Category: Urban Devotion Birmingham

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COMMUNITY ANCHORS: Supporting young minds and encouraging positive mental health

Words by Urban Devotion Birmingham (UDB)

Artwork supplied by Urban Devotion Birmingham

As we head into a new year, the bubble of excitement, new habits and dreams can quickly be popped by Blue Monday, ‘the most depressing day of the year’.

This is especially the case for our children and young people. According to a 2020 report, 1 in 6 children aged 5-16 are likely to experience mental health problems.

At UDB, we work with a number of young people who are experiencing problems with their mental health, and we see social media having a big impact on this.

Adolescent brains, not yet fully developed and highly mouldable, are being barraged by a constant stream of content. For some, their brains are becoming wired to need the next notification or to be entertained constantly.

In Jonathan Haidt’s book The Anxious Generation he suggests people become anxious and depressed when “they feel isolated, lonely or useless”.

It’s interesting that in a generation more ‘connected’ than ever, we are seeing large numbers of young people who feel isolated and lonely, and consequently, anxious and depressed.

As a community we can make a difference to the mental health of the young people we know. Things like in-person conversations, asking how they are doing, doing things in the physical world with them. These are all small steps, which when done consistently, can make a huge difference.

In a time of the year where mental health conditions can be amplified, why not make an intentional effort to make a difference for yourself and others?

For more on Urban Devotion Birmingham visit www.urbandevotion.org

Urban Devotion Birmingham is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.

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COMMUNITY ANCHORS: Christmas, a time of hope and community across Erdington

Words by Urban Devotion Birmingham (UDB)

(Ed’s note – this column was written for the Erdington Local printed edition and first published on 20.12.24)

All over Erdington there are Christmas lights twinkling from windows. For many, this is a season filled with joy. For others, it’s more complicated.

Wherever you stand, Christmas carries a powerful message: light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.

At Christmas, we celebrate God stepping into a dark world, arriving as a baby to bring hope that changes everything. In uncertain or heavy moments, the birth of Jesus reminds us that God’s love is present.

In the bible it puts is like this: “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” (John 1:9)

Life’s challenges don’t vanish with the turn of a calendar page, but Christmas reminds us that we don’t have to face them alone. The light of Jesus shines in the darkest places, offering hope to carry us forward.

In Erdington, UDB works to be a light through our support of children and young people. Our drop-ins provide a space to connect, have fun, and discover hope for the future. If you’d like to learn more, scan the QR code.

From all of us at UDB, we wish you a Merry Christmas. We look forward to seeing you in the New Year!

For more on Urban Devotion Birmingham visit www.urbandevotion.org

Urban Devotion Birmingham is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.

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COMMUNITY ANCHORS: Young people of Erdington’s hopes and dreams

Words by Steph Porter / Pic supplied by Urban Devotion Birmingham (UDB)

Volunteers with Urban Devotion Birmingham

(Ed’s note – this column was written for the Erdington Local printed edition and first published on 15.11.24)

What did you used to want to be when you were older?

As a child, I wanted to be a teacher. Then, I wanted to be a stage manager in a theatre. Next, a social worker. Now, I’m a youth worker.

In 2023, The Prince’s Trust released new research on young people and aspirations, stating that since 2021, 57% of young people have lowered their long-term aspirations. A mind blowing and heart-breaking statistic suggesting another impact of COVID-19, the cost-of-living crisis and other experiences on young people today. But why do these correlate?

I wonder if, for young people, the priorities have changed. Their dream jobs become insignificant in light of looking after their family, their mental health, and experiencing life in the present when so many aspects of their worlds have changed so drastically in the last five years.

At UDB, we are all about helping the young people of Erdington to hope and dream again. The first step to envisioning your future is knowing you have a voice in it, believing that you were created for something more than your current context.

Our youth volunteer program seeks to do this by giving opportunities to young people to grow and develop their skills by working with children and helping run events in their local area.

The program also includes leadership development and one-on-one mentoring, enabling the young people to discover more about themselves and in turn, discover more about their future.

If you’re passionate about helping young people to dream again, please get in touch.

For more on Urban Devotion Birmingham visit www.urbandevotion.org

Urban Devotion Birmingham is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.

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COMMUNITY ANCHORS: The Underground – a safe space for Perry Common youth

Words & pics supplied by Urban Devotion Birmingham

Urban Devotion Birmingham youth worker at The Undergroud, St Martain’s Church, Perry Common

Since 2004, The Underground has been a safe, welcoming space for young people in Perry Common to socialise, make friends, and engage with the UDB team.

