Community Dialogue |

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 »

Theories of Community Strength »

What’s stopping stronger communities? Places where public services are done with citizens – and not to them? What are the missing rungs on the ladder of local coproduction? Theories of Community Strength is the result of a year long research project into the nuts and bolts of civil society undertaken by Chamberlain Forum and residents [...]

August 16, 2011 | Posted in Featured | Read More »

Learning from Stories – SDM workshops »

Two Workshops to find out more on Friday 16th July at the Bond, Fazeley Street, Birmingham. 10.30-12.30pm and repeated at 1.30-4.30pm It has been said that the shortest path between a human being and the truth…Is a story. Why is it that with all the money spent on collecting and displaying data relating to the [...]

June 24, 2010 | Posted in Events,Featured | Read More »

Residents Link to Learn in Newtown »

About 70 Birmingham Residents joined Resident University over the two days it spent at St George’s Community Hub in inner city Newtown. They included young people taking part in the Young Resident University who learned about using social media and film-making in carrying out research with the University.

April 2, 2010 | Posted in Featured,News,Resident University | Read More »

Birmingham Resident University – 26th and 27th March »

Resident University launches its 2010/11 term with two days of free workshops, seminars and networking for all those involved in making neighbourhoods places to live, at St Georges Community Hub, Hockley, Birmingham from Friday 26th to Saturday 27th March.

March 23, 2010 | Posted in Events,Featured,News | Read More »

The Shortest Path…. »

A Manual for learning from Stories; Structured Dialogue Method

September 21, 2009 | Posted in News,Publications | 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.