Ageing in Place Sparkbrook
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AGEING IN PLACE SPARKBROOK Outline Report of the Ageing better research undertaken within the Sparkbrook Ward (pre-2018) in Birmingham The Sparkbrook Ward was one of five projects developed as part of the Ageing Better programme in Birmingham. Following the Local Authority reorganisation in the 2018 elections the Sparkbrook Ward became two wards. Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath East, and Balsall Heath West. Research and report undertaken by Ashiana Community Project supported by RnR Organisation. Mohammed Shafique, Chief Officer, Ashiana Community Project Ted Ryan Special Projects Director, RnR Organisation Contents Local Context Name of ward(s), population and information on demographics1, particularly around BAME groups 2 1 Demographics, Housing, Faith and community provision, Commercial centres Parks and green space, leisure facilities, Public transport, What might the area be known for locally? 3 1. BAME-led organisations - Engagement with older people 4 BAME-led organisations in the area – table of organisations How the organisations work with older members of their community 8 2 Changes to ways of working and why these changes have come about 9 Barriers faced when trying to engage with older people Community partnership activity 10 Working with other organisations Other partnership activity Benefits of partnership work 11 Important social infrastructure for older members of the BAME community Details of what places are important for social contacts and information 13 Types of social capital Has there been any relevant changes to this in recent years and what have the impacts been? i.e. 3 closure of community centres, libraries etc. Any differences in terms of age, gender, mobility/ disability issues, 14 Use of online platforms (social media, WhatsApp etc) Analysis and comment on types and levels of social capital References / notes 15 1 1. Local Context Name of ward(s), population and information on demographics1, particularly around BAME groups. The Ageing Better programme is a Lottery based project administered by BVSC -The Centre for Voluntary Action. The purpose is to empower and support vulnerable and isolated people over the age of 50 to make new contacts and establish new networks. The Ageing Better programme had focused and thematic areas of activity - in Sparkbrook, it was defined by the electoral ward of the area. In May 2018, Birmingham City Council underwent a reorganisation and the area was split into two new wards, Balsall Heath West and Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath East. Unless data is specifically related to, or referenced to either one of these new wards, the term ‘Sparkbrook’ is used throughout the report to describe the area. Prior to the 2018 reorganisation of wards, Sparkbrook was ranked as the most deprived ward in the City related to Overall Deprivation (national rank 48 of 7672) income domain (36) employment domain (118)3 Two LSOA (local super output areas) in Sparkbrook are ranked 52nd and 101st most deprived in country in 2011 census; almost all of Sparkbrook’s LSOA are in the top 10% most deprived nationally1 Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath East has a population of 26,087 (2.3% of City Population), 1,783 men over 55 and 1,929 women. Balsall Heath West has a population of 11,952 (1.1% of City Population), 956 men over 55 and 1,048 women. This gives a combined population of 38,012, and a combined over 50+ population of 5,716 (15.04% of the overall population)2/3. There is little specific data relating to the ethnic breakdown of the two Wards. 82% of Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath East comes from a BAME community. Balsall Heath West has 75% BAME community. This data provides us with an estimated 4,646 of individuals aged 50+ from a BAME community. Islam is the majority religion in the area, Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath East having a higher percentage (72.9 to 53.8). There are 10,779 properties within the area – 7,225 in Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath East and 3,554 in Balsall Heath West, of which 241 are pensioner only households2/3. Demographics - Sparkbrook / Balsall Heath are inner-city areas about 2 miles south of the city centre. Over the years they have played host to successive waves of immigrants, each community making its own contribution to the area. The areas are some of the most densely populated and diverse areas of Birmingham with over 200 nationalities living in one area. The current population is dominated by people of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin. The communities coexist with earlier immigrants, Irish and Afro Caribbean, as well as with new arrivals e.g. Yemenis, Somalians and Eastern Europeans. There is a strong link between families and cultures that intertwine which creates a large social mass, connected by faith, belief and place. The majority of