Kate Foley – neighbourhood manager in Lozells in inner city Birmingham, England talks about the task of neighbourhood management and the part that a community website like Life in Lozells (developed by Chamberlain Forum working with local groups) can play.

Kate  defines neighbourhood management as being about drawing together services and giving people the opportunity to influence and set the agenda for the neighbourhood.   That means , for her, making sure she works as part of a team with colleagues in different public services as well as finding ways of listening effectively to local communities (plural) that share the neighbourhood.

People are noticing improvements as a result of neighbourhood management in Lozells and in other parts of Birmingham.  Neighbourhood policing plays an important part in this.  People don’t have to go to service specific service-related meetings but can raise generic neighbourhood issues instead at joinmg neighbourhood forum/neighbourhood policing meetings.

Life in Lozells is adding to the range of ways in which people can make a contribution to decision making in the neighbourhood.

Finally, Kate talks about the important part played by community and voluntary groups in making the neighbourhood function.  ‘It is too easy to think that all public services are provided by the police or the council or the health service.’  Local community and voluntary groups are important too: they often have a closer understanding of the way residents are feeling than larger statutory bodies.

This video was produced by Hannah Worth of Chamberlain Forum and James Gillies of Community Film-Maker.