Released on: September 15, 2008, 5:17 am

Press Release Author: Be Birmingham

Industry: Government

Press Release Summary: Birmingham launches its new sustainable community strategy on
17th September.

Press Release Body: On Wednesday (17th September) the BBC’s Nikki Tapper and
youngsters from the Youth Parliament and Young Enterprise will launch Birmingham’s
new sustainable community strategy, Birmingham 2026: Our vision for the future. The
vision will set out the long-term ambitions the city hopes to aspire to and achieve
in the next 18 years.

Dilveena Sokhi, 17, Anjenna Balasingam, 17, Luke Smith, 16 and Ziana Kotadia, 14,
are representative of Birmingham’s young people who will inherit the future which
the Birmingham 2026 vision will create. Therefore it is vital that they are part of
the process which aims to ensure economic success and an increased quality of life
for all, whilst living within our environmental limits. In addition, Be Birmingham
will also present three short films of the work of local groups, celebrating the
work our city is already doing to deliver the 2026 vision.

Be Birmingham, the city’s local strategic partnership which is responsible for the
vision, aims to ultimately create the opportunities which will allow current and
future generations to fulfil their potential and ambitions.

Birmingham 2026 is based upon a public consultation in which 1,300 people had their
say on what they felt the city’s priorities should be in the coming years. Their
views have formed the basis of this vision.

However, creating the vision is only the first step to delivering positive change in
Birmingham. Now all of Be Birmingham’s partners must ensure that the vision gives
our citizens the opportunity to:

• Succeed economically
• Feel and stay safe in a clean and green city
• Be healthy
• Enjoy a high quality of life
• Make a contribution to the society they live in

Be Birmingham (www.bebirmingham.org.uk) brings together organisations from the
business, community, voluntary, faith and public sectors. Each partner has a duty
and responsibility to deliver certain aspects of Birmingham 2026 which collectively
will ensure the vision is achieved. These responsibilities are set out in the
vision’s delivery plan, the Local Area Agreement (LAA) which will be reviewed every
three years until 2026.

Cllr Paul Tilsley, chair of Be Birmingham, said: “Birmingham 2026 is about the
citizens within our communities working together with us to deliver economic
success, providing social wellbeing whilst living within our environmental limits.
Birmingham is renowned for its innovative and creative past. We need to harness this
spirit to ensure we deliver that kind of success but in a new age of cultural
diversity, digital communication, technological advancement and environmental
sustainability.”

Birmingham 2026 will be launched at Be Birmingham’s inaugural summit on 17th
September at the Town Hall. For more information please contact
natascha.bowett@birmingham.gov.uk or visit www.bebirmingham.org.uk.

- Ends -
Notes to editors

• Be Birmingham, the city’s local strategic partnership, is committed to uniting
Birmingham’s partners to provide collective action to improve the social, economic
and environmental wellbeing of our city. This work is framed by the long-term vision
for the city, Birmingham 2026 and its delivery mechanism, the Local Area Agreement.


Web Site: http://www.bebirmingham.org.uk

Contact Details: Michelle Carr
Marketing & Communications Officer
Be Birmingham
Chamberlain House
Paradise Place
Birmingham, B3 3HJ

t: 0121 675 7819
f: 0121 303 9492
e: michelle.carr@birmingham.gov.uk