Balsall Heath Forum, Stories of Encounter

0:15 It’s built up to the point now where we have a really empowered community, they really get involved with community issues...1:20 They start asking each other questions and start having conversations I’ve overheard some of them saying ‘are we allowed to say this’... 3:00 Those youngsters that sometimes don’t get recognised from the churches, mosques other faiths were being recognised. A really proud moment for me, and they felt really pleased... 4:20 We have started to spread the message about what we do... 5:10 during last years Ramadan distribution it actually was the same day as the riots, so the riots were going on across the country and these youngsters from Balsall Heath were handing out these hamper packs, so the elderly were feeling really emotional because they’d just seen these images and the youngsters were feeling emotional because the elderly were saying you’ve restored our faith in young people. They said Uncle (they call me uncle now) can we patrol the streets tonight because we really feel connected to these elderly residents. We want to do a patrol. that was young and old, the same thing can happen between religions

6:20 [NN] It’s come at just the right time, we’ve actually lost five employees within the last three weeks. It’s helped me, with our funding cuts and everything else, to further develop the relationships within the community. I am guilty of focusing on the muslim and christian community. With this funding we are able to bring in the other religions as well...7:00 Without the religions taking part no community can thrive...to expand and promote what we are doing..