Kingsbridge Community Sports

It’s almost 10 years since Kingsbridge Community Sports visited Halifax and Liverpool along with Locality in search of what makes a Community Asset Transfer successful. We witnessed some excellent Community Projects at Alt Valley in Croxteth and at Three Ways Centre in North Halifax. 10 years on and Local Authorities and Community Groups still struggle to understand each other, and speak the same language. Asset transfers remain an enigma, yet they can deliver a genuine ‘win win’ for all involved, leading to enhanced and sustainable services for the local community through partnership working. Jo Williams Birmingham City Council Richard Beard BSC MCIBSE CEng John Cotton John Kirkman M. Shafique Fmaat https://lnkd.in/d2R4d2DP

It’s been 15 years since Kingsbridge Community Sports began its journey, exploring possibilities of community-led sports facilities development, in South Birmingham. A lot has changed in this time, but the question remains, what will Birmingham City Council decide to do with Holders Lane Sports Fields? The old derelict changing block (featured in this video) has now been demolished, but little else has been done at Holders Lane in recent years. Local grassroots sports clubs still need recreational facilities for their teams. The sports fields themselves are protected through Fields in Trust, but significant investment is still needed to mitigate against the regular flooding. So what’s next? Will Birmingham City Council’s current financial crisis reopen conversations about a collaborative partnership with local community groups, or will the open spaces once entrusted to the Council for the benefit of local communities; be eventually sold for development? Locality Sport and Recreation Alliance Sporting Equals Sport Birmingham Jericho Foundation Hannah Worth Paul Slatter Sporting Communities Patricia White https://lnkd.in/eeixQ863

At this time of huge challenge for many of our Local Authorities, we must all support this initiative to protect our Community Assets and ensure the Community gets every chance to shape and develop them in the future. I have a huge respect to Tony Armstrong and the wonderful team at Locality for championing this cause and raising awareness nationwide, and here in Birmingham. Birmingham City Council have struggled for many years to support a cohesive and collaborative approach to Community Asset Transfers, with a few notable exceptions (Witton Lodge Community Association and Norton Hall among them) Across the border in Sandwell, Sandwell Council supported the development of North Smethwick Development Trust at the Brasshouse- another great example of what can be achieved when Councils work in harmony with Community Groups and Charities. Kingsbridge Community Sports and others learned the hard way just how hard it can be to achieve a successful and effective Asset Transfer. Councils like Birmingham City Council need their Third Sector counterparts even more in times like these. Assets that Councils can no longer afford to maintain (like Holders Lane Sports Ground in Birmingham) should be transferred into reliable community ownership, protected and preserved in perpetuity for the benefit and wellbeing of present and future communities. Birmingham must move on from the past political backbiting, and shady dealings and begin a new era of transparency and accountability, building trust, openness and collaboration. Once these assets (buildings as well as green-spaces) are sold off, they can never be regained. #communityengagement #assetprotection #communityfirst #communityaction Fields in Trust #wellbeing https://lnkd.in/eZ9kAim2