Community Conversation: From Wednesbury to Wolverhampton

by Stuart Ashmore

Business in the Community and Midland Metro Alliance would be delighted if you could join them for a virtual Community Conversation, where they will explore how people from all sectors can support the recovery and strengthening of the Wednesbury to Wolverhampton economy. They believe that resilient communities are made up of collaborative partnerships that are willing to work together and build on local knowledge resulting in long term change.

**UPDATE** – This is now a single session that will take place on Thursday 8th July 2021. The session is from 10.30 am – 12.00 and you will need to register by following the link below.

Midland Metro Alliance
Midland Metro Alliance (MMA) is a team of planning, design and construction experts delivering a number of light rail extensions across the region on behalf of Transport for West Midlands, who have embarked on an ambitious plan to regenerate the region by providing easy access to public transport.

MMA, formed in July 2016, consists of the West Midlands Combined Authority, which owns the West Midlands Metro; a consortium of design experts from Egis, Tony Gee and Pell Frischmann; and rail construction specialists Colas Rail – supported by Colas’ sub-alliance partners Colas Ltd, Barhale, Bouygues UK and Auctus Management Group.

The alliance works hard to be a best practice organisation and delivers customer-focused liaison services for Metro projects across Birmingham and the Black Country, helping to keep the region moving during construction.

Business in the Community
Business in the Community (BITC) is the oldest and largest business-led membership organisation dedicated to responsible business.

BITC inspire, engage and challenge members and mobilise that collective strength as a force for good in society to:

• Create a skilled, inclusive workforce today and for the future
• Building thriving communities in which we live and work
• Innovate to repair and sustain our planet

Community Conversation
Community Conversation is a cross sector networking event exploring working collaboratively. A forum for community, business and public sector to share opportunities, discuss priorities and highlight areas of need to help build a healthier sustainable community.

A key outcome from a Community Conversation is a commitment amongst participants to continue to work together and agree on collaborative actions that can make a real difference in a place. BITC will assess actions / pledges / offers after the event and plan for further action.

This Community Conversation will focus on the benefits of improved connectivity with areas of opportunity and major employment sites. To complement this, we would like to explore wider social and environmental issues that all three sectors can address in a collaborative fashion. In session two, local community organisations have been invited to present a current challenge or idea.

Outline of session – 8th July – PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

  • Welcome and working together to build back – Business in the Community
  • Opening speaker – Midland Metro Alliance
  • Birmingham 2022 – Commonwealth Games
  • Local Community Presentations – presenting priorities / opportunities for engagement
  • Cross sector breakout rooms
  • Report back and actions
  • Wrap up / close

The break-out sessions are designed to discuss challenges and ideas and workshop collaborative solutions as a group. This will provide an opportunity for participants to work as part of a cross-sector team, sharing their knowledge to provide real support to local communities.

For questions or to book a place, please email Kelly Stackhouse at kelly.stackhouse@bitc.org. You will need access to Zoom to attend this meeting, please click on the link above to book your place.