The programme exceeded all its targets. Between 1998 and 2005, 445,871 people, 167,432 of which were from minority ethnic groups, benefited from the programme in a wide variety of ways which made their lives safer and helped to reduce crime.
Some of the SRB4 Regeneration for Birmingham ’s 31 projects were city wide. The Fire Safety Campaign run over the festive season of 2004-5 brought the message to residents via their TV screens, leading to a greater response than normal. Fire officers from all the fire stations in Birmingham were kept very busy carrying out 1,882 home fire safety assessments.
Other projects concentrated on parts of the city where crime was a particular problem.
Take for example Bournbrook, an area targeted by SRB4, which had a high burglary rate. A Community Safety Project was developed by the Selly Oak Caretakers Society in partnership with West Midlands Police, the University of Birmingham , the Students Guild and community groups. Local ownership and delivery enabled the project to be accessible to residents and many of the referrals came by word of mouth. Residents who approached the project for crime prevention advice and home security improvements received a speedy response. This resulted in the burglary rate halving from an average of 45 per month in 1998-99 to 22 per month in 2004-5.
The involvement of the local community in the projects was vital. The Friends of Freeth Bridge in Perry Barr were involved in a project that repaired and smartened up a footbridge and installed barriers to prevent motorcycle access. This has reduced the fear of crime so that the bridge is no longer avoided.
Another target area, Handsworth, had the largest project. A team of Community Safety Officers, based at the award-winning Community Fire Station, funded a total of 150 sub-projects. These ranged from celebration days to providing trained counsellors for Asian women suffering from domestic violence. Many of the initiatives were designed for young people and broke down the usual stereotypes. “We funded a lot of diversionary work which has been very important to help to reduce the need for physical work to repair destructive activity by youths,” said a resident who was part of the committee overseeing the local projects, “This goes some way to restore order and peace in the area.”
An officer seconded from the West Midlands Police worked from a leisure centre attached to a secondary school and ran a football session and a Saturday club, and saw hostile attitudes towards the police replaced by friendliness and co-operation.
The Performing Arts Academy gave 250 children from the Handsworth and Lozells areas the chance to learn to read music and play an instrument of their choice. They were taught by tutors of the Birmingham Conservatoire and performed at Birmingham Symphony Hall. Two young people have been awarded a Bursary to study at the Conservatoire.
Sport is always popular with young people, and can help divert their energies from anti-social behaviour whilst providing supervised and healthy activity. Sporting Chance won praise from Government ministers for delivering a wide range of activities for young people, delivered locally in Handsworth. This project, like many of the others funded through SRB4, will be continuing. Sporting Chance will received 25 hours per week free use of the new Laurel Road Sports and Social Centre.
The SRB4 projects had the benefit of advice and support from the Birmingham City Council Community Safety Partnership. The evaluation included a comparison of the Birmingham programme with SRB4 community safety programmes around the country and found that strong links between partners backed up by rigorous monitoring and funding advice was one of the reasons for the success of Regeneration 4 Birmingham. “The greatest success of SRB4 was bringing all the partners round the table and working together. That will far outlast the Programme,” commented an officer from Birmingham City Council.
The partnerships made and the experience gained locally from running SRB4 projects will be invaluable in the future as Local Delivery Groups continue to address community safety issues at District Level.
Janice Webb
Janice Webb is an independent researcher who carried out the evaluation of the SRB4 Regeneration 4 Birmingham Programme together with ERS. jwresearch@btinternet.com