From June 7th – 9th 2024, Birmingham is coming together for the Big Help Out, a weekend of volunteering action to support local people, communities and good causes across the city. We’re inviting local charities, voluntary and community groups to get involved. Read more
A Birmingham social enterprise, ChangeKitchen CIC, is ‘cooking up change for good’ and is on a mission to provide community meals for vulnerable individuals during the current cost of living crisis. Read more
Thousands of people give their time to volunteer in Birmingham and make a difference to people and communities across the city. One of the organisations that volunteers support is RMC, who support refugees and migrants across Birmingham and the Black Country. Claire, Volunteer and Training Manager, shares how volunteers are at the heart of their work. Read more
Helen Juffs, Health and Wellbeing Champion and Practitioner, who works as Health & Social Care Coordinator at BVSC, shares a deeply personal account of her menopause in this blog. It's a powerful piece that's well worth a read. Read more
80,000 students study in Birmingham across 8 universities. Many of them look to volunteer during their time here to get to know the city, meet people and gain skills and experience. This Student Volunteers Week, Sam from Birmingham City University (BCU) gives some advice on how you can engage students in volunteering. Read more
The number of people who are worried about being out of pocket if they volunteer has risen from 5% in 2019 to 14% in 2023. Birmingham’s amazing volunteers give up their time to support some of the city's most vulnerable people. The Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) Sector needs volunteers to help deliver vital services now more than ever. In this blog, we consider some steps that you can take to effectively involve volunteers during the cost-of-living crisis. Read more
At the Active Wellbeing Society we’re so proud to have an inclusive, open and FREE schedule of virtual wellbeing. All of our classes can be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home, or why not join us as a group from your community centre, hospice or with a group of friends? All that’s required is for you to turn up and have a good time! Read more
St John Ambulance is England's leading first aid charity, with over 30,000 volunteers around the country regularly using their time to improve and help their communities. You'll likely have seen us at premier league football games, concerts, Remembrance days and community events or maybe even at Eurovision. Read more
Residents in Yardley have celebrated saving their playing fields from developers - and are now being invited to have a say in their future. Plans to build a new housing estate on land at Barrows Lane sports ground in Yardley were rejected by Birmingham Council after Persimmon Homes had failed to offer a suitable site for replacing the pitches that would have been lost. Read more
This recycling week (October 16th-22nd) we’re remembering recycling doesn’t just mean putting the bins out once a fortnight, it could be giving new life to a board game that’s been forgotten, or passing on a lawn-mower that’s no longer needed. Maybe, finding a home for those things that might be left on the street by our neighbours. Read more
A Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games leader who oversaw an award-winning global initiative at the major sporting event has joined Sport 4 Life UK’s board of trustees. Read more
Birmingham is known as a food city. We have a thriving street food scene, new independent restaurants, and the most Michelin stars outside of London, but this sits alongside high levels of food insecurity. More than two fifths of people in the city (43%) are living in areas in the top 10% most deprived nationally. This means it is harder to access food, and the issue is worsening. Read more