Residents are having their say on how they want to improve their neighbourhood.
Lozells-based social enterprise Aspire & Succeed secured funding of more than £320,000 over the next three years from People’s Health Trust with money raised by HealthBright through The Health Lottery.
The investment has been awarded through the Trust’s Local Conversation programme, which involves supporting residents to develop a shared vision for their community.
Aspire & Succeed has been supporting local residents to take control of the design, development and delivery of the local initiatives.
Residents have been working hard to identify common concerns, strengths and opportunities within the neighbourhood and have formed a steering group which has listened to and brought together the views of the wider community. So far, around 200 residents have been involved with the engagement process through conversations, house meetings, workshops, steering groups and neighbourhood walks.
After residents spent time identifying the key issues that affect them, they decided on three initial neighbourhood priorities; jobs and money, children and young people and environment and safety. Their hard work was celebrated on Monday when residents showcased the progress they have made in shaping the future of their community at the official launch of the Local Conversation.
Shale Ahmed, Project Manager at Aspire & Succeed, said: “The residents of Lozells have been working really hard to bring this project to life. By bringing people of different ages, faiths and backgrounds together we are able to connect residents that often have similar concerns but may not yet know one another.Through their involvement in this project, we hope residents will become increasingly confident in playing a more active role in public life.
“There is a real buzz around Lozells right now and people can see the area as a progressive place to live where people feel happier about being in control of their own lives through taking action together with their neighbours.”
David Jones, Director of Grant Programmes at People’s Health Trust said: “The people in Lozells are at the start of something really important here. The Local Conversation will provide an opportunity for residents to really take control of the things that are really important to them in their neighbourhood, and bring about changes to make it an even better place to live, work, grow and age.
“This is a chance to find out what really works for all of the residents of Lozells.”
If you live in Lozells and want to get involved in the Local Conversation then contact Shale Ahmed on 07876672997 or email shale@aspireandsucceed.org