Latest News
Updated: 29th August 2008
New Grants Programme - Promoting Good Mental Health and Well-being in the Heart of Birmingham
The Trust has just launched this innovative new grants programme on behalf of the Heart of Birmingham teaching Primary Care Trust.
Small grants (up to £7,000) are available for innovative projects by voluntary and community groups that help improve mental health and wellbeing in the Heart of Birmingham area.
There is a 2-stage application process, with a simple Expression of Interest phase that will result in up to 12 projects being selected to develop more detailed project applications.
Expression of interest forms can only be obtained by attending one of our briefing sessions running between now and mid-October. More information can be found on our Grants page. Click on this link to go there now.
The deadline for expressions of interest to be received by The Trust is Thursday 23rd October 2008.
Updated: 29th August 2008
Grants for Community Consultancy in East Birmingham
The Trust has been commissioned to extend its Community Innovation Fund Community Consultancy Grant programme for the Enterprising Communities regeneration programme covering much of East Birmingham.
Grants are available for consultancy support (eg business planning, feasibility studies, architectural studies) that helps groups to achieve their objectives - where those objectives match the Enterprising Communities programme aims. Grants are usually awarded for between £1,000 and £4,000.
The closing date for enquiries to be received by The Trust is midday on Thursday 18th September 2008.
For more information click here.
Updated: 13th August 2008
Recruiting a New Chief Executive
After two years in the post our current Chief Executive is moving on to new challenges. We are therefore looking for a someone to take over the role after a period of growth - to lead the Trust through a new period of development.
Details of the role are available on our Staff Vacancies page - where you will find the application pack. The deadline for applications to be received by the Trust is 4pm on Friday 5th September 2008.
This is an exciting time for the Trust - and we are looking for an outstanding individual who can work as part of a committed team of staff, volunteers, trustees and members to help us fulfill our vision of an independent, sustainable, effective and diverse voluntary and community sector in the West Midlands.
Updated: 1st August 2008
Community Asset Transfer Resource for Sport England - forthcoming launch
The CD-rom Community Asset Transfer resource produced by The Digbeth Trust for Sport England is due to be launched at a regional performance improvement conference at the beginning of October. The resource has received positive feedback from the community groups who piloted it, Sport England and other public authorities interested in empowering communities and voluntary organisations by transferring the ownership and/or management of public assets to them.
Details of how the resource will be available will appear here after the launch.
Updated: 30th July 2008
Independent Evaluation of The Digbeth Trust's work 2004-08
The Digbeth Trust has commissioned an independent evaluation organisation (MEL Research) to carry out a review of the impact of the Trust's work over the past 4 years. This is one of the Trust's regular periodic reviews where we seek to measure the longterm impact of our work to support groups and communities.
The evaluators are currently making contact with a representative sample of our users and stakeholders to seek their feedback on the Trust. If you are approached to participate please do so - the Trust needs your views to help us improve the services we offer.
As part of our commitment to transparency the evaluator's report will be published in full on this website in October.
Updated: 3rd July 2008
New Small Grants Programme for Heart of Birmingham teaching Primary Care Trust
The Digbeth Trust has just won a tender to manage a new small grants programme for the Heart of Birmingham teaching Primary Care Trust. The programme - called 'Someone to Love, Something to Do, Something to Look Forward To' - will support voluntary and community organisations in the Heart of Birmingham area to improve mental health and emotional wellbeing in their community.
Further details will be published on the Grants page of this website in the coming weeks.
Updated 1st July 2008
The Digbeth Trust's Newsletter - New Edition
The new edition of the Trust's regular newsletter is now available. Click here to download a copy.
Updated: 26th June 2008
New capacity building programme for Community Network South West
The Trust has just been commissioned to deliver a programme of capacity building support for 15 voluntary and community organisations in South West Birmingham. This is a follow-up to the Trust's successful "Mobilising Your Assets" programme in the area.
The Trust, commissioned by Community Network South West, will be providing a mixture of training, consultancy and resources to these groups over the summer.
Updated: 17th June 2008
Improving Reach - Grant Award to The Digbeth Trust and Two of its Partners
Capacitybuilders has just announced that it has awarded The Digbeth Trust and two partner organisations a grant of £300,000 over 3 years under its Improving Reach programme.
The grant will enable the Trust and its two partners in the project - Birmingham New Communities Network and B:STRONG - to improve the range of capacity building services to small groups in Birmingham, particularly targeting BME, migrant and refugee communities.
This is the only grant awarded in this round for work in Birmingham - and is one of only 6 grants made in the West Midlands as a whole.
Further details about the project will be published on this website shortly.
Updated: 11th June 2008
New Grants Programme Open for Bids
The Healthy Lifestyles Small Grants Programmes for Schools and Early Years Settings is now open. This is the second Healthy Lifestyles Programme that the Trust is managing on behalf of the Heart of Birmingham teaching Primary Care Trust.
The programme is aimed at helping people to be more active, eat more healthily and reduce obesity and the ill-health it causes. Applicants should be a school or early years setting and must be based in the Heart of Birmingham PCT area.
The closing date for applications is 17th July 2008 at 5pm.
For more information about the programme and how to apply see our Grants page.
Updated: 20th May 2008
New Appointment - Chair of Birmingham Community Safety Partnership's Community Engagement and Empowerment Core Priority Group
The Digbeth Trust's Chief Executive has just been appointed as Chair of Birmingham Community Safety Partnership's Community Engagement and Empowerment Core Priority Group.
The Group is responsible for one of the six core priorities of the BCSP - and has a role in assisting the other core priority groups to address community empowerment issues.
