Birley Fields Community Forum Tuesday 9th February @ Brooks Building
Attendance Paul Kingsmore MMU (Chair) PK Carla Nuttall MMU CN Amy Barber MMU AB Cllr Lee Ann Igbon Manchester Young Lives / MCC Llg Sue Powell MMU SP Anne Finnegan Aquarius AF Liz O’Neill Z-Arts GP Rachel Summerscales HCGC RS Alan Leicester One Manchester AL Andy Taylor MMU AT Jenny Barnard Local resident (Bentley House) JB Adam Rothwell MMU AR Boki Shinebayer Café Grano BS Poppy Humphrey Manchester Student Homes PH Sissy Rooney Street Style SR Carol Packham MMU CP Maxine Holt MMU MH Jonathan Häsen Local resident JH Emily Crompton Ambition for Ageing EC PS Laura Jones GMP LJ Waseem Faraz Butt Youth Charter WFB Alan Holmes Local resident AH Ruth Billingham MCC RB Paul O’Sullivan Living Streets PO Milena Pretko Manchester Student Homes MP
Apologies Liz Hardy Martenscroft Amanda Sutton Venture Arts Dan Aris Local resident, Libralato Ltd Anthony Howarth Arch Medical Practice Cllr Amina Lone MCC Cllr Nigel Murphy MCC Helen Green Loreto Geoff Thompson Youth Charter Janet Batsleer MMU Simon Kweeday Big Life
1. Welcome and introductions
PK welcomed a number of new members to the forum, following discussions at the last meeting in which members agreed to broaden local representation.
2. Matters Arising
The last meeting was 2 December 2015.
3.1.2 Details of Cafe Grano events and activities circulated with previous minutes. 3.3 PK update on Plot E. CN to co-ordinate with MCC on communicating revised plan in due course. 4 Birley events 2016 - CN to cover as part of the main agenda. 5 Survey circulated, further discussion as part of the main agenda. 6 Info of ‘Hulme Sweet Hulme’ circulated with the previous minutes.
3. Leaf Street
AL gave update on One Manchester’s proposed developments on Leaf Street and Royce Road
3.1 One Manchester achieved planning permission in December 2015 and work is scheduled to complete by Autumn 2017. Further details circulated with minutes. Further information is also available online at http://hulmeliving.co.uk/the-proposal/. AL to confirm communications lead and timescales with CN.
4. Making Hulme More Accessible
4.1 Hulme Area Wide Travel Plan
AT from Manchester Met Travel Team presented the travel plan for Hulme.
4.1.1 This is a new initiative working with University staff, students and the local community, to look at travel behaviour in Hulme and encourage sustainable travel methods. The presentation is available to view on the Birley website.
4.1.2 The Travel Team, in partnership with Transport for Greater Manchester have developed a survey to collect feedback on travel behaviour. This will be circulated to community partners and housing providers to complete and distribute via their networks. Hard copies will also be made available. AB to distribute survey link.
AH to contact PH if further support is needed from students to distribute the surveys.
4.1.3 Further engagement events include a workshop, which is scheduled for late April. AB to distribute details and add events to the Birley website.
4.2 Transport Working Group
AT gave update on the 141 bus service. In its first year of operation it served 475,000 customers, with 3000 (1 in 5) people travelling to Hulme every week. The University provided funding for the setup of the service but longer term the Travel Team will work with Stagecoach and other operators to ensure it becomes self-sustaining, with an operator choosing to take it forward independently. AT to provide further update following a meeting with Stagecoach.
5. Hulme Community Events and Activities 2016
5.1 CN gave an overview of the events and activities taking place at Birley in 2016. This has been developed in line with feedback from the Birley Community Day and from discussions at the last forum. The event plan aligns with the 2015 Birley Impact to ensure the Birley becomes an exemplar HE community focused campus.
5.2 Two landmark events and monthly highlight activities are scheduled. We will also continue to promote other public engagement opportunities taking place across the University including lectures, workshops and festivals.
5.2.1 2016 landmark events: 12th June 2016 – Community ‘World Family Picnic’ working with staff from the Faculty of Science and Engineering, MetMUnch, MMU Environment Team and Manchester European City of Science. September 2016 – Community day.
5.2.2 2016 monthly highlights include: Poetry Together: an intergenerational poetry event in partnership with Manchester Children’s Book Festival in April. The Manchester Young Lives ‘Achiever of the Year’ event in May.
