The forum - background and information

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Your Management Committee

At the forum open meeting & AGM held on 17 October 2023 a new committee was elected. Chris Hasler, Dean Croft and Natasha Parker were elected.  Jennie Price, Alasdair McCarrick and Derren Cresswell stood down, and we thank all three of them for the massive contribution they have made during the time they have been committee members. The remaning committee members were re-elected.

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At a meeting of the new committee held on 14 November Chris Hasler was elected Chair, Dean Croft Secretary, Mat Brockington Vice chair, and Clare Lewis was re-elected Treasurer. Your comittee and officers from this date are therefore: 

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Chair: Chris Hasler

Vice chair: Mat Brockington

Treasurer: Clare Lewis

Secretary: Dean Croft

Committee members:

Jen Antonio

Bobbie Frere (co-opted)

Lydia Handy (Communications officer)

Natasha Parker

Max Thomas

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Note: The vice chair to have particular responsibility for the time being for conducting open meetings.

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At the open meeting on 17 October Mat Brockington stated his intention to stand down as secretary at the AGM but agreed to act as acting chair and secretary until the next committee meeting at which new officers would be elected. This has now taken place as above.

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Details of previous committee:

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At the Forum open meeting held on 20 September 2022 a new committee was elected. The committee met on 15 November 2022 and elected a chair, secretary and treasurer. Following these elections the committee is as follows:

Chair: Jennie Price
Secretary: Matthew Brockington
Treasurer: Clare Lewis
Committee members:

Jen Antonio

Lydia Handy (Communications officer)*

Max Thomas

Bobbie Frere (co-opted)

Alistair McCarrick

Derren Cresswell

Malcolm Hancox (stood down May 2023)

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*At a commitee meetig held on 1 August 2023, Lydia Handy was appointed Communications Officer

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We would like to thank Malcolm for his invaluable contribution to the committee and the forum

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New members can be co-opted at any time, and members can be elected at our AGM. Want to get involved? speak to a member of the  committee at an open meeting

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​Our public open meetings

Open meetings are held quarterly, generally around September/October, January/February, April/May and July and everyone is welsome to attend.

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At the AGM members of the Management Committee and officers are appointed. Meetings are held at Christ Church, 953 Pershore Road, B29 7PS.

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We are very grateful to the Church for the use of the building. Please note, however, that we are independent of the Church, and politically neutral.
 

Meeting minutes

 

Minutes of open meetings and committee meetings will be published on this website as soon as possible after the meetings

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Membership

 

The area covered by our Forum extends from Priory Avenue in the north to Dogpool Lane in the south and from the western side of Pershore Road to the River Rea in the east, a total of over 700 households. 

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Membership is free to residents and open to all people aged 16 and over who live within the neighbourhood. Free membership is possible thanks to an annual grant provided by Birmingham City Council. Our Forum also seeks funding for special projects through a range of discretionary grants.

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Forum Aims and Objectives

The objective of the Forum is to enhance and maintain the quality of the area in which we live, by:

• Discussing and influencing issues affecting the local community

• Raising awareness

• Informing the public of social developments

• Undertaking research for public benefit

• Advancing education and doing other such things that encourage people to show an interest in the area and to bring together residents and others on a regular basis in order to address community issues of common interest and concern.

• Promoting the active involvement of residents in decision making.

 

The Forum’s background

The Forum came into existence at the start of 2006 following a decision by the officers and members of its predecessor, Selly Park Central Residents’ Association, to join the neighbourhood forums structure in Birmingham. Neighbourhood forums are community groups run by and for local people. There are more than 70 neighbourhood forums based throughout the City. Many forums, including ours, are affiliated to the Birmingham Association of Neighbourhood Forums (BANF). Each forum has a written constitution and copies of our constitution are available to residents on request.

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The work of the Forum

Birmingham City Council has devolved much decision-making, many budgets and some services to local level. Neighbourhood forums and the local knowledge they represent can make a big difference by ensuring that the districts' and wards’ spending and priorities reflect the needs of local people. The Council’s local meetings are held regularly and are open to all members of the public. Our Forum Management Committee always ensures that we are represented at these meetings. Equally we always invite our local councillors to our open meetings. We are in regular contact with the councillors and officers of the City Council and thus provide a direct link between the community and the City administration. We also have direct links with other public agencies such as West Midlands Police and also with neighbouring community associations.

As a response to the flooding of part of Selly Park South in 2008 the Forum formed Selly Park South Flood Action Group as a satellite organisation. The Group operates the Selly Park South Flood Action Plan, has some 13 voluteers to assist residents in a flood situation and works closeley with Birmingham City Council and the Environment Agency in managing the flood threat in the neighbourhood. The Group Coordinator is John Clayton

To get in touch with the Forum or the Flood Action Group please refer to the CONTACT US page of this website.

FOR FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT THE FORUM, its work, its achievement and what being a member of the Management Committee involves please click here.