Tag: People for People

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NEWS: End of Summer free family event at Spring Lane Playing Fields on 15 September

Words by Ed King / Pics supplied by People for People CIC

People for People CIC are inviting families from across Erdington to join them for a free End of Summer Event at Spring Lane Playing Fields on Sunday 15 September – centred around the Erdington Rugby Club facilities.

Running from 2pm, the day out will be free to attend with family fun activities including a bouncy castle, face painting, temporary ‘tattoos’ for children, a children’s entertainer, and a variety of sporting events.

There will also be stalls selling food and drinks, including barbequed sausages and candy floss.

The End of Summer Event will also give people a chance to test their football skills against the Polish Builders, a special home team made up of tradespeople from different towns – alongside a special children’s Vs parent’s football match for those attending the event.

Both are free to enter with people asked to simply sign up on the day.

(Although if you’re an over eager parent looking to be picked up as the next Lionel Messi, the children’s football game will be refereed by local mums… so be warned, their side might win.)

Following on from a successful first event last year, promoted as a Polish Heritage Day and Spring Volleyball Tournament, the Community Interest Company are hoping to bring the community back together for an afternoon of family fun and entertainment for all ages.

There will also be another volleyball tournament held at this year’s End of Summer Event, with mixed teams including a minimum of two female players invited to enter for a joining fee.

Volleyball is fast paced and a fun way to get healthy, as well as being a popular sport across Eastern Europe – with prizes awarded to the best three teams and four individuals that take part on the day, donated by Erdington’s Central and Eastern European community,

Established as a CIC in February 2022, People for People are a locally based community group driven by a passion for bringing people together through community events, as well as offering advice and support to those in need.

Run by members of the local Central and Eastern European community, People for People work to “connect people, encourage mutual support, and create a sense of belonging.”

The group recently held a special drop-in advice session at Six Ways Baptist Church giving support and guidance to private tenants across Erdington, as the new Renters’ Rights Bill was introduced to Parliament.

Ahead of the End of Summer Event, Magdalena Breitkopf from People for People told Erdington Local: “We want to bring the community together for a day of family fun alongside a volleyball tournament – it’s a very popular sport in Eastern Europe, much more so than in the UK.

“But although we will keep score and compete for (very symbolic) prizes, the point of the day is fun.”

She added: “Our small organisation does a lot of different projects at the moment – we provide housing and welfare advice, teach basic IT and English.

“But we started it all out of our passion for organising community events because it’s our favourite thing to do!”

People for People will be hosting the free to attend End of Summer Event at Spring Lane Playing Fields on Sunday 15 September, running from 2pm – to visit the event’s Facebook page click here.

For more on People for People CIC visit www.peopleforpeoplecic.org

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NEWS: Free advice and drop-in support session for renters across Erdington on 12 September

Words by Ed King

A local community group are hosting a special event for renters across Erdington offering advice, guidance, and support around tenant’s rights and how to challenge unscrupulous landlords.

Held on Thursday 12 September at Six Ways Baptist Church, from 11:30am to 2:30pm, the daytime drop-in session will be free to attend – with no advance booking or referrals from third parties required.

Organised by Erdington based Community Interest Company (CIC) People for People, the tenant’s rights support session will be led by the Birmingham branch of ACORN – an international community union established in 1970 that offers support on social issues and housing.

Established as a CIC in February 2022, People for People are a self-described “migrant led organisation” who work across the community to “connect people, encourage mutual support, and create a sense of belonging.”

With renter’s rights often a key issue for people coming to live in the UK from abroad, as well as the existing pressures from private landlords put on renters across the country, the session on Thursday 12 September will be a chance for many across the community to access much needed free support.

People will be able to get advice on any issues around housing and their rights as private tenants, including the legal requirements on property maintenance and how to protect security deposits.

One of the Directors of People for People CIC, Magdalena Breitkopf, told Erdington Local: “During our weekly housing advice sessions at the Six Ways Erdington Baptist Church we identified the need for practical advice on housing in the private sector and we didn’t want to just signpost people, we wanted to bring that advice directly to residents of Erdington.”

The session will also look at the legal framework of an existing tenancy agreement, helping renters fight surprise and ‘no fault’ evictions and keep a roof over their head.

Housing charity Crisis reported a rise of 32% in section 21 notices being issued at the end of last year, where a landlord can evict a tenant without any reason or cause – allowing them to sell or rent the tenant’s home from under them with only eight weeks notice.

Homelessness charity Shelter further report that ‘500 renters are served a section 21 eviction notice EVERY DAY’ and have written an open letter to the top housing politicians in Westminster to force long promised reform through the Commons.

Blamed for uprooting families and stripping renter’s rights, the contentious section 21 notice was set to be abolished in the previous government’s Renters Reform Bill – which campaigners say was “hijacked by grubby deals behind the scenes” and fell dormant after its second reading in May 2024, before the General Election.

The now Labour government have reintroduced proposed changes in the now called Renter Rights Bill, which is set to receive its first reading in October.

If the bill passes successfully through Parliament it is hoped the new legislation would come into effect by October 2025.

For more on People for People CIC visit www.peopleforpeoplecic.org

For more from ACORN Birmingham visit www.facebook.com/Acornbrum