A four-day ‘Community Learning Festival’ delivered by staff in the Faculty of Education in July. Other events in discussion include potential sporting event in August linking in with the Olympic year, and a healthy relationships event in partnership with the Faculty of Health, Psychology and Social Care.
Further details will be added to the Birley website and a calendar of events will be shared. If you would like to input or get involved in any of the event subgroups contact CN.
6. Brooks Building Community Access
6.1 CN updated on community access to the building. At present most requests have been accommodated on a trial basis. This has enabled the University to assess the volume and nature of requests and is informing a wider space management and access policy for the University. This is currently going through the University’s legal and formal approval channels. In the meantime clear contact information is displayed on the Birley website. CN to share further information in due course.
6.2 For any enquiries that we are not able to accommodate further details about local venues are provided. AB to continue to signpost enquiries to local venues.
7. Forum Terms of Reference
7.1 At the last meeting it was agreed that the purpose of the group had changed since the construction period when the forum was first established. The Terms of Reference and membership should reflect this. CN to publish revised Terms of Reference on the Birley website.
7.2 A survey has been circulated for members to input on the future format of the meetings. Partners agreed that the forum should meet quarterly and most were happy to act as host venue and chair.
7.3 PK proposed that the chair of the forum should rotate on an annual basis. The forum agreed but a future chair would need to commit to four meetings per year and be committed to engaging with the community of Hulme. The University will still undertake to support the work of the forum. All: send details to CN of any individuals / considerations of individuals interested in taking up this role by the beginning of March.
8. Partner Updates
Paul O’Sullivan, Living Streets Working with the University of Manchester on ‘Put Your Feet to Work Week.’ Also working with local schools to encourage students to walk to school. Contact [email protected] to get involved.
Poppy Humphrey, Manchester Student Homes Update on the ‘Halls to Home’ campaign to make students more aware of living off-campus and being part of a local community. Key areas include noise nuisance, environmental issues, student safety and the positive contributions students make in the local community. For further information contact: [email protected]
Waseem Faraz Butt , Youth Charter Looking for volunteers for social coach leadership programme, candidates must be able to commit 5 hours per week.
PS Laura Jones, Greater Manchester Police Update on the recent incident at Co-op, investigations are ongoing. Local PCSO’s are attending events for ‘Hate Crime Awareness Week.’ Increased patrols and offender targeting has led to a decrease in offences.
Carol Packham, Faculty of Education, Manchester Met The Pod on Princess Road is running courses for under 30s looking to set up their own social enterprise. Visit www.thepodmcr.co.uk Community–university partnership event ‘Looking for the Front Door: Three examples of brokerage solutions for community-university partnerships’ will take place on 21st March 2016 at Brooks. Flyer circulated with minutes.
Boki Shinebayer, Café Grano Grano now accepts the Met Card. The cultural language exchange are looking for more native students to get involved. Also open to the local community interested in improving foreign language skills. A book club now runs on a Tuesday from 7pm. For more information contact [email protected]
Sissy Rooney, StreetStyle Surgery Organisation has received funding to help people with social isolation issues. Currently meeting with local organisations, housing associations to deliver tailor made programmes.
Past workshops have included: ‘Make do and mend workshops’ and CV writing. Visit www.streetstylesurgery.co.uk for further information, or contact [email protected]
Z-arts Recently received funding to add new classes and activities.
Jenny Barnard, Bentley House Holding their AGM at Brooks Building in March. Working with One Manchester to plan community events and gardening activities.
Maxine Holt, Faculty of Health, Psychology and Social Care Nursing students run health promotion sessions in the Zion centre twice a year. These are drop-in with fifty-seventy people seen each day. Sessions run in February and July.
Emily Crompton, Age-friendly neighbourhoods A specialist team at Manchester School of Architecture at Manchester Met, have been awarded a Big Lottery contract to create a new resident-led Age-Friendly Neighbourhood Partnership in Moston, Burnage, Hulme and Moss Side. To find out more of get involved, there will be a launch of Age- Friendly Hulme and Moss Side on Thursday 25th February, 11am- 2pm at The Powerhouse. Flyer circulated with minutes. Up to £2000 is available for projects, they must be resident-led and work with a partner organisation. Contact [email protected] for further information.
9. AOB
9.1 Proposals for public art installations at Birley currently underway. There will be potentially five projects. Community consultation will take place between March and May 2016 and there will be opportunities for future engagement with the art projects. CN to share further details in due course.
9.2 The next Birley newsletter will be circulated week commencing 22nd February. If you have any events, stories or projects you would like to promote send details to [email protected]
Date of next meeting May 2016. Details to be confirmed.