For more information about the work of the BCSP see their website at www.birmingham-csp.org.uk
Updated: 12th May 2008
Neighbourhood Performance Reward Grant - Independent Evaluation Published
During 2007/08 The Digbeth Trust was commissioned by Birmingham Community Safety Partnership to develop and manage a new way of supporting communities to tackle community safety issues in their neighbourhood. The independent evaluation of the Neighbourhood Performance Reward Grant Programme has just been published and found "the work of The Digbeth Trust as the 'broker' or intermediary organisation responsible for developing and delivering the NPRG programme on behalf of the City has been outstanding." (csd Consulting).
The Trust is currently being commissioned to develop and manage NPRG 2.
For more information about the Neighbourhood Performance Reward Grant Programme and other similar capacity building initiatives, please contact the Trust.
Updated: 8th April 2008
Consultant Registration Process Now Open - Professional and Technical Aid Service
The Trust's register of quality assured consultants is now open for new consultants to apply. You can download the application pack from our PTAS: Professional and Technical Aid Service page.
As part of our commitment to quality assurance, every consultant already on the register must re-apply every year and provide evidence that they have kept their key skills up to date. If you are already a PTAS-registered consultant and have not received your re-registration pack please contact the Trust.
Updated: 7th April 2008
The Digbeth Trust's Business Plan 2008/09
The Trust has just published its new business plan for this financial year. You can download a copy from our Publications and Resources page or by clicking here.
Updated: 12th March 2008
New Grants Programme: Healthy Lifestyles in the Heart of Birmingham
The Digbeth Trust is once again working in partnership with the Heart of Birmingham teaching Primary Care Trust to manage two new Healthy Lifestyles small grant programmes for organisations working in the Heart of Birmingham PCT area.
The first of the programmes to be launched is the Healthy Lifestyles Grants for Voluntary and Community Organisations. The application pack can be obtained by contacting the Trust by email at info@digbethtrust.org.uk or phone (0121 753 0706).
The closing date for applications is 25th April 2008. The Grants Panel will meet on 22nd May 2008 to award grants.
See our Grants page for more information.
The second Lifestyles programme (aimed at schools and early years settings) will be launched next month.
Updated: 10th March 2008
Community Consultant Training Programme
The Trust is working in partnership with Birmingham University to deliver a training programme for Birmingham residents who wish to develop consultancy skills and experience. The programme, funded by BeBirmingham (Birmingham's local strategic partnership), will give people the skills (such as research methods, group work, etc) to work within their communities to identify issues of interest and concern.
BeBirmingham is interested in developing community consultancy as part of its strategy to extend the range of its community engagement activities across the City.
The first round of training is taking place in March and places are still available. For more information please contact Dr Lisa Goodson at Birmingham University by phone on 07980 275 636 or by email at l.j.goodson@bham.ac.uk or James at The Digbeth Trust on 0121 753 0706 or by email at jamesfitzpatrick@digbethtrust.org.uk
Updated: 7th March 2008
Birmingham New Communities Network
The Digbeth Trust and Birmingham New Communities Network have just entered into a partnership to help build the capacity of the Network.
BNCN was launched in 2004 as a network of migrant and refugee organisations in Birmingham. It currently brings together over 60 grassroots groups to work together to address issues of concern to these communities and be a voice for emerging and new communities and their organisations.
The Trust will act as accountable body for a new capacity building grant awarded to BNCN by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and will provide the network with ongoing support over the next 3 months.
For more information about BNCN please contact Suzanne Bisani (BNCN Chair) at 1 Piers Road, Birmingham B21 0UY.
Updated 13th February 2008
Neighbourhood Performance Reward Grant - pilots success
The groups participating in the pilot Neighbourhood Performance Reward Grant programme, managed by The Digbeth Trust for the Birmingham Community Safety Partnership, have just been notified of the outcome of their bids.
Following the succesful completion of their initial projects, three of the groups have been awarded their full Reward Grant of 15,000 each. The fourth group has been awarded additional funding to continue activities it began under the NPRG programme. You can hear directly about each of the groups by viewing films of them talking about their NPRG projects on Youtube - follow the links below:
Kingstanding Neighbourhood Forum
Sparkbrook Neighbourhood Forum
Washwood Heath Youth & Community Network / Comm:pact
Updated: 28th January 2008
Transnational Visit to The Hague
As part of our Neighbourhood Performance Reward Grant pilot programme (funded by Birmingham Community Safety Partnership), the Trust organised a visit for the participating groups (Kingstanding Neighbourhood Forum, Bordesley Green Forum, Sparkbrook Neighbourhood Forum and Comm:Pact) to an international conference in The Hague on 24th and 25th January. The conference brought together residents from across Europe who are taking action at a local level to tackle community safety issues in innovative ways.
This was an opportunity for resident-led groups in Birmingham to demonstrate the important work they are doing to make their neighbourhoods better places to live.
The Trust accompanied the groups and a report on the conference will appear in the Trust's February newsletter.
Updated: 7th January 2008
New Asset Transfer Project
The Digbeth Trust has been commissioned by Sport England West Midlands to develop a new resource aimed at supporting public authorities and voluntary and community groups to examine the possibilities for the transfer of management and/or ownership of publicly owned property to the voluntary sector for community sports use.
The Trust has put together a team of consultants to design and produce the resource and we will be involving a range of organisations from across the West Midlands as good practice case studies.
The Trust is working on this project in partnership with Sport4Life UK, an organisation working to promote community sport. For more information about Sport4Life visit their website at: www.sport4life.org.uk
The resource will be available from Sport England in the spring.