Located beneath St Martin’s Church on Witton Lodge Road, the space is used by Oscott Academy during school hours, while UDB hosts various youth activities in the evenings. Young people can grab a toastie, play in the sports hall or hang out in our youth space.

We spoke to some regular attendees, asking why they come to The Underground and what they enjoy about it. Their answers varied: “To make new friends,” “It gives me something to do,” and “It makes me feel safe.”

They enjoy the food, toasties, sports, and the chance to “see some friends every week.” One young person shared how the space has “helped with my self-control” and how UDB is always there to support them when they feel sad or angry.

We believe it’s vital to offer young people safe, drop-in activities where they can feel relaxed, heard, and have fun.

We all crave spaces where we feel we can belong, and we feel privileged to be able to provide those spaces to many young people throughout Erdington.

Our sessions at The Underground are open to different age groups:

  • Mondays from 3:15pm-4:30pm for school years 3-6
  • Mondays from 5:00pm-6:00pm for school years 7-9
  • Wednesdays from 6:00pm-7:00pm for school years 9-13

For more details and to see where else we run drop-ins check out our QR code (above).

For more on Urban Devotion Birmingham visit www.urbandevotion.org

Urban Devotion Birmingham is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.

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COMMUNITY ANCHORS: A privilege to partner with schools across Erdington

Words & pics supplied by Urban Devotion Birmingham

UDB has always partnered with local schools. We see, now more than ever, how stretched teachers and school staff are – trying to give their best with limited resources and recognition. If you are one of those people – thank you for all you are doing!

By my rough calculations, once a young person reaches the end of their education at the age of 18, they have spent the equivalent of two full years in school. That’s a lot of time. The opportunity schools have to support, shape and nurture the lives of the children and young people who attend them is huge!

We are privileged to be able to join schools in this opportunity wherever we can, always with a heart to connect with and support children and young people in Erdington.

As we look forward to a new academic year, we will once again be in some of our Erdington Primary and Secondary schools. If you see one of our team in your school then please come over and say hi – we love to hear from you!

We know that the start of the academic year can bring up a range of different feelings; expectations can seem higher, you have to get back into the term-time rhythm, you can be both excited and nervous about seeing people.

We are here to listen and support you as you transition back – just come along to one of our drop-ins for a chat; you can find the details on our website.

For more on Urban Devotion Birmingham visit www.urbandevotion.org

Urban Devotion Birmingham is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.

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COMMUNITY ANCHORS: The transforming power of asking why

Words & pics supplied by Urban Devotion Birmingham

(Ed’s note – this column was written for the Erdington Local printed edition and first published on 15.08.24)

It’s a hot day. Walking along the street you spot a group of people looking into a parked car. One has a hammer and you watch as they smash one of the windows. The rest of the group starts cheering.

What’s going on? Would your judgement change depending on whether it was ‘a group of young people’ or ‘a group of old people’?

We make judgements to help us understand situations and keep ourselves and others safe. However, judgements can be skewed by information that isn’t reality. Newspaper headlines, biases, and people’s experiences influence how we feel, think, and the decisions we make.

With the lighter evenings and summer holidays in full swing, there are more children and young people out and about. Each one has their own story, hopes, and fears.

At UDB we want to be available to listen to these young voices and understand their perspectives. By making space, we can better appreciate the actions and intentions of others.

Back to the scenario: the group were young people who spotted a dog panting in a locked car. The owner asked for help having locked their keys in the car, so one of the young people ran to a shop and asked for a hammer.

What if I hadn’t revealed the full story? What story might you have assumed? It’s natural to form judgements, but sometimes it’s worth taking time to hear the whole story. Asking why can transform a situation.

For more on Urban Devotion Birmingham visit www.urbandevotion.org

Urban Devotion Birmingham is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.

 

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COMMUNITY ANCHORS: Free activities across summer holidays with Urban Devotion Birmingham

Words and pic supplied by Amy Hayes – Co-Director, Urban Devotion Birmingham

When we spoke to young people and children in Erdington about the summer holidays many were full of excitement; looking forward to spending time with friends and family, having a much-needed break from their studies.

School holidays provide a great opportunity for rest and play – two things that are vitally important for our wellbeing.

We know the pressure parents and carers can feel to meet these needs through expensive trips or activities. The reality is that most of us are going to be looking at how we can fill the time without the expense.

From experience with my kids, I know that those random bike rides in the park, games in the local field, and film nights in the house can be just as precious as the expensive trips. It’s about the time we shared together.

If you’re a parent/carer and reading this… release that pressure to be spending loads!