communities live within an extended family model, with up to four generations living in some households. Housing - housing stock is mixed. There is a greater percentage of municipal and social housing within the Balsall Heath area following major clearances in the 60s and 70s. The rest of the area is predominantly Victorian terraced houses with 2 – 5 bedrooms. Faith and community provision - the area has a strong foundation of faith, with some faith venues supporting communities. There are 8 churches, 3 gurdwaras, 3 mandirs and 9 mosques. These institutions lay the foundation of belief within the communities and provide structures to facilitate activity across all communities. The area is served by a number of voluntary sector organisations. There aren’t many ‘large’ charities under the Small Charities Coalition definition of annual income in excess of £1 million. There are a number of ‘significant’ and well-established organisations whose income is between £500,000 and £1 million. The vast number of organisations can be described as micro organisations with incomes of less than £10,000 per annum. Such groups provide a range of local engagement, e.g. community activity, service provision (grant-funded or commissioned), resident groups, faith, social action groups etc. across the area. 2 Commercial centres - there is no single commercial centre within Sparkbrook. Commerce is predominantly retail. The majority of major industries that people would have worked in are outside the area. There are, however, a small number of ‘industrial’ manufacturing units, focusing on small manufacturing activity within the ward. The area is dissected, north to south, by a number of major arterial roads. In the east of the ward is the Stratford Road (A34), starts just outside the ‘City’ boundary (identified by the inner ring road) and runs the length of the ward, into the neighbouring ward, Sparkhill, and beyond. There are two main retail areas within Sparkbrook and further south in Sparkhill. Running along the centre of the area is Stoney Lane and Ladypool Road, recognised as the ‘Balti Triangle’ of Birmingham with a recognised world class cuisine from the south Asian continent, but also the latter being a more varied commercial centre and an attraction for shoppers for clothes for special occasions In the east is the Moseley Road which has a number of local and national businesses. Parks and green space, leisure facilities - the area has a number of significant green spaces and parks (pocket parks). These parks play a significant role within the elements of this report. There is one swimming pool in the area. This is an Edwardian pool, under threat of closure and currently run by a charity exploring an asset transfer. The area is also served by a refurbished pool in Sparkhill, run by a private organisation. Public transport - there is no train stations within the area, however, there are significant bus services along three arterial routes: the Stratford Road in the East, Stoney Lane and Ladypool Road in the middle and Moseley Road and the Pershore Road/ Willows Road / Lincoln Road in the west. Busses run every 4-10 minutes but travel into the city centre. There is only one bus that cuts across part of the ward, but this only runs once per hour and stops at 4.00pm. Elderly bus pass analysis for B11 and B12 postcode shows significant usage and indicates multiple usages on a daily basis. What might the area be known for locally? The area is known as a cultural focal point for many BME communities, with access to affordable groceries. There is a focus on locally run family retail businesses, specialising in spices, and food from across the globe. It has one of the highest numbers of fast food outlets, and commercial corridors for retail fashion. This concentrated area of retail attracts shoppers from across the United Kingdom, tasting food and buying clothes for special occasions, e.g. weddings and parties. The area now has a growing number of European-style cafes and shops from newly arrived African communities, and several money transfer venues, aiding immigrants sending money to their countries of origin. 3 2. BAME-led organisations - Engagement with older people BAME-led organisations in the area – table of organisations During the course of this research 17 organisations of a variety of sizes were identified, 11 were interviewed and 6 did not return the calls or e-mails and follow up calls. The 11 represents a variety of organisations in size, services, experience and longevity of existence. Most groups were not specifically established to provide support for elderly clients, many being established to provide support to local people generally. Some are well established and the demographics of the community within which they were established and exist has changed over the years. This is reflected in the type of support now offered. Support to the elderly and their carers is one such service that has been developed or accommodated within the core work of the organisations.