Young Citizens – Saltley Enquiry

The Young CITIZENS’ (YC) Saltley Enquiry has involved hundreds of people from all over the West Midlands creating something that brought together Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, students, parents and teachers.

After a series of workshops, members of the YC strategy team began voicing their concerns about quality of life issues in Saltley, a neglected and forgotten suburb within two miles of Birmingham’s city. They quickly identified three inter related problems - open drug trafficking, the booming rat population and low attainment in schools - that were driving young people away from mainstream society. With a strong sense of purpose and hope they started breaking down the problems into specific, achievable goals.

The YC leaders have galvanised wide sections of the local community around the Saltley Enquiry. They organised:

• a ‘listening campaign’ in their weekend time and visited 100+ houses in the local area to enquire about how people felt about issues ranging from crime to housing to the environment.
• a public Assembly in October 2002 with nearly 300 people turning out to launch the Saltley Enquiry.

2 students from Park View School co-chaired the assembly and inspired more than 60 people to come forward and sign up to be on the board of the enquiry. Hamayoun Sadiq, a year 10 student, spoke passionately to the audience about the drug dealing problems in the area and pleaded that “if we don’t do something about it today, Alum Rock will become the shopping centre of drugs. Act today and live in peace tomorrow”. Year 10 student, Shanaz Nila spoke live on Radio WM about the work of YC and Hamayoun Sadiq appeared on the front page of the Birmingham Post. 4 Civic leaders were invited to sit as the co chairs of the Enquiry to further ensure that the efforts of YC leaders were not ignored.

At an Enquiry meeting in January, they wrote and performed to an audience of 100 a drama entitled ‘Here and Now About the Rock’ illustrating how life has changed in Saltley over the last 100 years. In March, a group of leaders met with Ian Coghill, the Assistant Director of Environmental Services, to start negotiating the ‘final deal’. YC leaders felt they were respected and listened to. Mr Coghill was impressed stating, “you have won my heart and mind”.

Organised people and organised money with a clear strategic plan cannot only influence people in power but also create positive change. YC leaders live in the world as it is but are inspired and have inspired others to work for the world as it should be.