Birmingham’s residents, businesses and organisations are all being urged to share their views on the council’s proposals to address and tackle inequalities that affect communities across the city.
A virtual public consultation on www.birminghambeheard.org.uk opens today (6 October 2020), to start a city-wide conversation about issues, and runs until 14 December 2020. Feedback will be presented in an update to Cabinet in January 2021.
The report Everyone’s Business, Everyone’s Battle: Tackling Inequalities in Birmingham, presented to Cabinet last month, highlights the full extent to which inequalities have impacted Birmingham – and how the city plans to address them.
It sets out the council’s initial plans and forms the basis for this city-wide conversation with communities about how to build a more equal and inclusive Birmingham.
Cllr John Cotton, Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion, Community Safety and Equalities at Birmingham City Council, said: “We live in one of Britain’s most diverse cities and yet opportunities for too many of our citizens continue to be limited as a result of their race, class, gender, economic circumstances or a combination of these factors
“In order to actively address those issues, we are going to be bold and open to having uncomfortable conversations to understand the underlying causes and challenges of persistent inequality.
“We are absolutely clear – real change is delivered when we put people’s lived experiences and views at the heart of what we do.
“That’s why I’m asking Birmingham’s citizens, employers, community organisations and our staff to share their views and be honest with us. I know this won’t be easy, but if we want real change to happen, we need everyone to play their part, to make it their business.”
The council will be using this to work with citizens, communities and partners to address wider structural inequalities and its workforce to reflect Birmingham’s diverse communities at all levels of the organisation.
All consultation material will be available via the council’s Birmingham Be Heard consultation website at birminghambeheard.org.uk
Written submissions can also be made on issues raised by this consultation can be sent to: Tackling Inequalities Consultation, c/o Cohesion and Equalities Team, Room 131, Council House, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B1 1BB.
The consultation closes at 11.59pm on 14 December 2020.
