Birmingham

Wouldn’t it be great if the community spirit we saw in the first Lock-down could be recaptured for the long term?

It’s happening!  Discover how from this website and please help spread the As One vision everywhere!

Local communities have got together with local government, schools, charities, faith groups, businesses and others to put out a bold message: “Fill your street with friendliness” – and at the same time introducing a wonderful way of doing just that!

Imagine your street getting together for a Christmas party for the kids, maybe a picnic or BBQ in the summer, a quiz night or a curry evening or even a trip away. Loads of new friends, an end to isolation, help readily available to those that might need it and a wonderful sense of fun and belonging. Like the sound of that?

What brings neighbours together like that is a Street Association. It’s run by an informal core group of residents and they meet every so often and ask, “what shall we do next?” We have hundreds of comments from residents saying things like, “We’re really proud of what we’ve achieved”, or “the street now feels like a family”, or I’ve made so many lovely new friends”.

Find out how you and your neighbours could start a Street Association. It’s easy to do and worth investing in. And the comment we’ve most frequently heard from residents who host a meeting of neighbours is, “I was surprised how nice everyone was!”

The banners around the city look like this, helping to spread the message:

Churches and other faith groups, community centres and other partners across Birmingham are invited to host As One tea parties. There, residents from each local street are introduced to each other – and to the idea of starting a Street Association for their own street.

Our thanks to Birmingham City Council for funding that enabled the campaign to bring real benefits to local people.

I am delighted to welcome this campaign, which aims to bring together Birmingham’s community groups, faith groups, schools and other partners to start their own Street Associations.  
During the pandemic we saw true community spirit in action, with people helping each other, volunteering, going above and beyond – it was inspiring: As One aims to further expand this, street by street, across Birmingham, and that would be great to see.

Cllr John Cotton, Leader, Birmingham City Council

I’m thrilled that Birmingham’s churches are able to play a significant role in helping to spread the ‘As One’ message across the city and, crucially, in hosting local ‘As One tea party events’. We want to stimulate lasting neighbourly connections and As One gives us the tools to make that actually happen!

Bishop Mike Royal, General Secretary, Churches Together in England

The As One Campaign acknowledges and champions the importance of local community action and connectedness. These qualities have been vital in supporting Birmingham’s neighbourhoods through the Covid19 pandemic, but of course, their importance stretches far beyond that moment in time. I’m delighted to lend BVSC’s full support to this initiative so we can all continue to work together to boost the community spirit that makes Birmingham the brilliant city it is.

Brian Carr, Chief Executive, Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC)

Before the advent of Covid 19, I saw the effectiveness of Birmingham’s Permission to Smile campaign.  Then the pandemic showed both the need for community connections and the willingness of people to step in and help, this is the time to urge us all to ‘fill our street with friendliness’, not just in a crisis but long-term.  The As One campaign has a tried-and-tested methodology to help create community connections and then keep them strong.  Birmingham Civic Society is delighted to partner with this exciting and timely initiative.

Michael Butler, Chair, Birmingham Civic Society and Professor, Aston Business School

See here for more information on how to start a Street Association. There is also an invitation to help spread the As One vision on social media, with links at the bottom of this page.

Sincere thanks to all the Birmingham organisations that have so far actively supported As One in the city:

• Acocks Green Primary School 
• Asda Small Heath 
• Barr View Primary & Nursery Academy 
• Bellfield Junior School 
• Birmingham City Council 
• Birmingham City University School of Media 
• Birmingham Civic Society 
• Birmingham Libraries
• Birmingham Park Rangers
• Birmingham Voluntary Services Council 
• Blakenhale Infants School
• Bordesley Green Primary 
• Bristol Street COOP 
• Broadmeadow Junior School 
• Cazoo 
• CEQ Peace Hub 
• Chad Vale Primary School 
• City Road Methodist Church
• Colmore Infant and Nursery School 
• Coop Colmore Row 
• Coop University Locks 
• Court Farm Primary School 
• Featherstone Nursery School 
• Fortem Solutions Ltd
• Garrison Trade Centre Ltd
• Good Neighbours Church
• Hall Green Secondary School 
• Hawkesley Health Centre
• Hawthorn Primary School 
• Hillcrest School and Sixth Form Centre 
• Hodge Hill College 
• Holy Souls Primary School 
• Keir Ltd
• King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy 
• King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls 
• King Edward VI Handsworth School 
• Kings Heath Primary School 
• Kings Norton Primary School 
• Kings Rise School 
• Ladypool Primary School 
• Ladywood Family Centre
• Manor Park Primary Academy  
• Nechells POD 
• Nishkam High School 
• Oasis Academy Blakenhale Infants 
• Osborne Nursery School 
• Oscott Manor School 
• Raddlebarn Primary School 
• Saint Anne’s Catholic Primary School 
• Selly Oak Nursery School 
• Slade Primary School 
• Sladefield Infant School, Ward End 
• Southgate Family Church
• Springfield House Community Special School 
• SS John and Monica Catholic Primary School 
• St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School 
• St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School
• St Catherine of Siena Primary School 
• St Chad’s Cathedral
• St Columba’s Catholic Primary School
• ST Francis Church and Community Centre 
• St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Nechells 
• St Mary’s CE Primary School 
• St Martin’s and St Margaret’s, Erdington 
• St Paul’s Catholic Primary School, B38 
• St Philip’s Cathedral 
• St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School 
• Subway (Erdington) 
• Tending to Cotteridge 
• The Active Wellbeing Society 
• The Rosary Catholic Primary School 
• Veolia Environmental Services (UK) plc
• Walmley Infant School 
• Watermill School 
• Waverley Studio College 
• Welcome Change Community Hub
• Weoley Hill URC Church
• West Smethwick Enterprise
• Wheelers Lane Primary School 
• Woodcock Hill Primary School 
• Woodthorpe JI School 
• Yardley Primary School 
• Yenton Primary School