Big Society |

Cooking with Community Involvement »

American sociologist Sherry Arnstein came up with the idea of a ladder to represent approaches to community involvement as successive rungs towards ‘citizen empowerment’ 40 years ago. But is ‘empowerment’ always the most important aim of community involvement. And is more community involvement always the right ingredient for better public services? Successful public services are [...]

May 28, 2012 | Posted in Ideas | Read More »

Riots: Communities the Solution, Not the Problem »

There is a crisis with young people in particular but affecting large numbers of people, families and communities in city neighbourhoods who are effectively excluded from power and influence. Steve Botham, Chair of the Chamberlain Forum, speaking to the BBC, stressed that the crisis is one of hope and of lack of engagement. He was [...]

March 30, 2012 | Posted in Featured,Pictures | Read More »

Set up a Neighbourhood Website »

Neighbourhood Forums, Community First panels and other groups interested in setting up local websites in Birmingham are invited to take up support from Chamberlain Forum and Community Network 4 Birmingham. Any local group can set up, and get support to manage, a neighbourhood website for free as part of a project to extend local websites to cover 100 city neighbourhoods.

March 29, 2012 | Posted in Events,Featured,Resources | Read More »

Community Resilience and Self Help »

Chamberlain Forum’s 2011-12 programme focuses on Community Resilience and Self-Help.

March 19, 2012 | Posted in Policy | Read More »

Are We Being Heard? »

Millions are wasted each year by local authorities and other public bodies on unimginative consultations that yield little in terms of organisational intelligence or improved public services. Are We Being Heard is the report on Chamberlain Forum’s collaborative enquiry into the practice and future of consultation. Five key insights from the 9 month research based [...]

December 22, 2011 | Posted in Gallery,News,Pictures,Publications,Resources | Read More »

Building Society in Birmingham »

With talk of a ‘broken’ society – recent looting and violence on our streets – this Chamberlain Forum Resident University workshop, on 21st September 2011 is for the people and groups who are building society. Building Society is an opportunity for grassroots community and voluntary groups of all sorts to meet and share views of [...]

September 8, 2011 | Posted in Events,Featured | Read More »

What We Do

Chamberlain Forum helps civil society and local authorities to coproduce better places to live. We are non-profit, politically independent and proudly based in Birmingham.

We organise Chamberlain Lectures featuring speakers including Prime Minister David Cameron. We also organise Resident University - a peer and shared learning programme for people who live and work in neighbourhoods.

We promote and develop community networks as social capital builders, including by supporting Community Network 4 Birmingham

We support action to strengthen local civil society including through: community asset transfers; neighbourhood websites; mediation and facilitation; training and business planning.

We organise action research into aspects of coproduction and are delivering an 18 month programme, Communities Managing Change, funded by Barrow Cadbury Trust.

Chamberlain Forum Limited acts as a consultancy delivering a wide range of 'thinking and doing' services for clients including local authorities, housing associations, development trusts, health and social care bodies, local strategic partnerships and voluntary and community groups.