Festival (2009)

This half day arts festival at Birmingham Town Hall, 15th Feb '09, brought together artists living in, working in or inspired by the Edgbaston Constituency. The show was supported by the Four Wards of the Edgbaston Constituency as well as the local Arts Champions; DanceXchange and Town Hall | Symphony Hall. It was produced and curated for One Edgbaston Partnership by Scholars and Warriors. Those attending or represented included:

Artists: Leon Sparkes, Quinborne Pottery Group, Mary Burrows, Jenny Brandon, Maggie Holmes, Barti Patel. Sue Howells, Natalie Toplass, Paul Riddlen and Shirley Speight.

Photographers: the Edgbaston Snaps Flickr group including work by Ted Spiller and Nate Nautilus. Also a new comission by Vanley Burke.

Performers: The Harborne Orchestra, Moorpool Players, Quinton and Quinborne Choirs and the Crosskeys Musical Theatre

See all the pictures here

Edbaston Schools Success - New Standards set for 11+ Results

Youngsters at The Blue Coat School, Edgbaston made a 15% increase on last year’s haul in some of the region’s most competitive examinations. Elsewhere, the school exceeded its previous year’s success at King Edward’s School and King Edward VI High School for Girls, bagging 38 places and scholarships at two of the country’s leading independent schools. Of those who had also gained a grammar school place, 5 children were awarded a scholarship by King Edward’s School. Despite its success in the classroom, the school is quick to point to the broad and balanced curriculum it offers. A record 12 places have been gained in the National Children’s Orchestra over the past four years, and several children have won county honours in their sports.

Chad Vale Fair Trade Video

Year Four pupils at Chad Vale School made this song and video to promote ethical shopping and Fairtrade goods.

Volunteers Celebration for Edgbaston

An event is to be organised in the New Year to thank volunteers for their contribution to the community in Edgbaston. There are many ways volunteers support people and projects in Edgbaston and an evening of celebration will be held to acknowledge some of the hard work and commitment that takes place.

There are many examples we can call on, of how people regularly volunteer their time for their community. There are some people who help the elderly and frail perhaps by visiting to prevent loneliness, or by providing transport to get people to appointments or a day out. Others volunteer at luncheon clubs or support activities for people with disabilities.

Edgbaston's Got Talent

The Edgbaston Constituency will be holding a local talent show, with a final performance early next year in a city centre venue. For more information and to enter, read the document below, or contact carol_morgan@birmingham.gov.uk

Edgbaston's "leafy streets and chilled vibe" - Birmingham Post

A recent article online at the Birmingham Post explains that Edgbaston is going to be a leading player in Birmingham's property market due to it's "leafy streets and chilled vibe" It cites the good practice of Calthorpe Estates in safeguarding the character of the area while welcoming inward investment, new businesses and new construction.

According to King Sturge office agency partner Jonathan Carmalt, .. the area is reinventing itself as an attractive new destination and serious contender in the Birmingham office market.

"Some very visible changes to the landscape are happening in Edgbaston... The shopping centre demolition is progressing and ... Calthorpe House is also taking shape - which represents one of the most significant speculative new build offices in the area in the past two decades.

Friction Arts interviewed on Audiences Central

Friction Arts are the team behind Reality Estate, which was the occasion for the launch of our Art on The Edge project, and the successful relaunch of our quarterly free magazine.

In this interview they describe how the work grew out of the:

..award-winning project "Curio City Shop", over two and a half years. We created over 25 projects with locals young and old, culminating in Reality Estate, an epic adventure where the City of Birmingham Young Voices, Kiss the Ceiling, Birmingham Festival Choral Society and Birmingham Choral Union amongst others, performed. They sang an original score based on stories collected from local people during our time at the Curio City Shop."

Friction's next project will be ‘Echoes from the Edge’ a three year programme of work that will see Sandra Hall and Lee Griffiths, Directors of Friction Arts, collaborate with ‘Touchable Stories’ USA. Together they will undertake creative cultural archaeology of Digbeth and Highgate.

Three Views of Shopping Centre Demolition

This site, with the great tile of "The Foreman's Blog - gossip and humour from the construction industry" is presenting videos of the demolition of the Edgbaston Shopping Centre from three angles. Unprecedented coverage of a tremendous local event.

"Tuesday. I've always considered it to be one of the dullest days of the week, so I've decided to brighten it up for you by providing videos of destruction on a massive scale. Controlled Group ... apparently used 90kgs of explosives to flatten the centre, once hailed as a prime example of building design. It will make way for a £110million hotel and retail complex"