Here at Urban Devotion Birmingham (UDB) we love connecting with children, young people, and their families across Erdington through the school term, and this doesn’t stop in the summer holidays! For five weeks of the summer, UDB are hosting free activities for both children and for young people across multiple neighbourhoods so there will be one near you!

No sign-up is needed, and everyone who comes along will have the opportunity to engage in a different theme each week, connect with others their age and enjoy a meal together.

Why don’t you build these activities into your summer plans? We’d love to see you.

For more on Urban Devotion Birmingham visit www.urbandevotion.org

Urban Devotion Birmingham is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.

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COMMUNITY ANCHORS: Times of change

Words & pics supplied by Urban Devotion Birmingham

We are in a time of change for many young people.

Whether it’s the end of a school year, saying goodbye to school or college, or finishing exams, there is a significance in finishing the academic year and looking ahead to what’s next.

This time of transition happens to coincide with another huge moment of potential transition and change – a general election! No matter the outcome, this can be a time of turbulence, of promised changes, and a country waiting in anticipation.

Change can be exciting and good for us. It can also induce fear, anxiety and high levels of stress.

Over-exposure to the stress related with change can have negative impacts, especially on children and young people even disrupting brain development when experienced for prolonged periods of time.

One of the privileges we have at UDB is to be a source of stability and continuity for young people, giving them spaces to self-express, de-stress and find consistency.

These things aren’t limited to us as youth workers; if you know a young person why don’t you check in with them in the next few days? The well-used saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ is so true and you showing care can make a real difference.

As you do that we’d love for you to encourage them to connect with one of our spaces so that we can be part of that village too. Use the QR code to see what we are up to.

For more on Urban Devotion Birmingham visit www.urbandevotion.org or scan the QR code in this article.

Urban Devotion Birmingham is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.

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COMMUNITY ANCHORS: Exams and young people’s wellbeing

Words & pics supplied by Urban Devotion Birmingham

Exam season has begun, and it can be a stressful time to be a young person. Whether as a year 6 pupil, feeling nervous about the big move to secondary, or preparing for GCSE’s or A-Levels, it can be a pressure filled time of year.

The problem is that this pressure can become a negative and crippling force in many young people’s lives, impacting their mental wellbeing in small or significant ways.

For some this can look like overworking and getting stuck in revision. For others it may be complete avoidance or an inability to sit and revise.

As adults we can all play a significant role in helping make this time less stressful and mentally taxing for young people by encouraging and role modelling what it looks like to find a healthy balance between focus, rest and play is essential.

The reality is succeeding during exams does require times of focus, and revision cannot be ignored.

But it also needn’t be all consuming. We all need time to rest our minds and our bodies, and making sure young people know ways to rest and relax is important.

Play can be a great way to do this. This will look different for different ages and for different people, but includes elements of exploration, creativity, and fun.

Perhaps it’s playing a sport, or painting, or jumping on a trampoline – the possibilities are endless! This is as essential for our mental wellbeing, and performance, as getting a good night’s sleep.

For more on Urban Devotion Birmingham visit www.urbandevotion.org

Urban Devotion Birmingham is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.

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COMMUNITY ANCHORS: The importance of play, free drop-in sessions for young people with Urban Devotion Birmingham

Words & pic supplied by Emma Winmill, Co-Director at UDB / Artwork by Ash Porter

For the last 20 years Urban Devotion Birmingham have hosted spaces for young people, children, and families to connect, have fun, and play.

Since the Pandemic we have intentionally sought to provide new play experiences for young people to develop new skills and hobbies to help address the significant challenges young people experienced during Covid-19. This includes everything from water sports to sewing, singing to board games, rock climbing to graffiti art, football to photography.

We have had a lot of fun trying new things, getting wet and getting creative! There are some very talented young people who have tried their hand at such things as songwriting, painting and paddleboarding and found joy in doing so. 

There is a bedrock of evidence linking play with an array of positive benefits, including improved learning, enhanced wellbeing and social skills. Play at all ages brings joy and excitement, reduces stress, improves problem solving skills and increases our ability to overcome low self-esteem and feel comfortable in our own skin.

Click on the QR code to see more information about the open access drop-ins we run for young people, children and families across Erdington where you will find some of these play opportunities, as well as free snacks and time to connect with others in a safe space.

The QR code will also give you links to our Instagram and Facebook accounts, which we update frequently with updates and any last-minute changes.   

For more on Urban Devotion Birmingham visit www.urbandevotion.org

Urban Devotion Birmingham is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.